It’s time to Break It Down!

It is often said time flies. It doesn’t. At least not in the literal sense. 24/7/365 has been a standard for quite a while, even though this year has 366 days. But the number of seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month, months in a year, years in a decade, decades in a century, and centuries in a millennium have been set, at the very least, for our entire lives. And they all proceed according to long observed, and widely accepted terms. They are as predictable as the atomic clock is reliable.

But over time, customs do change. Sometimes, it can seem like only yesterday, when in reality, it was eons ago. When I was growing up, baseball was America’s game. It was the first game I was exposed to; introduced by my father who was a most ardent fan of the game. He even played a little semi-pro ball, at least that what I’ve been told by relatives who knew him in his salad days. 

My father was not just a baseball fan, like many Black men of his era who followed the sport, he was a Dodgers fan. Jackie Robinson broke the Color Barrier in Baseball when he was a young adult. At an early age, I inherited my love of the game from him, and also my Dodger fandom. Watching the Saturday afternoon game of the week together was our thing. 

As the arc of life would have it, I spent a couple of summers in New York, after third and fourth grades. Although that was way before Cable TV, in New York, the home of the Yankees and the recently formed Mets, there was a game on most evenings during the summer. I don’t remember all the players, but Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, pitchers for the Dodgers were two of my early personal faves. Bob Gibson (St. Louis Cardinals), and Juan Marichal (San Francisco Giants) were also memorable standouts. Yes, I had an affinity for the guys who had the ball in their hands, and who on good days, baffled hitters, and occasionally threw no-hitters, and on the rarest of occasions, a perfect game.

Baseball’s playoffs began over the weekend. Entering Tuesday, all four series were tied 1-1, for the first time in history. This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees clinched the best records during the regular season in the National and American Leagues, respectively. The Dodgers, with 98 wins, had the most wins in all of baseball, this year. Yankees and Dodgers are quintessential names in baseball, somewhat akin to Lakers and Celtics in basketball. The two teams have met 11 times in the World Series, with the Yankees prevailing 8 times. The thing that helped make Yankees-Dodgers compelling baseball was, before the Dodgers moved to Los Angels, they played in Brooklyn. Not only that, but before moving to San Francisco, the Giants played in the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan. You can almost imagine the electricity of having three Major League Baseball teams in one city. While the Dodgers and Giants pursued westward expansion, they both landed in the same state, so their rivalry continued. Meanwhile, back in New York, the Mets entered the cityscape in 1962, and in 1969, the Miracle Mets won the World Series. That’s a story for another day. 

Today, of course football is far and away America’s Game. It unlikely that unless one is an adult male of a certain age, one would even recognize what Fall Classic pertains to. And while anyone who knows me could tell you, I’m no football fan, I also can no longer lay claim to the title baseball fan. I do still pull for the Dodgers, but I haven’t watched them play a non-World Series game in decades. So yeah, that means I haven’t watched a Dodger’s game since the 2020 World Series (in which they defeated the Tampa Devil Rays). But who knows? The World Series is set to begin October 25^th. The Dodgers have been beastly during the regular season, and ghastly during the playoffs in recent years. The San Diego Padres, another Cali foe seems to have their number. The beat the Dodgers last night to take a 2-1 lead in the best of 5 Series. It would be a shame to waste the best record in baseball; GO DODGERS! “The Fall Classic: It’s About That Time!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day. For several months now, the nation has, like it or not, been thrust headlong into the 2024 Campaign. By the time this post hits your inbox, text message receptacle, or social media account, only 48 days will separate us from Election Day. Donald Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, actually announced his campaign for the 2024 U.S. presidential election on November 15, 2022, or more than 22 months ago. On some level, this campaign has been a part of our day-to-day newsfeed for nearly two years.

Just so we’re clear, National Voter Registration Day, observed on a Tuesday in September, is a nonpartisan civic holiday in the U.S. creating broad awareness of voter registration opportunities and celebrating democracy. The point of this post is to serve as a PSA encouraging voting.

