TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN – As I have written on social media platforms, I find it difficult to write about anything sports with what the murderous Putin is doing to conquer a neighboring democratic country. His forces are going to slaughter thousands in the next few days as the world stands by fearful of starting World War III if they intervene with their militaries. I find myself watching as if my next-door neighbor is in the process of lynching his young kids from their backyard tree. He’s warned me if I try to stop him, he will unload his shotgun on me and my family. So what to do? In a much less stressful vain, I find it almost amusing what MLB owners are attempting to do to the players’ union. They are trying to break it. It’s what all greedy corporations eventually get around to doing. I helped negotiate contracts for years at the old Bremerton Sun. Companies don’t like it when their employees band together and form a force demanding better wages and working conditions. Everything in life can be traced back to money and power. That’s it. It’s that simple. And it’s that complex. Putin wants more power. He wants the old Soviet Union back, and that means Ukraine must be hauled back into Putin’s dream of restoring the old Soviet Union, and with that the money and power that will bring. Baseball owners want more money and power, too. So do the players. That’s why they banded together to form a union, which gives them more power and the possibility of more money. I remember in the early 1970s when the Bremerton Sun newsroom finally voted to have a union we were still behind the 8-ball because we didn’t know what power we would have until we met with management to craft an agreement. I believe in fairness and equal justice for all and at some point, after helping to negotiate a couple expired contracts, I discovered that we – the union – had turned the tables on management and now had more power than it did. I disliked that as much as being on the short end of stick. I didn’t have to wait long for what was coming. The next time the contract expired the Bremerton Sun had gone from a private family-owned company to being merged with its bigger corporate cousin headquartered in Cincinnati and with that merger came more power for the company, as if a 40-plus mile of a military convoy paid a visit to Bremerton. A high-priced lawyer who looked like a stern 5-star general and Putin all rolled into one was the now corporate company’s head negotiator and he ran over us like a Russian tank. So much for fairness and equal justice. I don’t know what is going to happen to Ukraine, other than in the next two days its capital city of Kyiv will be in ruins, thousands of Ukrainians will be dead, including women, children and its president and the country will be dragged back into Russia and made to heel at the feet of Putin. At that moment, the global order will have been restructured and the life we have known for 246 years in this country will be altered as waiting in the wings is the next Putin, our former President, 45, ready to make us all heel at his feet as his return to power will end our constitutional republic for a dictatorship, and baseball be damned. It’s possible we will not see a baseball season. And I don’t know if it matters to me. I covered baseball as a writer for almost 30 years and now baseball seems so unimportant in the grand scheme of things. It’s extremely difficult for me to get my passion up for it. March Madness is almost upon us and I have always enjoyed watching its games and trying to figure out who will win. But that too has been scarred for me by the evilness of Putin and 45. The Washington Huskies will soon play in the Pad-12 Tournament and may be able to squeeze a first-round win over Utah, or whoever they play, but they will be smashed in the next round and then the rumors will stir on social media regarding the further employment of coach Mike Hopkins, a super nice guy who for me has not proved he can coach at a high level or recruit at a high level. If he is replaced and it will cost $9 million to do so, is assistant Will Conroy the next man up? Will Russell Wilson be traded, is the next biggest question? No, he won’t. But his skills are declining and it’s difficult for me to see him leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl again. The Seahawks’ offense really scares me. They need Penny to be the consistent breakaway running back they have always needed, an offense that is unpredictable and an offensive line that can protect Wilson. As to whether Aaron Rodgers returns to Green Bay, I don’t care. Rodgers is a great quarterback with a special arm, a super quick release, and intelligence on the football field that is rare. But he’s a first-class jerk that would be a perfect running mate for 45 because of his views and personality. And, yes, 45 will run again. e’s HHe’s been running all his life … from persecution for all his crimes. I don’t know why federal and state attorneys general are so scared to indict him. If I was one, he would be in prison now. That’s enough for today. See you later.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.