It was a night that was jam-packed with emotional tributes. It was a night when one may have expected the ghosts - the giants of New York Yankees history - Ruth...Gehrig...DiMaggio...and Mantle...just to name a few - to appear from an imaginary corn "field of dreams"...to offer 40-year old Derek Jeter immortality...as the Yankee star he deserves to be...now...and forever.
In a world where some Major League Baseball superstars are accused of using performance enhancing drugs...and some of the top National Football League players are suspended - and arrested - for domestic violence and child abuse...we then have Derek Jeter - an athlete extraordinaire - who has always been given an infinite amount of respect...for he is the ultimate role model for people young and old alike...and a golden boy who oozes with class. Derek Jeter is known to be so nice...so special...and so naturally tender with compassion, humanity and heart...that even his rivals have got to adore him.
If the scene at Yankee Stadium last Thursday, September 25th, 2014 was part of a motion picture or television show...nobody would believe that it could happen. Many would think it was the imagination...the fantasy...of a Hollywood screenwriter. But Derek Jeter's last at bat at home in the Yankee pinstripes was anything but fantasy - certainly no fairytale - and altogether "2" awesome. A walk-off single by the Yankees captain to win the game against the Baltimore Orioles was the perfect way for all of us who love Derek to remember him. Oh we'll remember Derek Jeter for many other wonderful performances on the diamond...both as a superb shortstop and while up at the plate making hit after hit after hit...but the image of Derek's opposite-field single last Thursday night...and the RBI to beat the Orioles by a score of 6 to 5...will stick in our memory banks for years and centuries to come. It was a picturesque conclusion to a colossal career. Of today's Yankees...number 2... is clearly...number one.
It is the romance of baseball. Let us fondly recall...back to July 9th, 2011...that Derek - doing it in style - belted a home run for his 3000th hit. Couple that with his walk-off single for his last at bat at Yankee Stadium...and "Captain Clutch" made a storybook ending become reality. This is one of those moments that every baseball fan should experience...one of those moments we will always treasure. So let's savor the moment. For me... nobody can change my mind that the
miracle that is Derek Jeter... combined with the miracle of God...didn't
offer the fans of the "Bronx Bombers"...exactly what we needed...to end
an illustrious career. After all...it rained in "The Big Apple" -
practically all day - but throughout the game last Thursday
night...Mother Nature gave Derek...his teammates...and baseball fans
from near and far...clear skies. With the cloudburst of showers before
the game...along with simultaneous sunshine as the first pitch neared...the "Earth Mother" painted a ravishing and radiant rainbow of colors...arched over Yankee Stadium. And the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow...was Derek Jeter. If that's not romance...then what is?
Baseball is beautiful. Baseball is magical. And players like Derek Jeter have helped to make it that way. Yankees management need to start building a stadium monument next to those honoring the legends of yesteryear...who from that great big diamond at heaven's gate...were smiling Thursday night. And if Hollywood does produce the Derek Jeter movie, it'll end with that walk-off single...giving us chills and goosebumps...with the playing of Frank Sinatra's New York, New York.
Derek Jeter made Yankees fans happy for 20 years...and he continued to do so as he took his last swing at Yankee Stadium. What a thrilling end to a story...for a guy who - on the field...and off the field - could never let us down.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication
of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B.
Duglin.
One of the
chief goals of a blog...one of the major reasons to publish a blog...is to
entice others to express their opinions about the subject for which the author
is writing. The Controversy is being read by a tremendous amount of people
throughout the United States of America and all around the world. If you agree
or disagree...your views are welcomed. Tell me that you love what I write...or
that you hate it. Give your name...make up one...or remain anonymous if you
prefer. The Controversy is your outlet to speak your mind and to say what you
want about the topics discussed. Please share The Controversy with others by
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pass a link to everyone in your e-mail directories. The Controversy wants to know your
thoughts on the column above or on any other commentary or essay written on this
blog.
The Controversy will make an effort to
publish a new commentary every Sunday. Unscheduled essays may appear, from time
to time, on other days as well
Now, please express your opinions.
Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your remarks in the box that
appears. Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on
the word "Publish." Thank you for your thoughts and thank you for reading The
Controversy.
Copyright 2014 Gary B. Duglin and
TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
After reading this column, please write your thoughts
in the comment box below and share a link to The
Controversy with everyone in your e-mail directories...on your Facebook
pages...and on your Twitter feeds. Thank you.
