1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,035 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. I 2 00:00:21,115 --> 00:00:25,395 Speaker 1: have argued for nine years that it is essential for 3 00:00:25,515 --> 00:00:29,435 Speaker 1: the media in this country to call the crazy shit 4 00:00:29,715 --> 00:00:35,075 Speaker 1: Trump says crazy shit all the time. I have argued 5 00:00:35,115 --> 00:00:39,155 Speaker 1: for five years that Joe Biden should call the crazy 6 00:00:39,195 --> 00:00:43,635 Speaker 1: shit Trump says crazy shit. And it's like I've been 7 00:00:43,715 --> 00:00:50,835 Speaker 1: talking to the wind. And then yesterday afternoon, this is 8 00:00:51,275 --> 00:00:56,755 Speaker 1: CNN Senior White House correspondent MJ. Lee, And this is 9 00:00:56,835 --> 00:01:01,915 Speaker 1: actually off CNN's air, And this is something. 10 00:01:01,835 --> 00:01:04,315 Speaker 2: We are told that the thrust of the President's direction 11 00:01:04,915 --> 00:01:08,435 Speaker 2: was to significantly ramp up the campaign's efforts to highlight 12 00:01:08,515 --> 00:01:11,435 Speaker 2: the crazy shit that Trump says in public. 13 00:01:13,355 --> 00:01:18,115 Speaker 1: I'm not alone. I feel like I'm no longer taking 14 00:01:18,195 --> 00:01:22,475 Speaker 1: crazy shit pills. Did we all of a sudden have 15 00:01:22,475 --> 00:01:27,155 Speaker 1: a breakthrough? Did somebody just throw a switch somewhere. I 16 00:01:27,275 --> 00:01:30,715 Speaker 1: want CNN to talk like that. I want Biden's surrogates 17 00:01:30,755 --> 00:01:32,915 Speaker 1: to talk like that. I want the President to go 18 00:01:32,955 --> 00:01:35,315 Speaker 1: and talk like that. I want to hear the phrase 19 00:01:35,675 --> 00:01:39,275 Speaker 1: the crazy shit that Trump says. I want to hear 20 00:01:39,315 --> 00:01:41,475 Speaker 1: it said by Joe Biden. I want to hear it 21 00:01:41,515 --> 00:01:43,755 Speaker 1: said in the State of the Union and I want 22 00:01:43,795 --> 00:01:46,715 Speaker 1: him to say it right after thank you, mister speaker. 23 00:01:47,955 --> 00:01:50,355 Speaker 1: I want to have it be broadcast one hundred times 24 00:01:50,355 --> 00:01:52,715 Speaker 1: that night on one hundred different channels. And I want 25 00:01:52,755 --> 00:01:56,435 Speaker 1: to see the right wing pundits stage phony Strokes and 26 00:01:56,595 --> 00:02:00,835 Speaker 1: Umbridge at his locker room talk because he says it, 27 00:02:00,875 --> 00:02:03,155 Speaker 1: and I want it played again and again and again 28 00:02:03,235 --> 00:02:07,995 Speaker 1: for the rest of the campaign, primarily because it's the truth. 29 00:02:10,355 --> 00:02:12,515 Speaker 1: And by the way, don't think that was some sort 30 00:02:12,515 --> 00:02:17,755 Speaker 1: of accident. She didn't goof up. This is MJ. Lee's 31 00:02:17,835 --> 00:02:22,755 Speaker 1: story for CNN's website, which went live about forty five 32 00:02:22,755 --> 00:02:26,315 Speaker 1: minutes before she said that on their air yesterday. Quote. 33 00:02:26,355 --> 00:02:30,115 Speaker 1: Biden personally directed his senior campaign aids in recent days 34 00:02:30,115 --> 00:02:34,595 Speaker 1: to focus more aggressively on Trump's inflammatory comments. According to 35 00:02:34,675 --> 00:02:38,955 Speaker 1: two sources familiar with the president's edict, the thrust of 36 00:02:38,995 --> 00:02:43,035 Speaker 1: Biden's direction, delivered to his senior most staff, was to 37 00:02:43,155 --> 00:02:47,715 Speaker 1: significantly ramp up the campaign's efforts to highlight the quote 38 00:02:48,355 --> 00:02:54,555 Speaker 1: crazy s asterisk asterisk t that Trump says in public. 