In the wake of all the time, energy, publicity, and of course, money, infused into the business of the General Election, it’s important to recognize and respect the process. Thousands of organizations, and millions of people are involved in GOTV efforts. That’s all good. But, as always, before you can vote, you must register. However, for some, a new dimension has been added to the process. 

Though the requirement has been in place in some states and jurisdictions, increasingly, the element of having to possess a valid Voter Identification Card is an added step. Forget about the politics, skip the debates, ignore the noise. Register, secure a valid Photo ID Card, plan and execute your voting strategy. There are people counting on millions of Americans not to take those actions. Do yourself, and democracy a favor. Prove them wrong. “Before You Go to Vote: Get Ready!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Voter_Registration_Day

It’s time to Break It Down!

Spoiler Alert: As the title makes clear, this post is not about last night’s Presidential Debate between former President Trump, and Vice President Harris. There are, of course many outlets, to which you can refer to get an update on those proceedings. 

This post appeared originally in this space on September 7, 2011, commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Nine-Eleven. It was re-purposed and presented September 11, 2013, September 13, 2017, September 12, 2018, September 11, 2019, September 8, 2021 (20th Anniversary), September 14, 2022, September 13, 2023, and again today, September 11, 2024.

As I re-post this vintage edition of “Break It Down,” today on the Twenty-third Anniversary of Nine-Eleven, I am ever mindful that it’s both, a day America will never forget, and a day that forever changed America’s worldview. In the span of 81 minutes in one late summer’s morning, in the second year of the new millennium, 19 Saudis grabbed America by its collective gonads, and squeezed. Unimaginably hard. We blinked. We gathered ourselves, but regrouping was a process. We fundamentally changed the way we meet and greet the world. We are more guarded, and security has a whole new meaning. We even invented an entirely new federal governmental agency (Homeland Security) to guard our public security, and monitor anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cyber security, and disaster prevention and management.

(From the Archives, September 7, 2011)

Do you remember where you were, Tuesday, September 11, 2001? This week we observed the 21^st Anniversary of the day that has come to be known simply as, Nine-Eleven (9/11). That day 10 years ago, America lost, in one fell swoop, any notion of its blissful innocence, its long-standing appearance of invulnerability, and its deeply ingrained sense of security. By some accounts, what it retained is its self-righteous (some would say) belief in American Exceptionalism and entitlement; but that is a conversation for another post.

Suddenly we were at war, and the fight had uncharacteristically come to us, straightway.  This battle was personal, and it was on our home turf; no longer some shadowy ideological military exercise, or guerrilla warfare episode, played out on foreign soil, half a world away.

U.S. House of Representatives Joint Resolution 71 was introduced with 22 co-sponsors (11 Republicans and 11 Democrats) and approved by a vote of 407-0 on October 25, 2001 (with 25 members not voting).  The bill passed unanimously in the Senate on November 30, 2001.  The Resolution requested that the President designate September 11^th each year as Patriot Day.  President George W. Bush signed the Resolution into law December 18, 2001 (as Public Law 107-89).

On this day, the President directs that the American flag be flown at half-staff at individual American homes, at the White House, and on all U.S. government buildings and establishments, home and abroad.  This year President Biden, as President Trump and President Obama did before him, deemed the day one of National Remembrance and Service.

