Left Coast Sports Babe

Golfer Jon Rahm, ranked #1 or 2 in the world, had to withdraw from Memorial Tournament with 6-shot lead after positive COVID-19 test. He was asymptomatic at the time.

He’d been tested daily after close contact with someone with the virus, and while the tour doesn’t release information directly on who has been vaccinated anyone vaccinated isn’t subject to testing after close contact.

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CONCACAF Nations League final between United States & Mexico was marred Sunday by unruly fan behavior that included objects thrown on the field. Where did fans think they were, at an NBA playoff game?

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Sign of returning to normalcy – Sunday night baseball Yankees -Red Sox.

On Saturday ,SF Giants scored two runs in an inning against the Chicago Cubs on four singles. A reminder of what baseball used to be before launch angles.

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Don’t think local & state elections matter? Keith Ellison, Minnesota AG who oversaw case against Derek Chauvin, won by 4 points in 2018 His GOP opponent, Doug Wardlow, will run again in 2022. What Doug’s been doing since his loss -being attorney for Mike Lindell & My Pillow.

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Media: Joe Manchin thinks he’s King of the Senate. Also Media: We’re gonna give Joe Manchin more attention than anyone in the Senate.

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All jokes aside, I don’t care about the Former Guy’s pants. I do care that the media really needs to put on their big boy (and big girl) pants and start figuring out how to cover a boring but competent President instead of a carnival barker.

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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report noted there were 6,052 deaths from Americans not wearing seat belts being ejected from cars in 2020 -20% increase from 2019, despite COVID. Wonder how many of them started ignoring science last year by not wearing masks?

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So anyone got a list of how many mass killings were committed with Swiss Army Knives?

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Delta flight attendant & passengers tackled a man who tried to storm the cockpit and were able to zip tie his wrists. Zip ties? Were there GOP tourists on board?

Some baseball teams may start giving away free tickets to fans who get a covid vaccine at the stadium.

Now, the state of Arizona, 33rd in the US with about 36% of adults vaccinated, could use all the help they could get. But the way the Diamondbacks are playing, (20-39, 17 games out of 1st) perhaps they could try telling fans, if you DON’T get vaccinated, you are required to stay for the entire game?

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20 MLB teams have reached 85% vaccination rate for players & other on-field personnel, 2 more have had shots & are 2 weeks away. Would the 8 other teams like to tell us who they are? (Because not being vaxxed might affect stadium staff, also prefer not to root for idiots..)

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Has Adam Silver figured out how to have a second round play-in game to keep Lebron James in the NBA postseason a little longer?

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Federal Judge Roger Benitez, just ruled against California assault rifle ban. “Like Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon & homeland defense equipment. Perfect for home & battle. I couldn’t write satire that absurd.

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Wrap your heads around this one: Today’s GOP is now more interested in a hearing to investigate Dr. Fauci than the fatal insurrection on January 6.

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Great that Fox News & folks like Josh Hawley finally think Trump should have resigned over not promoting mask wearing during the the pandemic.

Oh wait, no, they want resignation of Dr. Fauci!? And Fauci, unlike the Former Guy, changed his stance based on changing evidence.

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So Mike Pence just says he “doesn’t see eye to eye with his former boss over January 6. Anyone thought of putting a microphone in front of Karen Pence and ask what SHE thinks about Donald almost having her, her husband and their daughter killed to stay in power?

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Wolf Blitzer asks Preet Bharara if Trump should be sweating: Preet points out he’s escaped before But… “I think this is a different kind of thing. It’s not a political investigation, it’s a standard financial organization criminal investigation…” They got Capone on taxes.

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GOP still genuflecting before the crazy Former Guy is as if the little boy shouted that the Emperor had no clothes and the people responded by throwing the kid in jail.

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For all those who expect Americans to know what’s best for them on vaccines without guidance (and maybe bribes) from our leaders: Just was waiting at a railway crossing for a train to pass and noticed the big sign “DO NOT STOP ON TRACKS.”

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Anyone know what President Biden is up to this weekend? Me neither. Nice, isn’t it?

Well, for the next six weeks of the playoffs we don’t have Lebron James to kick around anymore.

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Jae Crowder puts Suns up 16 over Lakers with less than 2 minutes to go and TNT announcer says “And that may seal it for Phoenix.” What was his first clue?

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Say what you want about horse racing. But by banning Bob Baffert from Churchill Downs for two years, the sports has shown more cojones in punishing its biggest stars who break rules than other sports – compared to for example NFL with Belichick, Brady & the Patriots…

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Regular nonpolitical sports rant: 1. Replay matters to get the call right. 2. If you can’t see enough to change a call in 60 seconds or less, the call is right enough.

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ESPN now considers #SFGiants the fifth best team in MLB. And the third best team in the NL West. Well, both COULD be true.

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Don Lemon reports Mike Pence today saying about Donald Trump – “I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on January 6.” So this is like Macduff saying he doesn’t know if he’d ever see eye to eye with Macbeth?

