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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2020 8:04:49 GMT -5
Diego Maradona died recently, aged 60. Naturally, I was gonna support my own team (England) as a kid, but I appreciated other teams, including Argentina, West Germany and others. One of my earliest football memories is seeing Maradona do the “Hand of God” goal. This is a good tribute: Why Maradona was the greatest
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Post by EdoBosnar on Nov 28, 2020 11:17:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2020 15:18:34 GMT -5
MLB is correcting a longstanding error and is now designating the Negro Leagues as Major Leagues, thus all stats players accrued in those leagues will count towards their major league career totals. The commissioner's office in 1969 ignored the Negro Leagues when choosing the six historical leagues that would be considered "major leagues" in terms of official recognition of stats for determining major league records. This is a long overdue rectification of that decision. Elias Sports Bureau will be working with the commissioner's office to review the Negro League stats available and will gradually integrate those stats into major league totals. So, for example, Satchel Paige will be getting around 126 wins added ot his major league total, and some major league records may change.
-M
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 17, 2020 15:20:30 GMT -5
MLB is correcting a longstanding error and is now designating the Negro Leagues as Major Leagues, thus all stats players accrued in those leagues will count towards their major league career totals. The commissioner's office in 1969 ignored the Negro Leagues when choosing the six historical leagues that would be considered "major leagues" in terms of official recognition of stats for determining major league records. This is a long overdue rectification of that decision. Elias Sports Bureau will be working with the commissioner's office to review the Negro League stats available and will gradually integrate those stats into major league totals. So, for example, Satchel Paige will be getting around 126 wins added ot his major league total, and some major league records may change. -M Welcome, but long overdue. Typical of MLB, as that '69 decision proves.
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Post by berkley on Dec 17, 2020 15:33:01 GMT -5
I don't know much about baseball but it makes sense - and yeah, makes you wonder why it took so long. Did they ever have any exhibition games or series between Negro League and MLB teams?
Did baseball lag behind other American team sports in getting rid of racial segregation or were they all about the same? It's funny that boxing, in most ways the worst or least-regulated and most corrupt big-money pro sport in the US, had black fighters from when, the 30s onwards? And actually before then as well, but it's been pretty much uninterrupted from I suppose Joe Louis's time after a period around the 20s when I believe black fghters were blocked from championship fights. While MLB took a few more decades before accepting Jackie Robinson. Never really thought of that disparity before.
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Post by berkley on Dec 17, 2020 15:35:03 GMT -5
And now a member of the House of Lords, did I hear that somewhere?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2020 15:41:02 GMT -5
He certainly is.
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 17, 2020 16:20:59 GMT -5
I don't know much about baseball but it makes sense - and yeah, makes you wonder why it took so long. Did they ever have any exhibition games or series between Negro League and MLB teams? Did baseball lag behind other American team sports in getting rid of racial segregation or were they all about the same? It's funny that boxing, in most ways the worst or least-regulated and most corrupt big-money pro sport in the US, had black fighters from when, the 30s onwards? And actually before then as well, but it's been pretty much uninterrupted from I suppose Joe Louis's time after a period around the 20s when I believe black fghters were blocked from championship fights. While MLB took a few more decades before accepting Jackie Robinson. Never really thought of that disparity before. Yes, quite often, and the white stars knew how legit their Black opponents were. As for boxing it was indeed kinda/sorta "integrated," but the fights between Black and white fighters were often thinly disguised race wars in miniature. Boxing has long had a tradition of seeking out the latest Great White Hope" going back to the days of Jack Johnson. When he became the first Black heavyweight champ back in 1908 (Lightweight Joe Gans had become the first Black boxing champ six years earlier), Jim Jeffries came out of retirement to take him on in the first "Fight of the Century" in 1910. Jeffries acted as if he were a noble knight defending the honor of a princess, proclaiming more than once that he was fighting Johnson to reclaim the title for the white race. Johnson beat him soundly, finally flooring him three times in the 14th. Jeffries, famed for his ability to absorb punishment, had never been knocked down before. His cornermen tossed in the towel. Johnson's defeat of that year's GWH sparked violence against Black Americans nationwide, with riots in several cities, and the deaths of at least 20 people, almost all Black.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 17, 2020 16:47:08 GMT -5
While boxing was nominally integrated, in practice there were large periods of time when it was difficult for black fighters to get matches against either top contenders or title matches. Jack Johnson had to travel the world and become a burr under the saddle of several white Heavyweight champions in order to get a title fight. James Jeffries refused to fight him and eventually retired to avoid it. Johnson followed Tommy Burns around the world for two years taunting him in the press and from ringside before Burns finally relented and fought him. After he won the championship it became an all-out war against Johnson from every corner, including the U.S. government to get the title from him.