Even after 23 years; more than two decades worth of context building, and development of perspective, the numbers behind Nine-Eleven are chilling.  Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, and thousands of others were injured, and many more sustained post-event traumas.  Examples of the carnage include:

2,977 Victims killed (not including the 19 hijackers)

2,606 Killed at the World Trade Center Towers

87 Killed on American Flight/NYC World Trade Center North Tower

60 Killed on United Flight 175/NYC World Trade Center South Tower

125 Killed at the Pentagon

59 Killed on Flight 77/Arlington – The Pentagon 

40 Killed on United Flight 93/Shanksville, PA

246 Passengers Killed (on four planes)

658 Employees of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. (Investment Bank) killed; most of any employer 

411 Emergency workers killed at the World Trade Centers

341 FDNY firefighters killed

37 Port Authority Police Department officers killed

23 NYPD officers killed

8 EMT’s killed

2 Paramedics killed

19 Hijackers Killed (on four planes)

2,996 Killed on Nine-Eleven

1,631 Bodies positively identified from World Trade Center Towers

1,122 Bodies (41%) remain unidentified

Bone fragments were still being found in 2005 by workers preparing to demolish the damaged Deutsche Bank Building.

72 Additional remains found in 2010 by a team of anthropologists and archeologists 

A Medical Examiner will continue to try to identify remains in the hope new technology will lead to the identification of other victims.  The death and destruction of Nine-Eleven led to the so-called Global War on Terror.  Mostly the front lines have been in Afghanistan and Iraq.  However, a central intent of the action has been to prevent a recurrence of Nine-Eleven-like events on U.S. soil.

The initial thrust began October 7, 2001 when the U.S., British, and Coalition forces invaded Afghanistan, and in March 2002, when the U.S. and Coalition forces launched Operation Anaconda and the Taliban suffered significant losses, and left the region.  In the interim, involvement in the region has ebbed and flowed, but the war, which the Obama Administration referred to as Overseas Contingency Operation, continues. The War in Afghanistan is officially the longest war in American History.  We have for some time been in the “every day is a new record” era.

U.S. Intelligence sources pointed to Al-Qaeda as the probable instigator behind Nine-Eleven.  It’s leader, Osama bin Laden initially denied involvement.  Over time, bin Laden became more emboldened, first conceding involvement, and ultimately admitting that he was instrumental in masterminding the horrific attacks. During his Presidential Campaign, Mr. Obama declared he would not relent in the hunt for Osama.  The elusive terrorist was thought to be hiding in Pakistan.  Mr. Obama stated bluntly that if reliable intelligence pinpointed bin Laden, he would deploy U.S. forces to find and kill him, which he did on May 2, 2011.

The good news is, over the course of the past twenty-three years, there have been no repeat Nine-Eleven scale events on U.S. soil.  That result is partly due to fastidiously focusing on prevention efforts, partly a result of fortuitous failures of would-be terrorists, and partly a function of the fateful intervention of alert by-standers. Last year, President Trump negotiated an agreement to end America’s longest (20 years) war by May of 2021. President Biden, who succeeded Mr. Trump, committed to honor the agreement. Ultimately, he pulled American troops out of Afghanistan by August 31^st. a pledge he ultimately honored, despite numerous suggestions, for a variety of reasons, that he abandon it.

As we commemorate Patriot Day 2024, and twenty-four years of Nine-Eleven related memories, Americans are still advised to be on high alert for potential incursions by terrorists, most likely of the lone wolf variety, where one person acts in solo fashion. So here we are, “Nine-Eleven: Forever Etched Upon The American Psyche Redux ’24!” I trust you will have a productive Day of Remembrance and Service.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s Time to Break It Down!

This post appeared originally in this space on August 31, 2011. It was re-purposed and presented again September 3, 2014, September 7, 2016, September 6, 2017, September 5, 2018, September 4, 2019, September 9, 2020, September 7, 2022, September 6, 2023, and again today, September 4, 2024.

As you know, Monday was Labor Day. As with most holidays, I knock it down a few notches so readers can enjoy their time off, and ease into a vintage post, if they so choose. At its core, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day in the United States was designed to commemorate the creation of the labor movement; dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.  The holiday focuses on contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

First observed in September 1882, the event has always been observed on the first Monday of the month of September.  Initiated by the Central Labor Union of New York, the celebration became a federal holiday in 1894.

