Category Archives: Sports

The Daily Mix……by, Michael Hawke

24 Sunday Feb 2019

Posted by in Political Science, Sports

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Padres Sign Manny Machado:  Free agent, Manny Machado signed a ten-year, $300,000,000 million dollar, contract with the San Diego Padres. Seems like the Padres ownership has finally stepped up to the plate!  This is now the highest paid contract in Major League sports. Manny Machado is one happy baseball player and is really excited to be joining the San Diego Padres!

Hayden Williams….Newest Member of “The Sucker Punched Club”: Welcome to the club Hayden. I myself am a member as are many famous, and not so famous, people. Remember Geno Smith, NFL quarterback? He joined the club last year after getting sucker punched by a teammate.  You are in good company young man. I find it interesting that most people who are sucker punched are hit by a person who is both bigger and stronger. These “sucker punchers” are so frustrated by their inability to verbalize their thoughts and ideas once they realize they have nothing to say they revert to verbal abuse and physical violence. Their use of the sucker punch is pretty safe for them and they almost always flee after punching their victims.

Hayden there are no membership card privileges but if you want to pay a membership fee just send it to me. As a matter of observation I thought you handled the punch with grace and dignity. You can definitely take a hit! Keep up the conservative fight.

I graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 1980 with a degree in Political Science. Back then, post Vietnam War, Cal was moderating a bit. The past thirty years or so has led to the total liberalization of the Berkeley faculty, pretty much from top to bottom. The cost of this intellectual imbalance has been great on the students who have attended and graduated from Cal. Brainwashed is almost too mild a term to describe their inability to think critically about political and social matters.

Anyway kid….welcome to the club. The focus for most of us in the Sucker Punched Club is to never let it happen again. No need for more pain and humiliation as one punch is all that is needed to become a lifetime member.

Jussie Smollett: I suggest you read or listen to Geraldo Rivera who was on Fox News Friday. He summed up this incident and spared no words on Smollett’s self promoting racist scam. I find it interesting how the left news media outlets expressed shock and condemnation blaming President Trump when the now out of work actor initially reported the fake attacks. The Chicago Police Chief, an African-American, laid out the charges against him and labeled him a despicable human being on Friday. The liberal media were mum. There was little to no coverage of this new development and their focus quickly shifted to the crazy Coast Guard Lt who had plans to kill democrats and media persons.

As for Jussie Smollett’s premeditated plans to “attack himself” and then report it as a hate crime I remind the readers there is no connection whatsoever between acting skills and intelligence.  Jussie Smollett made a really dumb move which will follow him for the rest of his life, a punishment worse than prison time and fines, which he will also have to suffer.

An upside for him is that he may be eligible for admission into the Sucker Punched Club due to sucker punching himself. To date no one has been admitted under this status but there is a first time for everything.

A Dumb Joke:  A penguin walked into a pub.  He went up to the bar and asked the bartender…. “have you seen my brother” ? The bartender paused, then looked around the bar, and said…. “I don’t know…what does he look like”?

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The Daily Mix…….by, Michael Hawke

11 Monday Feb 2019

Posted by in News, Spiritual, Sports

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The Pebble Beach Pro-Am Open:  This is one of the best golf tournaments on the PGA Tour. The pros teamed with amateurs makes for fun golf. Needless to say if you have been watching this weekend’s event you watched some exciting golf.

Phil Micklelson’s Three Shot Lead-Two Holes To Go: Not much work will get done in offices around the country on Monday morning due to the last two holes being teed off around 08:30 AM Pacific Coast Time. Workers will be heads down on their computers, not doing work, but rather watching PGA.com. as Phil goes into the morning ahead by three strokes, with two holes to go. I am rooting for him all the way. He has been my favorite on the PGA Tour for many years. My mother, Rita, would always try to watch every PGA event he played in. She loved watching Phil play golf and followed his career closely.  I would have to label mom a Phil Mickelson groupie. She would regularly comment on how much she loved his aggressive play, reckless even, at times, but very fun to watch. Mom will be looking down on him tomorrow…..watching him close out his 5th Pebble Beach Trophy. Win this one for my mom Phil!

