Now that the Michigan Redistricting Commission has submitted the first draft maps for the public to review, the feedback is coming fast and furious. They must have done a good job because complaints are coming in from all sides. The next 60 days are critical. In the next two weeks the commission will be sponsoring open public meetings throughout the state for citizens to provide their feedback. After receiving the feedback, the commission will then make final recommendations which will then have a 45-day public comment period. It is important that the commission hear from citizens on this important issue. No matter what you think of the proposed drafts, I promise you the drafts are fairer than what would have happened if a single political party was responsible for completing the redistricting.
Nolan Finley, Detroit News editorial writer, had an interesting take on Republican gubernatorial candidate James Craig for his call for there to be an audit of the 2020 election in Michigan. Here is what Finley said today. “James Craig has walked off the dock. The Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Detroit police chief has joined the far-right chorus in calling for an audit of the Michigan 2020 election. Craig, writing in today’s Detroit News, says the audit is necessary to assure the integrity of future elections. It’s not. Nothing the audit could uncover would change the results of the balloting or make Donald Trump president. That ship has sailed and the GOP should look to the considerable future opportunities they would have if they’d let go of the conspiracy theories.”
Kyrie (Uncle Drew) Irving of the NBA Brooklyn Nets refusal to get a covid-19 vaccine is going to start hitting him hard in the pocketbook to the tune of $380,000 for every home game missed. Irving is one of only a few NBA players who has refused to get vaccinated. He is clearly the highest profile player. Irving knew that he would not be able to play in any home games since Brooklyn has local ordinances requiring vaccinations in public places like the Barclay Center where the Nets play. Yesterday’s announcement by the team that he would not be able to attend away games even if the city they are playing does not have vaccine requirement for their arenas was unexpected. The Nets’ decision to sit Irving for the road games that he is eligible to play in sets the stage for a potential battle between the team and the players’ union, which had already been pushing back on the league’s plan to dock the pay of unvaccinated players for games they miss because of ordinances in their home cities. Irving would still be paid for road games this season. This is not the last we will hear of this story.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred must be overjoyed how the NLDS and ALDS have gone. The games for the most part have been exciting, and the crowds have been loud. As of today, the ALCS will pit Houston against Boston. In the NLCS, Atlanta will take on the winner of a winner-take-all game Thursday between the Dodgers and Giants, the two teams with the best records in baseball. The remaining teams in the playoffs are from large TV market areas which will really help the ratings.
The MLB playoffs have proven to me that MLB is the best at using instant replay. Because of how they use instant replay there have been very few controversial calls which were not corrected. Most importantly MLB has the replay decision made quickly, unlike football and basketball where it sometimes takes over 4 minutes to make the decision. It is nice to have playoff games in which the losing team doesn’t feel like they have been robbed by a bad call, unlike what continues to happen in basketball and football. Look for baseball to further enhance the use of replay/video as they transition to using it to call balls and strikes.
Stay safe. Wash your hands regularly. Schedule your vaccine and booster. Wear your mask. Social distance.
Orchid of the Day: MLB playoffs
Onion of the Day: Jon Gruden again. The more I read about the things he put in email the more disgusted I get.
Quote of the Day: “Without a doubt, losing a player of Kyrie’s caliber hurts. I’m not going to deny that. But at the end of the day, our focus, our coaches’ focus and our organization’s focus needs to be on those players that are going to be involved here and participating fully.” Sean Marks, the Brooklyn Nets’ general manager.