“I’m not sexy… no Lamborghinis on order”

Graham Potter has the job, the pay packet and a smart new blue tracksuit but still can’t imagine, written ANDY DILLON.

In his former job as Brighton boss, Potter claimed he would never be a “sexy” Premier League manager.

Tomorrow he will take charge of his first Premier League games as Chelsea head coach – considered one of the most important jobs in football, regardless of the associated risks.

Despite the glitz and glamor that comes with the £10m-a-year salary, old Potter is happy as he is.

He said: “I very rarely feel sexy. Maybe you do, but I very rarely do.

“I’m smart enough to know that I started at the lower level, below the lower level and after a process of trial and error and a lot of hard work and a lot of luck and help from other people than I have this item.

“It’s a pretty fantastic achievement and something I’m really proud of, but at the same time I’m a human being and certainly not perfect and I don’t think I’ve cracked anything, that’s not to say I got all the answers.

“There are no Lamborghinis on order – I’m driving the same car as when I picked it up in England on my return to Swansea.

“My life hasn’t changed at all, if I’m being honest. Besides living in a different place, I always try to prepare for matches, do the job I’m in and prepare for the challenge ahead.”

Senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson is joined by Jori Epstein and Charles McDonald, the latest additions to Yahoo Sports’ NFL family. Our NFL trio discuss the alarming news from Baltimore on Wednesday, as the Ravens superstar quarterback wore a sleeve over his throwing arm and didn’t attempt a pass during practice. The Ravens head coach dismissed the day off as an interview for Jackson, but our reporters aren’t buying it. Listen to the full conversation on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.

Video transcript

CHARLES ROBINSON: Lamar Jackson. So today I wanted to talk about it, because it definitely made me frown. 25, just turned 25 in January I believe, comes out to practice today wearing a sleeve over his throwing arm. Which, beatwriters… you were both beatwriters.

Charles, you’re outside, you’re watching, you’re watching the Jets. Jori there, you watch the Cowboys, you see the quarterback come out with a sleeve over his arm and not pitch at all during the media part of practice. It will raise red flags. Well, it turns out Lamar Jackson didn’t pitch at all today in practice. And they describe it as maintenance.

John Harbaugh came out and sounded like hey, not a big deal, just sort of an in-season thing. I call [BLEEP] on that. Because he’s a 25-year-old guy, we’re two weeks into the season. It’s a bit early to do the maintenance of the throwing arm of a 25-year-old. And in a season where Lamar A, lights it up, and I’m sure he will continue to light it up.

But B, we’re also still in the throes of this surge for the next contract, which is going to be a massive deal. I’m just curious about your experience, I’ll throw it at you, Charles. Like, in your experience, no matter how the team paints it at this point, an inning is an inning and a guy not pitching on a Wednesday is always troubling to me. Especially when, as I said, 25 years old. And not someone who hasn’t started. This is not a new situation for him. You would expect this player to pitch on a Wednesday.

The story continues

CHARLES MCDONALD: Yeah, that… I feel like teams aren’t, well, they’re not being honest a lot. But especially when it comes to their quarterback situations. I think they can certainly tend to throw some [BLEEP] up to you and see what you put out there.

Because I remember when I was… my first year covering the Giants was, when I came to the Daily News, Eli Manning’s last year there. And Daniel Jones had started a few games. And Daniel Jones, I think he got injured at the end of the season. And if you talked to Daniel, he would say, oh, you know, I’m fine. I’m ready to go back.

But for the rest of the team, or at least Eli and the Giants, Daniel was injured just long enough for Eli to get another home start at MetLife Stadium. I think they won against the Miami Dolphins that year. So I think in a normal world where that… you didn’t have a legend sitting behind you, maybe Daniel could have been there.

But they gave Eli one last moment. So I don’t really think you should take teams at face value when it comes to quarterbacking stuff. Especially with Lamar on Sunday. I mean, it was probably one of the best games of his career. Throw the ball, run the ball. And for him, just showing up on the injury report or being out there without throwing definitely raises a bit of a red flag. Because it’s also one of those times where you think, well, when did this happen in the game? Because–

CHARLES ROBINSON: Right.

CHARLES MCDONALD: — really at no time did you show that you were hurt, because you absolutely tortured Dolphins for four quarters.

JORI EPSTEIN: Absolutely. And I think that’s– age is so important to me here. Like, 25 years old. It’s not Tom Brady at 45. Here is Tom Brady taking off on Wednesdays. One, absolutely, your body is in a different place. And two, you’ve seen so much in this league than what to expect. Your body has decades of muscle memory. But I don’t think it should happen at 25.

I mean, I spent most of my time with the Cowboys and I remember towards the end of the 2019 season, Dak had a minor shoulder injury. I think he got it against the Rams, coming into the Eagles game. And it was the first time in four seasons that he didn’t participate fully in training. And the other thing is that there are a lot of times in the league, and I guess it depends a bit, Thursday is really the busiest day in training. So if you don’t practice on Wednesday when it’s so easy to be light, then I’d be worried.

I’m also looking at Lamar’s attempts over the past two weeks. And as crazy as that game was against the Dolphins, I mean he attempted 30 passes in week one and 29 in week two, so it’s not like he’s going to throw 50 passes in a double overtime game and then need a break. So – and it’s not like it’s week 14 of the season, and you’re just trying to go all the way and you clinch your playoff spot. So I think that’s definitely unusual and not just some type of maintenance. And if it’s maintenance, what does that say about Lamar’s durability? Which, I think it has durability.

In an unprecedented move, India is preparing to launch its first locally designed, developed and manufactured hydrogen train on the upcoming Independence Day, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said.

India today is building world-class trains and with the hydrogen train as its pipeline, the country’s rail will witness a paradigm shift in rail transport and rail infrastructure.

Recently, Germany launched the world’s first hydrogen-powered train. Since hydrogen is an environmentally friendly fuel, it will also help the nation control its carbon footprint.

Vaishnav said the train, built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, recently proved to be one of the top five trains in the world. It moved at a speed of 180 km/h which stunned the world, he said.

“This train is better than all the other trains on several parameters. A glass of water kept in the driver’s cabin remains intact even when the train is moving at maximum speed indicating its stability,” Vaishnaw said.

Referring to the Vande Bharat Express train, he said it only took 52 seconds to go from zero speed to 100 km per hour, while Japan’s famous high-speed train took 55 seconds for the same.

Vaishnaw said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed engineers to build world-class trains which should be safe, stable and consume less energy in addition to running at a good speed.

Attention is also given to the cleanliness of stations and a satellite map has been prepared to identify 132 district capitals that need rail connectivity.

The detailed project report for the same was being prepared, the Minister of Railways said.

He said the punctuality of trains in India is around 89% at present, which was expected to reach 100%.

It’s been a busy year for comedian/actress Sherri Shepherd. The former co-host of View was one of many to step in as a guest host last year when Wendy Williams found herself too beset with health issues to host her beloved and eponymous daytime caller, and soon became a viewer favorite. Now that Sherri took over the timeslot that previously belonged to the show host “How you doin'”, however, there was some behind-the-scenes drama with some of Williams’ former employees.

What’s going on with the Sherri Shepherd show and former Wendy Williams staffers?

When it became clear that the often controversial day host wouldn’t be able to return for season 13 of her show at all, nor was it clear whether or not she’d be ready for a potential season 14, Williams’ show was canceled and Sherri has been put into in its place. This new series hit the airwaves earlier this week, but according to The American Sunthere are those who came to the freshman chatterbox from The Wendy Williams Show who now worry about being replaced. An anonymous source told the outlet:

If you’re wondering why supervising producer Norman Baker and co-executive producer Suzanne Bass were simply referred to by their first names in the comment above, it’s because fans of their old show knew them well. For most of the time Williams was on the air, as long as Baker and Bass were present for a taping the two were seen on camera during episodeswith them usually interacting with the host either during the Hot Topics segment (Baker) or during the opening moments (Bass).

However, when Sherri debuted, no producer was seen on the show, which left fans miss themand may have led to those staff members, in particular, not feeling very secure in their positions with the new show.

Obviously, there were a lot of emotional pieces and quite a bit of confusion that surrounded the making of this show, which could lead to a rift between new staffers and those who transferred from the previous series. Before she missed the final season, there had been more and more controversies over his behavior in front of the camera and rumors about how she acted behind the scenes. One show executive even recently admitted that when they asked audiences about the host, they noted that they watched daily, but also that Williams was “so mean to people”.

It is logical that Shepherd would like to part ways with Williamsespecially when it comes to what viewers see on her show, but only time will tell if she continues to employ those who worked on the series she is now replacing.

In what promises to be the most significant development for the Greenville music scene since the peace center Opened in 1990, the performing arts center has announced a $36 million renovation project that will, among other things, add two new concert halls.

The plans were officially unveiled on September 13 and involve the renovation of three existing buildings to house a three-story music club, intimate listening room, recording studio and artist dorms.

AMP: a musical project

Double A music projectthe renovations are part of the Peace Center’s strategic plan to create an integrated 10-site arts and entertainment campus by 2030 or earlier. Work is expected to start in February 2023 and be completed by the end of 2024.

The plans are expected to be submitted to the city’s design review board in October. Of the $36 million budgeted cost of the project, approximately $20 million will be drawn from the center’s cash reserves and pledged revenue for the next few years of operation. Another $10 million is expected to come from philanthropic donations, with the rest coming from tax credits.

AMP will include the following:

• The Mockingbird – This will be a listening room located in the historic Gullick and Markley Buildings on South Main Street, next to the Gunter Theatre. Inspired by the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nasheville, the venue will offer a relaxed lounge-like setting.
• Coach Music Factory – The Coach Factory, currently home to Larkin’s on the River and which announced plans in March to move to E. Broad Street near Camperdown Plaza, will be converted into a live music club on three levels. The plans envision a wide variety of local and national music genres like indie rock, hip hop, country, jam bands, Americana and others.
• Artist Dorms – Located directly above The Mockingbird, a three-bedroom suite will provide artists with some respite and privacy where they can take a break from the road before or after a concert.
• The Studio – Adjacent to the artists’ sleeping quarters, a modern, professional recording studio will be operated by the Peace Center and will provide artists with access to high-quality recording, mixing, editing and related audio services.
• Wyche Landscape Design – Significant landscape improvements are planned for the outdoor areas surrounding the Wyche outdoor event space. The vision is to further integrate the space with the overall look of the adjacent Falls Park.

AMP building designs were developed by a Greenville-based architectural firm Craig Gaulden Davis, who also designed the original Peace Center. The landscape design was managed by the local office of MKSK.

Diverse music

AMP is in part a response to growing demand from area musicians and music lovers for venues that offer a more intimate experience, says Peace Center president and CEO Megan Riegel.

“It’s a whole new world for the Peace Center, a whole new world for Greenville,” Riegel says.

While the Center Concert Hall will remain the beating heart of the six-acre campus, the new venues will create opportunities to host a wider range of musical acts. Riegel says the one unifying factor that will drive the choices of musical acts coming to new venues will be quality.

“What [music lovers] can expect quality,” says Riegel. “It’s a matter of community. It’s pretty much what the community has said they want for years.

Peace Center Board Chair Lynn Harton said the project aims to continue and expand the transformative role the Peace Center has played since it opened in 1990 in making downtown Greenville the place dynamic and exciting it has become.

Harton, who is also CEO of United Community Bankwhich moved its headquarters to downtown Greenville in 2021, says the performing arts center has been a crucial cultural anchor for the city and powerfully persuasive in attracting people to the area.

“It’s part of the fabric that makes people believe they can live here and enjoy their life here,” Harton says.

He adds that the AMP vision began in 2019 when Peace Center management began developing a 10-year plan with one of the main goals being to expand the types of music the center could offer.

Staff have heard from young music lovers that the Peace Center usually offers “music for older people,” Harton laughs. Changing that perception is at the heart of AMP, and Harton says the new venues will bring both new musicians and new customers to the Peace Center.

A regional musical hub

Riegel and Harton say upstate and western North Carolina already attract a wide variety of musical acts and have a reputation as a music-loving region. They don’t see AMP as a competition to other regional venues, but as an addition that strengthens the fabric of the local music scene.

To achieve this, Riegel says the center will hire someone with deep ties to the music industry to help organize the types of music and acts booked in the new venues.

Once the AMP is complete and the halls of the Peace Center attract a new array of music and artists, Riegel envisions the center acting as the anchor for a new regional music festival.

“It’s exciting. It’s a big thing,” she says. “There are dots everywhere. This project is going to connect the dots.

AMP: places

The mocking bird — This new 250-seat hall will offer music lovers a relaxed, lounge-like setting and a more intimate listening experience.

Spread between the historic Gullick and Markley buildings on South Main Street, The Mockingbird is inspired by Nashville’s famed Bluebird Cafe and is a natural consequence of the Peace Center’s success with Genevieve’s, the guest lounge adjacent to the venue’s lobby. center concert.

The main entrance will face Main Street with the listening room located at street level. The interior design will combine modern elements with traditional features, such as exposed brick walls, perforated tin ceiling panels and hardwood floors. With the exception of new windows and doors, minimal exterior renovations are planned.

One of the most distinctive features of the new venue will be a picture window located immediately behind the performance space and facing the Reedy River. The brick exterior of the building facing the river will feature the words ‘sing’, ‘dance’ and ‘play’ to describe the guiding principles that underlie the entire performing arts campus.

Coach Music Factory — The existing Coach factory building next to the east side of the amphitheater of peace will be reconfigured into a three-level venue designed to have a club feel and capacity for 1,300 people.

The performance space will back onto the side of the building facing the amphitheater and the levels on that side of the building will have rolling doors that will allow access to adjacent grounds.

The performance space on the ground floor will be at the end of an open central atrium. The second and third levels will include balconies where standing patrons will have a view of the performers on the ground floor and will have access to refreshments on each level.

The concept of place is described as being similar to Orange peel in Asheville or the Fillmore in Charlotte.

If you had told Elladj Baldé, a top Canadian figure skater, that he would start a non-profit organization to reform and reinvigorate the world of skating when he was a kid, he probably would have laughed.

“I hated figure skating,” Baldé, who was introduced to the sport by his mother when he was 6, told Global Citizen.

Baldé recalls doing everything in his power to avoid the competitive nature of figure skating, which he says exacerbated the pressure he already felt to excel as a first-generation immigrant in Canada.

“I was very comfortable on the ice, but it immediately became about competition, winning and being the best. I did everything not to skate: I hid my skates; be able to compete. That’s how much I didn’t want to be in that competitive space,” he said.

Born to a Russian mother and a Guinean father, the now retired athlete says his family moved around a lot throughout his childhood, from Russia to Germany via Canada. He had to find his way in an ever-changing environment, while mourning the loss of his younger sister and unraveling his identity as a racialized person. He remembers wanting to become an athlete to lift his family out of poverty and make his parents proud – a goal he shared with many other kids his age in Montreal.

“My parents were a huge inspiration to me. The reason I wanted to become better is so I could help and support them,” he said. “I know how much they had to sacrifice to give us a better life… In my mind, I needed so much to make them proud.”

Striving for excellence, Baldé spent years battling the pressure to perform and achieve his dream of becoming an Olympic athlete.

But when he failed to qualify for the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, everything changed. The athlete saw his mental health take a profound blow.

“I walked into this very dark hole. Suddenly I wondered who I was because I had my whole identity – all my self-worth, the image of who I was – wrapped around this idea of to be an Olympic champion,” he said. “I started thinking, ‘Is this even my way? And if it’s not, then why am I doing what I’m doing?'”

It was only after traveling to Africa with his father for the first time that Baldé would find the answers to these questions.

The trip, which took him to Tombon, Guinea, changed his perspective and launched what the athlete calls a “transformative healing journey”. Witnessing the immense poverty, but also the generosity, the beauty and the bonds that existed between the people of the country of his father’s birth, Baldé began to see his life differently. He realized, perhaps for the first time, that his skating career alone did not define him.

“I realized that all of these things that I thought I had to be and accomplish in order to thrive in life — none of these things were real, at least to me,” he said. “I decided ‌I wouldn’t go back on the ice until I found a reason that came from within. For me,[that was] the idea of ​​connection – to yourself, to people, to nature.”

The murder of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States have given the idea a new sense of urgency. From there, Baldé embarked on a mission: he would do whatever it took to create a new kind of figure skating, one that would focus on connection through inclusion.

After years of noticing the lack of diversity in figure skating, athletes of color from around the world, including Baldé, came together to discuss their experiences in a safe space. These conversations led to the creation of the Figure Skating Diversity and Inclusion Alliance, an initiative to promote representation of Black, Indigenous and people of color in figure skating, as well as greater access to sports in general.

Shortly after, Baldé created the Skate Global Foundation with his wife Michelle Dawley. The organization is meant to connect people around the pillars of equity, diversity, inclusion, climate change and mental health, but the former has often been in the spotlight – and for good reason.

As a sport, figure skating is plagued by gender stereotypes, lack of diversity and economic barriers. In many countries, access to sport is institutionally restricted to the affluent upper class. Even though they can afford astronomical coaching fees, lower- and middle-class families struggle to find the time or money to reach a competitive level. As a child, Baldé remembers taking bus after bus in the early hours of the morning with his mother and sister to meet the trainer who let him train for free.

“A lot of people get kicked out of sport,” he said. “You have to be part of a club, buy skates between $500 and $1,500 a pair, and factor in costumes and travel. By the end of my career, I was spending $50,000 to $60,000 a year. “

The foundation’s work aims to address some of these challenges. Currently, Baldé’s efforts are focused on improving accessibility to outdoor rinks in underserved communities across Canada and taking concrete steps to change the experience of people of color in the sport.

On the representational front, Baldé also finds creative ways to address the long-standing stereotypes that exist in the sport. Some of these include the idea that figure skating is seen as inherently white and “feminine” and were behind the bullying he suffered as a child.

“Because I didn’t see myself in a sport, I chose to fit the mold of what figure skating says you should be to be successful – and that mold is very white,” he said. .

He added: “People knew I was an athlete, and they asked me[about it]. I would say I played soccer or track and field. I had to go through a whole journey to heal my relationship with masculinity and redefine what[it] Means to me.”

Through social media, the athlete has found an outlet to express himself authentically while challenging what he sees as “archaic” norms. He regularly posts videos on his channels, always challenging the idea of ​​what a successful figure skater looks like, using his platform to spark a conversation about fairness and masculinity.

As more men began to message her, telling her that her message resonated with them, Baldé felt even more compelled to continue posting content, creating a space for all people to display their vulnerability, regardless of race or gender.

“I realized that expressing myself in the most authentic way possible had reached millions of people around the world,” Baldé said. “I tapped into a whole new space of freedom and authenticity, and I have no rules. I can do whatever I want on the ice.”

That’s why the athlete joined Global Citizen as a champion for change, working with the organization to promote equity and end extreme poverty now. Looking back, he says his platform has always been in perfect harmony with the cause.

“So much[Global Citizen] corresponds to my personal mission. It’s such an honor to stand alongside people I have so much respect for, whether they’re celebrities, artists, or people who have done amazing work – and to wear this take on consciousness on the world stage,” he said.

Baldé’s mission is clear: to use his voice to create a more inclusive world and to build bridges for people who feel excluded. And though his professional skating days are behind him, he remains equally, if not more, committed to the cause.

by Shaun Scott

While Sunday football is for many an escape from the stresses of the workweek and the anxiety of an increasingly resentful era in American history, a rarely remembered episode in labor history American once reduced the distance between the passive spectator and the political situation of the country. Thirty-five years ago this fall, National Football League players staged a high-profile strike against avaricious owners and team management, withholding their highly visible work force in hopes of securing better wages, larger pensions and greater freedom of mobility as workers. .

After a summer of fruitless union negotiations in which NFL team owners refused to cave to workers’ demands, the NFL Players Association announced plans to strike following a Monday night football game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots on September 21, 1987. The venue for the fall ritual of the televised pigskin, fans in the following weeks were treated to an unprecedented series of bizarre spectacles: contentious showdowns between unionized workers and billionaire owners; protests by scab supporters; and – perhaps the least memorable – terrible football matches played by opportunistic substitute players.

When players from all 28 league teams surrendered their jerseys and helmets, NFL bosses made a cynical bet: Of course, fans might miss the spectacular play of superstars like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve. Money – but the average viewer doesn’t know the difference between a long snapper and a tight end, their team’s starting offensive tackle or their nickelback second string. Believing that the fans were both football ignorant and as repugnant to the unions as they were, the team bosses hired tons of replacement players.

During the 1987 players’ strike, NFL teams recruited police officers, mechanics and factory workers – anyone with even minimal on-field experience. A concert promoter named Suge Knight played two games as a replacement for the Los Angeles Rams; Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Pete Carroll came close to being named the starting quarterback. ‘I’m just here to make a few bucks,’ Seahawks scab says¹inadvertently summarizing the credo of the materialistic Reagan years.

Management proved wrong on two counts: not only was there a noticeable drop in the quality of the game when the scabs crossed the picket line, but many supporters cared more about respect for organized labor than of a silly pastime where men in pantyhose have knocked each other over. This was especially the case in northern cities ravaged by the flight of American companies who waged open war against unions and fled for cheaper labor. Of the four teams where no player crossed the picket line during the three-week strike — Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Washington DC — all were in or near the American Rust Belt.

In Philadelphia, fans bombarded substitute players with profanity and projectiles, holding up signs reading “Scabs Suck” and “Fans Against Scabs.” Fans and sportswriters across the country have coined derisive nicknames, ridiculing fake teams put together by union-busting team owners: the San Francisco Phoney-Niners, Pittsburgh Stealers, Los Angeles Shams, Spoilers of Houston and the Seattle Sub-Hawks.

Seattle had a long tradition of union activism, dating back decades when city workers launched the first large-scale general strike in American history in 1919. After the U.S. Department of Justice found that unions from the Seattle area routinely denied black workers entry into area guilds, labor organizer Tyree Scott fought to ensure minority contractors were included in the construction of the Kingdome, where the Seahawks have played their home games. When the Seahawks struck, they were not without comrades in the city unions, nor without supporters among the team’s famed fanbase.

On September 26, 1987, over 1,000 Seattle fans and union members held a union rally at the Kingdome for striking Seattle Seahawks players.^{2a 2b} Represented among the ranks of organized labor were grocery store workers with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, dealers then represented by SEIU Local 6, and electricians with IBEW 77. The striking Seahawks had even received official support from the Council of King County Labor. , the local affiliate of the AFL-CIO representing 75,000 workers in the Seattle area at the time.

In a summary of NFL labor action in the Fall 1987 edition of the Official Labor Council Journal^2b, the organization’s executive secretary told workers wearing protective helmets: “A player must play four years in the NFL to receive his pension and be 55 before he can receive it. The average life expectancy for a player after playing four years in the NFL is 52 years.

Along with the boxers, the football players were the paradigmatic specimens of America’s physical courage; but during the strike, fans saw their vulnerability. A Seattle Times The union rally’s editorial quoted a local electrician as saying, “You think about how much money they make and you think they’re greedy. But you have to remember that our careers are going to last 30 or 40 years, theirs are not.^2a

A 74-year-old Seahawks season ticket holder who joined a union after organizers helped him get a raise at a meatpacking plant in Iowa during the Great Depression also attended the Seahawks rally “Unions sometimes go to extremes, but they get good benefits for people. Players just want security.

Eventually, the NFL players’ strike ran out of steam: the union had made a tactical error by making free will the centerpiece of its public demands. Because most NFL players would not have careers lasting more than a few years, the rank-and-file workers who made up the majority of the league’s workforce had little incentive to continue striking. for the superstars who would benefit the most from free will. The superstars themselves also seemed eager to end the strike: Joe Montana and Eric Dickerson crossed the picket line in week three of the strike.

On October 18, 1987, a 10% capacity crowd in Detroit — a city hit as hard as any by the anti-union struggle — watched Seattle Seahawk Steve Largent shred the Lions scab from 261 yards. When the Seahawks regulars finally returned to the team the following week, union loyalists gave Largent the cold shoulder.

If there were more clarity between our sports and our politics, the 1987 NFL players’ strike would be a less stark reminder of the precarious conditions under which American workers have always worked. But professional sports remain the most public representation of organized labor in American popular culture, an enduring simulacrum of the job hazards, poor managerial behaviors and risky pay scales suffered by the working class on the obstacle course that has become survival. day by day. in the United States of the 21st century. For American workers, capitalism is both shark and water, biting individual workers with low wages and stressful work environments, while drowning the nation’s collective ability to imagine something better.

Seattle in the 1980s was a haven for up-and-coming companies, with Microsoft’s Bill Gates named “one of the 25 most intriguing people” in the country in People Magazine in 1983, and the Nordstrom family, who owned the Seahawks, raking in huge profits from their department stores in the area. After acquiring Starbucks when it had fewer than two dozen stores in 1987, Seattle businessman Howard Schultz dramatically expanded the company while fiercely fighting unions formed by struggling baristas. Within a decade, Starbucks operated 2,500 stores worldwide, on its way to becoming the world’s leading coffee behemoth.

Seattle today is a gleaming metropolis where the white-collar managerial class expects dependable service work from workers risking their health and safety during a pandemic. Starbucks baristas are the face of American labor unrest and are asking for the same support — to raise funds and direct actions — that the Seahawks received in 1987. exploitative newsrooms, nonprofits that pay paltry salaries and seemingly progressive politicians who suddenly turn conservative when their teams unionize.

As economists describe a ‘great resignation’ among workers weary from decades of stagnant wages, football is a brainless source of entertainment. But for a few short weeks in the fall of 1987, the grizzly gridiron game was something else: an exercise in solidarity.

Sources

1. (1987, October 3). “The replacement Seahawks will provide the effort, but what about the ability.” Seattle Post Intelligence2.

2a. (1987, September 27). “1,000 fans rally to bring the Seahawks back on strike.” Seattle weather1.

2b. (1987, October/November). “Distortions in NFL Owners’ Claims.” The Scanner/King County Labor News.

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to maintaining space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing viewpoints do not negate mutual respect among community members.

The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of Emerald or the official policies of Emerald.

Shaun Scott is a Seattle-based writer and organizer. A member of the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America and a member of the executive board of the Campaign Workers Guild, he is a former field organizer for Pramila Jayapal’s 2018 re-election campaign. He was Washington State’s field director for Bernie Sanders 2020. Shaun is the author of Millennials and the Moments That Made Us (Zero Books 2018).

📸 Featured Image: Photo by Brocreative/Shutterstock.com

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