The University of California Needs To Go Private: In this Sunday’s San Diego Tribune, front page story, Gary Robbins writes how “international student enrollment” at UC San Diego is pushing 25%. The UC Officials cite their oft heard defense that they do not get enough tax funding to maintain their status as a “first class university” on par with schools like, Stanford, Harvard, and the like.

The University of California Regents justify reducing the seats offered to California student residents….your kids, and grandkids in order to keep the University of California a top notch institution of learning. They have decided to “sell” our kid’s UC seats to Chinese, Indian, and other foreign students in order to have the money needed to do what they are supposed to be doing, which is educating our students.  The article failed to list how many of the remaining seats go to “out of state” students, which also brings in higher tuition revenues.  Foreign, and out of state, student admissions are nearing 50% of total seats taken by all students UC wide.

What this means for these hard working, smart, California kids is their chances of attending the University of California, at any campus, are extremely slim.  The parents, and grandparents, worked year in and year out paying high California taxes as their kids transitioned through grade school and high school, believing it would pay dividends for them in the end.  When these kids finish up and are ready to apply to UC schools what do they get?  They get an “I am sorry to inform you” letter from the admissions office. The best of our California kids, finishing with 4.0 GPAs and higher, find it “a crap shoot” at best to get admitted to a U.C. School.

This sucks for them but also it sucks for mom and dad….and the grandparents too. Is this really “The University of California”…or has it evolved into a semi-private school system that caters to whoever they choose, based on their goal to bring in the most money per seat?

It is time for the University of California to stop taking tax money from the residents of California. If you live in California and have a young child you hope to will attend a UC school one day in the future then move to Beijing, Toronto, Mexico City,….anyplace but California.  Your kid’s chances of admission will be far better.

The Regents need to come clean with the citizens of California and admit they are using our tax monies to benefit a private school system.  They should stop taking my tax money, and yours too. They call our tax support meager and they marginalize the importance of our students.  I suggest the State of California begin a ten year draw down of support after which time they no longer contribute any tax monies to the UC system.  After the ten years pass the Regents can admit whoever they want, but they also must drop the name “The University of California”.

As things now stand I know I would benefit more, as would my kids, and grandkids, by the State of California redirecting my tax portion to fix the local potholes in San Diego.

 

Michael Hawke

 

 

 

 

The Philadelphia Eagles Fumbled The NFL Ratings Ball….by, Michael Hawke

05 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Political Science, Sports

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President Trump often says….”we will see what happens”… when asked about how things will work out on any particular issue. We now know what will happen regarding the NFL ratings. They will continue to plumet to the point that they will lose many fans for good. I, for one, am gone this season. I watched college football last season and will do the same this year. The NFL’s rich spoiled players killed it for me.

The Philadelphia Eagles informed the White House they will not be bringing the entire team to the traditional White House Recognition of the Super Bowl Champions. Then they requested the event be rescheduled during the week that President Trump will be out of the country attending the Korean Peace Summit in Singapore. The Eagles stated over 1000 fans have already planned to attend the coming Friday event, but while most of the players would be in Washington that weekend, only a handful of would come to the White House celebration honoring them as Super Bowl victors. President Trump decided since the majority of the players would not be coming they would hold a Patriotic performance for the fans and those in attendance. The Marine Band and others groups would perform, honoring our military and our country.

Facts on team victory visits missing… The champions of the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the NBA have traditionaly been honored by Presidents at the White House for many years. It is a tradition that says we are one, we celebrate our best atheletes and their great accomplishment. It has always been a postive event.

Players standing for the National Anthem to start the game also has always symolized a unity of our best and the tremendous positive impact sports has on our nation and on our youth in particular. It brings us together no matter our pollitical, economic, or social differences. Taking a knee during the anthem distracts from this positive and unifying moment prior to the start of the game.

The NFL players fail to understand they are not in sync with most of the fans… The players are now running things in the NFL. It is clear that a small number of players and owners are thumbing their very rich noses at the facts about the knee taking and stepping up the ante. Lets be perfectly honest… the fans, who are offended by these so called ” it’s not about the anthem” knee takers, do not buy these acts of kneeling are about respect for free speach and protection of those abused by police.