The Controversy is not going to give an opinion this week. Not because I don't have one...I always have an opinion. But this blog was created so that I could express my points of view...and by doing so...to then trigger a conversation among other people.
The Controversy is intended to spark ideas, impressions and reactions from my readers. Many, many thousands of Americans and people all around the world have been logging on to this blog and reading my commentaries throughout the last 22 months. But in order for The Controversy to continue - let me repeat that please - in order for The Controversy to continue...it must entice a discussion between Democrats and Republicans...between those who say "yes" about an issue and those who say "no"...and between people who argue over a controversial matter and say "this should be done" or "that should be done." What is it that YOU stand for? Do you agree or do you disagree? What is that makes YOUR blood boil?
So this week...the nation is talking about domestic violence and child abuse...and whether a person - especially those who are famous athletes - are innocent until proven guilty...or guilty until proven innocent. Of course in the United States...ALL Americans are considered innocent until proven guilty. But does everybody actually feel that way? And with social media... surveillance cameras in practically every building and on street corners and highway poles...and everyone with the capability of shooting a video from their cell phones...are people convicted in the public eye before they ever go to trial?
Were the Baltimore Ravens right or wrong to suspend running back Ray Rice for allegedly beating his then fiance (now wife) on February 15th, 2014 and dragging her unconscious body from a building elevator? And yes - unless a person is convicted of a crime - as a journalist, I must refer to the incident as being an "alleged" beating. Rice was released by the Ravens on September 8th, 2014 after TMZ made public the video, which caused Rice to be indicted by a grand jury on March 17th, 2014. Oh I know most of you - like me - have seen the video...but should a person be tried in a public forum before being entitled to a courthouse trial with a judge and jury?
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Do you believe the Minnesota Vikings are correct to not let running back Adrian Peterson play football while he is suspected of child abuse? Peterson was indicted earlier this month for disciplining his four-year old son...allegedly spanking him with a tree branch. On September 12th, 2014, the team deactivated Peterson. But on September 15th...Vikings management reinstated him. After that...the Radisson Hotel chain cancelled its advertising with the Vikings. Two days later, the team decided to again put Peterson on the sidelines and to indefinitely suspend him. Peterson has also been dropped from representing Nike and other corporate sponsors...plus Peterson's jerseys have been removed from numerous stores including Target, Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority.
Another professional football player from the National Football League faces domestic violence charges. Police arrested Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer on September 18th, 2014 for allegedly headbutting his wife during a domestic dispute last July after she refused to have sex with her husband the day before. Dwyer was also charged with child abuse after he allegedly threw a shoe at his 17-month old son. Dwyer says he never assaulted his wife and that he never harmed his child. However, the Cardinals last week deactivated Dwyer from all team activities. So do you feel Dwyer should be chased off the field before a court of law proves that the charges against him are justified?
Dwyer has been placed on the Cardinals "Reserve/Non-Football Illness List" while Adrian Peterson's name is on the NFL's "Exempt List"...which states the league's commissioner has declared a player to be temporarily exempt from counting within the Active List limit. Also on the "Exempt List" is Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy who is currently appealing his conviction for assaulting and threatening his girlfriend. The Panthers say Hardy won't play anymore games until his domestic violence case is resolved. Is the team right...or is the team wrong? However, just because a player is on the "Exempt List" doesn't mean they don't get paid their salaries. As for Peterson...he'll still be receiving a weekly paycheck of about six-hundred-ninety-one-thousand dollars.
With national companies cancelling contracts with athletes and teams...is the suspension of players all about the money and the millions and billions of dollars that advertisers spend to sponsor sports teams and sporting events? And there are many other questions that are stirring the pot all across the United States concerning whether the NFL or NFL teams should toss their players aside before a judge or jury finds them guilty. Should the NFL do that...or should players be allowed on the field while they fight their accusers and defend themselves in a court of law?
Again...I'm not saying a word about my own personal thoughts - at least not now - but I want YOU...I ASK YOU...and I must have YOU...the tens of thousands of readers of The Controversy to put in your "two cents" (so to speak)...and to express your thoughts...to shout out your written opinions...and to verbally bash each other - if that's what you want to do and if that's what it takes...to get you to speak your mind. The Controversy NEEDS YOU...to challenge each other in a spirited conversation. And then to re-post a link to The Controversy on your Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and with every e-mail you send out. The Controversy lives or dies by what YOU think. So it's up to you. You can post a nice comment...or you can spew venom. You can be kind to one another...or you can be hateful. Vent out your frustrations and feelings in whatever way floats your boat. But speak up. I know you have something to say...so say it here.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication
of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B.
