Munch Musings from E. 53rd and Hamm Ave

Here’s hoping you and yours are filled with the spirit of this special, joyous season and you are filled with happiness and blessings.

It’s interesting that I have been talking sports into my 45th year and no doubt as the late, great, and dear friend Casey Coleman called our trade “The toy department of life,” so including me, we must look as sports in that light. When I first started in radio I also “spun records” and hosted music shows on the great Q-FM-96 in Columbus. I was speaking to one of my mentors in the business today exchanging holiday pleasantries and I had no problem telling Buzz Knight that I feel at times I should get into sports talk radio headfirst again but then feel it would behoove my overall existence if I played and talked about music. Time will tell! Now sports should not be life and death for the overwhelming part of our and their existence and in cool way they do bring out the best in participants at times invoking feats that leave mere mortals in awe. Also, at times they bring out the very worst, most often times, in those who follow sports. I shake my head over the spats I have gotten into and yes even started over games and incidents involved in these contests being played and those participants who should not be idolized but truly feel I do know when and where to draw the line.

Something troubled me greatly the other day when a female fan of the pro football team in Cleveland noted something derogatory about Taylor Swift. No doubt this fan is jealous and under the guise of a misplaced, and yes ignorant comment she made, I was truly troubled. I stated that I am digging what Taylor has done for the NFL, which for the most part is bring some excitement, smiles and even some fun banter to a league that really is subpar when it comes to quality control, when the majority of games on any given weekend are simply awful! To add a cherry on the “Taylor Swift sundae” she is romancing with one of our Home Boys! I say this is pretty dang cool. Now the comment was about how awful it was that Ms. Swift was giving money to “you know who.” Well, the money is being given for humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in Gaza. I will not delve into politics here except to say that most supporting the state of Israel and are aghast at the atrocities perpetrated against civilians also feel that way about the innocents in Gaza. One cannot avoid being too heavy when discussing this topic. When someone who vehemently supports a team that I did for over 6 decades it makes me retreat again to a perception I have developed noting that too many so-called fans of this team would have also freed Barabbas and joined Jim Jones had he served orange and brown kool aid. Time to have fun again!

Let’s enjoy sports, win, or lose, although winning is more fun and do it for the love of the game. Again, here’s wishing you the very best and a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.