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I’m not sure what Rachel Maddow would do now for her show in 2021 if we had a single day without a domestic threat against our democracy. But it would be nice to find out.

Mike Pence says of January 6 that “one tragic day” should not be used to discredit Americans who voted for his former boss. Well, and why should April 15, one “tragic night”, be used to discredit what was an otherwise fine acting career for John Wilkes Booth?

All these employers claiming they can’t hire anyone. At same time some law firms are desperate enough to sign onto increasingly frivolous lawsuits by folks like Mike Lindell & some cult members by red state Republicans. So maybe what we need is job retraining for lawyers?

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Lots of carrots to encourage vaccines, but a friend suggests a good stick – if someone chooses not to get vaccine then insurance should not have to pick up the cost of treatment when they get COVID (unless they have a VALID medical reason not to get the shot.)

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One man has served in public health for over 50 years, advised every President since Reagan & received Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush for work on AIDS. Other man told us COVID was harmless & wanted us to drink bleach. Guess who GOP & FOX are now supporting?

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Apparently Donald Trump now said in a statement – “China should pay ten trillion Dollars to America, and the world, for the death and destruction they have caused.”Wait, this is same guy who said “99% of cases are totally harmless.”This is SO confusing.

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“Privilege of serving alongside Trump, it’s greatest honor of my life.” Mike Pence, 6/2/2021 – at a New Hamphire GOP dinner. “

I pray God save the king…for a gentler nor more merciful prince was there never: to me he was ever a good, gentle & sovereign lord.” Anne Boleyn, 5/19/1536 – on the scaffold.

Apparently in the last few weeks, while the Tokyo Olympics now are supposed to start in less than three weeks, 10,000 volunteers in Japan have quit, and the country is still going through some of the worst times with COVID.

And here we thought China and Russia would stage the most controversial Olympic games of our lifetime.

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Kentucky Derby winner’s Medina Spirit failed drug test has been confirmed. Will the colt blame it on a tainted supplement from a stablemate?

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NY Knicks are out, LA Lakers and Clippers each one game from elimination. ABC and ESPN now beginning to feel like FOX feels when the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees and/or Red Sox aren’t in the World Series?

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While I realize there are far more important things to worry about, with all MLB’s efforts to make games more exciting, perhaps they should consider a mercy rule. Top of the second in Los Angeles. Cardinals 1. Dodgers 11. Not a typo.

(The Dodgers held on, 14-3.)

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Blacksburg police say incoming Virginia Tech freshman LB Isi Etute has been arrested & charged with 2nd-degree murder. Depending on the case outcome, we’ll know how good a recruit Etute is based on if any SEC school offers him a second chance.

Was at a store today and overhead two women discussing being there – one said “I never went out during COVID.” Now, I’m thrilled to be vaccinated and happy to be going out more again…. But, especially with all the unvaccinated folks still out there – “during COVID” isn’t over.

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Guessing when most Americans are asked to name Senators outside their home states a whole lot of them would name the most controversial instead of the most effective.

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As a Stanford grad happy to see my alma mater figured out caving to Federalist society was a stupid idea. But putting even a temporary hold on a law student’s diploma over satire might be the most embarrassing moment Stanford has had since anything involving Josh Hawley.

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Today’s difference between parties: Democrats are trying to show Americans our policies are better & are looking ahead to 2022 elections. Republicans have given up on convincing Americans about any policies & are still trying to figure out a way to steal the 2020 election

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Anheuser-Busch says they’ll buy all adults a beer, seltzer (or nonalcoholic beverage) if USA meets Biden’s goal of 70% of adults w/ 1 dose of vaccine by July 4. If looking out for friends & family’s health wasn’t good enough reason, free booze could do it. God bless America.

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Fox News trying to bash our President with this headline: “Biden might buy you a beer if you get the shot.” Uh, are they sure this might not be the headline that finally convinces some of their viewers Joe might be ok?

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Okay, I’ve had this little blog I’ve kept up for over 15 years. Though w/ Twitter now as an alternative I probably get more readers on social media each day. But at least I can say I now get more visitors than the Former President of United States.

Mike Yastremski sprained thumb crashing into the wall tonight for SF Giants. Maybe just maybe bricks in stadiums should be padded as high as people can jump?

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Braves OF Marcell Ozuna was already on IL when arrested. He was released from jail yesterday on $20k bail & faces charges of aggravated assault by strangulation & battery against his wife. Thinking if this were NFL & he were healthy, Ozuna would be playing this weekend.

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As New Orleans Saints fan, I understand concept of not getting over a loss. But in NFC championship in 2019, there was bipartisan agreement Saints got cheated. And even so, unlike Former Guy supporters after 2020 election, we fans didn’t try to storm the Super Bowl.

