May the St. Louis Cardinals continue attracting more Black fans to Busch Stadium. It was a great idea to feature local artist Brock Seals and the cap he designed for African American Heritage Day at Busch Stadium on Labor Day. This year, add an event or two and make the cap or giveaway item available to all fans, not just those who purchased special tickets.
May Xavier Scruggs, the Cardinals’ diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant, become more visible in the Black community in 2022. Hired in May 2021, his job is to “work within the team’s baseball operations to advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and engage with players on those discussions,” according to the Cardinals. I would like to know how or if he is accomplishing those goals.
May the St. Louis Blues also continue outreach into the Black Community. As 2021 was ending, the Blues launched the North City Blues afterschool youth hockey program. Under the direction of former Blues star Jamal Mayers, hopefully, it will grow and attract more African American young skaters to the ice to learn the game of hockey.
May Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his XFL ownership partners have the good sense to place a franchise in St. Louis. The St. Louis BattleHawks led the 2020 version of the XFL in attendance with head coach Jonathan Hayes at the helm. He and the franchise should be here when the league makes its scheduled debut in spring 2023.
May the St. Louis City MLS expansion franchise continue fulfilling its promise to be a community partner as it approaches its inaugural season in 2023. The franchise’s new stadium is scheduled to open next fall, and according to the team website, “St. Louis City will develop sustainable soccer training programs and facilities, particularly in divested areas whose kids have less access to the sport.”
May the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, St. Louis and St. Louis County come to a swift and reasonable agreement in deciding the split of $500 million (after attorney fees) won in the settlement of a lawsuit against Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL. A chunk of the money should go to a North County recreation complex and youth sports facilities in underserved areas.
May the legal firms Dowd Bennett LLP and Blitz Bardgett & Deutsch, which worked diligently to crack Kroenke and win the settlement, donate a sizeable portion of the 35% billing windfall ($290 million) from the settlement to support youth athletic and educational programs in the city and north St. Louis County.
May Missouri Tigers basketball coach Cuonzo Martin find a way to turn around his struggling team during the SEC schedule, then make a surprising run in its tournament.
May Missouri Tigers wide receiver and former East St. Louis star Luther Burden be the best freshman offensive player in the nation next season. A lot of people think this will certainly happen. Nothing is a “gimme.”
May St. Louis University’s basketball program simply avoid the continuous bad luck it has endured the past two seasons regarding injuries.
May Deion Sanders remain devoted to Jackson State University as its coach and not dash to the first major Power 5 coaching position he is offered.
May other successful Black coaches and former NFL stars follow the trailblazing path of Sanders, head coach Eddie George at Tennessee State University and head coach Hue Jackson at Grambling State University.
May Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs bring home another Super Bowl trophy in 2022.
May the Dallas Cowboys at least reach the NFC Championship game before crushing my heart once again.
May the NBA bring preseason games featuring Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics to St. Louis next season.
May SLU billionaire benefactor and huge basketball fan Richard Chaifetz never give up on his dream of owning an NBA team in St. Louis.
May the L.A. Chargers sock it to Kroenke this summer and announce the franchise is moving to St. Louis in 2024.
May the family of the late Buck O’Neal and all Kansas City thoroughly enjoy his shamefully belated induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in July.
May 2022 see an end (or at least a slowdown) to the ignorance and political selfishness that has kept COVID-19 going strong in America.
And may you have a happy and safe new year.
