Obviously, it’s time for Nick Saban to bring the Process to Alabama politics.
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Category Archives: Political Wankery
Today, in “stick to sports”
I’m sure those of you continually offended by political references in the world of sports will rise up to condemn Chris McDaniel, seeking any attention he can get as he runs for a US Senate seat a second time, who evidently objects to Ole Miss replacing Colonel Reb with a new mascot.
Fergit, hayul!
Filed under Political Wankery, SEC Football
“Would you like to be the governor when HOPE dies?”
Unlike some of you, I firmly believe that casino gambling in Georgia is a question of when, not if. There’s simply too much money to brush aside forever. Not just for state government, either — those integrity fees are gonna look mighty attractive to the folks at Butts-Mehre.
Bonus consideration: “Unlike other companies that require heaps of taxpayer-funded incentives, he added, casino magnates aren’t asking for major tax breaks.” Talk about your win-win!
Filed under Bet On It, Political Wankery
Today, in “stick to sports” sticking to sports
I’m sure I’ll get some grief for linking to this, but it’s a perfect story as to why I’m so cynical about the whole uproar over players taking knees during the playing of the national anthem.
In the years following 9/11, professional sports took a healing gesture and transformed it into a way to make money. In 2015, Republican Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake released the report “Tackling Paid Patriotism,” which criticized the deceptive, taxpayer-funded contracts between the Pentagon and virtually every pro sports league. In 2012, the New York Army National Guard paid the Buffalo Bills $250,000 to conduct on-field re-enlistment ceremonies. In 2014, the Georgia National Guard paid the Atlanta Falcons $114,000 to sing the national anthem. In 2015, the Air Force paid NASCAR $1.5 million in part for veterans to shake hands with racing legend Richard Petty. Your tax dollars. At work.
“Yeah I hate to say it, but I wasn’t completely surprised,” Astore says. “But I was disgusted by it. Patriotic displays, they mean a lot more to me when they’re spontaneous. But to learn that these had been paid for — that corporate teams, teams owned by billionaires, basically, were collecting money from the military. Paid for, obviously, by you and me, by the American taxpayer. Well, it was sad.”
American flags are the ultimate Good Housekeeping seal. And thanking veterans for their service disconnects the public from what has been nearly two decades of war. The ballpark ceremony obscures the realities of war and, by focusing on soldiers, inoculates the government from antiwar criticism.
I have no sympathy for the NFL’s current dilemma. It’s a problem those greedheads happily brought on themselves because the money was good, and now that they’ve reaped the whirlwind, they’re frozen on how to escape.
At least nobody’s tried to bribe their way into making college football players appear on the field for the anthem. Hopefully, that’s one “be more like the NFL” tack even the morons running college football are able to resist.
Filed under It's Just Bidness, Political Wankery, The NFL Is Your Friend.
From a head coach to a punchline
By the time the state of Tennessee gets done with Booch, I may wind up feeling sorry for the guy.
Words fail me.
It pays to be the friend in high places.
Nice to be Scott Pruitt. (h/t)
One aide helped book his travel to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., where Mr. Pruitt had secured seats near the 50-yard line for the face value of $175 each, documents show. The tickets, for Mr. Pruitt and his wife and two children, were purchased five days before the sold-out New Year’s Day game this year.
Mr. Pruitt bought the tickets, the records show, from a special allotment for the University of Oklahoma, which appeared in the game against the University of Georgia. Tickets for equivalent seats were on sale on the secondary market for as much as seven times the price paid by Mr. Pruitt, data from two ticket companies show.
The aide who helped book his travel, Millan Hupp, told congressional investigators recently that Renzi Stone, a university regent who runs a large marketing firm with energy industry clients that include the American Petroleum Institute and GE Oil and Gas, had assisted Mr. Pruitt in getting access to the tickets.
Well, he may have had better (and cheaper!) seats than I did, but he sure as hell didn’t enjoy the game as much.
Filed under Political Wankery
And then I had to spoil it all…
You know, I actually had some hope that Jason Butt’s article asking each of Georgia’s three remaining gubernatorial candidates about their position on legalized sports betting in this state might offer some intelligent policy discussion on a matter of interest.
Instead, I’m treated to this deep thought:
“I do not support sports betting in Georgia,” Kemp said in a statement. “As a Georgia grad and diehard Dawg fan, losing the national championship was painful enough. Would have been even worse if I had money on the game!”
This has been your regular reminder that we get the politicians we deserve.
Filed under Political Wankery