39 00:02:54,675 --> 00:03:00,715 Speaker 1: According to those sources, unquote you bet your a asterisk 40 00:03:00,835 --> 00:03:07,035 Speaker 1: asterisk quite serious. The idea that the easiest way to 41 00:03:07,155 --> 00:03:11,475 Speaker 1: beat Trump is to quote Trump and make people hear it. 42 00:03:12,115 --> 00:03:14,555 Speaker 1: And the easiest way to make people hear it to 43 00:03:14,675 --> 00:03:18,755 Speaker 1: break through the numb to it all white noise permitting 44 00:03:18,795 --> 00:03:22,155 Speaker 1: Trump to survive this long as a public figure is 45 00:03:22,235 --> 00:03:26,395 Speaker 1: to get angry about it, to get angry enough for 46 00:03:26,675 --> 00:03:30,475 Speaker 1: the CNN White House corresponded to say, the crazy shit 47 00:03:30,555 --> 00:03:33,075 Speaker 1: that Trump says live from a White House lawn in 48 00:03:33,195 --> 00:03:38,835 Speaker 1: the middle of the day today, the crazy shit that 49 00:03:38,915 --> 00:03:45,995 Speaker 1: Trump says tomorrow, the F word. But it's more than 50 00:03:46,075 --> 00:03:50,355 Speaker 1: just shock value. This is the way Biden talks. It 51 00:03:50,435 --> 00:03:53,235 Speaker 1: clearly is the way Trump talks. And oh, by the way, 52 00:03:53,395 --> 00:03:55,955 Speaker 1: it is the way all of Washington talks. It is 53 00:03:55,995 --> 00:04:01,675 Speaker 1: the way all of America talks. And don't get me wrong, 54 00:04:01,715 --> 00:04:05,315 Speaker 1: Biden reaching the same conclusion about talking like that in public, 55 00:04:07,195 --> 00:04:09,755 Speaker 1: my conclusion, that's not him listening to me. Does it 56 00:04:09,955 --> 00:04:16,235 Speaker 1: listen to me? It's coincidental, it's being done because it's right. 57 00:04:17,155 --> 00:04:21,635 Speaker 1: And as a parenthetical as television news. As television has 58 00:04:21,675 --> 00:04:24,875 Speaker 1: receded into the background, I have also long argued that 59 00:04:24,915 --> 00:04:29,995 Speaker 1: the next mainstream newscast that actually would grow an audience 60 00:04:31,755 --> 00:04:34,915 Speaker 1: would be one which chose to freely use your more 61 00:04:34,915 --> 00:04:40,915 Speaker 1: popular Anglo Saxon expletives. Craig Ferguson got close a decade ago. 62 00:04:40,995 --> 00:04:43,555 Speaker 1: He used to say them to his live audience at 63 00:04:43,555 --> 00:04:45,795 Speaker 1: his CBS talk show and then bleep them for TV. 64 00:04:46,275 --> 00:04:49,115 Speaker 1: Maybe that would be a good interim step. I pitched 65 00:04:49,115 --> 00:04:52,155 Speaker 1: a show like this to several places seven eight years ago, 66 00:04:52,635 --> 00:04:58,275 Speaker 1: but bluntly, if MJ. Lee promised to accurately quote her 67 00:04:58,315 --> 00:05:02,715 Speaker 1: sources swearing like Steve Adores, I would watch her do 68 00:05:02,795 --> 00:05:06,835 Speaker 1: a newscast every day on CNN. Hell, if wolf Blitzer 69 00:05:06,955 --> 00:05:09,555 Speaker 1: does it, I'll watch for two hours every day. And 70 00:05:09,635 --> 00:05:12,115 Speaker 1: I haven't watched anything on CNN since I left there 71 00:05:12,155 --> 00:05:17,595 Speaker 1: in October two thousand and two. It makes me feel 72 00:05:17,955 --> 00:05:20,075 Speaker 1: like singing for joy. 73 00:05:21,515 --> 00:05:34,515 Speaker 3: Wait, oh, Nancy, someday you watching CNN. I will feel 74 00:05:34,515 --> 00:05:36,155 Speaker 3: aglow just thinking of. 75 00:05:37,835 --> 00:05:42,355 Speaker 1: You and the crazy shit Trump says. 76 00:05:42,995 --> 00:05:43,995 Speaker 4: Two night. 77 00:05:45,355 --> 00:05:52,035 Speaker 1: Dah, thank you, Nancy Faust. A minute or two ago, 78 00:05:52,995 --> 00:05:56,675 Speaker 1: I posited that this really might have had been a breakthrough, 79 00:05:57,515 --> 00:06:00,195 Speaker 1: or it was a watershed moment about Trump, and not 80 00:06:00,555 --> 00:06:06,075 Speaker 1: just because of CN fing n At almost the exact 81 00:06:06,115 --> 00:06:09,035 Speaker 1: moment that was happening on the White House lawn, Nicky 82 00:06:09,195 --> 00:06:12,955 Speaker 1: Haley went even roguer than previously. 