Mitchell vs. Murray may be the headliner, but the Jazz-Nuggets series has been about much more

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, left, shoots the basketball against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, right, in Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | Kim Klement/Pool Photo via AP

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The NBA playoffs have mostly consisted of short series this year, but the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets have kept things interesting, providing the opening round with its first Game 7 to come on Tuesday.

So far there have been three 4-0 sweeps, two 4-1 results, a 4-2 finish by the Los Angeles Clippers over the Mavericks on Sunday, and a chance for the Houston Rockets, who lead the Oklahoma City Thunder, 3-2, to close out Monday night.

Leading up to the Jazz-Nuggets series, one of the most anticipated individual matchups in the first round was Rudy Gobert vs. Nikola Jokic. With the way things have played out, that matchup seems secondary at best to what has actually happened in the backcourt as the battle between Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray has become must-see TV.

The statlines through six games for the teams’ leading guards are impressive enough on their own. Mitchell is averaging 38.7 points per game while shooting 54.8% from the field, 55.4% from 3, and has scored 50 or more points twice during the series. Through six games, Murray is averaging 34 points while shooting 58.5% and 57.4% from deep. He also has two 50-point performances. But those numbers, while staggering, don’t tell the whole story.

Mitchell and Murray joined Allen Iverson as the only players in NBA history to have multiple 50-point showings in a single playoff series and they often have done so by going shot for shot, battling each other in what has seemed like the most performative one-on-one battle ever.

It is very easy to look back at Game 1, an overtime Jazz loss in which Murray and Mitchell traded buckets and Mitchell finished with 57 points only to come up short when Murray had an answer for everything the Jazz threw at him down the stretch, and think about this whole series being about Mitchell and Murray. That, however, would be a misrepresentation of how the series has actually played out.

Murray nearly disappeared in Games 2 and 3, taking just two 3-pointers in Game 2 and shooting 25% from beyond the arc in Game 3. The Jazz’s defense was taking care of business not just with Murray, but also with Jokic, who only had 15 points in Game 3. The Jazz were rebounding with strength, coming up with stops, and on the other end looked like a well-oiled machine.

Rather than rely on a 50-plus point performance from Mitchell, the Jazz’s blender was running, much to the dismay of Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who lamented the number of pick-and-rolls and drives that the Jazz had through the first three games.

Game 4 was a reminder of the shootout that happened in Game 1 with Murray and Mitchell both dropping a 50-piece as the Jazz eked by with a two-point win. Again, Murray and Mitchell were dazzling but the stories behind Mitchell were the contributions from his teammates, which only can be as large as they were with a certain amount of trust and movement.

Then the series shifted. To that point, the Jazz were completely outplaying the Nuggets, making their defense look weak while looking like the overall more talented team. In Games 5 and 6, the wheels fell off for the Jazz.

The thing is, the Nuggets have been in this position before. They are well versed in playing long playoff rounds and playing from behind, fighting for their lives through the back end of a series. It’s not a surprise they were able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and put together a heartfelt win.

From the Jazz’s point of view, the mental collapse that happened in the crucial moments of Game 5 were more concerning than anything the Nuggets were able to do. They failed to defend with effort on key possessions, passed up shots, and made mental errors that cost them the game. The hope was they would bounce back and close things out in Game 6, but the game seemed to get further away from the clean and precise Jazz basketball that was seen in the earlier games of the series.

The Nuggets were demoralized in the early going of the series but the Jazz have been equally embarrassed as Denver has tied things up 3-3 heading into Tuesday’s Game 7.

Before the series began, in a preview article I asked three questions: Will the Nuggets get Will Barton or Gary Harris back? Can the Jazz play 48 minutes of solid basketball? And, which team’s depth will have a bigger impact on the series?

Harris returned to the Nuggets’ lineup on Sunday, playing 20 minutes in his first game in nearly six months. While he only scored four points in the Nuggets’ win, he came up with two steals and gives the Nuggets a reliable perimeter defender who can bother the Jazz’s multiple ball-handling guards.

Whether Harris continues to come off the bench, or the Nuggets move Monte Morris back to make room for Harris in the starting lineup in Game 7 won’t matter too much. What does matter is the Nuggets, who were lousy at defending the Jazz on the wings to start the series, have flipped that around and now have another weapon to use in just that area.

The Jazz’s inconsistency through the course of a single game has been an issue. Mental errors in Game 1 and Game 5 could end up haunting them. But their inconsistency from game to game has become the bigger concern.

Rotations always become shorter in the playoffs and if there aren’t major injuries or foul trouble to contend with, depth can become an afterthought. It hasn’t necessarily been that the Jazz have a depth problem so much as the Jazz aren’t getting consistent contributions from their key players every night. Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale combined for just 10 points in Game 6. In the last four games, Ingles has scored 2, 0, 13, and 5 points respectively with four total made 3s during that stretch.

There’s no doubt that Mitchell and Murray have been the two best players on the court throughout the series and have put on a show with historic performances, but the series has been about more than that with the teams collectively collapsing and coming together at different points.

The Nuggets head into Game 7 with the momentum of the last two games, but the Jazz have the tools to make the Nuggets pay. The team that is able to play with the most consistency is likely the squad that will advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

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How code enforcement became a pawn in neighborhood disputes

Emergency responders arrive to a Roy neighborhood on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2020. | Mark Wetzel, Deseret News

Complaining about one’s neighbors arguably rivals baseball for the top spot as America’s pastime. But when a neighbor anonymously files a formal complaint, city resources can be wasted and city laws weaponized in simple neighborhood disputes.

Some municipalities will accept and investigate completely anonymous ordinance complaints — addressing things like overgrown lawns, aesthetic concerns and excessive noise. Residents reaching out about a perceived problem are not required, in these cases, to disclose their identity.

When anonymous complaints are accepted, the complaint process can be abused by people hoping to wage personal vendettas against their neighbors. With this level of anonymity, there’s no reason not to lodge complaints that are maliciously targeted or that are completely unfounded. Neighbors can repeatedly file frivolous complaints with no record, accountability or consequences.

Imagine that your neighbor across the street has never liked you. You disagree about politics, and they’ve said some disparaging things about your parenting methods. Perhaps one day you have a disagreement and your neighbor leaves in a huff. In some scenarios, that would be the end of it. However, if your neighbor is especially motivated and if your city accepts anonymous complaints, your neighbor could call the city every other day with a new complaint which they have either completely fabricated or merely exaggerated.

These anonymous complaints are problematic. At best, they create inefficiencies in the use of taxpayer dollars and police time, but at their worst, they can facilitate corruption and weaponize law enforcement inappropriately against a resident. Consequently, anonymous complaints against residential property owners should be banned.

The most common objection to doing away with anonymous complaints is the idea that reporting the name of a complainant could provoke a negative reaction and unintentionally facilitate neighborhood disputes. Where that concern may be valid, cities can still collect names, but not necessarily make them public. In these cases complaints need not be anonymous, only confidential — part of a private record not subject to open records requests.

At first glance, this may seem to defeat the point of collecting this information; if no one ever sees the names, why collect them? Even without making any information public, the requirement to record names when complaints are filed still furthers the goal of a transparent, efficient and objective government in several ways.

