On a warm Friday night with family members I made my way into San Francisco where a few blocks apart the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors were about to play games before raucous packed stadiums.
The city’s streets were churning with fans in excited anticipation, many dressed in the teams’ colors — black and orange and blue and gold.
There isn’t a prettier baseball stadium anywhere than Oracle Park set on McCovey Cove in the Bay; or, following the city’s edge a ways south and to the west, a basketball venue more luxurious than the Chase Center.
As we were eating hot dogs and cheering and generally enjoying the luxury of the club level at the baseball game, we like everyone else were also monitoring the Warriors’ progress. It was a sports fan’s paradise — two games at once. As the Warriors prevailed, the final seconds of that game were displayed on Oracle’s giant screen in center field, and a sustained lusty cheer erupted from the baseball crowd.
In the end the Giants lost in extra innings despite a dramatic comeback with two outs in the 9th, but the fans went home happy anyway, chanting “W-A-R-R-I-O-R-S” on their way out of Oracle.
In sports you can be partisan and teardown the opposition but in the end it’s only a game — although you might have trouble convincing the multi-billion dollar franchise’s executives of that.
And though I may be wrong about this, it’s hard to think of any metropolitan center with a greater success rate in the three major U.S. sports than San Francisco. Just since 2010, the Giants have won three World Series; the Warriors three NBA championships, barely missing two others, and the 49ers have played in two Super Bowls.
If you’re keeping track, that’s ten appearances in 36 total events — 27.8 percent of the total, with six wins — 16.6 percent — for one fanbase. Locally, there is also the Oakland A’s baseball team, with many past trophies, and until recently the Raiders in football.
I suppose some other places, L.A. for example, can make their case as a town of champions, but then I just have to think of my original hometown, poor Detroit.
Since 2010 the three top sports teams have won no championships. In fact the Lions have never appeared in a Super Bowl. The Tigers did play in one World Series but lost it in four straight to — the Giants.
TODAY’s HEADLINES (32):
Moscow Moves to Russify Seized Ukraine Land, Signaling Annexation (NYT)
Ukraine's Zelenskiy says Donbas region has been completely destroyed (Yahoo)
The White House is working to put advanced anti-ship missiles in the hands of Ukrainian fighters to help defeat Russia's naval blockade, officials said, amid concerns more powerful weapons that could sink Russian warships would intensify the conflict. (Reuters)
Ukraine Will Fight Until All Russian Forces Expelled, Military Intelligence Chief Says (WSJ)
Millions rushed to leave Ukraine. Now the queue to return home stretches for miles (NPR)
West rushes more aid as Mariupol teeters and fighting rages (AP)
Hooked on Cheap Oil, Hungary Resists an Embargo on Russia (NYT)
Biden hails Nordic move into NATO as proof of unity against Russia (WP)
In a sign of Russia's urgent need to bolster its war effort, parliament said it would consider a bill to allow Russians over 40 and foreigners over 30 to sign up for the military. (Reuters)
Ukraine says giant Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant can't supply Russia (BBC)
The War in Ukraine Is Getting Complicated, and America Isn’t Ready (Edit Bd/NYT)
Big Tech companies like Google and Salesforce have made strides in reducing the carbon emissions from their products, through efforts such as using recycled aluminum and planting trees. But, as Bill McKibben writes in an incisive piece today, these companies may have missed “perhaps the most important source of corporate emissions”: the money they keep in banks, some of which is lent to the fossil-fuel industry, and subsequently produces huge amounts of carbon. (New Yorker)
Liberals Never Cared About Substantive Criminal Justice Reform, They Just Liked Slogans — An uptick in murders and a full-blown media panic has all but killed reform efforts. It’s important to understand this quick and cynical backlash never had anything to do with “data.” (Adam Johnson/The Column)
The Buffalo shooting suspect's online footprint prompts questions about red flags (NPR)
Police: Chicago shooting leaves 2 people dead, 7 wounded (AP)
‘We are awash in guns’: Police superintendent addresses mass shooting on Near North Side (Chicago Tribune)
Oklahoma Legislature Passes Bill Banning Almost All Abortions (NYT)
Oklahoma’s Legislature gave final approval to another anti-abortion bill that providers say will be the most restrictive in the nation once the governor signs it. The bill, which Vice President Kamala Harris deemed "outrageous,"would prohibit all abortions from the time of fertilization, except to save the life of a pregnant woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest that has been reported to law enforcement. [AP]
A generation of LGBTQ advocates hopes the clock isn’t ticking backward (WP)
Trump's bid to control election offices hits first battleground (Politico)
Ginni Thomas pressed Ariz. lawmakers to help reverse Trump’s loss, emails show (WP)
Trump’s Alternate Reality Hits a New Crazy Note with Dr. Oz (Politico)
The bipartisan House committee investigating the events that led up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack said it is turning its attention to Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) with new evidence that he led a Capitol tour the day before the deadly insurrection. Democrats said in the days after the riot that they saw GOP lawmakers leading "reconnaissance" toursof the building. [HuffPost]
Sri Lanka closes schools, limits work amid fuel shortage (AP)
VIDEO: White House Health Officials Warn of Rising Virus Cases (White House)
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers issued a "final and non-negotiable" order to all female presenters on TV channels to cover their faces on air. [AP]
S&P 500 Enters Bear-Market Territory as Selloff Deepens (WSJ)
Chinese researchers find secret forest in massive sinkhole — The Guangxi region in south China, inside a previously unexplored hole that’s roughly 630 feet deep and spans 176 million cubic feet. (WP)
Scientists discover 'ghost' fossils beneath a microscope (CNN)
Octopuses torture and eat themselves after mating. Science finally knows why. (LiveScience)
Employee Wishes He Had Enough Job Security To Voice Opinion (The Onion)
TODAY’s LYRICS:
“Give Me One Reason”
Sung and Written by Tracy Chapman
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
Said I don't want to leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind
Baby I got your number
Oh and I know that you got mine
You know that I called you
I called you many times
You can call me baby
You can call me anytime, you got to call me
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turnin')
Give me one reason to stay here
And I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turnin')
Said I don't want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind
I don't want no one to squeeze me
They might take away my life
I don't want no one to squeeze me
They might take away my life
I just want someone to hold me
Oh and rock me through the night
This youthful heart can love you
Yes and give you what you need
I said this youthful heart can love you
Oh and give you what you need
But I'm too old to go chasin' you around
Wastin' my precious energy
Give me one reason to stay here
Yes and I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turnin')
Give me one reason to stay here
Oh I'll turn right back around
(You can see me turnin')
Said I don't want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind
Baby just give me one reason
Oh give me just one reason why
Baby just give me one reason
Oh give me just one reason why I should stay
Said I told you that I loved you
And there ain't no more to say
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