Some Sports and Political Comments

I'm currently watching a Mexican Liga MX (premier league) soccer game between my team, the Universidad Autonoma de Nueva Leon Tigres, and Club America...a regular season rematch of the championship finale that took place last month and which gave the Tigres an exciting, come-from-behind win on the penalty shoot-out. Right now the Tigres are in the lead 2-1 at halftime, and I am very impressed by the accurate passing and intensity of play by both teams.  Earlier today I saw the ending to an English Premier League match between Stoke City and Manchester United.  Stoke City was almost assured a 1-0 win when, with only a minute or two to go, they fouled Manchester United, whose star striker Wayne Rooney then directly scored on a distant free kick.  That impressive, improbable goal gave him the all-time record for career goals with that club.  So I've been enjoying this day off watching some good pro soccer.  And then there's what is going on in the news...

All across the country...and the world, for that matter...there are mass demonstrations protesting the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency...most of them are focused on this individual's alleged abusive behavior toward women and his many disparaging, sexist public statements...even during the presidential campaign.  And this Republican Congress has apparently decided to do just what they accused the Democrats in 2009 of doing when they held the Presidency and both Houses of Congress: ram through a whole slew of controversial, divisive legislation without any efforts to reach across the aisle to form a consensus.  As I recall, nationwide there was a strong negative reaction eight years ago...in the form of the Tea Party Movement...and the Republicans took back the House of Representatives in the following year's elections.  I see something similar again happening this time around, with only the party names switched...

On Monday the U.S. Senate should be holding floor confirmation votes for some positions...the most controversial is for Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon-Mobile CEO who has been called to task for defying American sanctions against Russia and negotiating a lucrative deal with that country for his company.  Republican Florida senator Marco Rubio garnered my respect for pointing out the atrocities committed under the watch of Vladimir Putin and for criticizing Tillerson during the committee hearing last week...I wonder whether he will stick to his principles and vote "no" on Monday...or wimp out and go along with his party, as I suspect he will do in the end...

And I couldn't finish this article without mentioning the two National Football League conference championship games taking place tomorrow.  The National Conference title game pits Green Bay at Atlanta while in the American Conference New England hosts Pittsburgh.   I like both the Falcons and Packers...I just hope it's a close, entertaining game like that great Green Bay win over Dallas last week.  In the other contest, I'm going to figuratively hold my nose for three hours and pull for the Steelers, a team that I almost always oppose...but they're playing the Patriots, featuring the Sith Lord and Darth Vader in the persons of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, respectively.  Another Patriots Super Bowl win is simply unacceptable to me...