The process of collecting identifying information creates a sense of accountability for the complainant. If a person knows that when calling to file a complaint they will have to give their name and contact information, the experience is altered. The complainant is forced to consider whether they want to ever be accountable for the complaint. One must consider whether they are sufficiently concerned about the complaint to potentially testify on the issue if it were to escalate into a court hearing. As a result, the inherent accountability created by identification will naturally subdue frivolous complaints. When filing a legitimate complaint, this process should have no impact.

Identifying complainants also makes assessing and addressing complaints easier. Without recording the identity of complainants, it is impossible to determine the credibility of a complaint or conduct any follow up. Collecting names enables officers to identify patterns, whether it be connecting the dots between the dozens of complaints by an overly annoyed resident or identifying an actual neighborhood problem that needs to be addressed. Without anonymous ordinance complaints, code enforcement officers wouldn’t be forced to investigate complaints that can obviously be deemed unfounded or malicious.

With no record of who is making complaints, even government employees can hide behind an anonymous complaint to go after a resident whom they dislike. If they are required to record a name with a complaint, the process cannot be used as easily by those who wish to operate in the shadows.

Banning anonymous complaints is not an earth-shattering change. In fact, some cities already require names to be reported when complaints are filed. This simple procedural requirement will preemptively promote a responsible use of government resources and a system of transparency and accountability. It’s time for anonymous ordinance complaints to be done away with.

Aerin Christensen is the local government policy analyst with Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah.

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How code enforcement became a pawn in neighborhood disputes

Emergency responders arrive to a Roy neighborhood on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2020. | Mark Wetzel, Deseret News

Complaining about one’s neighbors arguably rivals baseball for the top spot as America’s pastime. But when a neighbor anonymously files a formal complaint, city resources can be wasted and city laws weaponized in simple neighborhood disputes.

Some municipalities will accept and investigate completely anonymous ordinance complaints — addressing things like overgrown lawns, aesthetic concerns and excessive noise. Residents reaching out about a perceived problem are not required, in these cases, to disclose their identity.

When anonymous complaints are accepted, the complaint process can be abused by people hoping to wage personal vendettas against their neighbors. With this level of anonymity, there’s no reason not to lodge complaints that are maliciously targeted or that are completely unfounded. Neighbors can repeatedly file frivolous complaints with no record, accountability or consequences.

Imagine that your neighbor across the street has never liked you. You disagree about politics, and they’ve said some disparaging things about your parenting methods. Perhaps one day you have a disagreement and your neighbor leaves in a huff. In some scenarios, that would be the end of it. However, if your neighbor is especially motivated and if your city accepts anonymous complaints, your neighbor could call the city every other day with a new complaint which they have either completely fabricated or merely exaggerated.

These anonymous complaints are problematic. At best, they create inefficiencies in the use of taxpayer dollars and police time, but at their worst, they can facilitate corruption and weaponize law enforcement inappropriately against a resident. Consequently, anonymous complaints against residential property owners should be banned.

The most common objection to doing away with anonymous complaints is the idea that reporting the name of a complainant could provoke a negative reaction and unintentionally facilitate neighborhood disputes. Where that concern may be valid, cities can still collect names, but not necessarily make them public. In these cases complaints need not be anonymous, only confidential — part of a private record not subject to open records requests.

At first glance, this may seem to defeat the point of collecting this information; if no one ever sees the names, why collect them? Even without making any information public, the requirement to record names when complaints are filed still furthers the goal of a transparent, efficient and objective government in several ways.

The process of collecting identifying information creates a sense of accountability for the complainant. If a person knows that when calling to file a complaint they will have to give their name and contact information, the experience is altered. The complainant is forced to consider whether they want to ever be accountable for the complaint. One must consider whether they are sufficiently concerned about the complaint to potentially testify on the issue if it were to escalate into a court hearing. As a result, the inherent accountability created by identification will naturally subdue frivolous complaints. When filing a legitimate complaint, this process should have no impact.

Identifying complainants also makes assessing and addressing complaints easier. Without recording the identity of complainants, it is impossible to determine the credibility of a complaint or conduct any follow up. Collecting names enables officers to identify patterns, whether it be connecting the dots between the dozens of complaints by an overly annoyed resident or identifying an actual neighborhood problem that needs to be addressed. Without anonymous ordinance complaints, code enforcement officers wouldn’t be forced to investigate complaints that can obviously be deemed unfounded or malicious.

With no record of who is making complaints, even government employees can hide behind an anonymous complaint to go after a resident whom they dislike. If they are required to record a name with a complaint, the process cannot be used as easily by those who wish to operate in the shadows.

Banning anonymous complaints is not an earth-shattering change. In fact, some cities already require names to be reported when complaints are filed. This simple procedural requirement will preemptively promote a responsible use of government resources and a system of transparency and accountability. It’s time for anonymous ordinance complaints to be done away with.

Aerin Christensen is the local government policy analyst with Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah.

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GOP Convention sold immigration ideals Trump doesn’t buy or believe

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. | Evan Vucci, Associated Press

A lineup of immigrant speakers painted one picture of Trump’s America at the Republican National Convention, all while Trump’s track record on immigration portrays another.

In an election environment usually geared toward the future, last week’s Republican National Convention instead obsessed with revisionist history. A lineup of immigrant speakers painted one picture of Trump’s America, all while Trump’s track record on immigration portrays another.

The RNC had no shortage of heartfelt speeches from immigrants. First lady Melania Trump delivered a stirring address, making us wonder why we don’t hear more from her. Identifying first as “an immigrant and a very independent woman,” she shined a spotlight on our nation’s immigrants that lingered throughout the rest of the convention.

She was followed by Maximo Alvarez, who fled Castro’s Cuba and gave an impassioned speech on the goodness of America. “If I gave away everything I have today, it would not equal 1% of what I was given when I came to this great country of ours: the gift of freedom,” he said.

While both Melania Trump’s and Alvarez’s words were stirring — and their firsthand experience irrefutable — it’s hard to reconcile their version of the American dream with the reality of Trump’s America. Had, say, Alvarez fled Cuba today, not in 1961, would he still be praising the American ideal? Or would he have been turned away?

The truth is that Trump’s tough-on-illegal-immigration platform has spiraled into something altogether different. What began as campaign trail promises to bolster border security and a string of “Muslim bans” upon taking office spiraled into expanded crackdowns on refugee admissions, work visas and family unifications. By early next year, legal immigration will be half of what it was when Trump was elected.

Asylum-seekers, including Cubans like Alvarez, are being turned away and deported at record numbers. During fiscal year 2019, over 25,000 Cuban asylees were threatened with deportation. Had Alvarez ventured to the U.S. under the Trump administration, he may have never found a home.

And it isn’t just Cubans who struggle to find a place here — religious exiles are being turned away at record highs, too. A recent report from World Relief and Open Doors USA found that the United States has drastically reduced the number of Christian refugees it accepts from countries where they face extreme persecution. If the current rate persists, the U.S. will admit 90% fewer Christian refugees during fiscal year 2020 than it did in 2015.

Though a fraction of the deduction was caused by COVID-19 restrictions, much — in fact, most — is a result of administrative action long before lockdowns and travel restrictions were in place. Refugee resettlement in the United States has plummeted under the Trump administration, and those escaping religious oppression are not exempt — Christian refugee resettlement in the first three years combined under Trump is eclipsed by fiscal year 2016 alone.

