Massachusetts might get a new state flag, and that’s good, because their current state flag stinks. While not the overused and boring concept of a state seal on a field of navy blue, Massachusetts’s flag is the lightly used but boring concept of a state seal on a field of white. The blue may only be absent because it’s the color of the shield which makes up much of the seal:
The push for the new state flag does not come because of the current flag’s mediocrity. It comes, like others, because of what many feel the flag says about historic racism. While not an homage to the Confederacy, like at least five state flags elsewhere, it does, to hear many tell it, portray the subjugation of Native Americans, with Myles Standish’s broadsword hanging above the Native American’s head amplified by the state motto below, speaking of peace “by the sword” when translated. Add in a half-dozen other details, from Metacomet’s belt to the historic seal this one replaced, and the case is made that this is a glorification of the oft-brutal introduction of European descendants to North America, and specifically of that chapter in Massachusetts history. Is the case convincing? I’m not going to make myself the judge of that, but I’ll offer that if you have a crappy state flag and that flag offends a significant number of a marginalized race…you might as well change the flag.
What should the new state flag look like? I haven’t seen any proposals, but I wonder if they could do something with a lighthouse. Beacon of liberty, that sort of thing. Massholes (that’s the demonym, right?) might be annoying now and then, but that colony did start the American Revolution, so they’ve earned the “liberty” messaging. I would suggest something related to the Boston Tea Party, but those guys dressed up like Native Americans themselves, and I don’t think it’s worth figuring out how to handle that right now. Steer clear. Go with the lighthouse.
Joe Mixon’s Letterhead
While we’re talking about race:
A weird thing went down last night in the Oklahoma football program. Cale Gundy, a wide receivers coach and associate head coach who’d been with the program since 1999 and played quarterback there in the early 90’s, unexpectedly resigned. In his statement on the resignation, he offered the following explanation:
“Last week, during a film session, I instructed my players to take notes. I noticed a player was distracted and picked up his iPad and read aloud the words that were written on his screen. The words displayed had nothing to do with football. One particular word that I should never—under any circumstance—have uttered was displayed on that screen.”
The interpretation, then, is that Gundy read the n-word off the player’s screen.
There are theories out there that something more than this is going on—college coaches have certainly kept their jobs after doing worse—but we aren’t going to get into the speculation all that. Let’s talk about Joe Mixon’s letterhead, instead. Because former Sooners running back Joe Mixon put out a statement defending Gundy and man, that letterhead!
I used to think I wanted a lot of things in life. Now, all I want is a simple letterhead with my name in all caps, bolded Times New Roman with the name of my employer underneath it. If I get there, I’ll have made it (also, “Cincinnati Bengals” is a good employer to have for this—the Bengals are a meat & potatoes & steel brand these days).
Another Dominant Joe Kelly Outing
If you were doing something with your life Friday night other than watching the seventh inning of a baseball game between the .500-ish White Sox and a Rangers team playing out the string, well, you missed quite the Joe Kelly performance. Four batters, two ground balls, two strikeouts, no runs. Our guy now hasn’t allowed a run in the last month, his FIP’s under 3.00, his xERA’s close to that, and his ERA’s still not good (5.40) but has moved massively these last thirty days.
We’re at the point in the Joe Kelly Cycle™ where the pitcher starts getting guys out effortlessly, climbing into a role of greater and greater bullpen significance culminating in a high-pressure, high-leverage outing (or twelve) on the playoff stage. Just letting you all know what’s coming. It’s Pitching Ninja getting all hot and bothered while I tweet a zillion fire emojis and throw a captured Joe Kelly hater off the roof (just kidding—we rehabilitate captured haters here, we don’t punish them).
Derek Dietrich Suspended
Bringing this back to race for a minute: Derek Dietrich, who once did this in the dugout (he’s the really Jersey Shore Italian-looking guy, that’s the race part) has been suspended 50 games for using a banned stimulant. Turns out the aggressive masculinity wasn’t natural. In what can we now believe?
More Like, “NO Canada!”
In another great NASCAR race, Bubba Wallace couldn’t pull off the win over Kevin Harvick at Michigan, failing to effectively navigate the final restart and grab the win. For a young driver who hasn’t often had a competitive car, it’s understandable, but it was still frustrating for the guy. Meanwhile, Harvick—who’s been more and more of an ass the last few years—punched what had become an unlikely playoff ticket. Having him in there could make for some good moments, and it definitely sets up some desperation for Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney these last three races before the field is set. There is chaos in NASCAR right now, and chaos is exactly what NASCAR does well.
Before engines were fired, some “NASCAR fans” got upset. As has been the case for a long, long time at Michigan (and New Hampshire, and Watkins Glen), NASCAR played the Canadian national anthem before the race, something I assume is a nod to all the Canadians who like NASCAR and attend races at those three tracks, the closest ones to the border. Still, some folks were angered, including a few who labeled it “politically correct.” The question: How would they have felt if the Hungarian national anthem was played?
In another great IndyCar race, nobody was able to watch. NBC cut away, going to infomercials out west and the local news in the east. You could watch the final laps on Peacock, but that takes effort. The sport’s lone clearly cool event, outside of the Indy 500, taking place mostly on that bridge in downtown Nashville, and…they couldn’t even get it on TV. The rain delay was what pushed it over the edge, but the problem’s bigger than that. At what point do you start sacrificing immediate money in these TV deals in exchange for agreements to get your sport onto people’s screens?
Burnley Keeps Firing
Burnley looked good on Saturday, though they had to settle for a tie. Luton came out hotter than hot, and while the lads dominated after the first ten minutes (with a few terrifying exceptions that thankfully didn’t go calamitously), the absence of what I’m told are called “strikers” left Burnleyers everywhere grateful Josh Brownhill connected on his game-tying dazzler.
Until they can get someone in the door who can score (which seems fairly likely but isn’t guaranteed), we’ve got Ashley Barnes looking like some cross between Kyle Korver and Brian Scalabrine out there up front playing alongside a rest of the team that looks like the 2013-14 Golden State Warriors. But that’s at least entertaining, as long as he stays healthy.
While Barnes carries on the Sean Dyche-era tradition of looking like a team from a middle-aged British men’s league, and Connor Roberts notably nearly started a fight on the Luton bench when their reserves wouldn’t give an out-of-bounds ball back during stoppage time (he crashed full-speed into their manager as he went to throw the ball in once he had it, and this was moments after getting in a minor scrap on the field of play), the Vincent Kompany-era Clarets have a more suave kind of swagger. Kompany was styling on the sideline. New pickup Manuel Benson was electric. Goal chances felt more like they came from a steady barrage of pressure than from a Hail Mary breaking through here and there. Ideally, they can blend the physicality and the shithousery and the footwork, leaving them tough and annoying and good. That’s the dream.
Fargo’s Having a Great Day
Mrs. NIT is back at work today (she works at a school now), which means I’ve been mostly solo with the Fargs. Got her to wipe herself out in just three hours, with a large section of that spent furiously sniffing chicken at various stages of it being cooked and frozen. Our girl cannot digest chicken. Our girl does not know, or perhaps does not care, that she cannot digest chicken. Tomorrow? Tomorrow, we aim for two hours and 45 minutes. Gonna try some outdoor training, if I can remember to bring a few treats on the walk.
**
Viewing schedule for the day:
3:00 PM EDT: Watford @ West Brom, ESPN+
Two old Premier League friends, now trying to conspire to stop Burnley from getting promoted. The haters. I tell you.
8:05 PM EDT: Nationals @ Cubs, MLB TV
It’s a Keegan Thompson night, and I remain convinced that the Cubs have good vibes right now.
