Jackie Robinson West Coach Darold Butler

The Train Daddy is back with the pain, daddy, bringing sports news and life lessons to you, the reader, in only one way: the Train Daddy way. So what do we have for you this month? Well, nothing but controversy, because controversy creates conversation and conversation creates opinion, and because this is America and everyone has opinions (and, unlike the Middle East these days, voicing your opinions here in America won’t get you killed). I am intrigued with combining current sports news with today’s politics. It’s refreshing to give you my honest opinion on certain topics. That’s why many of you love my articles and some of you hate them, but nonetheless, I try and create pieces that those who agree and those who disagree will both read. I’m like a mixed version of Rush Limbaugh and Al Sharpton doing cartoon sketches for Charlie Hebdo; you can’t help but look at the finished product.

Years ago, when I first started my work for the Pulse, all I covered was Tennessee Titans talk (still my favorite topic at heart), but until the Titans get their act together the team won’t have my full attention. Will the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, which the Titans have, be a sexy pick or safe pick? Of course, sexy is what will get us all excited, but safe could prevent the birth of a future dud player similar to Vince Young or Jake Locker. I love Marcus Mariota, but I also love the Seahawks’ defense and attempting to recreate a squad like that seems very intelligent come draft day. We also have Little League controversy, and Rutherford County making national news in the Battle of the Biggest Losers, Smyrna vs. Riverdale. Blackman actually won that battle, winner winner chicken dinner. The Nashville Predators are on fire and ready to make a Stanley Cup run. I can already see the fans of Cell Block 303 pumping their fists and singing those dirty chants. And then we can wrap it up with Afroman, who I guess forgot to get high before knocking out a young woman onstage. Come on, Afro!

So, right after my last column hit the stands, Little League team Jackie Robinson West, an all-black team out of Chicago that captivated America, was stripped of its United States Championship and all other wins from the 2014 Little League International tournament. I remember thinking, “Man, that really sucks, those kids played hard and probably the most euphoric feeling of their lives is going to be vacated because the adults in charge of the team cheated.” I thought about these kids from Chicago, kids who loved baseball, won a championship and even got to visit the White House and the President after they captured the hearts of many Americans. I had a conversation with my dad, saying that this sucks for the kids, but maybe they will learn an even more important lesson about honesty and fair play after the adults they looked up to cheated. Playing sports at the youth level is about teaching kids life lessons, teaching them to respect their opponents, to accept loss, to be humble winners and to play fair! This incident provided the perfect opportunity to teach these kids the difference between right and wrong. I was absolutely speechless when I saw Jesse Jackson on CNN with these kids and their parents, calling out everyone besides the people responsible for the incident, stating, “Is this about boundaries or race?” Of course it’s racist; how could it not be when the race hustler Jesse Jackson shows up.

Why don’t we point the finger at the people in charge of this scandal, not at accusations of racism? Team manager Darold Butler and Illinois District 4 administrator Michael Kelly have both been removed from their positions. These two are the masterminds behind creating a fake boundary map and ultimately creating a superteam. Little League president and CEO Steven Keller told ESPN, “Quite honestly we had to do this, we had no choice. We had to maintain the integrity of the program. As painful as this is, it’s a necessary outcome from what we have confirmed.” Even President Obama chimed in on the situation, stating that he still is very proud of the kids, and the blame is on the dirty dealings of the adults. Well, what do you know, me and Obama agree on something.

The league’s decision came after teams from Illinois and Nevada complained that the Jackie Robinson West roster was rigged. A parent of a Jackie Robinson team member stated, “It’s amazing to me that whenever African Americans exceed the expectations, that there is always going to be fault.” Jesse Jackson even called on the Vegas team that played in the championship game to not accept its newly awarded championship, stating they didn’t earn it. This is sad for the kids, but rules are rules, and the punishment is just. This could have been a great teaching lesson for these young boys, but instead they’re being told that life will never be fair. So here is the wrap-up: coaches cheat, they think they got away with it, they get caught and suspended. Then Little League officials do what they must, nullify the wins because they were tainted. Then, instead of teaching these young boys a lesson about fair play, people like Jesse Jackson and the Mayor of Chicago claim that they were cheated, instead of admitting the facts: Jackie Robinson West cheated.

So, Rutherford County made national news for an embarrassing incident. Media outlets such as ESPN, USA Today, Washington Post, and The New York Times all covered the story of Smyrna vs. the Lady Warriors of Riverdale. Even Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon broke it down on Pardon the Interruption. Riverdale coach Cory Barrett and Smyrna coach Shawn Middleton have been suspended through the 2016 school year by Rutherford County Director of Schools Don Odom. Both teams attempted to lose the District 7–AAA consolation game in order to avoid playing powerhouse Blackman High in the regional semi-final, an elimination game. You play to win the game. Coach Herm Edwards understands that much. Both schools were fined $1,500 and their season ended immediately. Free throws were missed on purpose, half-court violations were regular and both teams attempted to purposely turn over the ball. Smyrna principal Rick Powell said, “We pleaded with the TSSAA, we hated that they were penalized. But that was their decision.” So not much more to say here, just listen to Coach Herm: You play to win the game!

So let’s wrap this up. We all remember the Macarena dance hit “Who Let the Dogs Out” and the annoying “Gangnam Style.” And I am sure if you remember those icons of annoyance, then you remember Afroman’s “Because I Got High” song. The 40-year-old rapper was recently performing in Mississippi; while onstage, a young women bumped into him while performing, and then a nasty punch followed and went viral. Afroman claimed he thought it was a man that had been heckling him. He also stated the incident may have happened because he had forgotten to get high. “It was an early show. I usually play at night after dinner and I medicate, I get right, but it was an early show,” said Afroman. Afroman is now seeking help for his anxiety. Maybe if he had been high he would have embraced the lady, or at least asked if she had any candy bars in her purse, rather than knocking her out.

That’s all I got for this issue. Live your life. Everything isn’t always about race, and sometimes people actually are in the wrong. Don’t be anxious, and don’t punch women in the face. Choo-choo!