In addition to its formal structure and purpose, Labor Day has several symbolic associations. It is considered:

The unofficial “End of Summer”

The last 3-Day warm weather weekend for vacationers

By High Society standards, the last day for which it is appropriate for women to wear white.

The beginning of the College Football Season 

The last weekend before the start of the NFL Season

The conventional kick-off of the hard-core political campaign season

The culmination of back–to-School shopping

Labor Day also validates and recognizes an often-controversial mechanism that frequently divides American opinion: labor unions.

Scorned by many who fancy themselves as Free Enterprise Capitalists, unions and their members have not only been actively involved historically, in debates that framed public policy for American workers, they have won or forced hard-earned concessions that in the shimmering glow of reflective perspective, must be considered to have fundamentally altered the playing field (known as the workplace), including:

Pensions

Health Care Benefits

Paid Vacations

Equal Pay to women

The Development of Child Labor Laws

The 5-Day Work Week

The 40-Hour Work Week

The 8-Hour Workday

Worker’s Compensation benefits

Obtaining the right for Female Flight Attendants to marry

These and many other important cherished and beneficial employee rights are attributable to the efforts of the American Labor Movement.  However, this post is not an ode to Labor Unions. For all their well-deserved accolades, unions also have downside effects.  They can create or contribute to:

The potential for strikes

Additional costs to all employees (membership dues; whether a member or not)

Loss of individuality (ability to represent oneself in a grievance)

Subject employees to fines & discipline by the Union

Disincentives to productivity and competition

Lack of promotions

Burdensome salary demands (relative to the market)

Loss of profits (and/or pay) due to strikes.

Inefficient & ineffective contracts

Increased unemployment due to failure to reach agreement w/management.

The first Labor Day celebration was led by a Labor Union.  The history of the Day has been linked, inextricably, with Labor organizations, ever since.  But it is the American Worker the Day was intended to commemorate.

Meanwhile, contemplate, “Labor Day: It’s All About The Workers Redux ’24!” While we’ve got plenty of issues to temper our enthusiasm, we should still celebrate America’s Labor Movement, and the phenomenal workers it represents.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Since the day Joe Biden removed himself from the Presidential Sweepstakes, and endorsed Kamala Harris, 38 days ago, journalists of every stripe, and the GOP have engaged in sniping, hand-wringing, and complaining about Kamala Harris not having done a single media interview. The reality is, that’s all completely understandable.

The media, for its part, is accustomed to being the tail that wags the dog, in terms of developing and curating the narratives of our daily political lives. Of course they are chomping at the bit to get the story, and they are bitter every day that goes by, when they don’t get the chance to tell their version, first person.

Then, we have the Republicans. Lay the fact that they tried their darndest to run Joe Biden out of the race, and now like the proverbial dog that caught the car, they are trying to figure out what to do with it. They need Harris and Walz to generate media clicks and views, so they can go about the business to defining them, before they define themselves. Yes, they have the historical record, but they want, and probably need more, to fuel the campaign to denigrate and diminish the Democratic duo. In short, they are still angry, if not flummoxed, especially Donald Trump, that Biden is no longer their opponent.

Fast forward to yesterday. Harris and Walz agreed to an interview for tomorrow evening at 9:00 p.m. with CNN anchor Dana Bash. Now, of course, the media, save for CNN, will lament that their network was not chosen. Trump, for his part, has labeled the media in general, the enemy of the people, and has called CNN, specifically, fake news. You don’t need much of an imagination to envision what kind of verbal assault is in the offing.

To summarize, the parties who were disgruntled before are still going to be disgruntled, except perhaps, Ms. Bash. The GOP, even though it got what it asked for, will still grumble and grouse about CNN having been chosen, though they will surely use any missteps or unforced errors the Harris-Walz team makes, to buttress the prosecution of their case against the pair. 

