Football
October 13, 2021 — Paul Mirengoff
Jon Gruden is out as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders because of what he wrote in private emails. The emails are described by the media as “racist,” “homophobic,” and “misogynist.” From what I can tell, the racism consists of making fun of the lip size of the head of the players’ union who is Black. The homophobia consists of calling NFL commissioner Roger Goodell the other “f” word and
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September 9, 2021 — Paul Mirengoff
The National Football League kicks off its season tonight. For a great many Americans, today must feel like Christmas. I’m not among that group. However, I do look forward to the start of the NFL season, at least in years like this one when the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins doesn’t appear to be awful. But there’s a fly in the ointment. The NFL has decided to preach
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March 15, 2021 — Paul Mirengoff
Maybe not. Peter King reports that 10.5 percent of all NFL regular-season games last season enjoyed a bigger television audience than Oprah Winfrey’s interview of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Mike Florio adds that “most if not all of the 13 January postseason games generated dramatically larger numbers” than that interview. But maybe so. David Goldman foresees China vastly outstripping America because it is a merciless meritocracy whereas America increasingly
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February 4, 2021 — Paul Mirengoff
Last month, the Washington Football Team (formerly known as the Redskins) proudly announced that Jennifer King would be an assistant coach. She is now the team’s assistant running backs coach and the first full-time Black female coach in NFL history. If King is a competent coach, and I have no reason to doubt that she is, then I’m happy for her. But look again at her title — assistant running
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January 28, 2021 — Paul Mirengoff
Amanda Gorman is our National Youth Poet Laureate. Lucky us. The title isn’t an oxymoron — it’s not impossible for a young person to be a great poet — but the appellation doesn’t sit well on Gorman. “Laureate” means a person who is honored with an award for outstanding creative or intellectual achievement. Gorman has achieved little as a poet, other than being named youth poet laureate. If Gorman has
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January 18, 2021 — John Hinderaker
I haven’t followed sports much since everything shut down, but last weekend, not being busy, I checked in on all four NFL games. Apart from the 60 Minutes commercials, it was a fun experience–excellent games and not much politics. I have been a Tom Brady fan since 2006 (I think), when I was participating in an event at the Kennedy School and staying at the Charles Hotel, and we got
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December 24, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
Since the days of Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer, the Washington Redskins (as they were then known) have had plenty of quarterback controversies. Doug Williams or Jay Schroeder; Jeff George or Tony Banks; Donovan McNabb or Rex Grossman; Robert Griffin or Kirk Cousins, etc. Now, the team has a new quarterback controversy: Dwayne Haskins or random replacement player. Here’s the story: The Redskins (as they were then known) drafted Haskins
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September 21, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
Last week, I discussed how the Pittsburgh Steelers were planning to honor Antwon Rose, a drive-by shooter, by wearing his name on their helmets. Initially, only Afghan war vet Alejandro Villanueva declined to go along with this plan. He announced that he would wear the name of Alwyn Cashe, an African-American who was killed in Iraq. But then, Maurkice Pouncey, the team’s star center, also balked. He admitted he should
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September 18, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
I wrote here about how the Pittsburgh Steelers will be honoring Antwon Rose, a drive-by shooting participant and probable shooter, by wearing his name on their helmets this season. Only one player — Afghan war vet Alejandro Villanueva — refused to go along with this nauseating decision. He will wear the name of a fallen warrior, Alwyn Cashe, an African-American who was killed in Iraq. Now, however, another player, star
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September 16, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
Alejandro Villanueva plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a military combat veteran, having served in Afghanistan. This season, all of the Steelers except for Villaneuva will wear the name of Antwon Rose on their helmets. Villaneuva intends to wear the name of Alwyn Cashe, instead. Cashe, a black man, was a U.S. Army sergeant. He died of injuries suffered in Iraq in 2005. Rose, also black, was a criminal.
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September 7, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
On Saturday, I watched football for the first time since February. The game was Arkansas State vs. Memphis. ESPN carried it. I was having a fine time watching a reasonably well played and closely contested game. But then, in the second quarter, the announcing team — Bob Wischusen and Dan Orlovsky — suddenly turned away from football to racial politics. The two began by saying how wonderful it is that
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September 2, 2020 — John Hinderaker
Kirk Cousins is the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. An “out” Christian, he has sometimes been targeted by liberal sportswriters. Several weeks ago, he gave an interview on a podcast that apparently was released today. The interview gave rise to a story in City Pages, a weekly tabloid-style rag that doesn’t pretend to do actual journalism. City Pages tweeted: Kirk Cousins says COVID-19 masks are stupid: 'If I die, I
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August 18, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
The Washington football team (formerly known as the Redskins and now in search of a replacement name) has hired Jason Wright as team president. Wright becomes the first African-American president of an NFL team. However, there have been African-American coaches and general managers — positions that, depending on what Wright’s duties will be, may be at least as important as team president. Wright was an NFL running back for several
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July 19, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
During much of last week, Washington sports fans were teased with rumors of a blockbuster scandal involving our football team that the Washington Post was getting ready to publish. The rumors included orgies, a Jeffrey Epstein connection, serious misconduct by a former coach, and more. The scandal turned out to be low to mid-level grade sexual harassment by certain team employees, all of whom were already gone or were let
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July 3, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
It looks like the wave of wokeness will cause the Washington Redskins finally to change their name. Owner Daniel Snyder says the team is undertaking a thorough review of the team’s name. It would be mighty surprising if the review concluded that “Redskins” is fine. Has Snyder had a genuine change of heart about the team name? Of course not. He’s simply come under intense pressure from corporate America. Notably,
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May 31, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
Colin Kaepernick is back in the public’s consciousness. Joe Lockhart, the former White House press secretary, says the Minnesota Vikings should offer him a job. That’s just what Minnesota and the Vikings need now — a quarterback controversy involving Kaepernick. But Lockhart’s suggestion seems wise compared to this column by Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post. She writes: Two knees. One protesting in the grass, one pressing on the back
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May 19, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff
Today, the National Football League is considering a proposal to enable teams to improve their draft position by hiring minority candidates for coaching and executive positions. As I understand the proposal, a team that hires a minority head coach would move up six spots in the third round of the following year’s draft. Hiring a minority general manager would enable a team to move up ten spots in that round.
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