* Former Tampa Bay Lightning executive Tod Leiweke was in town recently to speak at USF as part of the school’s Sport and Entertainment Management MBA lecture series. He’s now the chief operating officer of the NFL. Leiweke reminded his listeners of a role, largely taken for granted, that games–at the highest professional level–can play in our society.
“It can bind a nation,” he said. “I think if you really look at stadiums or arenas, you see all walks of life. If you price it right, you’ll see people of different economic spectrums, people of different political persuasions. They’re all coming together to celebrate.”
It reminded me of a broader-context, societal answer that a couple of football coaches gave to the question: “What’s the role of big-time football at an institution of higher learning whose charge is arguably far removed from that of major athletic programs?”
Alabama’s Bear Bryant: “Well, it’s tough to rally around the math department.”
USF’s Skip Holtz: “It’s an opportunity to get people (potential benefactors) on your front porch.”
* The Oldsmar Rays. I don’t think so. Too much about this hybrid, asymmetrical market is problematic. Such that the key variables–new stadium design and site–has to be as pitch perfect as possible.
* There was some World Series focus on Kyle Schwarber, the Cub’s heavy-hitting, recently-returned-from-the-disabled-list outfielder. He didn’t get a medical pass to play the outfield in Chicago, so he was relegated to pinch-hitting duties that almost never occurred. He had been Chicago’s designated hitter for the games played in Cleveland.
The real scrutiny, however, should have been on Major League Baseball’s maintenance of a rule duality that has made no sense since 1973. That was the year the DH debuted in the American League. The old school National League has never used it. But when teams of each league play each other, we’re reminded of the dichotomy as accommodations have to be made. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, alas, supports the status quo.
It would be comparable to the National Football League allowing its two conferences to decide for themselves, for example, whether they would permit a two-point attempt after touchdowns or differ on overtime rules. And then, say, rotate such variables for the Super Bowl.
One game, one league, one set of uniform rules. One would think that’s obvious.
* The Philadelphia 76ers apologized, as they should have, for pre-empting the performance of a national anthem singer because she was wearing a “We Matter” jersey-style shirt. This wasn’t First Amendment envelope-pushing. Nor was it reflective of a cherry-picking agenda. We all matter, including those in the public eye sporting a “We Matter” shirt.