Even skilled migrant workers — like Melania Trump, when she came from Slovenia — are finding it more difficult to work in the United States. An executive order signed earlier this year significantly cut down on H-1B visas, the same visa Mrs. Trump used to legally reside and work in the United States in the 1990s. Trump’s efforts to limit foreign workers is out of step with many even within his party, like Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee.

While Melania Trump and Maximo Alvarez stand as impressive models of what America can be, their stories show a stark contrast to the immigrants seeking refuge in Trump’s America. Even the five people who were granted citizenship by Trump on Tuesday make up a blatant minority — and seem to be poster children for a reality that isn’t nearly as pompous. Backlogs in the naturalization interview process will prohibit over 300,000 people (and 1,400 in Utah) from gaining citizenship before November’s election, meaning they will be unable to vote.

“It’s not so easy. You went through a lot,” Trump told those five new citizens, a compassionate statement from a characteristically transactional president. But in giving perhaps the closest thing to a truthful assessment of the American immigration system heard all week, Trump hinted at what American voters deserved to hear at the convention: the somber stories of current immigrants in Trump’s America.

Email: sbenson@deseretnews.com

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Northern Utah man charged in campsite stabbing in Cache County

Adobe Stock image

SALT LAKE CITY — A Logan man accused of stabbing another man at a camp in Cache County last week is facing numerous charges.

Ronald Daniel Nalepa, 39, was charged Monday in 1st District Court with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; failing to stop at the command of police, a third-degree felony; using a weapon during a fight, DUI and failing to stop for police, both class A misdemeanors; carrying a weapon while under the influence and reckless driving, both class B misdemeanors; intoxication, a class C misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, an infraction.

On Wednesday, Nalepa allegedly stabbed Jesse Kaufman, 31, in Millville Canyon, according to the Cache County Sheriff’s Office. Kaufman’s family drove him to a gas station in NIbley and called 911.

“A tourniquet was applied by responders to stop the bleeding which was life-threatening,” according to a police affidavit.

Kaufman was taken by ambulance to Logan Regional Hospital and then flown by medical helicopter to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.

A Utah Highway Patrol trooper and a Logan police officer spotted Nalepa’s truck on U.S. 89 near Wellsville and attempted to pull him over, but he “fled at a high rate of speed, committing numerous traffic offenses such as running stop signs, jumping curbs and driving with a complete and total disregard for public safety,” the affidavit states.

The chase ended in Logan when Nalepa drove to the home of his estranged wife, according to the affidavit.

“Once there, he exited the vehicle with his hands up, however (he) totally disregarded verbal commands given for him to surrender as he walked toward the doorway, intent on seeing his wife,” according to the affidavit.

Logan police officers tackled Nalepa, who was carrying a knife in his pocket, the affidavit states.

After he was arrested, Nalepa “admitted to consuming a great deal of alcohol at the campsite. ...Witnesses reported Ronald had been angry, loud and upset in his intoxicated state, and causing commotion. Ronald admitted to arguing with (Kaufman) and then getting so angry that he pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed him,” according to the affidavit.

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Analyzing the third week of the high school football season | Deseret News Rewind

Deseret News Rewind’s Dusty Litster and Dane Stewart recap the main storylines from the third week of the 2020 Utah high school football season.

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Sarah Jane Weaver: What I learned from a child in Manaus about temples, faith and sacrifice

The steeple of the Manaus Brazil Temple, dedicated June 10 by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, can be see from the banks of the Rio Negro River in Manaus, Brazil. Photo by Sarah Jane Weaver | Sarah Jane Weaver https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2020-08-31/manaus-brazil-rio-negro-rio-solimoes-sacrifice-191742

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Don’t have Netflix? Now you can watch these movies and episodes of shows like ‘Stranger Things’ for free

This Aug. 13, 2020, photo shows a logo for Netflix on a remote control in Portland, Ore. | AP

Netflix is now offering movies like ‘The Two Popes’ and ‘Bird Box,’ as well as the first episodes of series like ‘Stranger Things,’ for free to non-subscribers

Netflix is offering a sneak peek of some of its original content to non-subscribers — for free.

The streaming service has launched a new site, which offers select movies and first episodes of television series for free, according to Variety.

Movies will include the Oscar nominated film “The Two Popes” and the Sandra Bullock film “Bird Box,” according to Entertainment Weekly. Television series like “Stranger Things” and “Love Is Blind,” as well as Ava DuVernay’s miniseries “When They See Us,” will also be featured.

“We’re looking at different marketing promotions to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience,” a spokesperson for Netflix told Fox News.

These are all of the films and series that will be available for free, according to The Verge:

• “Bird Box”
• “The Boss Baby: Back In Business”
• “Elite”
• “Grace and Frankie”
• “Love is Blind”
• “Murder Mystery”
• “Our Planet”
• “Stranger Things”
• “The Two Popes”
• “When They See Us”

However, Netflix said that “the selection may change from time to time,” according to Variety.

Each movie or episode will be preceded by a thirty-second ad, which viewers can skip, and will only be available to watch on desktop or Android web browsers, according to Fox.

The new site can be found at Netflix.com/watch-free.

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Salt Lake woman charged with shaking 1-year-old, leaving baby blind

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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake woman was charged Monday with violently shaking her 1-year-old daughter, causing a severe brain injury and blindness.

Sabrina Ewer, 21, is charged in 3rd District Court with five counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Doctors at Primary Children’s Hospital notified police of the possible abuse on Aug. 21 after they discovered “excess spinal fluid pushing on (the girl’s) brain, which was compressing the brain to a flattened state, and which had to be drained by neurosurgeons to relieve the pressure on the baby’s brain,” according to charging documents.

The baby also had two fractured ribs that likely resulted “from violent squeezing of the baby’s chest,” the charges state, as well as bruising and swelling of her eyes “likely caused by a severe blow to the baby’s forehead.”

The infant also had retina damage in both eyes, which left her “functionally blind and is likely to remain without sight for an extended period of time,” according to the charges.

Doctors believe the injuries occurred on either Aug. 13 or 14.

When interviewed by police, Ewer admitted to having a “breakdown” because her daughter was fussy and wouldn’t stop crying. She said she first held the girl in a cradle position and swung her “way too fast,” the charges say. She then allegedly clenched her hands around the baby’s rib cage and “shook (her) back and forth repeatedly.”

A $500,000 arrest warrant was issued Monday. If she is able to make bail, prosecutors have requested that Ewer be forced to wear an ankle monitor, have no internet access and no contact with children.

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Salt Lake woman charged with shaking 1-year-old, leaving baby blind

Adobe Stock image

SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake woman was charged Monday with violently shaking her 1-year-old daughter, causing a severe brain injury and blindness.

Sabrina Ewer, 21, is charged in 3rd District Court with five counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Doctors at Primary Children’s Hospital notified police of the possible abuse on Aug. 21 after they discovered “excess spinal fluid pushing on (the girl’s) brain, which was compressing the brain to a flattened state, and which had to be drained by neurosurgeons to relieve the pressure on the baby’s brain,” according to charging documents.

