Sports this 'n' that

In the wake of last weekend's incident in Charlottesville, Va., Boston Red Sox owner John Henry is calling for the city to rechristen Yawkey Way, feeling that continuing to honor the former owner of the team would be to continue to celebrate the team's dubious history of racial intolerance. The Sawx were the last team to field an African American player, all the way back in 1959, 12 years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. Today's Red Sox have more than their share of African American and Latino players (shortstop Xander Bogaerts is from Curacao in the Netherlands), like every other team in the majors, but to be honest with you, I have never understood why management was so slow to, ah, get with the program back in the day.

Bear in mind, too, that the 3 World Series titles that the Sawx have won in this century have been under Henry's stewardship. Just sayin'.
=====================================
To the surprise of no one, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has filed an appeal of his 6 game suspension for domestic abuse. Around the same time, it's gotten out that his ex-girlfriend, apparently, was looking to exploit Elliott's fame to feather her own nest. Now, we don't know all the facts, but doesn't it seem as though the seeming victim in cases like this often have hidden agendas? Just sayin'.

Also, it's another case that the NFL has dragged its corporate feet on. Last year, Elliott was 1/2 of a two-headed rookie bulldozer (w/QB Dak Prescott) that carried Dallas to the NFC East title, and any ruling at that time would've had an adverse effect on that playoff run. Hmmmmm.
======================================
When the Mets started making trades before the deadline last month---and have made a couple of waiver deals since---it was clear that the white flag had been raised and the team was conceding the NL East. This year's Subway Series ended up a 1-sided affair, as the Yankees swept the series for the first time in 14 years. The Mets lost to Miami last night to run the current losing streak to 5. Some of the online crybabies are calling not so much for Terry Collins' head, but that of pitching coach Dan Warthen. The simple truth is that the injuries have been too much to overcome this year. Pitcher Seth Lugo was put on the DL, along with infielder Jose Reyes, before the Yankee series was over. Lugo going back to the DL had me thinking that maybe, just maybe he and Steven Matz, Thursday's starter, had been rushed back a little sooner than they should've, and now they're paying the price.
======================================
Two weeks remain in the Northeastern Football Alliance's regular season, and you wouldn't know unless you read this blog on a regular basis. That's how little attention is paid to the league and the hometown team, the Troy Fighting Irish, who finish the regular season on the road. The local press will only pay attention when it's a slow news day, even if the Irish are in the postseason, which they are every year.
======================================
Troy's other summer team, the Tri-City Valleycats, had a taste of first place in the Stedler Division, as we told you earlier in the week, but after the All-Star Game, have extended their current losing streak to 3 after dropping two games to Hudson Valley. Friday's game was rained out, and may not be made up, as the last open date before the playoffs comes the day after the regular season ends, and will only be done if the 'Cats are still in line for a playoff spot. The lone bright spot this week was collegiate HR champ Jake Adams winning the home run derby Tuesday prior to the All-Star Game. Trust me, you'll see Adams in the majors in a couple of years, so enjoy him in a 'Cats uni while you still can, with 3 weeks left in the regular season.