To the players I say get your heads on straight. The common fan knows an idiotic statement when they hear it….and your free speech claims are pure idiocy. Fans know players can stand for the anthem at the start of the game and do their issue statements in other venues. Otherwise, the knee taking is about the anthem and only about the anthem. It offends those who respect and love our country with all of its great strengths and….yes flaws. People are not dumb, fans are not dumb, but you players, who are mostly all college educated and making millions…must certainly be dumb!

Recent NFL rules changes are too little too late: Would “pathetic” be the correct descriptive word for the NFL trying to stop the ratings cliff fall….well, there are better words but not suitable for print here in this piece…so yes,“pathetic” ! The NFL has stated their new rules will require players who wish to kneel during the anthem to remain in the locker room until after the playing of it. If players who choose to be on the field kneel there will be punishments and fines to both the players and the teams.

Several owners have already declared they will not fine players for exercising “free speech” and they will also pay any NFL fines the players incur. Well it sounds like the NFL fixed this problem, eh? Idiots all. Free speech is not the issue here. Last I checked…if a company has a training event the sales staff must attend and some decide to take a knee about the police shooting issue during the training, they suffer consequences….likely they get the boot.  This is about rules, following rules, doing what your boss or company tells you and being part of the big picture…so simple. If a player kneels during the anthem before the game and tells me he was praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary and not protesting the flag and all it represents, all I think is he thinks I am a dummy. Fans are not dummies…they get it.

The NFL’s last chance….and best move: When it comes to representing a team, and a so called non-profit (a topic for a later piece) like the National Football League, players are a mere cog in the wheel. They do not have free speech rights when it comes to doing what they are paid to do for their employer on game day. The NFL players make up less than 10% of the college players who finish college each year desperatly hoping for an NFL chance. The NFL choice to save their product and their billions of profits is to fire the players who do not follow the rules. There are 100 guys waiting in line for that knee taker’s job and given the chance many would end up being better than the guy they fired. Fans do not revere these players, they used to, but they don’t any more.  The average fan attends games or watches on TV to support his or her team. It is a recreation thing, an escape from the every day grind of work. There are other things these fans can do on game day….and most take way less time and money than watching an NFL game.

To the Commissoner and the very rich owners… May I remind you it is not 1980, 1990, or even 2010? Times have changed and people have many choices to spend both their time and money on when it comes to recreation. The major league sports teams no longer have a corner on the fan’s money and time. Play it smart boys, start acting like the businessmen and women you are. No player should be permitted to hijack your profits and success over a personal protest during the National Anthem on game day, especially when it attacks the values and traditions most all of us treasure and love.  The fans simply won’t “buy” it. 

 

 

The NFL Today…….by, Michael Hawke

07 Thursday Dec 2017

Posted by in Sports

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NFL: The NFL has claimed they are only down a small amount in fan attendance at games. They brush over the more telling sinking TV numbers. Flags, flags, flags….there are so many flags flying on so many plays that long passes are not thrown for the catch, but rather to draw the flag. Boring…did I say boring?

Roger Goodell Lottery Win: He just got a 5 year contract for over $3million a year plus incentives that include expenses, and the use of a company jet….could total over $50 million dollars a year. Not bad for a guy who sided with the knee takers early on when he could have been decisive and prevented this mess. Like I said, lucky dude.

Tim Tebow: Speaking of “knee takers”…I could think of more than six NFL teams that would benefit by having his toughness and winning attitude behind center. Can he throw better than most? Nope, but look at those taking snaps today…not much better, and they are losers. Tebow is a proven winner, and winning is the only stat that really matters. Did I say Tebow would help sinking ratings?  If I were the Cleveland Browns I would sign Tim Tebow in the off season as a back up. The guy will fill the stands home and away. I bet he stands for the National Anthem too.

Dumb…End Zone Skits: The end zone skits are ridiculous. If the NFL thinks this will encourage people to watch, holy smokes….what are they smoking? These things are high school level at best, more like Junior High level to be fair. These are attempts by Roger Goodell to be consistent about allowing knee takers during the anthem. How can he say that is their “free speech rights” and then say no end zone celebrations. And for this he gets $50 million a year. Jerry was right!