The baby also had two fractured ribs that likely resulted “from violent squeezing of the baby’s chest,” the charges state, as well as bruising and swelling of her eyes “likely caused by a severe blow to the baby’s forehead.”

The infant also had retina damage in both eyes, which left her “functionally blind and is likely to remain without sight for an extended period of time,” according to the charges.

Doctors believe the injuries occurred on either Aug. 13 or 14.

When interviewed by police, Ewer admitted to having a “breakdown” because her daughter was fussy and wouldn’t stop crying. She said she first held the girl in a cradle position and swung her “way too fast,” the charges say. She then allegedly clenched her hands around the baby’s rib cage and “shook (her) back and forth repeatedly.”

A $500,000 arrest warrant was issued Monday. If she is able to make bail, prosecutors have requested that Ewer be forced to wear an ankle monitor, have no internet access and no contact with children.

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Kyle Beckerman excited for new ownership for Real Salt Lake, hoping for someone ‘who truly wants to win’

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman (5) works to control the ball as as Real Salt Lake and Los Angelees FC play at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. LA won 2-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake’s captain said Dell Loy Hansen usually seemed more concerned about money than trying to build a winner

SANDY — Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman didn’t come out and say that Dell Loy Hansen was a bad owner, but read between the lines and that’s exactly what he meant during a Zoom call with the reporters Monday.

“It’s pretty known around the league who’s got owners who want to win and who has owners who don’t. I think that’s something we’re pretty excited about, is getting an owner in here who wants to win, and it isn’t just about money,” said Beckerman. “The future is extremely bright for this club, we’ve got all the infrastructure in place, and now to get an owner who truly wants to win would be something real positive for this club going forward.”

“It’s pretty known around the league who’s got owners who want to win and who has owners who don’t. I think that’s something we’re pretty excited about, is getting an owner in here who wants to win, and it isn’t just about money.” — RSL’s Kyle Beckerman

Hansen announced Sunday his intentions to sell the team after the events of last week and reports of alleged racial comments in the past, and it sounds like RSL’s players are excited for the change.

“The difference between winning and losing is very slim, and when you’re going against teams (and) their owner is doing all the little things to help them win, and then you come to game time and it’s a game of inches or a little thing here or there, all those little things that your owner can do to help out, it definitely pushes you and helps you win games,” said Beckerman.

He believes improved commitment from a new owner in all facets can have a big impact moving forward.

“I think a new owner can bring a lot of energy and a lot of positive stuff to this club we’re all looking forward to,” said Beckerman.

RSL’s payroll of base salaries in 2019 was $10.4 million according to the MLS Players Union, which ranked 13th out of 24 teams in MLS.

Beckerman acknowledges that part of Hansen’s reluctance to spend more money on player salaries has a lot to do with the timing of his ownership. He became minority owner back in 2009, a month before RSL won its lone championship.

Then, in 2013, when he became sole owner of the team, RSL advanced to the MLS Cup before losing to Sporting Kansas City in penalty kicks.

“It’s probably hard for him not to think this is easy. It’s like all right, ‘I can win,’ when he didn’t really know what that meant and how much hard work it takes to win,” said Beckerman. “When you get that so early in his time here, I think that search to go do whatever you need for the players and the club to win goes out the window, and it becomes about how can I save money, how can I make money, when ultimately I think it all goes hand in hand. If you win you you’re going to make money. When that’s not the focus, it really puts a strain on the team.”

Beckerman said those type of situations are the things players have had to deal with for the past seven years, but because of the work ethic and commitment from the players they’ve avoided hitting rock bottom and kept improving over the past three and four years.

Hansen built his fortune through real estate, and many fans grew frustrated through the years that it seemed he was more interested in upgrading the facilities of Rio Tinto Stadium than upgrading the roster with bigger signings.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen talks to the media about front office staff changes during a press conference at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019.

Despite everything that’s gone on the past week with the team, Beckerman said the energy around the team is great after the 4-4 come-from-behind draw against Portland last week and heading into this Wednesday’s home match against Seattle.

“I just want to get back to playing soccer and getting this community feeling good about Real Salt Lake again,” said Beckerman.

Hansen issued a written apology to the coaches and players on Sunday in addition to his general statement to the public.

RSL coach Freddy Juarez said he accepts the apology, and hopes Hansen means it.

“Who am I to judge? Dell Loy has been good to me. I’m not here to judge him, I hope he means it. … I can’t tell you if he does or doesn’t, but I hope he does. It would be nice if at some point he individually talks to the players, but I don’t know legal things and how they choose to advise you on doing that stuff,” said Juarez.

Asked the qualities he would hope for in a new owner, Juarez said passionate and supportive.

He acknowledges that being a small-market franchise, a big part of RSL’s identity regardless of the ownership change will likely still be building the team through the RSL Academy and not going out and spending recklessly.

“I know that’s part of our identity, so I’m not saying the next owner has to come in and buy 20 players,” said Juarez.

At the same time, when opportunities arise he hopes spending can bridge that gap. Juarez said holes in the roster will inevitably emerge, and sometimes the academy doesn’t have someone ready to fill that gap. Those are times when he hopes new ownership will be willing to invest in those positions.

He hopes more money can be invested in the technical staff and other areas to keep up with where the soccer world is going.

“We come everyday to play because we love the game, I love to coach the game, but we also come because we can’t wait to play in front of the fans, and the fans deserve the best that we can give them to be honest,” said Juarez.

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Kyle Beckerman excited for new ownership for Real Salt Lake, hoping for someone ‘who truly wants to win’

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman (5) works to control the ball as as Real Salt Lake and Los Angelees FC play at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. LA won 2-0. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake’s captain said Dell Loy Hansen usually seemed more concerned about money than trying to build a winner

SANDY — Real Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman didn’t come out and say that Dell Loy Hansen was a bad owner, but read between the lines and that’s exactly what he meant during a Zoom call with the reporters Monday.

“It’s pretty known around the league who’s got owners who want to win and who has owners who don’t. I think that’s something we’re pretty excited about, is getting an owner in here who wants to win, and it isn’t just about money,” said Beckerman. “The future is extremely bright for this club, we’ve got all the infrastructure in place, and now to get an owner who truly wants to win would be something real positive for this club going forward.”

“It’s pretty known around the league who’s got owners who want to win and who has owners who don’t. I think that’s something we’re pretty excited about, is getting an owner in here who wants to win, and it isn’t just about money.” — RSL’s Kyle Beckerman

Hansen announced Sunday his intentions to sell the team after the events of last week and reports of alleged racial comments in the past, and it sounds like RSL’s players are excited for the change.

“The difference between winning and losing is very slim, and when you’re going against teams (and) their owner is doing all the little things to help them win, and then you come to game time and it’s a game of inches or a little thing here or there, all those little things that your owner can do to help out, it definitely pushes you and helps you win games,” said Beckerman.

He believes improved commitment from a new owner in all facets can have a big impact moving forward.

“I think a new owner can bring a lot of energy and a lot of positive stuff to this club we’re all looking forward to,” said Beckerman.

RSL’s payroll of base salaries in 2019 was $10.4 million according to the MLS Players Union, which ranked 13th out of 24 teams in MLS.

Beckerman acknowledges that part of Hansen’s reluctance to spend more money on player salaries has a lot to do with the timing of his ownership. He became minority owner back in 2009, a month before RSL won its lone championship.

