O’Donnell: Flanders Fields puts a Wrigley Field All-Star Game in perspective
THE GRAY-HAIRED FELLOW WAS ONCE a high school second baseman with a determined spirit but weak bat.
He later missed Vietnam only because a fortunate opening put him in a Naval Reserve unit.
Friday morning, in his role with a local American Legion post, he stood outside an Ace Hardware store selling poppies.
The tradition of the poppy — especially red poppies — as a remembrance of military sacrifice goes back to World War I and Canadian doctor Lt. Col. John McCrae's short, evocative “In Flanders Fields.”
The flowers mean so much to some. And are overlooked or forgotten by so many.
ON A MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND with the nation on an uncharted new slope, they are a reminder of faint, cautionary hue.
Sports come and go. In more noble quarters, the pursuit of honor endures.
Hate the war, honor the warrior, the poppy seller said.
He knew. Some were still listening.
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THE REST IS DOWNFIELD with a holiday scroll of selected Ins and Outs on the passing athletics cavalcade:
In — The Cubs possibly being awarded the 2027 All-Star Game — Great, yet another laurel for the Ricketts family and their faithful, blue-ivy fan base. … So what if the safety tab begins around $30M and is certain to rise in the interim like a Pete Crow-Armstrong home run? … An iconic ballpark, a well-buffed slice of city life as America once knew it and cause for countless rounds of strange brew up and down North Clark Avenue. … Hey-Hey!
Out — The 2027 All-Star Game actually being played at Wrigley Field — Oh brother — it can't happen here. … Weigh the risk/reward. … Nonsensical, elitist-friendly pricing, traffic diversions that would challenge the control tower staff at O'Hare on Thanksgiving Eve and a once-magical event that has lost a whole lot of its juice. … Besides, aren't the White Sox a shoo-in to land the 2033 ASG — the 100th anniversary of the visionary newspaperman Arch Ward's inaugural, played at Comiskey Park?
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In — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — 1,000% deserving to be the NBA's newest MVP but SGA's selection begs the question: Will an American-born player ever win the award again? … The Thunder star is from Canada and the last six before him have gone to Nikola Jokic (3, Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2, Greece) and Joel Embiid (1, Cameroon). … James Harden (Rockets, 2018) was the last born in the U.S.A. and remains the most facially hirsute.
Out --- Wagering on the NBA — Chasing the NFL is hard but trying to beat the pro hoopers falls under the heading “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” … Even speculators who cashed on the Pacers over host NYK (minus-5½) Wednesday night had to feel like they were in a Stephen King novella. … IND trailed by 14 with 2:51 remaining, 9 with 41 seconds left and won outright in OT, 138-135. … That's cruel and unusual even on the most haunted betting app.
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In — Tracking the new business arc of the WNBA — Intriguing, since pastime engagement is in the buying habits of the beholder. … A league of their own, for sure, but will the operation ever fully escape its initial image as a summertime “tab for later?” … Ironic if the American women's pro game goes truly global before the NBA. … Still, the estimated value of franchises is soaring.
Out — Treatment of Sky season-ticket holders — At least as far as the two upcoming Caitlin Clark/Indiana Fever games at the United Center (June 7 and July 27) are concerned. … Some have been handed viewing perches inferior to their regular seats at Wintrust Arena and told if they don't like it, there's always buyers on the secondary market. … That's as warm and fuzzy as a ball screen by Kamilla Cardoso.
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In — The Belmont Day card at Saratoga — Two weekends away and with or without Journalism vs. Sovereignty in the main event, the matinee will be one of the three most impressive on the 2025 North American thoroughbred calendar. … Anyone with access to The June Spa Code Book is already circling one particular Preakness drop-in shortening into The Woody Stephens.
Out — Hawthorne Race Course — One of the most rabid gambling markets on the planet and this is what post-Arlington Park racing in Chicago has devolved into? … Some decent allowance-class runners still on the backstretch can't find races amid the swill that fill. … The Carey family's clear shot at a casino continues to waste away while the refreshed FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing (formerly Fairmount Park) in downstate Collinsville could be the last track racing in Illinois.
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.