 

The Marshawn Lynch Mexico Stadium Protest….by, Michael Hawke

21 Tuesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Character, Sports, Uncategorized

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Forbidden Pictures…in the NFL: North Korea censors pictures and stories of the terrible living conditions their people suffer under. This is just what we see in the pre-game NFL sports shows by the talking-heads. These guys are going out of their way to make sure images of positive support to the anthem, the military, and the flag are seen by viewers….but you will not see a picture of Marshawn Lynch sitting during the Anthem in the Mexico City game. The NFL does not want to discuss it, show it, and no longer defends it. They just won’t stop it.

Mexico: The temptation is to call this guy an uneducated idiot, but I will be more clear. Generalizations never help one understand problems. And this is a problem worth understanding…..and fixing. Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders running back, sat down for the American National Anthem during the game against the Patriots in Azteca stadium (Estadio Azteca) and he stood up, giving full respect, during the Mexican National Anthem. If Marshawn was sitting to protest police abuse, racism, and overall injustice in America he sure should have stayed on his spoiled butt during the Mexican Anthem too. Justice is not to be found in Mexico for the poor, indigenous, and minorities. If he really believes things are bad in America….then he needs to factor 100 times worse in Mexico. Lets not even talk about their murder rate, kidnappings, and disappearances.

The Truth About Marshawn: His sitting for the American National Anthem and then standing for the Mexican Anthem outed him. He is not sitting for justice and fairness. He is sitting for himself. He seeks attention, pampering, and special privilege. If only there were just one NFL owner who had the kahoonas to say….enough. I frankly do not see the need for even average size kahoonas here.  If one owns the team it is easy, knowing the business reality that Marshawn Lynch is replaceable…. as is every other NFL player in the league. Simple deal Mr. NFL owner, make him stop it. You certainly know there are  hundreds who can run, pass, kick, block and tackle that would step in and do the job. The fans would be just as happy, and the team would have less “distraction”. Might be good for winning, eh?  Why suffer fools if it is an owners market.  Is it so hard to sit these guys down? Personally the words “you’re fired” would be what I would do. By the way….. it is really bad for your business.

The Message to Kids: The young people today are growing up in a world where there is great confusion. They do not know the rules anymore about anything. Sports has always been a place where there are rules, predictability, and structure. The kids are equal and can be sure hard work, dedication, and skill will get one ahead. Today we now are witnessing kids in high school kneeling during the National Anthem, modeling their heroes, knuckle-heads like Marshawn Lynch. I think it would be nice if the NFL owners would begin to act like the adults in the room and give young kids the security of knowing that there are rules in football, just as in life, and if you break them you sit….. consequences…. you know?  No need to fire these prima donnas. Sit them down, make them warm the bench….and next year do not bring them back.

Freedom to Protest: Marshawn Lynch can protest injustices, racism, police abuses, or anything he chooses all day long in America. He has the right to do this and he does have the platform. It is perfectly clear he can hold a weekly press conference and discuss his concerns and the media would be present in droves. So why sit during the National Anthem? Is it to send a message to fans, young and old, how unjust our country is? Is it to show how much courage you have by standing up to the NFL, the owners,….why even to the President of the United States? Is it because the third stanza of the song, which is not part of present Anthem today, somehow promotes racism?

I Quit the NFL: I used to be a fan of yours Marshawn, and of the NFL. Now I am neither; players like you taking knees, sitting, and linking arms in disrespect did it for me. I watch college ball on Saturdays and my Sundays are free. I kind of have always loved my football as an form of “entertainment”. If I want politics I watch CNN, FOX, or the networks. Thanks for the memories.

 

NFL Mexico City Game-Big Dilemma For Knee Takers….. by, Michael Hawke

31 Tuesday Oct 2017

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The NFL scheduled three regular season games outside of the United States this season. Two of the three games are in the books, both having been played in London, the third is coming November 19, in Mexico City. The NFL owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell see these international, regular season, games as a way to promote and grow international fans and increase revenues.