83 00:06:12,635 --> 00:06:18,835 Speaker 2: Despite being a de facto incumbent. Donald Trump lost forty 84 00:06:19,235 --> 00:06:23,395 Speaker 2: nine percent of the vote in Iowa. In New Hampshire, 85 00:06:23,715 --> 00:06:26,475 Speaker 2: Trump lost forty six percent of the vote. 86 00:06:27,275 --> 00:06:28,355 Speaker 4: That's not good. 87 00:06:29,395 --> 00:06:33,515 Speaker 2: We're talking about almost half of our voters. What does 88 00:06:33,595 --> 00:06:37,435 Speaker 2: it say about an incumbent who's losing nearly half of 89 00:06:37,475 --> 00:06:41,275 Speaker 2: his party? It spells disaster in November? 90 00:06:41,555 --> 00:06:44,355 Speaker 1: Man, do I hate it when I agree with Nicky 91 00:06:44,435 --> 00:06:49,675 Speaker 1: Haley or CNN or both of them on the same day. 92 00:06:51,395 --> 00:06:53,475 Speaker 1: I don't know what got into her. I still don't 93 00:06:53,475 --> 00:06:56,435 Speaker 1: trust her. I still don't think she's that bright. But 94 00:06:56,555 --> 00:06:59,755 Speaker 1: that gave me a bigger smile than when Jonathan Turley 95 00:06:59,835 --> 00:07:03,675 Speaker 1: left me with the permanent image while criticizing Judge Enngron's 96 00:07:03,675 --> 00:07:07,755 Speaker 1: fine against Trump quote he ordered everything short of throwing 97 00:07:07,835 --> 00:07:12,875 Speaker 1: Trump into a wood chipper. Well, John, we can always hope. 98 00:07:13,195 --> 00:07:16,715 Speaker 2: Many of the same politicians who now publicly embrace Trump 99 00:07:17,595 --> 00:07:22,395 Speaker 2: privately dread him. They know what a disaster he's been 100 00:07:22,835 --> 00:07:26,515 Speaker 2: and will continue to be for our party. They're just 101 00:07:26,915 --> 00:07:30,875 Speaker 2: too afraid to say it out loud. Well, I'm not 102 00:07:30,995 --> 00:07:35,155 Speaker 2: afraid to say the hard truth out loud. I feel 103 00:07:35,195 --> 00:07:36,555 Speaker 2: no need to kiss the ring. 104 00:07:38,115 --> 00:07:42,955 Speaker 1: Again. Agreeing with CNN and Nikki Haley on the same day. 105 00:07:43,675 --> 00:07:49,075 Speaker 1: I begin to question myself, and then Trump does something 106 00:07:49,115 --> 00:07:56,155 Speaker 1: to end my questioning. His Neanderthalian spokesperson Stephen Chung replied 107 00:07:56,195 --> 00:07:58,715 Speaker 1: to Haley by writing, She's going to drop down to 108 00:07:58,795 --> 00:08:03,715 Speaker 1: kiss ass when she quits, like she always does. If 109 00:08:03,795 --> 00:08:06,355 Speaker 1: Nicki Haley goes to a campaign event today and comes 110 00:08:06,395 --> 00:08:09,275 Speaker 1: back with an F bomb against Trump, I'll donate the 111 00:08:09,315 --> 00:08:14,275 Speaker 1: MAX to her campaign. Holy cow, if you ever forget that, 112 00:08:14,315 --> 00:08:21,035 Speaker 1: we're not just fighting Trump on his insanity, dictatorship, fascism, racism, greed, 113 00:08:21,355 --> 00:08:26,315 Speaker 1: white supremacy, anti semitism, barbarism, irresponsibility, future of the planet. 114 00:08:26,595 --> 00:08:30,355 Speaker 1: That it's not just that, but we're also fighting something 115 00:08:30,435 --> 00:08:34,115 Speaker 1: far more existential. That he and his gang are thugs 116 00:08:34,635 --> 00:08:39,515 Speaker 1: and bullies and low lifes and sub human scumbags. That 117 00:08:39,595 --> 00:08:43,875 Speaker 1: we are fighting for human beings, however mediocre, We are 118 00:08:44,315 --> 00:08:48,715 Speaker 1: against humanoids. If we ever forget that, Trump makes sure 119 00:08:48,915 --> 00:08:57,155 Speaker 1: that worms like Stephen Chung remind us the former fighter 120 00:08:57,235 --> 00:09:02,115 Speaker 1: guy and remember, Stephen Chung, symptoms of CTE can appear 121 00:09:02,555 --> 00:09:10,075 Speaker 1: prior to mortality, and Trump also provides a daily reminder 122 00:09:10,115 --> 00:09:12,795 Speaker 1: that the other people on his side are even worse 123 00:09:12,835 --> 00:09:17,235 Speaker 1: than his spokesman are the supposed FBI whistleblower in the 124 00:09:17,315 --> 00:09:19,515 Speaker 1: Hunter Biden case, the man who is at the center 125 00:09:19,555 --> 00:09:23,515 Speaker 1: of the James Comer Jim Jordan, Chuck Grassley, Donald Trump 126 00:09:23,595 --> 00:09:27,555 Speaker 1: smear job against Hunter Biden and his father. The one 127 00:09:27,555 --> 00:09:32,875 Speaker 1: they arrested last week for lying to the FBI, Alexander Smirnoff. 