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I thought you were relocating to St Augustine? I recently visited for the first time, and it's not somewhere I could live every day. I read most people who relocate in retirement end up moving back within 5 years. What's your story?

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I had a hard time finishing your entire column, not because it wasn’t well written, but because I’m so sick of this woke bullshit! Our next generation won’t get to enjoy the games at Belmont Gym or the pick up games at Mt. Healthy, Oakley, St. Bernard Pavilion and other venues because of what is happening in the world today. We used to play to see who was the best; not to see who would pull a gun ! There were outstanding athletes who just wanted to win and say we got next ! What had happened to our country? Please comment if you have an opinion!

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Continuity on the soccer pitch is much more important in the defensive third and to a lesser extent the midfield than it is in the attacking third. An effective offense is about quick strikes and effective spacing and positioning. The single best quality in a striker is an intangible: being in the “right place at the right time.” Defenders need to know each other’s tendencies so they can weave a web to minimize opportunities.

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Jun 9, 2023·edited Jun 9, 2023

There is a big difference between being tolerant and posturing as a tolerant person. Even good people have some intolerances. Nobody's perfect. It comes down to a matter of degrees.

I don't know how much we blame social media for this intolerance phenomenon (a lot) vs. so many divisive people in politics and media these days (the two are probably connected at the hip) , but the whole thing is a royal pain. Those on the extreme side of both right and left seem to share identical personality types; rigidly stuck in their self righteousness, blind to their own intolerances, overly reactionary, devoid of compassion. I marvel at the coincidence (karma?) that Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson got fired at virtually the same moment for their excesses. Could things be changing a litte? It's eery how similar the Cancel Culture crowd and the Freedom Caucus crowd sound. So much pettiness and overblown hysteria. Ugh!

Calling any marginalized group "demonic" and "satanic" in a public forum should never be acceptable, particularly considering these times of insane reactionary legislatures and the growth of hate speech. Fortunately most of the new, ignorant legislation is getting tossed out by the courts. What we need to know is how folks like Bass got to where they are. Upbringing? Religious convictions? We can't root out intolerance without having some compassion for those bearing it. Childhood conditioning governs a lot of adult behaviors. It all starts and ends somewhere in our psyches. Compassion is a key element to change.

It's how we handle our mistakes that defines us. We all make them. Tom Brenneman has been overly punished, imho, and deserves another chance. I thought his firing was draconian. He has more than humbled himself. When I read the invectives and hate people are still throwing at him, I can only shake my head. Let him grow and improve. Fix yourself before demanding others fix themselves.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

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Jun 9, 2023Liked by Paul Daugherty

Ah, cognitive bias! The perfect subject for a contemplative TML. I have spent a fair amount of time trying to understand my own personal version, but I won’t bore you with the details. Nonetheless, it is on display whenever we throw opinions around here.

I believe most people overlook what makes them think the way they do. Your question to Osaka was so non-threatening there is no logical explanation for the over-the-top reaction. If that triggers an explosion of personal invective, darker forces must be at work. When it happened, my first thought was why even have press conferences if feelings are that raw? I am similarly perplexed when a sports star with unconfirmed qualifications like King James is asked a political question immediately after playing a difficult and taxing game. What makes that useful in the grand scheme of things?

As for the baseball player, revealing your inner self is certainly easier in the world of social media. Given that MLB set a standard for political correctness by moving the All-Star Game out of Atlanta because the state legislature failed the MLB litmus test, my thinking is Bass needs to put the phone down whenever the Instagram or Twitter itch takes over. It’s certainly his right, thank God for America, but the man with the checkbook is always the man with the checkbook.

Finally, I have to say your writing and pontificating has reached new heights, Doc! I always look forward to TML and will be suffering in your European absence. And today was even more special when I saw the saintly words “Live and let Live!” That will sustain me for weeks, perhaps months. Keep up the good work, sir!

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Sitting this one out today, playing a Member Guest at Summit Hills CC. Doc, it would suck to get cancelled and heckled and hated on.

Cheers to everyone!

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Jun 9, 2023Liked by Paul Daugherty

I think about professional soccer stars in countries other than their homes differently. They are seldom playing in or for their home countries. Opportunities to do so are rare and fleeting. They shine a light on places sometimes that otherwise get ignored. Not an American mindset. So many different leagues, including friendlies (whatever that means).

I can’t make myself pay close attention to culture wars. The object is to gin up anger and fear of others. And to suck all the oxygen out of the metaphorical room.