So, what’s the bottom line? While we don’t know, with absolute certainty, we can be sure that the race to 270 electoral votes will be close, and hard-fought. Harris, despite, or perhaps because of not having done or agreed to a sit-down interview before yesterday, has surged relative to Donald Trump. So much so, until she leads slightly in a few polls, and trails only slightly in others. There is every reason to believe this race is going down to the wire. It is conceivable Donald Trump could emerge the winner when the dust settles. This may come as a surprise to those who’ve been immersed in, and amazed by the gaudy numbers Harris has compiled, in tandem with the incredibly well-executed Democratic National Convention. But in a country thought to be nearly evenly divided between those who support Trump, and those who do not, hear (and believe) me when I say, this race is going to be close. “The Interview: The One We’ve All Been Awaiting (Not Really)!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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It’s time to Break It Down!

(Note: This is a reprised, amended, and expanded presentation of my original blog post) 

HAPPY 17th ANNIVERSARY “BREAK IT DOWN!” Today, in acknowledgement of another anniversary of this publication, as I have done occasionally in the past, I am revisiting my inaugural post).

Before launching into the post, it’s certainly appropriate to contextualize my original blog. To do that, I note that post was about a young lion, Barack Obama, coming into what would become his era.

Tempus fugit (Time Flies)! Yesterday marked a significant milestone in the life and development of “Break It Down!”  I initiated this blog August 20, 2007, on a lark…almost a dare. That was seventeen years (and 886 editions) ago. Having related the story several times over past years, I will not repeat the complete details today.

I will note, however, that on that summer’s eve, I contemplated and discussed, in five paragraphs, the experience, or in reality the lack thereof, of then Senator Barack Obama, as he navigated the early stages of his historic Presidential Campaign.

So, in a nutshell, the message in Post #1 was five brisk paragraphs and a sign-off:

In an apparent calculated act of derring-do, Obama declares the virtue of inexperience. Gotta love it!

Personal footnote of recollection: I recall Jimmy Carter running the classic “anti-Washington” (i.e., lack of Capitol Hill experience) campaign in ’75-76. You know what, it worked.

The problem was, once JC sent all the reigning bureaucrats & policy wonks home, he was left with an assembly of newbies who didn’t understand how to get things done in DC. The result was that a very smart guy, genuine humanitarian, and erstwhile successful leader presided over what was widely perceived at the time, as a disastrous presidency. President Carter’s solitary term was fraught with numerous failures (see the Shah of Iran, double-digit inflation, runaway gas prices, & the outrageous Interest/Mortgage rate morass) and public relations gaffes (remember the killer rabbit, and the failed helicopter gambit).

Fortunately for former President Carter, he was able to live long enough and subsequently do enough good deeds to distance himself from most of an unremarkable tenure as a one-term president, followed by a resounding defeat by that cowboy actor Teflon guy.

Of course, none of that has anything to do with Obama…except in the unlikely event he prevails. If he does, let’s hope he doesn’t take that inexperience thing too far. As W constantly reminds us, getting to the White House is one thing (after all, he’s done it twice), providing prudent and effective leadership once there is quite another. (Of course, in hindsight, we know President Obama not only prevailed, but went on to win re-election, and serve a second term).

Posted on Monday, Aug. 20, 2007

“Obama Plays the Inexperience Card Redux ’23!” 

So, transition/fast forward to present day. Ironically, not only do we find ourselves amid the Democratic National Convention, but last night, former President Obama, and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama were featured speakers at the Convention. Both were charged with making the case for Vice President Kamala Harris, in her quest to succeed President Biden in the coming November Election. 

Barack Obama, who many Democrats, and even some Republicans consider a sterling orator, won wide acclaim two decades ago in 2004, when he addressed the Convention in Boston, an aspiring Senatorial candidate at the time. Fresh off an unexpected landslide victory in the March 2004 Illinois U.S. Senate Democratic Primary, he was catapulted into rising star status within Democratic Party Circles, and he went on to leverage his newfound celebrity into a speaking role at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, which he crushed. He would go on to successfully vie for and win in his race to become a U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois, where he served four years, before his successful 2008 Presidential run.

