New Jersey sucks, but we freely admit the Nets now have the most interesting ownership going. Hands down. Russian Playboys and rap megastars…come on. This picture of Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z breakfasting together with the Mayor was, well, 6/7 totally awesome and 1/7 weird dream. You know, between the two of them, they had 198 problems, and though none of Hov’s were about women, we fear that nearly all of Prokhorov’s may be.

Either way, Jersey sucks and we’ve the shirt if you second that emotion.

Jackie Robinson’s indelible mark on baseball and all he was able to accomplish is truly as much a testament to the human spirit as it is his athletic ability. He remains a constant in the the sport and a not-so distant reminder from where we have come. It is an odd thing, though, the steady decline in the number of African-Americans playing professional baseball today.

So it was yesterday, after a long day at the home office, I was getting my growler refilled at the bar and glanced up to watch a few highlights from Wakefield’s bid for a no-no. Needless to say a bid that goes into the 8th is the often the product of more than a few incredible defensive plays. The first I saw was the shortstop going to his right, fielding a ball deep in the hole and making a great leaping-twisting-turning throw to first for the out. I made a mental note he was wearing 42. Obviously I was paying more attention to the bartender. The second highlight had the same #42 racing into shallow center to make a diving catch behind second base. I thought, “that fucking guy is everywhere!” It was when 42 made a catch in center and ran headlong into the wall that I finally began to put it together. It all was cemented when I noticed 42 also had an impressive knuckle ball. It was not the same 42. I get it. I failed to note that every batter was wearing 42 as well. For being a league-wide retired number, 42 certainly got a workout yesterday.

That being said, “that” being not much at all, seeing 42 at every position was a welcome reminder of all that Jackie Robinson, and those who came before and after, have had to endure. It is a shameful past our nation and nation’s pastime share. What we can do now is only our best to ensure it is not repeated as we move forward as a community, as a culture.