Congratulations to St. Louis native and paralympic gold medal winner David Brown for being named to the inaugural USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Tea.
Before fully losing his sight, he played YMCA basketball. He attended the Missouri School for the Blind, and then Hazelwood West High School, where he participated in track, wrestling and goalball.
He won a gold medal in the 100 meters at the Rio Paralympic 2016 Games and is a three-time world champion and world record holder in both the 200 meters and 100 meters. He is the first totally blind athlete to run the 100 meters in under 11 seconds.
In May, Arianna Sergio reported for St. Louis magazine that Brown was introduced to soccer by sheer fortune.
While preparing for the 2019 World Championships in track and field, a blind soccer team was working out at a nearby training center. A soccer team administrator thought Brown was there for practice, and introduced himself to Brown and his wife, Rebekah.
Brown called the interaction “divine purpose,” and he asked the team staff to stay in touch. He learned the game and made St. Louis soccer history by being named to the national team.
Too little, too late
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is anything but bashful when it comes to discussing race and human rights matters. He was at the forefront of NBA players’ refusing to participate in respective playoff games in August 2020 to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
He is recognized for his insight on issues and respected by those inside and outside NBA circles.
So why did it take him so long to condemn Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving for his antisemitic antics and refusal to apologize.
After repeated chances to simply say “I’m sorry,” Irving was suspended for at least five games by the NBA. After missing two game paychecks, Irving did finally apologize.
James did not make a statement until a full two weeks after Irving’s reposting of a racist anti-Semitic movie that quoted Adolph Hitler and contained other anti-Jewish tropes.Â
“I believe what Kyrie did caused some harm to a lot of people. He has since, over the last – today, or was it yesterday – he apologized. But he caused some harm,” James said on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
““It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, how tall you are, what position you’re in – if you are promoting or soliciting or saying harmful things to any community that harm people, then I don’t respect it. I don’t condone it.”
Gosh, how harsh. Seriously LeBron, that is all you have to say on the matter? If that is a rebuke, it sure is a tepid one.
Several Black NBA players have blasted Irving for his behavior, but the game’s biggest star backed down for a fortnight. I’m sure many NBA fans and Americans are disappointed in James and the African American players who remained silents as the scandal dragged on.
The Reid Roundup
The Brooklyn Nets were in disarray before Kyrie Irving embarrassed the entire franchise. Irving remained suspended this week, and trade rumors are rampant as the Nets face a full makeover. Enzo Flojo of the MSN website Clutch Points says the Washington Wizards should be willing to part with several young talented players to pair Kevin Durant with All-Str guard Bradley Beal. “Imagine a duo of Durant and Beal. That would potentially be one of the finest NBA pairings this season.
A KD-Beal-led Wizards squad should be good for a strong 50 to 55-win season. Afterward, that might entice additional talent ahead of the 2023-24 campaign,” he wrote…When the Kansas City Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreke Hill to the Miami Dolphins many NFL pundits thought Hill and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes would see their respective statistics drop significantly. Following last week’s games, Mahomes had thrown for 2,605 passing yards and is on pace for 5,536 this year. Hill had 1,104 receiving yards and is on pace for 2,085. Both would be NFL season records for passing and receiving yards for the season.Â
