Tag Archives: New England Patriots

The world was a better place with the Patriots in the Super Bowl

I think this is the Patriots’ fault. Seriously. During the first three years of Donald Trump’s presidency, the New England Patriots represented the AFC in the Super Bowl.  There was plenty of craziness arising in the American political system during that time. However, it all seemed … manageable. So this year? Our hometown team didn’t […]

People like Tom Brady because he’s the GOAT, not because he’s white

Sometimes people take sports way too seriously. It is a longstanding human failing. Some of the bloodiest riots of antiquity — the Nika riots — arose in part because of chariot team affiliations. Plenty of American cities have erupted following championships won by the hometown team, and soccer hooliganism causes violence at games throughout Europe. […]

Symbols matter. That’s why Maine should have a new flag.

Symbols are important. The American flag will fly at half-staff throughout Maine until Sunday, when Berwick firefighter Capt. Joel Barnes is laid to rest. Lowering the flag is one way — a symbol — by which we honor those who have lost their lives in service to others. There are plenty of other symbols we […]

What politicians can learn from the Super Bowl

Why do we care about the Super Bowl? After all, it is a bunch of individuals earning, six, seven, or eight figures a year, playing a game on behalf of owners worth nine or ten figures. Even more, there is literal price fixing, an industry-wide agreement to limit overall wages for a certain type of […]

The four-letter word of Medicaid expansion

“Work” isn’t a four-letter word. Well, OK, it is, but not one of those four-letter words. The Trump Administration made national headlines by opening the door to work requirements for individuals enrolling in Medicaid, or, as we know it here, MaineCare. For years, this policy prescription was a lodestar for Gov. Paul LePage and former […]

Patriots and politics

Is there any overlap between sports and politics? The former is a form of entertainment, while the latter deals with matters of public interest. However, they both generate strong feelings among those involved with them, whether directly or indirectly. The past week has seen 2017’s favorite new neologism — “fake news” — infect sports coverage. […]