Ironically the NFL is seeing their US fan base decrease in larger percentages each week due to the many NFL players taking a knee during our National Anthem. The players claim they are protesting against social and racial injustice toward minorities by police and others.

Many NFL fans are patriotic and watch NFL football to get away from the stresses of real life and the weekly grind of work. Fans watch to relax, enjoy, be entertained, and to feel the competition of the game while rooting for their team to win.  No fan wants to sit down on Sunday watching their team play knowing half or more of the players on the field started the game by disrespecting the National Anthem.

This creates “serious angst” for many fans and is causing them do something else….as shown by the growing numbers just tuning out the NFL. For the average fan it is hard to keep watching million dollar athletes disrespect the flag every week when they are grindiing it out paycheck to paycheck, knowing, in their work place, there is no knee taking allowed…. none, nada, zip!

So….”the NFL is not the only game in town”.

The obvious question is why these knee takers feel their protests must happen during the National Anthem. These are million dollar athletes! They can have a platform with microphones, cameras, and the media hanging on their every word, any time or place they choose. They could be making  a “positive impact” on these social issues.

Instead, they choose to disrespect our nation, our military men and women, our veterans, our anthem, our flag, and all those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms by kneeling during our National Anthem.  Not only do they disrespect….. they send a very wrong message to youth, to fans, and to other nations, that America is so bad, so unjust, and so racist that they must protest during their own National Anthem.

Rocky Bleir, former Vietnam wounded war hero, seven season Pittsburg Steeler half back, four time Super Bowl champion, put it best; this is a mess created by Roger Goodell and the owners. It is not about free speech in the work place. The players are harming the profitability of their company, the NFL.  No worker could do the same thing at their place of work and not lose his or her job.

The London, England Games:

  • Wembley Stadium, London England; September 23, 2017
  • Jacksonville Jaguars 44 – Baltimore Ravens 7
  • Knee Takers: National Anthem- 2 dozen / British Anthem “God Save the Queen” – 0
  • Wembley Stadium, London England; October 1, 2017
  • New Orleans Saints 20 – Miami Dolphins 0
  • Knee Takers: During our Anthem aprox. 5 / British Anthem “God Save the Queen”- 0 note: the entire Saints team stood and locked arms for unity prior to our anthem.

The Mexico City Game-The Perfect Storm: The Mexico City NFL game in Azteca Stadium between the Raiders and the Patriots should pose a problem for the players who claim to be taking a knee to promote social and racial justice in America where, by their view, things are pretty bad.

There could be no two teams more suited for the “perfect knee taking storm” than the Raiders and the Patriots. There is no doubt the knee takers will see it as an opportunity to “put it in the faces” of the anthem supporters, President Trump, patriotic Americans, by taking a knee of disrespect during our National Anthem…..and then…. standing during the “Himno Nacional Mexicano” (the Mexican National Anthem), as a show of their respect for Mexico and the Mexican people.

Their Big Dilema: There is no better place to show protest toward political corruption, social prejudice, racism, and police abuse than in Mexico City.  Mexico is a two tiered society made up of the rich and poor. There is however a hidden third class, the indigenous peoples, who have suffered open prejudice, abuse, and political exclusion since Mexico’s independence from Spain. Today the indigenous peoples of Mexico live in abject poverty.  State racism condemns the indigenous people of Mexico to prison and poverty.

“Discrimination and racism permeate the state, institutions, and society when native peoples are perceived as needy, lazy, lacking, and impotent. Stereotypes continue to exclude indigenous people from developing policy to address their rights”. Laticia Aparacio Sorrono, Octobre 27, 2015

To NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the owners, and the knee takers: Here is your veracity test. Are you really all about “free speech” and the courage to say and do what is needed to bring attention to social and political wrongs?

Compared to the problems in our country these things are a thousand times worse in Mexico. Do you believe knee taking during a National Anthem is the best way to draw attention to these social evils?  If so, I challenge you to take a knee during the playing of “Himno Nacional Mexicano.  Show the same disrespect toward the national pride of the people of Mexico as you do toward that of your own fellow citizens and fans back home.