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The Denver Nuggets won in double OT over the Portland Trail Blazers so maybe many will forget the details of tonight’s game. But in future trivia games there’s going to be at least one answer involving an amazing 3-point shooting night that doesn’t involve a member of the Warriors. #DamianLillard

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As many Americans headed back to work after Memorial Day weekend, isn’t it nice to know we have a President who also is going back to work?

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N.Y. gov candidate Andrew Giuliani refuses to wear mask indoors while campaigning despite being unvaccinated

I miss the days when “dying to own the libs” was rhetorical.

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Pretty sure that if last weekend if I or almost anyone I know publicly said of the military coup in Myanmar “It should happen here,” we’d have already had a knock on our door from the FBI.

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Amy Klobuchar has decided she likes Anderson Cooper’s new term for the Former Guy – “The Man from Mar-A-Lago.” “Man” might be a bit of a stretch but I like it. And I must admit it’s more professional than my preferred Velveeta Voldemort.

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It was November 10, when the Washington Post quoted an unnamed senior White House office about Trump “What is the downside for humoring him for this little bit of time? No one seriously thinks the results will change. It’s not like he’s plotting how to prevent Joe Biden from taking power on Jan. 20.”

That aged well.

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CNN headline “America’s worker shortage is real and getting worse” -US Chamber CEO Have to wonder during pandemic how many low-paid workers realized costs of work, commute, clothes, food, dependent care, were more than they were making. Child & elder care ARE infrastructure.-

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Despite majority in state legislature & all major statewide offices, Calif. Democrats lost some close House races in 2020. Trying to imagine if CA legislature thus decided to limit votes in rural areas & give state officials power to overturn elections. GOP heads would explode.

True sports fans have to give Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau credit tonight. He loves the NHL Montreal Canadiens. And was unabashedly rooting for them against Maple Leafs – a hard luck/cursed team for over 50 years that happens to be from the most populous province in Canada.

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Even Cubs fans are feeling sorry for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

(Leafs haven’t won since 1967. Haven’t won a playoff series since 2004.)

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I think optimistic SF Giants fans had the team at .500 on Memorial Day. But in first place in the best division in baseball?

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And early days, but Mike Tauchman’s catch of Albert Pujols’ near home run on Friday night, might turn out to be this season’s Brian Johnson moment for the SF Giants against the LA Dodgers. (Google it, youngsters.)

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A fan was arrested tonight in Boston for throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving after the Nets beat the Celtics. While I can’t blame everything on the Former Guy, I do blame him for encouraging everyone to embrace their inner a**hole.

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This may be an unpopular option, but for all those who want to abolish the shift in baseball, I’m thinking, uh, average MLB salary is over $4 million. For that you can learn to hit to the opposite field. Maybe learn to bunt even.

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Starting in 1952, this state voted Republican in Presidential elections, except for LBJ in 1964, EVERY year until 1992. The state is California. Don’t tell me we can’t turn Florida or Texas blue in 2022.

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Kyrsten Sinema still hasn’t said why she missed the January 6 Commission vote. Respectfully saying, Senator Sinema, doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican, a perceived cover-up of something is almost always worse than the actual reason.

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To quote the late great Ralph Barbieri, more than one thing can be equally true.

1. Kamala Harris’s memorial day weekend tweet wasn’t her best.

2. This doesn’t excuse GOP from hypocrisy on steroids over even more tone-deaf actions and yes, tweets on Memorial Days past. (Anyone remember Ivanka’s champagne popsicle tweet?)

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The same Republicans now trying to wrap themselves in the flag on Memorial Day weekend have also shown they now have no problem with a Confederate flag on January 6 in the US Capitol.

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Just thinking that all of Joe Biden’s weekends at home in Wilmington, Delaware probably have cost U.S. Taxpayers less than one of the Former Guy’s golf weekends.

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Does anyone think if GOP retook Senate and he needed to pass legislation that Mitch McConnell would have a minute’s hesitation in abolishing the filibuster?

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The Former Guy’s pardon absolved Flynn of “any and all possible offenses” arising from Mueller’s investigation. So does that mean trying to incite a coup in 2021 isn’t covered?

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Thought I had pretty good education on racial injustice in past century – knew about Birmingham Church bombing, Emmett Till, Rosa Parks, Freedom Summer, George Wallace standing at U of Alabama door… Honestly don’t remember ever hearing until recently about Tulsa Race Massacre.

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GOP Senator Shelley Moore Capito, 67, says elder care is not infrastructure. So I presume her House and Senate pensions will cover any elder case she might need in future, or her children are planning to take care of her if need be? Many average Americans aren’t so lucky.

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So apparently many Republicans don’t know who Lee Harvey Oswald was, and political pranksters got some of them on Memorial Day including Matt Gaetz, to RT pictures of Oswald as a private in the Marines.

Given racial politics of today’s GOP I’m actually surprised someone didn’t try to get RTs for a uniformed picture of 1945-48 Army veteran James Earl Ray. (Yes, he served a few years but was discharged.)