The sooner you hop that plane outta here the better you will feel. Cheers 🥳😎

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Jun 9, 2023Liked by Paul Daugherty

I was fortunate to have a father who basically believed in MLK's dream long before his speech. He always taught us to judge people by their character and actions, not race/sex/appearance/or other classification. I really think most people accepted others better 20 years ago than they do today. The problem is that politicians, press, and social media activists want to create conflict rather than bring people together. Many 'Inclusivity' programs go beyond equal consideration and treatment for special groups and try to make the 'traditional' groups feel guilty and punished. This just pushes both sides further apart. We need to get back to treating people the way we want to be treated.

Music brings everyone together. I had forgotten this song and artist and enjoyed being reminded. It made me think of another great 'Babylon' song with a totally different style (and one of the best guitar solos ever).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu8HiZepRWo

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https://i.pinimg.com/474x/12/95/d7/1295d7551eab4e9f1c64b65e6f908aa9--fun-stuff-geek-stuff.jpg

I hope this link works. IMO this is the Cancel Culture MO.

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Wow, love the song. It's heart wrenching,,,and headdy. I know, what does that mean...head gets inside your heart and messes up your heart...or head....Anyway, people need to keep their angry thoughts to themselves. DT said if someone strikes out, strike back at them. No one did start the strikes except those that wanted something to strike back at...so they just stirred up the hornets nests with lies. It's sad. Reds will be okay, but seriously need pitchers. Amazing, they had 23 one year to "try out" and this is what came of that? Today should be a much better game than yesterday, Lively, who shows potential, is the guy on the resin. Thank God for sports is all I can say. Sad that is where my sanity is these days.

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Jun 9, 2023Liked by Paul Daugherty

Think Ryder Cup when you think of Harry Kane playing for Tottenham Hotspurs as well as England🤷‍♀️

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Jun 9, 2023·edited Jun 9, 2023

Doc, you know as well as anyone that words have consequences and carry power. Calling a group of people demonic simply because of who they choose to love is flat-out wrong. Look at any other country in the world who uses similar language or has laws that directly impact marginalized groups and ask if that's who we really want to be. Bass's opinion and his elevation of the rhetoric of calling LGBTQ people "demonic" and "evil" has real world consequences (to say nothing of distracting from the issues that actually do affect you and me.)

I don't know what the answer is or the correct way to address it. I agree that the reaction to your question was ridiculously overblown as have been many of self-righteous attacks from the left. I just know that we function so much better as a society when everyone is given equal opportunity to succeed, rather than punching down on certain groups of people. If we got to that point, maybe we could focus in on why consumer protection laws have been gutted, why my insurance company is telling me that the treatments and medication I need aren't medically necessary, why the Sackler family are immune from the law, why we accept designed failure in the products we are sold, why our governmental reps are in the pockets of whoever can shell out the biggest bribe, etc, etc, etc.

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I rarely agree with you on your "Stick to Sports" topics but today I agree 100%. I only wish that more people had the balls to stand up and say, "I said what I said and I stand by it". These "apologies" are weak and embarrassing. Speaking of Stick to Sports, I have two suggestions for future columns that actually involve sports: men competing against women and the Dodgers inviting an anti-Catholic drag group to perform at Pride Night: https://www.outkick.com/dodgers-cowardice-on-anti-catholic-drag-group-shows-who-they-really-value-ian-miller/ https://www.outkick.com/?s=riley+gaines

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I'd argue you're missing some important context in the Bass matter. The LGBTQIA+ community is under attack all around the country, with red states working to enact laws stripping their rights and hate groups targeting them in various ways (see Glendale, just this week). This isn't an opinion like "Marino is better than Montana." It's ugly and hateful toward a minority group already struggling against the worst impulses of politicians and close-minded people. Bass is entitled to his opinion, just as we all are, but he's also subject to consequences when he shares it widely -- just as we all are.

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Jun 9, 2023·edited Jun 9, 2023

A great friend of mine, who retired as a teacher, once told me, the difference between Ignorance and stupidity, is ignorance is a lack of knowledge, stupidity is when you have the knowledge, and still claim ignorance !

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Your paragraph about not being at each other's throats and live and let live made me think of one of my heroes, Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut is obviously a great writer with a long list of books to his credit, but it was what he said and wrote about the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus' teachings that have really shaped my worldview.

Vonnegut, who was described at a "Christ-loving atheist," essentially believed we should all be good to each other and Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer specifically lay the foundation on how to do that. That's it. The words resonated with him, but he certainly wasn't advocating for organized religion or Christianity, which I feel probably (and unfortunately) needs to be said.

My opinion and $5 might get you a cheap coffee at Starbucks, but I feel like working off the baseline of just being good to people has wild residual effects. Tolerance, understanding and acceptance are all baked into the good equation...even if they are packaged in just letting people live their lives without planting a flag or beating your chest for or against fill-in-the-blank topic.

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