Indy 500, Little 500, Broadripple: Bawdy Tales of Indianapolis Racing Weekend Hijinks

May 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment

indianapolis motor speedway

A decade ago, I attended my first Indy 500, and it was in the infield.

My people watching that day became an essay which is among the site’s most popular posts of all time. A decade later, I returned to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, ready once again to regale you with tales of auto racing’s zaniest fans, on racing’s biggest weekend.

This time we added two more settings- the Little 500 in Anderson (about an hour from the speedway) and Broadripple, the neighborhood boasting the hippest nightlife in all of nap town.

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Filed Under: Entertainment/Media, Food and Drink, Politics, Social Issues, Tech, Travel

Indianapolis 500 Ramps Up Extreme Nationalism, Over the Top Jingoism

May 25, 2019 By 1 Comment

american military

Make no mistake about it, my favorite color is a three way tie between red, white and blue. Just look at the colors of this website. Take a look at the photo below to see how I dressed to attend the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500. See the American flag emoji in my Twitter profile too.

However, there is patriotism, and then there is nationalism, and then there is patriotism and nationalism combined, on steroids and multiplied to the 10th power, which we usually call jingoism. This is a very hot topic right now, as the NFL decided last week to take the Star Spangled Banner issue and go full on #MAGA #AmericaFirst with it. The National Football League decided to completely pander to the lowest common denominator.

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Filed Under: Business, Entertainment/Media, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues

Cubs Broadcast Makes Monstrous Gaffe While Promoting Women’s Empowerment Night

May 16, 2019 By Leave a Comment

addison russell

If you’re not familiar with the Twitter account @_youhadonejob1, then you really need to check it out and see what you’re missing. The phrase “you only had one job” certainly applies to the producer and/or cameraman of the Chicago Cubs broadcast last night in Cincinnati.

During their win over the Reds Wednesday night, the Cubs telecast ran an in game promotion for their upcoming Women’s Empowerment Night at the ballpark. Now of the nine players on the field and the 24 on the roster, who would you NOT want to spotlight as you transition to the promo?  Well, take a look:

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Filed Under: Business, Chicago Cubs, MLB, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues

Owner Roman Abramovich Takes in First Chelsea FC Match of the Season

May 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Persona non grata in the United Kingdom, Chelsea FC Owner Roman Abramovich has not seen his team play live and in person- until tonight.

Yes, it was just a friendly, and every competitive match for Chelsea this season except one (London derby Europa League Final versus Arsenal on the 29th) has been played, but hey, the Russian oligarch is finally in the house. Abramovich was on hand at Gillette Stadium for Chelsea’s charity match against the New England Revolution.

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Filed Under: Business, Chelsea, Football/Soccer, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues

Sports Bank Founder to Give Talk at Fulbright Alumni Conference at Univ. of Arkansas

May 13, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“Building Bridges: The Fulbright Legacy and the Future of International Exchange” will be taking place next weekend, May 17 to 19, 2019 in Fayetteville, Arkansas and I will be on hand, hosting a round table on the state of journalism in the world today.

Hosted by the German-American Fulbright Commission, in partnership with the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, it’s a chance to discuss the Fulbright legacy and alma mater and reconnect with the Fulbright community. As a Fulbright alumni myself, I will be leading and moderating a World Café on Saturday, May 18, from 2:45 pm – 3:30 pm. The details are as follows.

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Filed Under: College Basketball, College Football, Entertainment/Media, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Martellus Bennett on How the NFL Discourages Individuality, Free-Thought (Exclusive)

May 3, 2019 By 1 Comment

During his NFL career, Martellus Bennett scored more than 30 touchdowns, accrued more than 4,500 receiving yards, won a Super Bowl with the 2016 New England Patriots and earned a Pro Bowl berth with the 2014 Chicago Bears.

