By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Theo era officially a failure. Plus: Ayo A Bull Now; Marc-Andre Mystery; Organizational Indictment; Andy Dalton Is Going Great!; World Learns About The Twisties; Red Star; and Fire Them.
Posted on July 30, 2021
Revealing The Long But Hidden History Of Queer Women In Sport
By Becki L. Ross/The Conversation
As a white queer athlete, sports enthusiast and sociologist, I have forever searched for stories about queer women who earned their livelihood playing sports.
Stories shared in Lois Browne’s non-fiction book The Girls of Summer (1992) and the Hollywood film A League of Their Own make scant mention of lesbian ballplayers.
There are some tales of brave souls who scaled cis-sexist and heteronormative barriers to come out in sporting worlds: Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Amélie Mauresmo in tennis; Patty Sheehan, Rosie Jones and Alena Sharp in golf; Sheryl Swoopes, Sue Bird and Brittney Griner in basketball; and Abby Wambach, Erin McLeod and Megan Rapinoe in soccer. Some of these women, like Swoopes and Griner, also dealt with racist barriers.
So, when Netflix released the documentary A Secret Love last year, I was thrilled that some of the little known history of gay women and sports was revealed. The film is a poignant portrait of a 71-year lesbian relationship between Terry Donahue, an infielder-turned-catcher with the Peoria Redwings of the AAGPBL, and her lover, Pat Henschel.
Posted on July 27, 2021
Gambling At The Grate
By Roger Wallenstein
As a young adult, we knew a guy of the older generation who, prior to departing for Las Vegas for a couple of days, would say, “I hope I break even. I need the money.”
Of course, if he were alive today, that glib gentleman wouldn’t have to travel to Nevada to attempt to hold onto the cash he already possessed. At last count, 35 states have casinos, and any sports fan can legally open an account on FanDuel, BetRivers, DraftKings or PointsBet, the “Official Sports Betting Partner” of NBC Sports, the local carrier of White Sox games.
Tune in to any Sox game to not only watch a ballclub with a nine-game division lead, but also to learn about ways to make money gambling on Tony La Russa’s charges.
Posted on July 26, 2021
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #366: P.S. The White Sox
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Now that the Cubs are officially irrelevant . . . Plus: The Cleveland Traffic Cops; Deer District; Our Olympians; Vax Lax; Yermination; TLR LOL; Q Anon; Unfolding Ugliness; Kofi Stays; Sky Notes; Sunday, Sunday, Sunday; and Just When We Let The Fire Back Into Our Show . . .
Posted on July 23, 2021
Big Leagues Balk At Endorsing Vaccination
By Mark Kreidler/Kaiser Health News
Santa Clara County, where the San Francisco 49ers train and play their NFL home games, has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in California. As of July 11, more than 76% of its vaccine-eligible residents were fully vaccinated, partly because the county and the 49ers franchise turned Levi’s Stadium into a mass inoculation site where more than 350,000 doses were administered over four months.
The 49ers themselves, however, are not so enthusiastic about the shots. In June, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that only 53 of the 91 players on the team roster – 58% – were fully vaccinated. The team has issued no updates since.
It’s a familiar story in the world of professional sports. Despite resources that other industries can only dream of, most pro leagues in the U.S. are struggling to get their teams’ vaccination rates to 85%, a threshold considered high enough to protect the locker room or clubhouse from spread of the disease. Only the Women’s National Basketball Association, at 99%, can boast a highly successful campaign to educate and vaccinate its players.
Posted on July 22, 2021
TrackNotes: The Baffert Stakes
By Thomas Chambers
Saratoga is open for its 2021 meet.
That’s the greatest news. Cards packed with stakes races that have stood the test of decades, including the Test Stakes. Top two-year-olds making their debuts. Where the horses are so good top to bottom, playing the tote board can be exciting and lucrative.
But all sports in this country are so screwed up, it requires fans to compartmentalize like never before if they choose to follow any game. I can’t wait for the huge gambling scandal that we know is coming – unless owners cut in the players on the wagering pimping that major league sports are engaged in – to a big event, like the World Series or Super Bowl.
Posted on July 20, 2021
That Was Fun – But Not Necessary
By Roger Wallenstein
There now. Feeling better this morning? All that worry about the cheating Houston Astros being far, far superior to the White Sox went for naught. All those knee-jerk tweets about the needs for a second baseman, a right-fielder, a catcher and help for the bullpen seem so silly after the events of the past two days. Now it’s José Altuve, Carlos Correa and their buddies who should have their doubts after Tony La Russa’s squad embarrassed them over the weekend.
In case your wi-fi was on the fritz the past few days, the Astros came to town having swept the White Sox four straight in Houston a month ago. And after the local group waltzed through a 7-1 loss on Friday night in front of 34,000 onlookers, the first of three such crowds at The Grate who showed up to boo and berate the visitors as much as anything else, you might have thought that the front-running Sox were destined to become a second-tier ballclub. Of course, that would have been a big mistake.
Posted on July 19, 2021
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #365: Wobbly Cubs Change Climate
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Front-office fail. Plus: White Sox Begin Ceremonial Second Half; Party Time Italian-Style; Dunkin’ Keith; Party Time Bobby Portis-Style; Scottie Gonna Pippen; Bears OLs Catch Up With Cutler; Candace’s Cover; Red Stars Pwn Dash; On Wisconsin; and more!
Posted on July 16, 2021
When You Win, You’re English. When You Lose, You’re Black.
By Abby Zimet/Common Dreams
In a flood of vitriol as repugnant as it was predictable, three young Black English soccer players were assailed with racist abuse – to get real, a way-too-genteel term for foul swill like “Go kill yourselves nigger monkeys” – after each missed penalty shots in a tied Euro 2020 final Sunday, effectively handing Italy the victory.
In a sport, country, world still deeply and intractably hierarchical, thus did the supremely accomplished Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka learn again, though they likely know it well, that for many “their perceived Britishness is provisional, dependent upon their ability to kick a ball.”
Posted on July 15, 2021
England’s Management Lesson
By Andre Spicer/The Conversation
Over the course of England’s journey to the Euro 2020 final, one of the most fascinating plays was happening just off the pitch. Whenever the TV camera cut to the team’s manager Gareth Southgate, he was occasionally seen standing alone on the edge of the field, urging his team on.
But most of the time he was deep in conversation with his assistant Steve Holland. It is regular proof of how Southgate approached key decisions and planning.
Those plans, and England’s progress in the competition, led to Southgate’s style of management and leadership being widely celebrated. Some pointed out his supportive approach to players, his focus on creating a positive atmosphere, and his willingness to listen.
He was also praised for drawing on knowledge and experience from outside the soccer world. Others highlighted his own experiences as a player, and indeed, research does suggest that on the whole, it is ex-players who tend to make the better soccer managers.
Another interesting aspect is that Southgate treats management itself as a team sport. Instead of being the sole authority figure, he is part of a larger team of decision-makers, all of whom have an influence on the squad of players.
Posted on July 14, 2021