Duglin. One of the
chief goals of a blog...one of the major reasons to publish a blog...is to
entice others to express their opinions about the subject for which the author
is writing. The Controversy is being read by a tremendous amount of people
throughout the United States of America and all around the world. If you agree
or disagree...your views are welcomed. Tell me that you love what I write...or
that you hate it. Give your name...make up one...or remain anonymous if you
prefer. The Controversy is your outlet to speak your mind and to say what you
want about the topics discussed. Please share The Controversy with others by
posting it on Facebook, Twitter and on other social media forums. Please also
pass a link to everyone in your e-mail directories. The Controversy wants to know your
thoughts on the column above or on any other commentary or essay written on this
blog.The Controversy will make an effort to
publish a new commentary every Sunday. Unscheduled essays may appear, from time
to time, on other days as well
Now, please express your opinions.
Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your remarks in the box that
appears. Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on
the word "Publish." Thank you for your thoughts and thank you for reading The
Controversy. Copyright 2014 Gary B. Duglin and
TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
The following is my point of view. What's yours? After reading this column, please write your thoughts in the comment box below and share a link to The Controversy with everyone in your e-mail directory...on your Facebook page...and on your Twitter feed.
"I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore." Those words were written by Academy Award winner Paddy Chayefsky for his 1976 screenplay of the motion picture, Network...and
they were articulated by Oscar winning actor, Peter Finch's character, Howard Beale. But when will someone in real life - someone with the power to do something in this country...and in this world...use those words?
The President of the United States of America - Barack Obama - on Wednesday night, September 10th, 2014...in a similar sense...conveyed a similar statement...albeit for a different reason.
Mentally deranged barbarians from the terrorist organization, ISIS...which is also known as ISIL...have now executed three innocent men...beheading them for absolutely nothing they did wrong.
First...a little clarification for those of you - like me - who were somewhat confused by the use of two different names for the same vile and atrocious group.
ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria...with Syria including an undefined region around that nation. ISIL translates to mean the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant...with the Levant being the area around Syria... which historically includes Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. The name ISIL indicates that the militants want to control the geography beyond Iraq and Syria.
I don't know how many of my readers have logged on to the Internet and
viewed the horrific videos of American journalists James Foley
and Steven Sotloff...
and British aid worker David Haines being executed, but personally, I did not have the desire or the stomach to do so.
Just knowing about such unspeakable and despicably evil acts is bad enough. Unfortunately, I accidentally came across gruesome photos that are haunting, repulsive and saddening.
The entire world is well aware of these tragedies. But if these three men - Foley, Sotloff and Haines - were not guilty for any wrongdoing whatsoever... why have they been senselessly murdered? Why have their lives been ended in such a heinous and hideous manner?
Although I refuse to go on-line and watch any of the videos...I've read that this last video - two and a half minutes in length - is titled...A Message To The Allies Of America. As he is about to be beheaded...David Haines identifies himself by name and declares that he holds British Prime Minister David Cameron and his predecessor, Tony Blair
"responsible for my execution" because his homeland leaders "can't find the courage to say no to the Americans." Did Haines mean what he said? We will never know for sure. But what is it that ISIS has against the United States? What is it that these ISIS...or ISIL psychopaths have...against Americans?
The two Americans were reporters - on assignment - doing their jobs. And the Brit traveled to Syria to help victims of the war. None of these men were participants in combat. None of these men deserved to die. But the monsters of ISIS are on a mission to annihilate Americans and those who support us.
So what do we do to stop ISIS...and how do we do it? I in no way want to see another American killed by ISIS. But I also don't want any of our brave, valiant and heroic military men and women to risk their lives on the ground in Iraq or Syria. Our nation has been at war - in one form or another - since September 11, 2001. Whether it be on our own soil on 9/11...or in Iraq, Afghanistan or now Syria...too many American lives have suffered. Too many American lives have been lost.
But ISIS...or ISIL - as President Obama prefers to call this syndicate of scumbags - must be stopped. In his speech last Wednesday night...the President made it boldly clear that "we will degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL." But can that goal be reached and accomplished without any more heartache...without any more sorrow...without any more bloodshed...and without any more Americans being harmed or killed? The brutality must come to an end.
President Obama says, "It will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL." I just hope it doesn't take too much time.
Somehow... someway...the United States and its allies must rid the planet Earth of the cesspool that is ISIS. To do so...President Obama promises us... that he "will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil." I pray that he can keep that promise.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication
of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B.