Then, in 2013, when he became sole owner of the team, RSL advanced to the MLS Cup before losing to Sporting Kansas City in penalty kicks.

“It’s probably hard for him not to think this is easy. It’s like all right, ‘I can win,’ when he didn’t really know what that meant and how much hard work it takes to win,” said Beckerman. “When you get that so early in his time here, I think that search to go do whatever you need for the players and the club to win goes out the window, and it becomes about how can I save money, how can I make money, when ultimately I think it all goes hand in hand. If you win you you’re going to make money. When that’s not the focus, it really puts a strain on the team.”

Beckerman said those type of situations are the things players have had to deal with for the past seven years, but because of the work ethic and commitment from the players they’ve avoided hitting rock bottom and kept improving over the past three and four years.

Hansen built his fortune through real estate, and many fans grew frustrated through the years that it seemed he was more interested in upgrading the facilities of Rio Tinto Stadium than upgrading the roster with bigger signings.

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake owner Dell Loy Hansen talks to the media about front office staff changes during a press conference at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019.

Despite everything that’s gone on the past week with the team, Beckerman said the energy around the team is great after the 4-4 come-from-behind draw against Portland last week and heading into this Wednesday’s home match against Seattle.

“I just want to get back to playing soccer and getting this community feeling good about Real Salt Lake again,” said Beckerman.

Hansen issued a written apology to the coaches and players on Sunday in addition to his general statement to the public.

RSL coach Freddy Juarez said he accepts the apology, and hopes Hansen means it.

“Who am I to judge? Dell Loy has been good to me. I’m not here to judge him, I hope he means it. … I can’t tell you if he does or doesn’t, but I hope he does. It would be nice if at some point he individually talks to the players, but I don’t know legal things and how they choose to advise you on doing that stuff,” said Juarez.

Asked the qualities he would hope for in a new owner, Juarez said passionate and supportive.

He acknowledges that being a small-market franchise, a big part of RSL’s identity regardless of the ownership change will likely still be building the team through the RSL Academy and not going out and spending recklessly.

“I know that’s part of our identity, so I’m not saying the next owner has to come in and buy 20 players,” said Juarez.

At the same time, when opportunities arise he hopes spending can bridge that gap. Juarez said holes in the roster will inevitably emerge, and sometimes the academy doesn’t have someone ready to fill that gap. Those are times when he hopes new ownership will be willing to invest in those positions.

He hopes more money can be invested in the technical staff and other areas to keep up with where the soccer world is going.

“We come everyday to play because we love the game, I love to coach the game, but we also come because we can’t wait to play in front of the fans, and the fans deserve the best that we can give them to be honest,” said Juarez.

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Letter: The NBA is losing fans, not sparking change

An empty court and bench are shown following the scheduled start time of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | Associated Press

I do not support abuse of anyone by a police officer. Once in a while it happens. In most cases, however, when the facts are known, the shooting victim did something that threatened the life or safety of a police officer or the public. We cannot expect a police officer not to react in those cases, with the intent being to stop the threat. Defunding the police force, or forcing officers to quit because of lack of support and legal protection, will result in anarchy, which will result in many more deaths and no one to investigate them.

I do not support efforts of professional athletes who publicly demonstrate by walkout or other means to try to influence actions against police departments. These actions are largely ineffective and punish their employers who are not involved in the issue.

If they do succeed, the resulting anarchy will put them out of business because no one will attend their games. Under any conditions, they offend many of their fans who do not share their views. They need to take care that they don’t kill the goose that lays their golden eggs.

Harry Haycock

Centerville

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Letter: The NBA is losing fans, not sparking change

An empty court and bench are shown following the scheduled start time of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. | Associated Press

I do not support abuse of anyone by a police officer. Once in a while it happens. In most cases, however, when the facts are known, the shooting victim did something that threatened the life or safety of a police officer or the public. We cannot expect a police officer not to react in those cases, with the intent being to stop the threat. Defunding the police force, or forcing officers to quit because of lack of support and legal protection, will result in anarchy, which will result in many more deaths and no one to investigate them.

I do not support efforts of professional athletes who publicly demonstrate by walkout or other means to try to influence actions against police departments. These actions are largely ineffective and punish their employers who are not involved in the issue.

If they do succeed, the resulting anarchy will put them out of business because no one will attend their games. Under any conditions, they offend many of their fans who do not share their views. They need to take care that they don’t kill the goose that lays their golden eggs.

Harry Haycock

Centerville

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What legendary coach Vince Lombardi can teach about fighting racism

Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is carried off the field after his team defeated the Oakland Raiders 33 to 14 in the Super Bowl II game in Miami, Fla. on Jan. 14, 1968. | Associated Press

Vince Lombardi was a legendary football coach who is remembered for his refusal to tolerate losing. In fact, what most people remember about Lombardi is his famous quote: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” But it is clear from the way he ran his football team that there was something more important to him than winning, and that was treating everyone equally, regardless of race.

At this point, football has been largely shut down by the coronavirus. Unfortunately, racial prejudice has not. While the return of football is something that most of us can’t do anything about, each of us can do something to promote equality and justice. We can all learn something about how to do this from the example of Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi began his efforts at fostering equality by making sure that prejudice was not a part of his own way of thinking. When a sportswriter asked him how many Black players were on his team, Lombardi replied: “I can tell you how many players I have on the squad and I can tell you which ones aren’t going to be here next year, but I can’t tell you how many are Black and how many are white.” When the disbelieving reporter said, “Come on!” Lombardi explained, “I’m not saying I don’t know who’s Black and who’s white on the club, I’m just saying that I have no sense of it when I’m dealing with my people.”

But it wasn’t enough for Lombardi to treat people fairly himself; he demanded that his team do so as well. During his first season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi made it clear that he was even less tolerant of racism than he was of losing. He gathered his team together and told them that if he ever heard a player use racial slurs “or anything like that around here, regardless of who you are, you’re through with me. You can’t play for me if you have any kind of prejudice.” For Lombardi, an organization could not tolerate racial prejudice from any of its members, no matter how talented they were.

Lombardi didn’t just preach equality, he demonstrated that he was committed to racial equality through his actions. When the Packers played an exhibition game in the South, he became incensed when a restaurant owner demanded that all of the Black players enter and leave through the back door. Lombardi then ordered that all players on the team would enter and leave through the back door. When he found that he couldn’t overcome a local segregationist ordinance that forced the Black players to stay at an all-Black college, Lombardi called the players together. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I’ll never, absolutely never, put you guys in this situation again. If it means we play no more games down here, that’s the way it will be.”

Ironically, Lombardi was not always able to distinguish different colors in real life. His wife Marie said, “Not many people knew it, but he was color-blind. He could tell green from red or orange from brown, but had trouble with shadings, subtleties.” But he certainly could observe subtleties when it came to the way that people of different races were treated. In the words of his biographer David Maraniss, “Lombardi might have seen only one color on the football field, but he was not blind to the discrimination that his Black players encountered off the field, and he did everything he could to ease their way in an alien environment.”

Vince Lombardi did not have a perfect record as a head coach in the NFL, and none of us has led a perfect life. But we can learn from Lombardi’s intolerance of racism and make sure that when it comes to our thoughts and actions about racial equality, we will have a winning record.