In addition to the Obamas, last night’s cavalcade of luminaries included former Trump White House Press Secretary, and Communications Director Stephanie Grisham, GOP political strategist and commentator, & CNN contributor Ana Navarro-Cardenas, Senate Majority Leader, and New York Senior Senator Chuck Schumer, Vermont Senior Senator Bernie Sanders, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Maryland U.S. Senate Candidate Angela Alsobrooks, Mesa, Arizona GOP Mayor John Giles, Junior Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff. Not bad for night 2 of 4.

A word about Vice President Harris, whom Former President Trump has denigrated by calling her dumb, claimed she couldn’t pass the Bar, referring to her as a communist, Comrade Kamala, crazy, fascist, lunatic, antisemitic, mocked her laugh, consistently butchered her name, said she is not a very good wordsmith, declared himself better looking, and in front of an audience of Black journalists, declared he was surprised to learn that Harris had “turned Black.” Moreover, quite a few of his surrogates have gone a step further and labeled her a DEI hire, in effect, weaponizing the term.

The low blows may be an indication that Trump actually rues Biden having left the race and is having a hard time figuring out the best way to effectively attack Harris on the campaign trail. For the record, she was elected San Francisco District Attorney. Twice. She was also elected California Attorney General. Twice. She then ran for and was elected to the United States Senate from California, the nation’s most populous state. Finally, she ran for Vice President alongside Joe Biden, and won, defeating Donald Trump and Mike Pence. In the simplest of terms, she has more experience as an elected official than Donald Trump and JD Vance combined. Add Tim Walz 10 years in Congress, and two wins as Minnesota Governor, and the Trump-Vance Ticket clearly pales in comparison to Harris-Walz. All things considered, Trump’s ill-tempered behavior, even if it weren’t his norm, is understandable. 

Three quick points about the 3 speeches that closed out the evening: First, Doug Emhoff humanized Kamala Harris. He did his job. Second, Michelle Obama delivered the speech of the evening, and probably what will be seen as the best of the Convention. She could be President. Third, Barack was Barack. Even though his speech was too long, which was the only ding Fox News anchors could come up with in their post speech hot take, he proved that he can navigate the highs, lows, and inflection points of a speech as well as ever. Together, the three of them perfectly teed up the scene for Governor Walz tonight, and for Vice President Harris tomorrow night.

For her part, Vice President Harris has largely stayed above the fray of personal attacks and has concentrated on contrasts with Trump on the issues. She has cast herself as the clear underdog and is both leaning into the great start her campaign has had, while simultaneously urging her supporters to embrace the fight ahead, because, as she likes to say, when we fight, we win. “Obama Played the Inexperience Card: Kamala’s Got Next!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the link below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

It’s time to Break It Down!

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, were branded as Paris 2024. The Games ended with the closing ceremony last Sunday, amid wide-ranging entertainment, and the official passing of the Olympic Flame from representatives of Paris to representatives of Los Angeles, host of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

That’s right, the Summer Olympics are “Coming To America.” But that’s a story for another day. This conversation is an ode to Hoops Heads. As an OG fancier of the game, my favorite moments were the combination of Gold Medals that American Men and Women collected on the hardwood Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both American squads took the best shot from their Home Team counterparts. Team USA Men held off the Frenchmen, who were led by NBA Number 1 Draft Pick, and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, of France and the San Antonio Spurs. The Frenchmen were within striking distance with less than 3 minutes to play. That’s when the greatest shooter God ever created, Steph Curry, hit 4 consecutive 3’s, varying in degree of difficulty from average (for him) to amazing (for anyone, even him), leading the Americans to a 98-87 victory, and clenching the Gold Medal. The game was played at Bercy Arena in Paris and the win marked the 5^th consecutive Gold Medal win for the American Men.