Dempsey refused to fight Harry Willis who was the Black Heavyweight Champion and easily the top contender until Tunney came up. Dempsey didn't defend his title for three years avoiding Willis and a number of other fighters.
Tunney only defended the title twice. Essentially it was 20 years until Joe Louis was able to force a title bout to prevent Schmeling from becoming champion and the Nazi's from keeping anyone who could beat Schmeling (including Louis) from fighting him.
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 17, 2020 16:52:06 GMT -5
While boxing was nominally integrated, in practice there were large periods of time when it was difficult for black fighters to get matches against either top contenders or title matches. Jack Johnson had to travel the world and become a burr under the saddle of several white Heavyweight champions in order to get a title fight. James Jeffries refused to fight him and eventually retired to avoid it. Johnson followed Tommy Burns around the world for two years taunting him in the press and from ringside before Burns finally relented and fought him. After he won the championship it became an all-out war against Johnson from every corner, including the U.S. government to get the title from him. Dempsey refused to fight Harry Willis who was the Black Heavyweight Champion and easily the top contender until Tunney came up. Dempsey didn't defend his title for three years avoiding Willis and a number of other fighters. Tunney only defended the title twice. Essentially it was 20 years until Joe Louis was able to force a title bout to prevent Schmeling from becoming champion and the Nazi's from keeping anyone who could beat Schmeling (including Louis) from fighting him. Right, and then suddenly Joe Louis was a "good Negro" fighting for democracy against the Nazis and America was color-blind. Juts like Obama's Presidency meant we were living in "post-racial" America.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2020 13:12:33 GMT -5
I’m a boxing fan, and maybe one day I can get Prince Hal and Slam_Bradley to give me their thoughts on the numerous alphabet groups in boxing! Even as a kid, I thought it was a little silly to have all of these alphabet groups. And potentially four world heavyweight champions at the same time. It’s a complex thing to get into, and having partaken in a rare glass of alcohol, I don’t feel that up to getting into the detail now. But maybe after Christmas, we could discuss it here! EDIT: Although people here are very engaging, I appreciate people can be stuffed with food and drink on Christmas Day, so if you have a long reply in mind, don’t worry about putting it off for a few days.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2021 13:57:29 GMT -5
A week until NHL. I am excited and hopeful this season will be better than last (couldn’t be much worse).
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Post by The Captain on Jan 6, 2021 14:14:53 GMT -5
A week until NHL. I am excited and hopeful this season will be better than last (couldn’t be much worse). Hey @needs! Which team in the NHL do you root for?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2021 14:21:47 GMT -5
Unfortunately, the New Jersey Devils. I’ve only been watching since last season, though, so I’m still not real familiar with a lot of players and get confused by lots of calls.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jan 6, 2021 14:26:08 GMT -5
I’m a boxing fan, and maybe one day I can get Prince Hal and Slam_Bradley to give me their thoughts on the numerous alphabet groups in boxing! Even as a kid, I thought it was a little silly to have all of these alphabet groups. And potentially four world heavyweight champions at the same time. It’s a complex thing to get into, and having partaken in a rare glass of alcohol, I don’t feel that up to getting into the detail now. But maybe after Christmas, we could discuss it here! EDIT: Although people here are very engaging, I appreciate people can be stuffed with food and drink on Christmas Day, so if you have a long reply in mind, don’t worry about putting it off for a few days. Sorry to have let this slip by, driver, but as much as I love the history of boxing, I'm afraid the alphabet soup of its various associations and federations is beyond me. I've always been more interested in the fighters and the sport itself. I think if you keep in mind that each of them always is, has been and will be driven by money (not so much for the boxers, of course), you'll understand why there always seem to be more of them popping up. Maybe Slam_Bradley can give you the skinny on them.
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