Michael Hawke

 

 

 

The Daily Mix……by, Michael Hawke

27 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by in Political Science, Spiritual, Sports, Uncategorized

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Tom Steyer: Most people have never heard of him….. He is running “Impeach Trump” adds on TV. The adds cost in the 7 figure a minute range. He claims they are not funded by Nextgen, but rather being paid from personal funds. By his own claims he is spending $10million dollars to promote the impeachment of the President. His bio claims he is an environmentalist, progressive activist, hedge fund manager, and fundraiser….oh, also a philanthropist. Seems like that $10,000,000 could have done a lot for the homeless problem here in California…doubt it will do much to impeach President Trump.

Rocky Belier: Most people have never heard of him….. He is an American hero having volunteered for the Vietnam war. He was an high NFL prospect and went to serve, foregoing the NFL. In Vietnam he had his foot nearly blown off and it was doubtful he would ever play football and maybe even walk again. He is a gritty blue collar guy form the Midwest. He went on not to just walk, but to play halfback seven season for the Pittsburg Steelers.

His recent take on the NFL knee takers crisis: He said it should have been nipped in the bud by Roger Goodell. It is not about free speech. Nothing any of us do at work gives us the right to upset the company rules for our own personal issues. If he were NFL Commissioner it would be stopped. These guys are being paid to play football, it is a business, they are employees. If their actions damage our product they do not stay with the company. He also pointed out the obvious, like these guys cannot make their point in a thousand other ways and places and not like none of these NFL knee takers are irreplaceable. I hope he replaces Roger Goodell.

Ken Burns: Many people have heard of him…. He is an American documentary film maker, the creator of the recent Vietnam War history that ran on TV a few weeks back. It was a docu-series about the history, “according to Burns”, of the Vietnam War.

If you are a left leaning person or a college student you ate it up. Many scenes, quotes, and interviews were either incomplete or lacking truth altogether. It made for good TV though, and also good political brain washing. Too bad Rocky Bleier was not interviewed, or many of the thousands who actually fought in the war. I keep waiting for….”The Real Historical Documentary of the Vietnam War”. I know it is coming.

Dominus Vobiscum: Latin invocation to St. Michael the Archangel for protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. We sure do need this prayer in our personal lives as well as for our nation.

The Daily Mix…….by, Michael Hawke

12 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by in Motivation, Sports

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NFL Players Union: The NFL Players Union has announced that Jerry Jones threat to bench players for not standing for the Anthem is against their union agreement. I suggest the NFL Players Union take a knee on this effort. They must be aware ratings are slumping….. and will fall fast and far if this continues.

Economics 101: Just want to state what is obvious to me….the NFL players need the fans more than the fans need the NFL players.  I quit the NFL a few weeks back and now I get my football fix watching college football games on Saturday. My Sundays are now free and I do other things. So much better not getting aggravated watching these rich, privileged, players bringing their politics into my living room when all I want to do is relax and watch football.

Jerry Brown’s ” Sanctuary State “: Governor Brown decided he would make the entire state of California a “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants. He has removed ICE  (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) out of all prisons, jails, and other police sites where they have traditionally been located in order to facilitate the deportation of illegal immigrants who have broken the law. Governor Brown says the Federal Government has no authority to manage and enforce the immigration laws of our nation in the state of California. To me he is coming pretty close to declaring independence from the Union.

Governor On Notice: ICE has put California, and the good Governor, on notice that it’s officers will continue their mission of enforcing immigration law and arresting and deporting illegal immigrants. ICE stated since they are not getting cooperation from the state law enforcement agencies they will now be seeking illegal immigrants in their neighborhoods, work places, and homes. ICE officers will send all arrested illegal immigrants out of the state in order to secure them during the deportation process.

Governor Brown has now caused ICE to broaden it’s footprint in the state and when illegal immigrants are detained they will be removed from their families and sent to another state. This is called the law of unintended consequences. Good job Governor Brown, so very compassionate of you.

