Likely a low rated World Series but it should be fun. Braves seem like a likable team. And I don’t have to hear Bellinger whine and moan. So that’s good. Looking forward to it.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
Don’t know what to do with that. I imagine it’s mostly true. And I imagine, based on some of the raw data people with way more time than any of us put together evaluating all of the bangs and the Astros’ home/road splits that the benefit was marginal making it more a crime of eye rolling stupidity more than anything else.
I also believe, based on Beltran’s supposed push to institute something when he arrived back in Houston in 2017, that it is more common that not. But Astros got caught so benefit of doubt out the window. Totally get that. All they can do now is go out and win.
Dan Bern dropped another clever folk ditty today on the Tony Kornheiser Show.
https://www.tonykornheisershow.com/archives
Cue it up to exactly 31 minutes in. The chorus goes:
27 pitchers
gettin' one out each
I fought with my undergraduate school, Southeast Missouri State, for decades, to dump the nickname "Indians." They changed their name, finally, to RedHawks, a move that, I am sure, had nothing to do with me. BTW, I loved SEMO. Cape Girardeau is a lot like Durham (I went to Duke for law school). I guess SEMO could have changed to RedNecks, and nobody would have noticed. (Kidding)
Are you Native American decent? My wife is, on both sides of her family(Cherokee) and she doesn't see it in a negative way. She's proud of her Cherokee heritage and she sees it as a tribute to Native Americans. As for the game itself, I'll be rooting for the Braves because my Dad loved those Braves of old even though they weren't very good but I don't hate the Astros.
I can't root for either team. The Astros have a lineup full of cheaters that were not adequately punished for their misdeeds. I don't really dislike any of the Braves players, except for Will Smith, the closer, but I really don't like the tomahawk chop. I'm also old enough to remember Chief Knockahoma.
I like Dusty Baker and think he does an amazing job in the regular season, but I don't think he is a particularly good postseason manager, to put it mildly.
I probably won't watch any of this, but the rest of my family may turn the games on, so I won't be able to completely ignore it.
I would echo that a year or two ago, when the WFT went through their name change process, the Braves entered into a partnership with the EBCI (Cherokee Nation from NC) to make sure the team portrays Native Americans in an appropriate manner. The relationship continues and the head of the EBCI was on the field at the outset of either the NLDS or NLCS leading the entire stadium in the chop. While I certainly wouldn't suppose to speak on behalf of any particular Native American and whether they are "OK" with the chop, it does seem like institutionally the Braves have done their DD and are acting accordingly.
As an aside, I love the WS coming to Atlanta after the absurd movement to move the All Star game out of Atlanta at mid-season.
My Quick Smells Like French Toast.