As former Packer Bill Curry said about Lombardi: “He didn’t care about the color of your skin. He cared a lot if you could play football, and he cared a lot if you were a good human being. He had a gift for selecting all of the above and blending all of those various qualities.” We, too, can make sure that when we look at others, we see their abilities and qualities, and treat them all fairly and justly.

Blake R. Hills has been a trial attorney for over 20 years. Jeremy B. Hills is a student at Brigham Young University.

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What legendary coach Vince Lombardi can teach about fighting racism

Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is carried off the field after his team defeated the Oakland Raiders 33 to 14 in the Super Bowl II game in Miami, Fla. on Jan. 14, 1968. | Associated Press

Vince Lombardi was a legendary football coach who is remembered for his refusal to tolerate losing. In fact, what most people remember about Lombardi is his famous quote: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” But it is clear from the way he ran his football team that there was something more important to him than winning, and that was treating everyone equally, regardless of race.

At this point, football has been largely shut down by the coronavirus. Unfortunately, racial prejudice has not. While the return of football is something that most of us can’t do anything about, each of us can do something to promote equality and justice. We can all learn something about how to do this from the example of Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi began his efforts at fostering equality by making sure that prejudice was not a part of his own way of thinking. When a sportswriter asked him how many Black players were on his team, Lombardi replied: “I can tell you how many players I have on the squad and I can tell you which ones aren’t going to be here next year, but I can’t tell you how many are Black and how many are white.” When the disbelieving reporter said, “Come on!” Lombardi explained, “I’m not saying I don’t know who’s Black and who’s white on the club, I’m just saying that I have no sense of it when I’m dealing with my people.”

But it wasn’t enough for Lombardi to treat people fairly himself; he demanded that his team do so as well. During his first season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi made it clear that he was even less tolerant of racism than he was of losing. He gathered his team together and told them that if he ever heard a player use racial slurs “or anything like that around here, regardless of who you are, you’re through with me. You can’t play for me if you have any kind of prejudice.” For Lombardi, an organization could not tolerate racial prejudice from any of its members, no matter how talented they were.

Lombardi didn’t just preach equality, he demonstrated that he was committed to racial equality through his actions. When the Packers played an exhibition game in the South, he became incensed when a restaurant owner demanded that all of the Black players enter and leave through the back door. Lombardi then ordered that all players on the team would enter and leave through the back door. When he found that he couldn’t overcome a local segregationist ordinance that forced the Black players to stay at an all-Black college, Lombardi called the players together. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I’ll never, absolutely never, put you guys in this situation again. If it means we play no more games down here, that’s the way it will be.”

Ironically, Lombardi was not always able to distinguish different colors in real life. His wife Marie said, “Not many people knew it, but he was color-blind. He could tell green from red or orange from brown, but had trouble with shadings, subtleties.” But he certainly could observe subtleties when it came to the way that people of different races were treated. In the words of his biographer David Maraniss, “Lombardi might have seen only one color on the football field, but he was not blind to the discrimination that his Black players encountered off the field, and he did everything he could to ease their way in an alien environment.”

Vince Lombardi did not have a perfect record as a head coach in the NFL, and none of us has led a perfect life. But we can learn from Lombardi’s intolerance of racism and make sure that when it comes to our thoughts and actions about racial equality, we will have a winning record.

As former Packer Bill Curry said about Lombardi: “He didn’t care about the color of your skin. He cared a lot if you could play football, and he cared a lot if you were a good human being. He had a gift for selecting all of the above and blending all of those various qualities.” We, too, can make sure that when we look at others, we see their abilities and qualities, and treat them all fairly and justly.

Blake R. Hills has been a trial attorney for over 20 years. Jeremy B. Hills is a student at Brigham Young University.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3hOjTqo

What legendary coach Vince Lombardi can teach about fighting racism

Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi is carried off the field after his team defeated the Oakland Raiders 33 to 14 in the Super Bowl II game in Miami, Fla. on Jan. 14, 1968. | Associated Press

Vince Lombardi was a legendary football coach who is remembered for his refusal to tolerate losing. In fact, what most people remember about Lombardi is his famous quote: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” But it is clear from the way he ran his football team that there was something more important to him than winning, and that was treating everyone equally, regardless of race.

At this point, football has been largely shut down by the coronavirus. Unfortunately, racial prejudice has not. While the return of football is something that most of us can’t do anything about, each of us can do something to promote equality and justice. We can all learn something about how to do this from the example of Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi began his efforts at fostering equality by making sure that prejudice was not a part of his own way of thinking. When a sportswriter asked him how many Black players were on his team, Lombardi replied: “I can tell you how many players I have on the squad and I can tell you which ones aren’t going to be here next year, but I can’t tell you how many are Black and how many are white.” When the disbelieving reporter said, “Come on!” Lombardi explained, “I’m not saying I don’t know who’s Black and who’s white on the club, I’m just saying that I have no sense of it when I’m dealing with my people.”

But it wasn’t enough for Lombardi to treat people fairly himself; he demanded that his team do so as well. During his first season as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi made it clear that he was even less tolerant of racism than he was of losing. He gathered his team together and told them that if he ever heard a player use racial slurs “or anything like that around here, regardless of who you are, you’re through with me. You can’t play for me if you have any kind of prejudice.” For Lombardi, an organization could not tolerate racial prejudice from any of its members, no matter how talented they were.

Lombardi didn’t just preach equality, he demonstrated that he was committed to racial equality through his actions. When the Packers played an exhibition game in the South, he became incensed when a restaurant owner demanded that all of the Black players enter and leave through the back door. Lombardi then ordered that all players on the team would enter and leave through the back door. When he found that he couldn’t overcome a local segregationist ordinance that forced the Black players to stay at an all-Black college, Lombardi called the players together. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I’ll never, absolutely never, put you guys in this situation again. If it means we play no more games down here, that’s the way it will be.”

Ironically, Lombardi was not always able to distinguish different colors in real life. His wife Marie said, “Not many people knew it, but he was color-blind. He could tell green from red or orange from brown, but had trouble with shadings, subtleties.” But he certainly could observe subtleties when it came to the way that people of different races were treated. In the words of his biographer David Maraniss, “Lombardi might have seen only one color on the football field, but he was not blind to the discrimination that his Black players encountered off the field, and he did everything he could to ease their way in an alien environment.”

Vince Lombardi did not have a perfect record as a head coach in the NFL, and none of us has led a perfect life. But we can learn from Lombardi’s intolerance of racism and make sure that when it comes to our thoughts and actions about racial equality, we will have a winning record.

As former Packer Bill Curry said about Lombardi: “He didn’t care about the color of your skin. He cared a lot if you could play football, and he cared a lot if you were a good human being. He had a gift for selecting all of the above and blending all of those various qualities.” We, too, can make sure that when we look at others, we see their abilities and qualities, and treat them all fairly and justly.

Blake R. Hills has been a trial attorney for over 20 years. Jeremy B. Hills is a student at Brigham Young University.

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Utah football receives commit from 4-star linebacker

Utah football received a commitment from linebacker Mason Tufaga, a four-star prospect from Hawaii, on Monday. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Kyle Whittingham’s program landed a commitment from another high-rated defensive prospect Monday.

