May 1st, 2014 § § permalink
No, HG is not shedding tears for the billionaire, but it appears to HG that Donald Sterling is a victim (as well as a villain). In a private conversation with his girlfriend, Sterling said he didn’t want her to associate with African-Americans, be photographed with them or bring them to basketball games. Not nice. But, hell, as the saying goes: “It’s a free country.” If everyone is penalized for politically incorrect, sexist, salacious, etc. things they have said in private conversation we would be in a terrible fix. Obviously, given the racial composition of the NBA and the importance of basketball in African-American culture, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had to act swiftly and punish Sterling to the fullest extent possible. HG’s moral exemplar, HG’s late father, Hershele Zvi Freimann, hated these humans: Nazis, communists, informers, strikebreakers and scabs….and landlords. His comment on Sterling, who made his money as a landlord, would be: “Nu? What can you expect from a landlord?”
May 2nd, 2013 § § permalink
Yes, it’s that time of year…NBA playoff time! It’s time to watch the world’s greatest athletes: basketball players who combine great size with agility, cunning, power and grace under pressure. Basketball is an intimate sport. You get to know the players — their tattoos, hairdos, weird rituals at the foul line, theatrics when called for a foul. It’s action theater with an added benefit…you don’t know how the performance will end. HG well remembers Michael Jordan’s heroics during the closing seconds of various NBA finals and Dirk Nowitzki’s laser guided shotmaking against the Heat two years ago. This is the time for cold beer and meals in front of the TV. That means bowls of chili or posole. Franks, sauerkraut and potato salad. Pan fried hamburgers topped with melted, sharp cheddar and roasted chili peppers. Rhode Island New York System Wieners (thoughtful daughter Lesley sent HG the fixings). Salad of Spanish canned tuna, chopped red onion, Goya canellini beans and chopped sweet onion (plus plenty of olive oil, lemon juice, ground black pepper). Unlikely that HG’s favorite teams (Knicks, Nets, Nuggets) will make it very far but HG will keep munching away.
