Sports and life intersect

Is Philadelphia becoming Titletown U.S.A.?

Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a terrific start. And to think, two weeks from today is Christmas.

Even if you are not a sports fan, we have always heard how sports reflects the country or even the world at large. Sometimes sports has served as an impetus for positive change. For example, MLB integrated baseball in 1947 and Jackie Robinson nudged a nation toward integration.

Which leads back to the field of play. For some time now, we have witnessed an “in-your-face” attitute in sports, accelerated by social media. In baseball’s post season this year, for example, we have seen Bo Naylor pretend to rock a baby, after hitting a big home run for the Cleveland Guardians against the New York Yankees Gerrit Cole. New York second baseman Gleyber Torres responded, after the Yankees clinched the ALDS, by mimicking Naylor at second base.

The Yankees have become the Houston Astros’ patsies. Houston owns them and proved it again with its dominating sweep in the just concluded ALCS. In the clubhouse postgame celebration, the Astros players all had brooms, mocking the Yankees, rather than just reveling in their own success. Somehow, I don’t think the Los Angeles Dodgers were waving brooms around, after they swept the 1963 World Series from the Yankees. Then again, the Dodgers have always been a classy organization.

At the risk of sounding like old fogie (And I don’t care if I do), we are losing our classy behavior in sports, which is really a reflection of our world.

A player hits a home run, it is not enough to round the bases. We have bat flips, mimickry, and numerous other antics. A player catches a TD pass, and the celebration is on in the end zone, even though there are penalties for such behavior. For that matter, a linebacker produces a sack and the result is usually a taunting gesture of the vanquished.

Pedro Martinez, who took his lumps over the years against the Yankees, gets on national television and mocks them, after the Astros sweep and of course the media, of which he is supposed to be a part, loves it. The story makes the internet rounds all in the hopes of generating clicks that could lead to ad revenue for the site posting the mockery.

The stench of stale champagne hasn’t even been washed away and the Astros are already trolling the Phillies on social media. There is no more don’t give the opposition lockerroom material mentality, now all clubs, it seems, give the opposition lockerroom material and could give a hoot. A U.S. Senator shows up at a baseball playoff game and fans give him the middle finger. And the Senator gives it right back to them.

Before Game three of the NLCS in Philadelphia, as a San Diego TV reporter was live on the air, filing a report, a young Phillies fan walked by in the background and flipped off the camera. The “F” word has become part of our every day vocabulary. Heck, we even have podcasts and social media posts that constantly begin with “WTF.”

We live in a country where civil discourse has gone the way of the pay telephone. There is no more compromise. There is no more seeing the other person’s side of the story. It is either “my way or the highway.”

Sports used to be an escame from the real world. Not anymore. Our nation is divided and so are the fields on which we play. I fear for both.

And speaking of clicks
Does a day go by when Tom Brady’s name is not in the headlines? The man may be going through a divorce. Can he have some privacy? Does anyone think about the children involved? Of course, not. Again, Brady’s name in a link or headlines generates clicks.

Then you have his recent play, including Sunday’s dismal loss to the Carolina Panthers and the media is ready to write his sports obituary. I hope he proves them wrong and recovers to have a great season. The only “crime” he has ever committed is trying to be the best at what he does for as long as he can. It is an example worth following.

Pressure on Astros
Tip your cap to the Houston Astros, who are making their fourth trip to the World Series in six seasons and have appeared in six consecutive ALCS. As I point out in my latest podcast, however, the pressure is now on them to validate their great run.

Philadelphia could be Titletown
It’s funny how cities seem to go on title runs, isn’t it? For a time, Boston was on a roll, then Tampa-St. Pete. Now Philadelphia seems prepared to take centerstage.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been quite a story going from a 21-29 start to the World Series. The Philadelphia Eagles are undefeated and are legit Super Bowl contenders. If James Harden comes to play, the Philadelphia 76ers could make some noise in the NBA. May the city enjoy the ride.

That is it for this week’s newsletter. As always, thank you for subscribing and have a terrific week.

SPORTSCASTER DAN