Congratulations to the owner Rick Dawson and trainer Eric Reed of Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike for foregoing last Saturday’s Preakness and a chance to win the Triple Crown. Dawson and Reed realized that their horse was not ready for the grind of three major races in a five week period. Races that are at distances the young horse had never run before. They were able to put the best interest of their horse above the possible glory and riches. I love this quote by Reed. “I can’t do anything but what’s best for the horse. If we flop and he gets hurt, they’ll forget we were even there. I’ve got to remember it’s about him. If it starts being about us, that’s a problem.”
Thank you to my friend George Mihaiu for sharing this excellent article by Jerry Brewer, columnist for the Washington Post talking about how the decision by Dawson and Reed to not run Rich Strike in the Preakness is a prelude of how things are going to change with our professional athletes.. Here are excerpts from the article.
It’s a lesson that should be recited before every competition. A sport is only as good as its participants. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking about racehorses or athletes. It’s about them, their bodies and their spirit, both in the present and the future…
In all sports, we’re approaching a tipping point. The bodies of today’s athletes keep sending the message that they can’t persist through the rigors of both old customs and new stressors such as longer regular seasons and postseasons. To increase revenue, the NFL added a 17th regular season game and extended the playoffs. The MLB postseason has expanded, too. The pandemic afforded MLB, the NHL and the NBA the chance to think harder about permanently reducing their long seasons, but they sprinted back to normal scheduling.
And so the games are left to do some self-correction. The way teams utilize players, particularly pitchers in baseball, is making significant alterations to the experience. The things players do to take care of themselves, most notably sitting out of more games, detract from the enjoyment. The remedy isn’t to belittle players and call them soft without considering myriad factors, including overtraining and the effects of physical evolution on some of these uber-athletic players. These are problems that can’t be ignored much longer.
I am watching with great interest how the “transfer portal” and the “Name, Image and Likeness” are changing college sports. As usual alumni, boosters and coaches have figured out ways around the NCAA rules, and now recruits are demanding guarantee money before they agree to attend a school. Even then there is no guarantee they will stay if they can use the transfer portal to upgrade their guaranteed money at another school. Who ever thought we would be talking about guaranteed money for high school athletes being recruited to play college sports?
Per the Detroit News today. Former Detroit police Chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson, two of the top candidates for the Republican nomination for governor, didn’t submit enough valid petition signatures to make the ballot, according to findings from the Michigan Bureau of Elections. The bureau’s revelations Monday evening shook up the 2022 race to be Michigan’s governor, potentially leaving Republicans without their most well-known candidate, Craig, and without their wealthiest hopeful, Johnson. If the bureau’s reviews hold, five of the 10 candidates who submitted signatures to run for governor wouldn’t make the ballot. Three other GOP candidates for governor were also found to have insufficient signatures: financial adviser Michael Markey of Grand Haven, Michigan State Police Capt. Michael Brown of Stevensville, and entrepreneur Donna Brandenburg of Byron Center. How can someone be expected to run the state when they cannot comply with the requirement of obtaining enough legal signatures to qualify for getting on the ballot?
Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence? Get vaccinated and get your booster.
Quote of the Day: “I got hit a little bit, but that was impressive. I’m not going to lie. I saw the video again, and I was like, ‘Oh …’ That was pretty incredible.” Dallas Maverick superstar Luka Doncic after getting posterized by Golden State Warrior Andrew Wiggins in yesterday’s NBA game. See my Video of the Day
Orchid of the Day: Rich Strike owner Rick Dawson and trainer Eric Reed. See above story.
Onion of the Day: The five Republican candidates for governor who did not have enough legal signatures to qualify for being on the ballot.
Question of the Day: Should fans get a refund on their ticket, if players normally in the starting lineup do not play because the coach has decided to rest them?
Video/Song of the Day: Andrew Wiggins posterizing Luka Doncic