The Way It Iz

Sports has come a long way. Athletes are no longer seen as these specimens of infallible physical perfection. Gone are the days of Michael Jordan scoring 38 points in the NBA Finals with the flu, or Kerri Strug attempting the vault in the 1996 Olympics and earning a gold medal, or Curt Schilling pitching Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series on a torn tendon in his ankle. Athletes are now seen as they always should have been: human.

This past week, one of the most consequential events regarding Jews in sports occurred. Jacob Steinmetz, the 6’5” 220-pound right-handed pitcher was the first known practicing Orthodox Jewish player to be drafted into the Major Leagues. Steinmetz went 77^th overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and has the potential to be the first frum big leaguer. So, let’s take a few moments to determine Steinmetz’s chance at making the majors and what this means for the future of Jews in sports.

Amid growing outrage over Ben and Jerry’s decision to halt all business in Judea and Samaria, the America’s largest township took action. Last Thursday, the Town of Hempstead became the first to prohibit any future business with not only the famous ice cream brand, but also with its parent company, Unilever. Flanked by a bipartisan coalition, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin made the announcement ending business relations with Unilever. This decision follows a 2016 law that prohibited the town government from conducting business with anyone that openly boycotts America or its allies, including Israel.

 You have probably heard about Critical Race Theory (CRT) by now. You have probably been scared into thinking that it’s going to take over the education system, the legal system, and all of public discord - but the truth is that the real damage caused by CRT is being ignored by almost every pundit who brings it up. Before going there, however, it’s important to identify just what CRT is and what it isn’t.

Over the last few months, Conservatives have had a few rallying cries. There was pushback against BLM (the organization), followed by the opposition to Critical Race Theory. But the granddaddy of all Conservative rallying cries has been “Cancel Culture.” For those out there who just pushed that giant boulder out of the opening of the hole they have been crammed into for the last five years, Cancel Culture is the practice of a public rejection of an individual or group of people based on the socially or morally unaccepted view or action. A person may lose their career, company, sponsorships, opportunities, or social standing based on a position they hold, an action they took, or even an ill-advised tweet they sent.

The best sporting event on the calendar is finally happening: We are mere weeks away from the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. As we near the end of the pandemic, and sports begin to return to normal, it looks like the world will be able to witness perhaps the purest form of sport the world has to offer.