GarveyBlog by Ed Garvey

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June 4, 2010
Number 1?
How embarrassing! Wisconsin is number 1 in the country for high school graduation. Yes, 90 percent of our kids graduated last year! Damnit! How can Doyle/Evers prove to Arne Duncan to give us Brinks trucks full of cash in his ill-advised Race to the Top if we are #1?

Can we count on minorities to do poorly? Well 63 percent--not too shabby. Unacceptable, but imagine if Mississippi had become #1. Haley Barbour, the governor who struggles to speak English, would be hosting a conference on "How we did it!" Our governor must be angry.

Who suggested that teacher evaluations be tied to student performance? Yikes, that would mean most teachers in Wisconsin deserve a raise! Back to the drawing board!

Bud Selig: True story. I was privileged to join the Reverend Jesse Jackson, three of his staff, and Mannie Jackson, the owner of the revived and successful Harlem Globetrotters, at an editorial board meeting of the Baltimore Sun several years ago. Subject? The nearly all-white front offices in Major League Baseball. Not much progress was made until Jesse asked if any blacks were under consideration for commissioner of Baseball. A board member asked, Do you know anyone qualified for the job? "Yes," said the reverend, "Mannie Jackson." The Board smiled and made it clear that Mannie was not qualified! Who got the job? Bud Selig! Qualified? C'mon.

Why pick on poor Bud? Baseball fans know why. An umpire, Jim Joyce blew a call--not just any call and it was not even close. The NY Times wrote The worst umpiring all in the history of baseball. It ruined a perfect game for Galarraga--26 outs--no one reached base. And the 27th batter hit a ground ball, an easy out, perfect game. Huzzah! Safe ruled the umpire. Yikes screamed the crowd. Tears from the umpire who blamed himself. The pitcher? He said "No one is perfect." He handled it with poise and dignity. Commissioner, Selig? Let's agree he did not cover his office in glory. Mannie would have handled it--but he was not qualified!




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