I knew that Brady talked of his friendship with Trump last football season and wore a "Make America Great Again" cap, but retracted his "endorsement" a couple of days later. I also knew that Kraft had made at least one cameo on Trump's Celebrity Apprentice.
But I didn't hear of a new, official endorsement from either. I clicked to read the story.
Turns out, "neither Brady nor Kraft officially endorsed Trump."
Kraft and Brady are friends with Trump. That's not news. Rich and famous people have rich and famous friends. No reasonable person would hold the mere friendship against them.
Neither has formally endorsed Trump.
Fox Sports writes about voter reaction to Brady's and Kraft's endorsements of Trump, which they never made.
I understand trivial, filler news pieces. I understand biased news.
But dishonest headlines to attract readers is unacceptable.
In honor of my country, I'm presenting, for as long as they're not pulled from YouTube, ten songs about the American experience that seem to penetrate my blood and soul. In no particular order:
10. Jerry Orbach - "Try To Remember" from The Fantastiks
While a great song, this wouldn't be included here if not for September 11, 2001. My all-time favorite radio show, Chicago WFMT's Saturday Night folk show Midnight Special with Rich Warren played it as its first song after the infamous day. Hearing it in that context shook me to my bones. Though he's most famous for his role as Briscoe on Law & Order, I'll always associate Jerry Orbach with this Broadway song first.
9. Tennessee Ernie Ford: 16 Tons
8. Paul Robeson: Ol' Man River
I view the two songs above as two sides of the same coin. Most whites and an even greater proportion of African-Americans have been hard on their luck, even if from different causes. Subsequent folk, country, rock, and blues singers haven't really captured the experience the way Ford's and Robeson's voices can.
7. George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Not much I can say. You either listen to this and get it, or you don't. But just about anyone can tell it didn't come from a European composer.
6. Steve Goodman: City of New Orleans
Not kidding: every morning when I step outside and the sun is shining, my thought is, "Good morning America, how are you?" (I couldn't find Arlo Guthrie's studio version on Youtube, and am thankful I found a version from the original songwriter instead.)
5. Scott Joplin: The Entertainer - A Rag Time Two-Step
Music beyond religion, music beyond the concert and opera halls for the wealthy, music beyond the sentimental folks songs of hearth and home: music that makes you feel good just by listening to it. Should that even be legal?
4. Blood, Sweat, & Tears doing Laura Nyro's And When I Die
The harmonica, vocal, and brass evoke a sweeping portrait of the West and of the uneducated, down-home philosophies of the prospectors, cowboys, and other adventurers who conquered it.
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Down on the Corner
Could any British rocker have possibly composed and recorded this song? This is pure Americana.
2. 1776 Motion Picture: The Egg
If you're unfamiliar with the musical or movie 1776, order it immediately. You can't imagine what a close call the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence really were.
1. Carly Simon - Let The River Run
You may find the more majestic version by Carly Simon from the 1988 Working Girl soundtrack elsewhere. Having heard both, I appreciate both. I appreciate this song not because I believe that God has ordained America as the "New Jerusalem," but rather that the New Jerusalem is wherever human beings have been set free to build their silver cities.
For three years in a row, the NFL team with the best record has won the Super Bowl the following year. In 12003, the Patriots were the best, and they won the Super Bowl the following season. In 2oo4, the Steelers were the best, and they won the Super Bowl the next season. In 2005, the Colts were the best, and they won the Super Bowl a year later. In 2006, the Chargers were the best ...
So the NFL caved, and not only will the Patriots-Giants game be carried on the NFL Network, but will also be simulcast free on NBC and CBS. This in at least partial response to pressure from politicians such as Sens. Leahy and Spector, who threatened to revoke the NFL's anti-trust exemption.
The conflict seemed to be that the NFL network wanted to be offered as a basic cable channel, but many cable companies have refused to do so. Presumably, these channels would have accepted the NFL Network as a premium channel. But this means people unwilling to pay extra would still be unable to see the game. Wouldn't there be an outrage over that? Wouldn't the NFL take an even bigger public relations hit?
In any case, why do people feel they have a right to watch this game? What if it had been scheduled at what would have been its normal time: 1 pm Eastern, as aregional-coverage game? Would that have been acceptable, because it's free?
I agree that the NFL shouldn't have an antitrust exemption, but that's because there shouldn't be anti-trust law, period. Particularly not for the leisure and entertainment industries, where no one is being "gouged" or otherwise forced to pay high prices for anything.
This struggle is between the NFL and cable companies. Public pressure may swing to one end or the other, but the government should stay out of it.
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