Not bad for artist and writer. Bennett was in town last week to do a public reading of his new children’s book “Dear Black Boy,” at Open Books, a literacy non-profit in the west loop. A major point he emphatically made, over and over again, is that creating art and literature is more fun than sports. 

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Filed Under: Business, Chicago Bears, Entertainment/Media, New England Patriots, NFL, Politics, Social Issues

Tony Bennett, Virginia Cavaliers Reject Visit to Trump White House

April 26, 2019 By Leave a Comment

tony-bennett

Just a pre-emptive warning to the 45th POTUS and his cultish acolytes- “leave Virginia alone” as Rod Stewart once sang. Virginia is for lovers, and this spring it’s also for NCAA Men’s Basketball national champions.

However, the spoils of victory won’t include a trip to the White House. UVA head coach Tony Bennett won’t be taking the team to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Filed Under: College Basketball, News and Current Events, Politics

How a Chicago Fire Move Back to Soldier Field Would Affect City, Bridgeview

April 7, 2019 By 5 Comments

chicago fire

On Tuesday, news of the Chicago Fire potentially leaving suburban Bridgeview, moving back to Soldier Field, and even re-branding, dropped.

It was all a bombshell to say the least.

James Vlahakis, a Chicago based attorney who worked as outside counsel for a law firm previously retained by the Fire, first broke the story on Twitter. As the week went on, other outlets followed the lead of Vlahakis, who is currently representing a Fire supporter who has filed suit against the club over an incident at the stadium last season.

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Filed Under: Business, Football/Soccer, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues

Danny Rose: Tottenham Star Makes Comments About Race We Must All Hear

April 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment

danny rose

Tottenham Hotspur and England star Danny Rose has given some candid commentary on the issue of race in contemporary world football that we all need to pay attention to. Rose has said that the ugly racism ever present in the beautiful game is so abominable that it makes him look forward to the days when his playing career is behind him.

Danny Rose also said the fines levied against teams when their supporters engage in racist behavior is so low that it’s on par with what he spends for a night on the town in London. Rose’s comments are making waves in media outlets all over the world, but the question is- will anything change?

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Filed Under: Football/Soccer, History, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues, Tottenham Hotspur

Illinois Could Have Legal Sports Gambling by Next Super Bowl, Says State Rep

April 2, 2019 By 2 Comments

sports gambling

If everything goes as smoothly as possible, and there are no unexpected hiccups along the way, legal sports gambling will be in the state of Illinois by the next Super Bowl. That’s according to Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Zalewksi, who late last month filed four separate amendments to House Bill 3308 to jumpstart the Land of Lincoln’s movement on sports betting.

“Enacted and up and running, I’ve set an ambitious goal for the Super Bowl, but I can’t say for sure that will happen,” Rep. Zalewski told The Sports Bank in an exclusive interview on Monday.

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Filed Under: Business, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues, Tech Tagged With: , , , , ,

Should Athletes Be Allowed to Protest?

March 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment

By Frankie Wallace

Image Source: Pexels

In February, eight basketball players from the University of Mississippi knelt during the national anthem in order to protest two confederate sympathizer groups who had gathered on their college campus. The hate groups’ rallies were formed in support of a sculpture of a confederate soldier on the school’s campus. Regardless, the Ole Miss players’ silent protest stirred up some controversy around the sports media world.

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Filed Under: College Basketball, News and Current Events, NFL, Politics, Social Issues

Chelsea FC News: Transfer Ban Appeal, “Final Whistle on Hate” Match

March 5, 2019 By 1 Comment

chelsea fc

It’s a big news day for Chelsea FC, with the club making a couple of major announcements within the past 24 hours. Yesterday, we learned the date and the official marketing title of the friendly that Chelsea will stage at the New England Revolution with the purposes of combating Anti-Semitism.

Today, we saw Chelsea formally announce their appeal of the transfer ban FIFA imposed on them late last month.

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Filed Under: Business, Chelsea, Football/Soccer, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues
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