It is only going to get worse
This week MLB banned a current member of the San Diego Padres for life and suspended four minor league players for one year all for gambling on-line on MLB games. This is the first time an active player has been banned since the Black Sox scandal in the early 20th century
The MLB, the NBA and the NFL are one big contradiction when it comes to gambling. Officially they take a very hard stance against players gambling. Yet, on-line betting companies are major advertisers on most MLB, NBA, and NFL televised games. During a Tiger game, a three-person parlay is announced before the game. Updates are provided as to the status throughout the broadcast. To make it worse, many former players are spokespersons for the on-line betting companies.
The ease of on-line betting through apps on smartphones will be too enticing for some. Gambling can be addictive, and there is no reason to think that professional athletes are immune to addiction any less than the average citizen. I hope I am wrong, but I know that I am not. There are going to be others. Hopefully the integrity of the games is never compromised because of those who cannot resist the urge to gamble on their own sport.
Hate and Violence are Unacceptable
I do not care how strong one feels about the Israel/Hamas conflict. There is no excuse for spewing hate and violence. There were two stories this week from the Detroit News that I find very disturbing.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office said Tuesday it’s looking into an “inappropriate and disturbing” social media post by an assistant attorney general who shared a meme that said, “f— America, f— anyone who shares … Zionist propaganda.”
The Anti-Defamation League of Michigan decried the “hateful” post and said it “perpetuates hatred toward Jews.”
Assistant Attorney General Zena Ozeir shared the meme to her Instagram page, which was made private after The Detroit News contacted the Attorney General’s office for comment Tuesday about the March 24 post that received 110 likes.
Then there was this.
Vandals targeted the Southfield law office of a University of Michigan regent early Monday, painting hate messages on the building’s front exterior and sidewalk.
Southfield police discovered the vandalism Monday morning at the Goodman Acker Law Firm on 10 Mile Road. It’s being investigated as a hate crime, according to a news release from the firm.
Graffiti and damage to the property were discovered by employees arriving for work, and the firm called it an “appalling antisemitic attack.” Based on the evidence, it appears to be a hate crime, and Southfield police will investigate, said city Community Relations director Michael Manion on Monday.
Spray paint on the sidewalk in front of the office and building’s facade read, “Free Palestine,” “Divest Now,” “UM Kills,” “F— you Acker,” and “Divest or F— off.” Large splotches of red paint covered the firm’s sign.
University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker, who is Jewish, is a partner at the firm and said his first reaction was to call his colleagues on the board of regents and see who else was targeted.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is gut wrenching. There are strong feelings in this country supporting one side or the other. Martin Luther King, Jr. made great changes in our society through the practice of non-violence and speaking against hate. This is how change will happen. Violence and hate never work.
Someone wasn’t paying attention!
As a financial executive and treasurer on many boards, the following story really hits home. It makes me sick that someone could be so brazen that they think it is OK to steal money at such a magnitude as $40 million from a non-profit that they are the employed CFO. It makes me sick that the auditors and board members were not doing their jobs and allowed this to go on for more than a decade. How did this get past the Treasurer of the Board? How did this go unnoticed by the auditors?
Here is the story as reported by the Detroit News.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has formed a litigation committee to pursue legal action against its former chief financial officer and any other individual or entity that may have played a role in a decade-long scheme that led more than $40 million to go missing, according to three sources familiar with the situation.
The developing civil prosecution strategy seeks to recoup the money that conservancy leaders allege fired CFO William Smith mishandled over 13 years when he oversaw the finances of a nonprofit organization credited with leading a transformative revitalization of Detroit’s riverfront, said the sources with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The panel of leaders — who will include executives from General Motors Co., Greektown casino and the Kresge Foundation — will also investigate why auditors at the Detroit-based accounting firm George Johnson & Co. failed to detect years of financial transactions that Smith allegedly masked as bills from vendors that ended up going missing, the sources said.
The Onion of the Week goes to CFO William Smith. Another Onion of the Week goes to the auditing firm George Johnson and Company.
Colin Cowherd agrees with me
Last week I wrote about an article under the heading “Tell me who you hang with, and I will tell you who you are”. It was about how the trial of the former president revealed the seedy people that are part of the former president’s inner circle.
This week Colin Cowherd, a major sports broadcaster agreed with my premise. Here are excerpts of what Cowherd had to say.
“If everybody in your circle is a felon, maybe it’s not rigged. Maybe the world isn’t against you.” “Donald Trump is now a felon. His campaign chairman was a felon. So is his deputy campaign manager, his personal lawyer, his chief strategist, his National Security Adviser, his Trade Advisor, his Foreign Policy Adviser, his campaign fixer, and his company CFO. They’re all felons. Judged by the company you keep. It’s a cabal of convicts.”
Cowherd went on: “[Trump’s] trying to sell me an America that doesn’t exist.” “Stop trying to sell me on ‘everything’s rigged, the country’s falling into the sea, the economy’s terrible,’” he continued. “The America that I live in is imperfect. But compared to the rest of the world, I think we’re doing okay.”
See my Video of the Day for Cowherds complete comments. It reflects so many of my own thoughts.
Is it really Biden’s fault?
Since the guilty verdict of our former president on 34 counts occurred last week, I am amazed at how many people have told me that it is Biden who caused the guilty verdict. It is Biden who influenced the jury and judge and caused the case to be rigged against the former president.
I find this amazing since the same people are quick to point out that Biden is too old and incompetent to be president. Yet, they think he has the power to influence a jury in a state court that the federal justice system has no jurisdiction over a crime that occurred more than four years prior to Biden becoming president. A jury that the former president’s own lawyers agreed to have sit in judgement of the former president.
It is this kind of thinking and support that allows a convicted felon, a person guilty of sexual assault, a person who started an insurrection against our country, and a person indicted on three other major crimes to be their choice to be the potential face of the free world.
Some people will never let the facts get in the way of what they want to believe is true.
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Quote of the Day: “I worked in five presidential races and helped elect Republican governors or Senators in over half the country. I have never heard anything more transparently desperate than a party trying to spin that there is some non-MAGA pool of voters who can’t wait to vote for a convicted felon.” Political consultant Stuart Stevens.
Orchid of the Day: Ford Chairman Bill Ford for his vision and commitment to renovate the Michigan Central Station to the tune of nearly $100 million. It will be open to the public this week.
Onion of the Day: See above under Someone Wasn’t Paying Attention
Question of the Day: Was it really Biden’s fault the former president was found guilty?
Video of the Day: Colin Cowherd podcast. This is worth your time