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ThinkLinks: Blackballed… Beyond Barry Bonds

June 16, 2008

This will be the first of many “ThinkLinks”  in an effort to expose some of the more thought-provoking and under-reported articles out there. For my part, this is an area that I have personally not done enough, so that will change.  It will not be limited to blogs, but mainstream too. Not just sports, but also politics. Not just recent articles, but relevant archived material. While most will be from sites I like, any good content from any corner may be highlighted.

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“Blackballed”: That’s the word of the day boys and girls. You already know about Major League Baseball blatant blackballing of Barry Bonds, and the of the vast majority of the mainstream sports media’s unwillingness to defend him. But did you know about the price paid by “The Big O”? …Or how the HOF changed the rules on Marvin Miller? …But won’t change them for Curt Flood? … Even Doug Christie has a gripe… Read on…

– Oscar Robertson: Sam Smith writes: “It’s likely one reason Robertson never was fully embraced by the NBA establishment. He was always direct, and always black. And that combination wasn’t popular or acceptable for a long time.”  …the more things change… [“Blackballed” - HoopsHype]

– Marvin Milleris not in the Baseball Hall of Fame and it is a travesty. Jim Bouton says that electing Bowie Kuhn over Miller in 2008 in what appears to be a rigged election is “like having a cartoon Hall of Fame which admitted Wile E. Coyote and kept out the Roadrunner.” [Allen Barra - New York Sun; Hat Tip: Can’t Stop the Bleeding]

– Curt Flood’s HOF omission is an even greater travesty than Miller so it’s only fair to revisit this related April piece by [William C. Rhoden from New York Times]. No player besides besides Jackie Robinson has had a greater long-term social impact on the game, and this needs to be rewarded as it would a non-player. Furthermore, the 3-time all-star, and 7-time Gold Glove winner might have finished with 3000 hits and a traditional Cooperstown ticket had he not been blackballed. Before then, Flood’s stats compare favorably to HOF teammate Lou Brock.

– Doug Christie Black-Balled?: Doug Christie is sick to his stomach about the news of Tim Donaghy, and also sees a connection between that series, and why he has not played in the NBA this past season. Agree or disagree, it is always good to hear straight from an athlete’s mouth. [MVN - The World of Doug Christie]

– Barak Obama has a problem with white female voters? Look again - not anymore than John Kerry or Al Gore [Jack and Jill Politics]

– The World’s Favorite Candiate?: It’s clearly Obama according to the latest pew poll. This is no small point for a position who spends so much time on matters of foreign policy. Also, tellingly, “The U.S. was the only country where most expressed confidence in McCain.” [Obama the preferred Candidate - Huffington Post]

– Mary Tillman– interviewed by Dave Zirin – says her son was used as a “propaganda tool” and that the NFL “exploited Pat no differently than the military” [Edge of Sports] We also recently linked to the audio version.

– SI VAULT - “American Renewal” - Written 27 years ago, much of this broad-brush Sports illustrated article is applicable today. When considering America’s decision to spend over a trillion on war, while cutting taxes for the wealthiest at the same time, the following passage resonated: “the fact that Americans want just about everything, without considering or fully understanding the cost.”  

Written by MODI · Filed Under Blogs, MODI, Media, Writers 

Comments

4 Responses to “ThinkLinks: Blackballed… Beyond Barry Bonds”

  1. aaron on June 17th, 2008 3:01 am

    thanks for the links. they’re great so far.

  2. Phil Deeze on June 17th, 2008 8:02 am

    Dwil,
    Heard the news about Javon Walker yet?

    http://www.mercurynews.com/raidersheadlines/ci_9609909?nclick_check=1

    Apparently, per Whitlock, NBA All-Star weekend came to Vegas a bit early this year. I think Walker’s apparent robbery and beating paint a different picture of Vegas than what Shitlock did.

    I hope that POS is happy that his comments on the NBA fanbase are why Walker is recovering from his injuries today.

    And Willie Randolph was fired at 3 am after a road win. Way to go, Mets! The name Manny Acta (Washington Nationals) keeps coming up. The assistant GM in NY (Bernazar) is tight with Acta. I think that Minaya had better watch his back.

  3. HarveyDent on June 18th, 2008 2:51 am

    Thanks for the links. Lotta great reading and food for thought except for the Christie blog. I understand where he’s coming from but his entry reads like so many sour grapes especially when he talks about why he’s not in the NBA now.

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