Duglin. One of the
chief goals of a blog...one of the major reasons to publish a blog...is to
entice others to express their opinions about the subject for which the author
is writing. The Controversy is being read by a tremendous amount of people
throughout the United States of America and all around the world. If you agree
or disagree...your views are welcomed. Tell me that you love what I write...or
that you hate it. Give your name...make up one...or remain anonymous if you
prefer. The Controversy is your outlet to speak your mind and to say what you
want about the topics discussed. Please share The Controversy with others by
posting it on Facebook, Twitter and on other social media forums. Please also
pass a link to everyone in your e-mail directories. The Controversy wants to know your
thoughts on the column above or on any other commentary or essay written on this
blog.The Controversy will make an effort to
publish a new commentary every Sunday. Unscheduled essays may appear, from time
to time, on other days as well
Now, please express your opinions.
Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your remarks in the box that
appears. Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on
the word "Publish." Thank you for your thoughts and thank you for reading The
Controversy. Copyright 2014 Gary B. Duglin and
TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
The Controversy is taking a new approach this week - and may do the same in future weeks. Instead of writing a detailed commentary...I am asking my readers one question - to stir the pot...so to speak - in the hope to spark a conversation among those who log on to this blog.
August 15th, 2015 will mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was August 15th, 1945 when the Japanese government had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration...which called for the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers - the coalition headed by Japan, Germany and Italy - that opposed the United States and its allies. However - for you history buffs - the German army surrendered in Italy on April 29th, 1945...on the Western front on May 7th, 1945...and on the Eastern front on May 8th, 1945.
So my question - which was asked in a recent survey by CBS News - is... "How likely is another World War in your lifetime?"
In the CBS News poll...30 percent of the people answered that it is "very likely" that they will experience another World War in their lifetime...while 37 percent responded by stating "somewhat likely"...31 percent said "not likely"... and 2 percent had no opinion. Considering that only individuals age 18 or over are surveyed...that means that two-thirds of American adults feel there is a good possibility that the United States will be involved in World War III at some point between now and the next...let's say...60 or 70 years. I find that mind-boggling. I in no way can believe there would ever be another World War. If there was...we can all say goodbye to the planet Earth. And I think every country realizes that as being a fact.
Unlike World War I and World War II...a World War III would involve Weapons of Mass Destruction - defined by Wikipedia as - "a nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to man-made structures (such as buildings), natural structures (such as mountains) or the biosphere." In other words...World War III means...the end of the world. World War III means...Armageddon. World War III means...we all die. And no nation could be...or would be...that stupid.
No country...no terrorist organization that is supported by a country...or group of countries...will ever be able to win a World War III. Such a conflict would be so catastrophic that there would be nobody left alive. Humanity... and life of any kind - as we know it - would be done and over...and God - or whatever supreme being that you may believe in - would have to begin all over again.
Every world leader is well aware that the stakes are way too high for another World War. Once any nation uses a nuclear bomb - that country...and every country knows...that the planet Earth...will go BOOM!
It therefore amazes me that 67 percent of Americans believe that it is either "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that they will see another World War in their lifetime.
But that's my point of view. What's yours? Please write your thoughts in the comment box below and share a link to The Controversy with everyone in your e-mail directory...on your Facebook page...and on your Twitter feed.
I would agree with the great Nobel Prize winning scientist, Albert Einstein who said..."I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought...but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication
of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B.
Duglin. One of the
chief goals of a blog...one of the major reasons to publish a blog...is to
entice others to express their opinions about the subject for which the author
is writing. The Controversy is being read by a tremendous amount of people
throughout the United States of America and all around the world. If you agree
or disagree...your views are welcomed. Tell me that you love what I write...or
that you hate it. Give your name...make up one...or remain anonymous if you
prefer. The Controversy is your outlet to speak your mind and to say what you
want about the topics discussed. Please share The Controversy with others by
posting it on Facebook, Twitter and on other social media forums. Please also
pass a link to everyone in your e-mail directories. The Controversy wants to know your
thoughts on the column above or on any other commentary or essay written on this
blog.The Controversy will make an effort to
publish a new commentary every Sunday. Unscheduled essays may appear, from time
to time, on other days as well
Now, please express your opinions.
Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your remarks in the box that
appears. Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on
the word "Publish." Thank you for your thoughts and thank you for reading The
Controversy. Copyright 2014 Gary B. Duglin and
TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