Race Horses: I recently read about a stallion that was shot while running across a pasture. The shooter was aiming for the rider and hit the horse instead. The horse leapt over a fence clipping it with his back legs as his muscles gave out in mid air. The rider fell off as the horse hit the ground. The horse never quit and in his dying moments lay there on his side moving his legs as if running. This is how we should live our lives…keep on running, keep on doing good, keep on being good.

Tim Tebow: He finished his first professional baseball season with a .226 batting average. He had over 60 RBIs and over ten home runs. Not bad for a guy who has not played baseball in several years. He was moved up two levels in the minor league system and says he will return next year to play in the Mets organization.

Tebow A Distraction: Remember when Tim Tebow was taking a knee after touchdowns and the NFL got upset. He was giving thanks to God. The sports talk shows kept bashing him saying the reason he was not picked up was not just his poor throwing skills but that he was too much of a distraction on the field and in the locker room. I have to laugh at this when I see what a mess they have on their hands now. I bet the NFL  wishes they had Tebow on a team now. It is hard for me to listen to these same sport talk guys echoing the NFL line that the players have free speech rights to take a knee during the National Anthem. Good thing these NFL knee takers are not a distraction…. such utter hypocrisy. To the NFL I can only say karma is a real hurt!

 

 

TheDaily Mix…….by, Michael Hawke

11 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by in Political Science, Spiritual, Sports

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Jerry Jones: The Dallas Cowboys owner put some clarity on the NFL players taking a knee. He said the Dallas Cowboy players will stand for the National Anthem or they will sit the bench and not play. This is smart and it should have been done earlier. So many players were torn and pressured. Now an adult has stepped up and made it easy for them. No stand no play. No play no pay…and there you have it. Thank you Mr. Jones for respecting your fans, your country, and our veterans, past and present….even if the pocket book was your motivation.

Senator Bob Corker, R-Tennessee: Senator Corker was re-elected by telling his constituents he would vote to replace Obama Care. Well as we all know he had the chance and he did not come though. This week he has announced he will not run for re-election in 2018 for his Senate seat. He also has gone on the attack against President Trump. It does not take a “high IQ” to understand that  Mr. Corker has begun his Presidential election campaign for 2020. To Bob Corker, and all the other Republican Representatives in Washington, I say do your job…..just do your job. Additionally, to Mr. Corker I suggest you resign and let someone take over who will do the will of the people of Tennessee.

San Diego Homeless Numbers: Official tallies have the homeless numbers in San Diego at 12,000. Unofficial tallies state it is closer to 30,000. With the recent Hepatitis A break out, business and community outrage over the chaos, and the virtual take over of the new downtown library as the homeless community day center…. maybe our Mayor and city leaders are finally waking up? Lets hope and pray they do their jobs…just do their jobs. One more thing on this….if you or I were homeless and had to live on the streets San Diego would be our number one destination. A few years back some cities were caught providing one way tickets to Hawaii for some of their homeless people. I would not doubt they are now bussing their problems our way.

Ensenada Mexico Trip: I spent last weekend in Ensenada, Mexico. Ensenada is about 50 miles South of Tijuana. The toll road is a 10 on a 10 point scale. It is very clean, fast, and safe with views of the Pacific Ocean along the coast that are awe inspiring. I was in Baja doing research for my new book. We stayed at the Coral Hotel and enjoyed a first class experience. Sunday we dined on fresh goat, lamb, and fish at their buffet. A visit to Ensenada is not complete unless you visit Housongs, a famous cantina that offers drinks and a first class mariachi. On the way back we stopped in Puerto Nuevo for lobster dinner, the best on the West coast.

Las Vegas Shooting: Our prayers and thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and loved ones. I know there will be more to this story so I will leave it with the thought that automatic weapons, no matter how they are made to be automatic, should not be legal. The second amendment does not give me the right to buy a shoulder firing heat seeking missile launcher. These auto and semi auto rifles should be classified military weapon types and made illegal. I legally own hand guns, rifles, and shot guns. I use them for sport, recreational hunting, and target shooting. I stay proficient for my personal and family’s security. I do not need to fire a hundred rounds to stay safe and if I do I am certain there will be police and or military help on the way.

Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees: Their playoff series is tied 2-2. I am rooting for the Indians. They had an awesome season and deserve to go to the World Series. I sure hope they do not over think it tomorrow. Go Cleveland! Just do your job boys….just do your job!

Phil Michelson’s Putter: Phil finished 3rd this past weekend!  He is an awesome player and can easily win many more tournaments, and I believe a few more Majors. If I could give him some advice I would tell him his biggest problem is his putter, it should be longer. He is tall, has arthritis issues, and should not be bending over so far to putt. He uses a very short putter which I think takes a toll on him after three rounds so by Sunday he is not able to focus on his putting due to the strain. It is all subconscious mind you, but golf is that way. Phil you need a longer shafted putter! You can thank me after you put on the Green Jacket again next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Trump’s NFL Comments; “Right On The Mark” …….by, Michael Hawke

25 Monday Sep 2017

Posted by in Political Science, Sports

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I was beginning to feel happy to be done with the NFL this season having let my thoughts on the issue be defined with my recent article, “I Quit the NFL”. I have quite a few other things I want to write about and was feeling good about putting this NFL “take a knee” chaos off my writing plate. I also am realizing, after three weeks of “not watching NFL Sunday football”, that I do not even miss it!

Then the President’s NFL owner comments came out this past week and I am once again dutifully compelled to respond, in the hope of bringing some logic and clarity to what has evolved into nothing less than a complete mess.

Football and politics can never be good together. The absolute bottom line here is that fans watch football to escape real life stresses and pressures. They do not want to watch player protests during our National Anthem at the beginning of the game. If it’s politics they want they tune into Fox News or CNN. The NFL has chosen not only to allow these protests, but to defend them as somehow the players rights, even suggesting the knee takers are social justice heroes….doing the NFL equivalent of the Rosa Parks bus protest.

As a retired Army veteran of 29 plus years, and the son of a WWII Navy War Veteran who served in the Pacific, I have wondered just how long the NFL player protests could continue before the average citizen fan starts getting as upset with these pseudo social warriors as I have been. Well, the dung hit the fan this week, no doubt about it. As for me, and my family, the National Anthem is not about America being “a perfect nation”, rather it is about it being a place where people can strive to make it “a more perfect union”.  The men and women, of all ethnic groups and races, who have fought and died to keep it free are the heroes who deserve our full respect and honor.

This is Roger Goodell’s response to President Trump’s remarks;

“divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities”. USA Today

My response to Roger Goodell’s comment;

” divisive actions like players taking a knee during the National Anthem demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for our Nation, our great diversity, and all of our veterans who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our military soldiers, sailors, marines, and coast guard represent in our communities”.

Commissioner Goodell’s comments ring self serving. We are somehow to equate the players contributions with those sacrifices of our military men and women who have served defending our freedoms and the American way of life.

The NFL that Roger Goodell states deserves such great respect is a tax free, $10 billion dollar a year entity, that has “non profit” status. It also holds cities and communities hostage to build stadiums and provide venues in order to gain, or maintain an NFL franchise.

NFL owners and players make obscene profits. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual salary to mange this so called “non-profit” is reported to be over $35 million dollars a year. I wonder if any of these NFL players understand that most kids today never even get the opportunity to go to an NFL game simply due to the high ticket costs set by the NFL.

There is just so much hypocrisy here it makes you want to scream. Yet, in all of it, we are somehow supposed to be sympathetic to Roger Goodell’s indignity over President Trump’s “right on the mark” comments about the NFL, it’s mega rich players, and gutless owners. The liberal media feeds this farce….mostly driven by Trump hating, and fails to even ask one player the following questions;

  1. Please tell specifically the concerns that are driving you to disrespect our flag, our nation, and the many heroes who have given their all by taking a knee during the National Anthem
  2. Could you still express your protest toward these issues but do so in a different venue or time?

These rich NFL players can exercise their right to protest in so many other ways than during the National Anthem. They choose to ignore how their protest affects others and also refuse to find more appropriate venues for their concerns. These players also fail to think about how their actions affect young people who look to them as role models.

So, as I have previously declared, I Quit the NFL!

 

Michael Hawke