Arguably, their semi-final game against the Serbians was their toughest game of the tournament. Team USA trailed for all but a handful of minutes in the 40-minute game, including being down by as many as 17 points, and by 11 entering the 4^th Quarter. Serbia featured Nikola Jokić, also known as the best player in the world today, along with a team of fellow countrymen totally committed to upsetting the Americans. For the vast majority of the game, it looked as if they would succeed. Finally, in the 4^th Quarter, Team USA found the necessary defense, bolstered by the offense of its 4 NBA MVP’s (LeBron, Step, KD, and Embiid) to overcome the Serbs, outscoring them 32-15, and winning by a score of 95-91. With the win, KD won his 4^thGold Medal, the most in Olympic Men’s Basketball History. 

On Sunday, in the signature event of the day, and the final contest of the Games, the American Women took on the Women of France, in another matchup against the Home Team. It was the first time in Olympic History that teams from the same two countries played in the Gold Medal Basketball Games. The game was hard-fought. In fact, while it marked a 61-game winning streak for American Women, and culminated in their 8^th consecutive Gold Medal, breaking a record 7-in-a row won by American Men from 1936-68, it was also just the third time in 61 games Team USA was held to a single digit win.

The game literally went down to the wire. Gabby Williams, a former UConn star playing for France, took and hit a shot at the buzzer. Her foot was on the three-point line, making the shot a 2-pointer, and allowing the American Women to exhale, and escape with a 1-point victory, 67-66, and their record 8^th consecutive Gold. It also marked the 6^th Gold Medal for Diana Taurasi, who did not play in the Gold Medal Game. She is now the most decorated Women’s Basketball Player in Olympic History. 

Paris proved to be a great venue for American athletic competitors. Team USA tied China with 40 Gold Medals, and outdistanced their Chinese rivals 44-27 in Silver Medals, and 42-24 in Bronze Medals. Team USA collected 126 total medals to China’s 91. It’s fair to say, Team USA contemplated the XXXIII Olympiad and thought…”Paris: Home Away From Home!”

I’m done; holla back!

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A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

Vice President Kamala Harris revealed her pick to join her on the Democratic ticket, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The two are taking on Donald Trump and JD Vance in a match-up that will determine the next President and Vice President of the United States. 

It’s fair to say, for those who bet on such things as this, the odds-on favorite was Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. In that way, similar to their Republican counterparts, the results were somewhat of an upset, as Vance wasn’t the favorite either. That’s largely where the similarities end. 

Unlike Vance, who served a year and a half of his first term as a United States Senator, Walz served 6 terms as a U.S. Congressman in a formerly Republican District in Minnesota (that flipped back to the GOP) when he left. Vance spent four years in the Marines as a military journalist, Walz spent 24 years in the Army as an Enlisted man. Vance attended The Ohio State University and is a graduate of Yale Law School. Walz attended college on the G.I. Bill and earned a bachelor’s degree from Chadron State College in Nebraska, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University. Vance worked in a multinational law firm, and in an investment firm. He later published a book, Hillbilly Elegy, that propelled him to fame, and propelled him to his political career. Walz worked as a classroom social studies teacher, and football coach. He was encouraged by his students to run for Congress, where he ran and won in a district that hadn’t been held by a Democrat in more than a hundred years.

You already know the principals, Harris and Trump, and you’ve had a couple of weeks to get to know Vance. Yesterday was the national coming out party for Walz. The 2024 Race for the White House is now properly underway. Oh, there is still the matter of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, in a couple of weeks. But Democratic delegates completed voting this week, voting to make Harris the party’s official nominee. As a result, the GOP has launched its campaign to define Harris and Walz. The ramp up will continue for weeks, but for all practical purposes, it’s on. “The Match-up is Set: Tim Walz Completes the Democratic Ticket!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below: