The Writer's Life 7/31 - Divas

After the British Open there were a lot of stories about the positive effects of Tiger Woods being in contention, the rise in TV ratings being foremost. He remains popular despite his struggles to regain his former excellence and the fact that his behavior on and off the golf course has often been reprehensible. Regular folks forgive his sins in a way similar they do President Trump's. The difference is that the press fawns over Woods and excoriates Trump. It seems the media is desperate to present a positive role model for blacks, despite the fact that Woods has been a negative one outside of his phenomenal success on the course. This isn't the first time a celebrity has been given a no-look pass, and it won't be the last. As Phil Mushnick regularly points out in his column, sports owners have treated hip hop artists royally, even those whose lyrics are dubious at best.

Bryce Harper, an outfielder for the Washington Nationals, has a lifetime BA of .277 and has socked 125 homers in six plus seasons. This year he shows signs of slipping into Dave Kingman territory, at least offensively. His other skills are infinitely superior to what Kingman's were. Only 25, he is currently hitting .220, and has 25 homers, but has struck out 117 times. There has been much said about the plethora of K's in MLB in 2018. I recall reading in one of Bill James' stats books that he wasn't sure about the downside of whiffs, as they were preferable to hitting into a double play, a real rally-killer. Anyway, Harper will be a free agent after this season and he will probably receive one of the most lucrative contracts in history, despite the fact that he seems every bit the sourpuss Kingman was. Even if I were rich, I could never be a club owner. I would never be able to justify to myself the salaries many players receive. And anyone who didn't stand for the national anthem would be fined. Given the behavior of many athletes away from the arena, I sense many of those who don't stand are protesting for the right to be above the law.

My thanks to Herbie, who donated a Danielle Steel hardcover in pristine condition, and to Wolf, who bought an Eye for an Eye, a spy novel by Ben Coes; and to Mike, who purchased I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron, Once Upon a Time by Gloria Vanderbilt, and Paul Harvey's the Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt, published in 1977 and which highlights big moments in the legendary radio personality's career. Mike posed a question I was unable to answer: What's the difference between an autobio and a memoir? I googled it. According to Writer's Digest, the former focuses on the chronology of the writer's entire life while the latter covers one specific aspect of it.