Taking A Stand Against the Sport World's 'Turning a Blind Eye' to Physical Abuse

A friend of my recently wrote this letter and gave me permission to use it on social media.  It's a great read for those who love their women, daughters, nieces, granddaughters.  And who also love sports. Especially baseball.  Take a read and share

July 24, 2018

Mr. J. Natale

President  CEO

Rogers Communications Inc.

333 Bloor Street East

Toronto, OntarioM4W 1G9

Dear Mr. Natale

I'm writing to request that you review the Blue Jays' announced policy to essentially treat Roberto Osuna as if nothing had happened when he returns from his suspension.

I'm also writing as someone who owns Blue Jay season tickets that were originally purchased in 1977 and who attends 35 games a year and who is a long time subscriber of Rogers cable.

I will not re-articulate the argument against the Jay's policy since it was so effectively outlined in Marissa Stapley's July 14 opinion piece in the Globe.

I'm sure that Rogers and the Jays are following their HR policies, but I believe that in Mr. Osuna's case both need to be held to a higher, much higher, standard. Boys and young men see Mr. Osuna and his teammates as role models. You have the opportunity to impress on them that beating women is not acceptable. Please take that opportunity and not simply allow him to return as if he had not paid a few parking tickets.

Rogers should not allow John Gibbon's attitude that "I love the kid" and "I won't do anything to punish him" stand. He is not a kid. He is an adult employee of Rogers Communications and I find it hard to love, much less watch pitch, anyone who beats women. Nor should Ross Atkins' contention that "we are running a baseball team and our goal is to win championships" be allowed to stand. It would be a very hollow championship, if celebrating men who beat women is the price of winning it.

Rogers should turn its corporate presence and communications machine (including SportsNet) and the Blue Jays' visibility among boys and young men to send a very strong message that beating women is far, far from appropriate.

(Yes, I'm assuming his guilt based on the fact that it took nanoseconds for a restraining order to be issued; MLB took slightly longer, but suspended him and, as I understand it, he plans to plead guilty.)

I do not know yet how I will protest when I’m at a game if the Jays do not reverse their current position, but I do know that I will be switching my television service from Rogers to Bell should the Jays play Mr. Osuna before he is found innocent or if Rogers and the Jays do not do more, much more, than hang out a "Welcome back" sign, if he is found guilty. 

I will be equally angry at the criminal justice system if he is let off with "community service". This is not a man I want servicing my community until I know for sure that he is truly repentant, understands the seriousness of what he did and willingly speaks emphatically and frequently to boys and young men about the errors of his past ways.

I only met Ted Rogers a couple of times and then many years ago, but last night as I left the ROGERS Centre; walked past Ted ROGERS' statue and passed by the Ted ROGERS Centre for Heart Research, I could only wonder what Mr. Rogers would do to ensure it was clear to all boys, young men and even older ones that it was very, very wrong to beat women. 

Yours.

[Signed Bill S.]

cc:     Edward S. Rogers, Chairman, Toronto Blue Jays

         R. Brace, President, Rogers Media

            M. Shapiro, President and CEO, Toronto Blue Jays

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: THE MOVIE "42"

Four of us went to see the story of Jackie Robinson, the "legend", last night (opening night in our big city) based on the true story. The theater was very nicely filled but not packed. And the audience did clap at the end -- a rare occurrence these days. I found the movie starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford most engaging and with minor exceptions excellently presented. As a lover of baseball, it made my understanding of how the game has evolved at key times and helped mold our society and the role certain men (and women) played in that. It helped me understand why the number "42" is revered in our Rogers (SkyDome) Centre in Toronto and why on certain days all players wear it across the league. As always, change towards good for many often comes at the expense of the suffering of a few -- and sometimes only one. Which takes me to the overtones of Christianity in this movie -- from the Methodist religion of Robinson and the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to the comments about what Robinson has to suffer for others, and finally the closing song -- those of the Christian faith could easily identify the connections to what they believe.

I was surprised that the film did not tell us more about Robinson's life as a child and teenager except one passing reference that his father walked out on the family when he was six months old. We see or hear almost nothing of his mother(one friend reminded me that she is shown very briefly taking care of the baby when Jackie & Rachel were going away).  And no other members of the family are shown or referred to. I don't know what "baby" the director wanted to use in the film to portray the birth of Robinson's son, but in my opinion he certainly wasn't a "newborn" lying there in the hospital in his glass bassinet. Continuity was also questioned by this viewer when supposedly several weeks or months later, the mother is shown cuddling what appeared to be a much smaller bundle in her arms at one of Robinson's games.

If you can forgive those minor flaws as I did, you have a very meaningful and historical movie that is highly recommended and one that you can take the entire family too. There's much there for all of us and I hope there's an oscar or two there for the cast (Harrison Ford, Chadwick Boseman, and Nicole Beharie (who plays Mrs. Rachel Robinson) are so good in this movie.

At the end, we are told what actually happens (in real life) to the main characters. And needless to say, people get their just desserts -- the prime example being the coach of the Phillies at the time. He taunted Robinson the most. A year later he was fired and never rehired again by anyone. Others who couldn't accept the change kept getting sent to "Pittsburgh" and I wouldn't be surprised if "going to Pittsburgh" becomes a phrase which means being "sent to the worse place possible" once this movie gets seen by many.

Finally the friendship of Pee Wee Reese, a Christian, is shown clearly in the movie and Mr. Reese has a story of his own that is also most interesting and worth checking out on the internet. He died in 1984; Robinson in 1972. See the movie with your kids -- the best history lesson they'll get. In one scene, one young boy at the game is a real fan (with his dad) of Pee Wee Reese. Then he hears his dad calling out racial slurs at Robinson and booing him. The kid wants to be like his dad and joins in. Then there's this great scene with Pee Wee Reese and the child is caught in a dilemma -- his hero, Reese, has just embraced the black Robinson which his father abhors. If nothing else, it points out how our children and grandchildren model us.

See the movie. You won't regret it.


You can watch the trailer of the movie here.

[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

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For Our Baseball Fans Out There - Here's a Story About the World Series Umps and Their Faith

When you're watching the rest of the Series -- think of what some of these men who make the calls have to decide and what they go through. Then remember how some of them handle the pressure through their faith. It's a heart-warming article.

Baptist Press - These World Series umps have seen Christ change lives - News with a Christian Perspective


[Are you looking for a speaker at your church, your club, school, or organization? Ken is available to preach, teach, challenge, and/or motivate. Please contact us.]

Thanks for dropping by. Sign up to receive free updates. We bring you relevant information from all sorts of sources. Subscribe for free to this blog or follow us by clicking on the appropriate link in the right side bar. And please share this blog with your friends. Ken Godevenos, Church and Management Consultant, Accord Consulting.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.