Linebacker Mason Tufaga, who hails from Honolulu, Hawaii, and is rated a four-star prospect in 247 Sports’ composite rankings, announced Monday morning he will sign with the Utes.

IM COMMITTED TO... pic.twitter.com/oWlVyy1JFv

— MASØN TUFAGA (@MasonTufaga) August 31, 2020

pic.twitter.com/YemRBlR2Na

— MASØN TUFAGA (@MasonTufaga) August 31, 2020

Tufaga showed appreciation for those who’ve helped him reach this stage. “I deeply thank my parents and grandparents to the support that they’ve show over the years,” he wrote in a message shared on Twitter. “I have deep gratitude for the coaches and mentors that have guided me throughout my early years.”

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Tufaga prepped at St. Louis High in Honolulu and is the son of former Utah linebacker Wes Tufaga, who played for the Utes from 1997-2000.

247 Sports’ Blair Angulo reported that Mason Tufaga has opted to forgo his senior season — high school football in Hawaii is being pushed back to early 2021 — and plans to sign at Utah during the early signing period, allowing him to enroll early at the school.

“It’s always been pretty easy to talk to the Utah coaches because my dad played with coach Lewis Powell, the defensive line coach, and they’re all close,” Tufaga told Angulo. “The connection has always been there and the comfort level has always been high with them.”

Oregon and Nebraska were among Tufaga’s other top suitors, according to Angulo. Tufaga is the ninth player to commit to Utah’s 2021 class, per 247 Sports, along with fellow linebackers Trey Reynolds (of Queen Creek, Arizona) and Jonah Elliss (Moscow, Idaho), whose father Luther Elliss played at Utah and was a first-round NFL draft selection.

Tufaga is listed as an inside linebacker, and he discussed with Angulo how he anticipates he’ll fit in Utah’s system.

“They see me playing a will linebacker in their scheme — I could drop back into coverage but also be helpful as a pass rusher on some plays. I love the fit and everything there,” Tufaga said.

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For third day in row, Utah reports no new COVID-19 deaths

Luis Espinoza, a third-grade teacher at Esperanza Elementary School, gets a COVID-19 test at Esperanza Elementary School in West Valley City on Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. All faculty and employees who work at Esperanza Elementary School were asked to get tested in preparation for the school’s opening on Aug. 24. Any employees who get a positive test result will quarantine at home for two weeks with full pay. The Utah Department of Health, in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Salt Lake City and Esperanza Elementary School, invited the community to be tested for COVID-19, free of charge. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

State maintaining rolling average below 400 new cases daily

SALT LAKE CITY — For the third day in a row, Utah reported no additional COVID-19 deaths on Monday.

A relatively low number of new cases were also confirmed compared to the previous six days. Of 4,348 tests reported, 253 were positive — a 5.8% rate, according to the Utah Department of Health.

Now 52,107 people have tested positive for the disease out of 659,855 tested in Utah, an overall positive rate of 7.9%.

Though the previous several days brought a slight uptick in cases, the state has maintained a rolling average below 400, which Gov. Gary Herbert early in August challenged residents to do by September.

The rolling seven-day average for new cases is 388 per day, and the average positive testing rate is 8.9%. Currently, 125 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah, nine more than on Sunday. Just under 3,100 people have required hospitalization for the disease in Utah since the outbreak began.

Utah’s death toll stands at 407.

Nearly 44,000 of the state’s cases are considered recovered after passing the three-week point since their diagnoses, meaning about 8,100 still have active infections.

This story will be updated.

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For third day in row, Utah reports no new COVID-19 deaths

Luis Espinoza, a third-grade teacher at Esperanza Elementary School, gets a COVID-19 test at Esperanza Elementary School in West Valley City on Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. All faculty and employees who work at Esperanza Elementary School were asked to get tested in preparation for the school’s opening on Aug. 24. Any employees who get a positive test result will quarantine at home for two weeks with full pay. The Utah Department of Health, in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Salt Lake City and Esperanza Elementary School, invited the community to be tested for COVID-19, free of charge. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

State maintaining rolling average below 400 new cases daily

SALT LAKE CITY — For the third day in a row, Utah reported no additional COVID-19 deaths on Monday.

A relatively low number of new cases were also confirmed compared to the previous six days. Of 4,348 tests reported, 253 were positive — a 5.8% rate, according to the Utah Department of Health.

Now 52,107 people have tested positive for the disease out of 659,855 tested in Utah, an overall positive rate of 7.9%.

Though the previous several days brought a slight uptick in cases, the state has maintained a rolling average below 400, which Gov. Gary Herbert early in August challenged residents to do by September.

The rolling seven-day average for new cases is 388 per day, and the average positive testing rate is 8.9%. Currently, 125 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah, nine more than on Sunday. Just under 3,100 people have required hospitalization for the disease in Utah since the outbreak began.

Utah’s death toll stands at 407.

Nearly 44,000 of the state’s cases are considered recovered after passing the three-week point since their diagnoses, meaning about 8,100 still have active infections.

This story will be updated.

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Being independent — and playing by its own rules — paying off for BYU this time

BYU coach Kalani Sitake talks to his players during the Cougars’ scrimmage at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. | Jaren Wilkey/BYU

SALT LAKE CITY — It took only a decade, but finally independence has paid off for BYU, as well as other members of their weird, conference-free world.

The Cougars are free to play football this fall. No conference boss is ordering them to stand down.

There are 54 FBS schools, including their neighbor up the road, that won’t be playing this fall.

BYU will be the only school west of Texas that will play college football this season, and that includes FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college. Hundreds of schools are sitting this one out due to the pandemic.

And then there was one ...

Only a few weeks ago, it appeared the Cougars’ season would be wiped out precisely because of their independent status. Concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, Power Five conferences, including the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference, decided that their teams would play only conference opponents and canceled all other games — less than two months before the start of the season. There went half of BYU’s schedule and, as an independent, the Cougars had no conference games to fall back on. Then things got worse. BYU’s schedule took another hit when the Mid-American and Mountain West, along with the Big Ten and Pac-12, postponed their fall seasons altogether.

But where BYU was free to choose how it would cope with the pandemic, many schools were not.

The Big Ten halted its season even though every Big Ten athletic director wanted to play, according to Omaha World-Herald reporter Sam McKewon. They were left out of the decision. So were the coaches. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren wrote, “The vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors was overwhelmingly in support of postponing fall sports and will not be revisited.”

Nebraska and Iowa reportedly pushed to play the season, and Ohio State and Michigan players and coaches made it clear they want to play, as well. It doesn’t matter. They have their marching orders from the conference office.

Other conferences handed down their stand-down edicts, as well.

For better or worse (mostly worse), the Cougars have no such conference ties. They answer to no one — hence, the term “independent” — and to their credit they not only braved the potential political fallout and declared their intention to play, but they managed to rebuild their schedule and resurrect their season at the 11th hour.

They lost 10 of their 12 originally scheduled games to cancellation — Utah (Sept. 3,) Michigan State (Sept. 12), Arizona State (Sept. 19), Minnesota (Sept. 26), Utah State (Oct. 2), Missouri (Oct. 10), Northern Illinois (Oct. 24), Boise State (Nov. 6), San Diego State (Nov. 14), and Stanford (Nov. 28). Athletic director Tom Holmoe managed to create an eight-game schedule almost from scratch — so much for the theory that schedules take years to make. The Cougars reached out to the military academies and schools in the South to arrange games with Navy, Army, Troy, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State and Western Kentucky to go along with originally scheduled games against Houston and North Alabama.

