Dome Pondering

3 Up 1. Sex Trafficking - This didn't get much play in the national news - you know, Coronavirus, economy, social unrest, take your pick - but, it definitely deserves plenty of attention. early 50 children were recovered in what is to be believed a child trafficking ring in Georgia. Tremendous news for those children, and a clear reminder of how many young lives we lose to the cracks in the system - and life.  2. Milwaukee Bucks - All of the boycotts throughout sports this week were interesting to see. But let's give props to the Milwaukee Bucks who started it all. IT's always easy to follow, but taking the first step takes courage, and the Bucks surely reminded the sports world of the power that lies with the athletes.  3. Chadwick Boseman - The story is amazing to hear - how Boseman continued to carry on with terminal cancer. It's an understatement to mention how much Boseman will be missed because of his roll in Black Panther - a symbolic movie for black people every...

In 2016, I voted for Hillary Clinton. I left the voting site, your typical New York City elementary school, hopped on my bike and rode back home. For the entire trip back to my apartment, an uneasiness parked itself in my stomach. I knew I didn't feel comfortable with my vote. I voted out of fear of what could happen.  And that possibility did. Donal Trump became the 45th President of the United States.  I didn't HATE the eventual President Trump or have an overwhelming resentment for him going into the election. I simply believed that Donald Trump, unable to handle matters of social issues and justice, in a moment in history when equality and social justice awareness was indeed on the rise, would set this country back. But then again, maybe that was the plan? MAGA, right? 

I've decided to keep this thread of posts going, because, after all, here we are again.  Thoughts on George Floyd and Everything Else Thoughts on George Floyd and Everything Else (Part II) Thoughts on George Floyd and Everything Else (Part III) This time, it's the situation of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Seven shots in the back - from within two feet.  Yes, seven shots. Count em':

  3 Up 1. California Firefighters - Let's give it up to the awesome firefighters who are battling the raging wildfires in California right now. 2020 has been a year of recognizing the real heroes in our society, these individuals deserve that same recognition.  BTW - This includes the many imprisoned men and women forced to fight fires for ridiculous wages by law in California. I'll leave this as is...but you know where I would've gone with it. 2. Luka Doncic - My man is phenomenal to watch. Also, can we stop comparing all awesome white basketbal players to Larry Bird? Nonetheless, Luka is amazing to watch. Mavs fans went from watching Dirk for twenty years right into Luka - I'm so incredibly jealous.  3. WWE "Thunderdome" - Say what you want about the product right now, but there is one thing that WWE does better than any other entertainment and sports organization in the world - production. The introduction of the "WWE Thunderdome" - agreed, it...

3 Up 1. Awesome Mexican Teacher - This was easily the best thing I came across all week. Only identified as "Nay", this teacher travels to the houses of Autistic children and uses the flatbed of her pickup truck for instruction during thess pandemic times. In the midst of everything going on...this is the kind of humanity than needs to shine through. Because it's awesome.  2. Kamala Harris VP Selection - All of the politics out the of the equation for a second - it's pretty cool to see a woman of color selected on the VP ticket of a Presidential candidate. It's also even more awesome that she doesn't have ties to the typical institutions and Universities we've come to expect. Kamala is sure to ignite a voting base that hasn't been motivated in a long time. With that said...regardless of who you care about - please vote! More on that in a bit...

It's been a while since I've done one of these (actually, it's been two years, but who is counting), but as you can tell, the last two years of my life haven't allowed such enjoyable, free-and-easy columns such as these ones.  As sports ultimately find themselves once again engrained in our society, trying its best to shake the "new normal" or whatever it is we shall call this COVID era of sports, it seems the creativity and the expression of athletes have been on point. And of course, I've noticed.  With that said, I'm dropping a few lines here on some of my (random) favorite kicks being worn on the surface of play during this time.

3 Up 1. NASCAR First Autistic Driver - I never would have imagined that NASCAR would provide the most inclusionary moments in sports for 2020 - but hey, that is 2020. Armani Williams became the first driver in NASCAR (and is now the second black driver?) to make the circuit as someone with autism. The story - of course! - is an inspirational one. Folks, don't let anything stop you.  2. New Zealand 100 Days - So get this! New Zealand has now gone 100 full days without a new case of the Coronavirus being transmitted by a citizen. That just seems and feels unattainable here in America. We have to be more disciplined as a nation when it comes to COVID. It just doesn't feel like we're taking this seriously anymore. 

3 Up 1. Mars Rover Perserverence - NASA headed off to Mars this week with a launch searching for life on the red planet. The mission will take seven - SEVEN!!! - months to reach mars with an expected arrival on February 18th, 2021. The mission is 300 million miles in travel! I just find it cool. Especially as it serves as a reminder of how big our universe really is, and how small we are in the grand scheme of everything.  2. NBA Product - I've said it multiple times this week on Twitter, the NBA currently has the best COVID product in sports. From their production set up for games and the viewing experience to the awesome games we've gotten thus far, it's all been awesome. Kudos not just to the league, but to the many administrators and sport managers who made it happen.

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...