A week ago, Deseret News veteran BYU reporter Dick Harmon wrote there is still a chance BYU will play against another team from the American Athletic Conference, in addition to Houston, and possibly an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent, although he considers the latter to be a long shot.

It’s a lame schedule under normal circumstances and pales in comparison to the original powerhouse schedule — the combined record of current opponents is 45-53 and only two of those schools had winning records last season — but at least they and their fans won’t be sitting at home on weekend nights this fall.

Which is exactly what Utah will be doing. The Pac-12, in a move that was entirely predictable, ordered member schools to sit out the fall season in all sports, one day after the Big Ten did so. Finally, the Utes will envy the Cougars.

The Cougars are holding daily practices; the Utes took last week off. The Cougars are preparing to start the season on Monday, Sept. 7; the Utes will be resuming practice — weight room Monday-Wednesday, on the field Thursday-Friday — in preparation for … well, who knows when they will play their next game — in the spring? Next fall? BYU will be playing on national TV; the Utes will be watching TV.

It’s not the Utes’ fault, of course. But when you sign on with a conference, you agree to live by its rules.

So BYU, the lone representative from the West, will play Navy in one of the first televised games of the season. It’s not surprising both the BYU-Navy and BYU-Army games are getting national TV coverage — on ESPN and CBS, respectively — and the national exposure that comes with it. Suddenly, life is good as an independent.

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Why Chadwick Boseman’s roles were ‘so important to the Black community’

Chadwick Boseman plays T’Challa/Black Panther in “Black Panther.” | Film Frame, Marvel Studios

The actor, who died Friday, played a number of meaningful roles

Chadwick Boseman passed away over the weekend. His death sent shockwaves across the world — a young actor who had ascended the acting ladder dying at the young age of 43 — especially since it wasn’t well known he had been diagnosed with colon cancer.

It was a moment that caused the country to pause. America had lost someone who highlighted moral decency and represented a shift in Black representation in the entertainment industry, which could lead to a change in how Hollywood casts Black actors, experts said.

Boseman’s death made national headlines. Celebrities from all around the world mourned him. LeBron James paid tribute to him during the NBA’s return on Saturday night. Former President Barack Obama paid his respects, as well.

Marvel fans wondered what this meant for the future of the “Black Panther” franchise. Americans immediately searched for how to watch his movies on streaming services.

And ABC aired “Black Panther” on Sunday night without commercials, adding a special presentation to honor the late actor. “Avengers” stars Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Winston Duke, Forest Whitaker, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen and more all appeared to speak about Boseman. Robert Downey Jr. praised Boseman during the special, too, according to Deadline.

“Just the way he walked on set … he was having this immense success, in a strata of his own, humble hardworking, always smile on his face,” he said.

But Boseman meant something more to the Black community. Who he portrayed in his films — King T’Challan in “Black Panther” or Jackie Robinson in “42” — meant something to the wider community.

For “Black Panther,” Boseman represented one of the first Black superheroes with his or her own film. We’ve seen Wesley Snipes as “Blade” and Halle Barry appeared as Storm in the “X-Men” movies. But Boseman’s time as Black Panther came right at the peak of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was widely loved by critics and fans alike. His appearance showed us true representation of the Black community in an entertainment mega giant.

“That film will go down in history as the film that perhaps changed the way Hollywood treats films with predominantly Black casts globally,” wrote Kelley L. Carter of The Undefeated. “Never has dark-skinned blackness looked as beautiful as it did in Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece — we were filmed the way we should have always been filmed, the gorgeousness of our hues bouncing off the silver screen and a budget that rivals the types of budgets that Black filmmakers have never been able to touch before that moment.”

But Boseman’s other roles shouldn’t be ignored either. He played Robinson — the first Black baseball player in Major League Baseball. He played historic singer James Brown. He filled the role of a lawyer as Thurgood Marshall. And he played Stormin’ Norman, a squad leader in Vietnam.

No matter how you look at the young star’s career, he has filled roles that defined Black history and Black culture. And he did in a way that promoted positive moral authority and dignity. He did it with a sense of softness and delicacy.

“He portrayed with grace and mastery both the icons of our past and the superheroes who helped us imagine different futures. He gave us so much. And for that I am immensely grateful,” wrote Clint Smith of The Atlantic.

Boseman was the first to say that he didn’t like being the hit Black actor of the moment. He thought there should be more — there should be multiple Black men in leading roles.

“There was a period of time where it was Sidney Poitier is the guy,” he said, according to The Undefeated. “And very often, people will come to me or some of the other guys that are doing well right now and they say, ‘They’re going to pass the torch to you.’ And I don’t think that’s right, because it’s possible for there to be a Chris Pine, or a Chris Evans and Chris O’Donnell and a Chris Hemsworth and all the other Chrises, but it can only be one of us at a time? That is part of what’s wrong. There’s so much material for white actors that (Hollywood) has to manufacture stars, sometimes before they’re even ready to be stars. And they will put up billboards before people even know who they are. You’ll be like, ‘Who’s that? Who’s that person?’ But with us, it’s like we have to kill each other before we get there.”

But there may be more to Boseman that just the roles he played. He’s not just a representative of Black heroes. He has brought his inspiration off the screen as well. For example, he visited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee in 2018, bringing children toys and offering the inspiration, according to CNN.

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We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend Chadwick Boseman. Two years ago, Chadwick visited the St. Jude campus and brought with him not only toys for our patients but also joy, courage and inspiration. He was an incredible role model for our patients and children from all around the world. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

A post shared by St. Jude (@stjude) on Aug 29, 2020 at 4:51am PDT

Boseman also kept in contact with two young boys who had cancer while he filmed “Black Panther.” The boys — who were terminally ill — told Boseman they wanted to live long enough to see the film.

“I realized they anticipated something great,” Boseman said at the time, according to CNN. “It put me back in the mind of being a kid just to experience those two little boys’ anticipation of this movie. ... It means a lot.”

He was more than the king or baseball legend he played on screen.

“That’s what makes Chadwick Boseman so important to the Black community,” Kareem Abdul Jabbar wrote for The Hollywood Reporter. “He was and is a celluloid monument as powerful as the Lincoln Memorial, a visual manifestation of the qualities African Americans strive for, so that his name itself conjures the image of a Black man with integrity and courage. Someone devoted to truth and an unwillingness to compromise his principles.”

He even kept his cancer a secret. He continued to work throughout his cancer diagnosis, refusing to share his ailment as a way to remain as a hero on the screen.

“The death of someone so young and vital is always a blow because it yanks our own mortal coil with a fearful snap,” Abdul Jabbar wrote. “But this is worse because Boseman consistently played characters that gave Black community pride and hope. We came out of his movies with straighter spines and wider smiles. We would look at each other and nod, feeling like we were part of something bigger than ourselves, something that went back generations to a whole different continent. We saw a whole history of our people’s struggles and triumphs shining in the bright eyes of one indomitable man.”

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3jwuDu9