128 00:09:34,555 --> 00:09:37,555 Speaker 1: His detention memo came out yesterday. It includes one line 129 00:09:37,595 --> 00:09:41,915 Speaker 1: of interest quote. During his custodial interview on February fourteenth, 130 00:09:41,955 --> 00:09:47,875 Speaker 1: Smirnoff admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved 131 00:09:47,875 --> 00:09:52,635 Speaker 1: in passing the story about business person one. Yeah, you 132 00:09:52,675 --> 00:09:55,115 Speaker 1: know who business Person one is, right? His first name 133 00:09:55,195 --> 00:10:01,035 Speaker 1: is Hunter. Now are a reminder this phrase officials associated 134 00:10:01,035 --> 00:10:04,155 Speaker 1: with Russian intelligence that now applies to basically two fifths 135 00:10:04,195 --> 00:10:07,435 Speaker 1: of the republic Party and anybody directly connected to Trump. 136 00:10:08,115 --> 00:10:13,795 Speaker 1: Plus they did just arrest this guy, Smirnoff for lieing 137 00:10:14,475 --> 00:10:20,235 Speaker 1: to the FBI. Still, he also reported who contacts with 138 00:10:20,275 --> 00:10:23,275 Speaker 1: a Russian official that Smirnoff claimed was the son of 139 00:10:23,315 --> 00:10:25,795 Speaker 1: a former high ranking Russian official, and he claimed he 140 00:10:25,835 --> 00:10:27,955 Speaker 1: was the head of an assassination unit. And he claimed 141 00:10:27,995 --> 00:10:31,155 Speaker 1: he was a Russian intel guy at Smirnoff also reported 142 00:10:31,155 --> 00:10:33,875 Speaker 1: contact with another guy he says as a Russian intel guy. 143 00:10:34,075 --> 00:10:37,035 Speaker 1: There was a lot of vague talk about kompromant and 144 00:10:37,955 --> 00:10:41,875 Speaker 1: phone calls involving US people that the Russian agencies have. 145 00:10:42,835 --> 00:10:46,835 Speaker 1: Mike Johnson. Again, that could be any Republican on the 146 00:10:46,875 --> 00:10:49,315 Speaker 1: House Oversight Committee, so don't read too much into it. 147 00:10:50,035 --> 00:10:55,795 Speaker 1: Yet read a lot into this though. The same authoritarian 148 00:10:55,835 --> 00:10:59,435 Speaker 1: Republicans behind Project twenty twenty five and making all the 149 00:10:59,475 --> 00:11:03,275 Speaker 1: federal employees pledge personal allegiance to Trump and invoking the 150 00:11:03,315 --> 00:11:06,955 Speaker 1: Insurrection Act on the day is second inauguration, and using 151 00:11:06,955 --> 00:11:10,795 Speaker 1: the military against peaceful protesters. They have a second set 152 00:11:10,795 --> 00:11:16,635 Speaker 1: of objectives, christo fascism. Politico got hold of a massive 153 00:11:16,715 --> 00:11:20,755 Speaker 1: documents from the Center for Renewing America this Psycho Russell 154 00:11:20,915 --> 00:11:26,235 Speaker 1: Votes company. They are filled with plans to restrict divorce, 155 00:11:27,235 --> 00:11:31,675 Speaker 1: to stop funding anything that enables single motherhood, to repeal 156 00:11:32,075 --> 00:11:36,835 Speaker 1: all LGBTQ rights, to force the FDA to revoke approval 157 00:11:36,875 --> 00:11:40,435 Speaker 1: of abortion drugs, to put Planned Parenthood out of business, 158 00:11:40,595 --> 00:11:44,675 Speaker 1: to end all school sex education, to allow Christians to 159 00:11:44,835 --> 00:11:48,075 Speaker 1: opt out of basically any law they can make up 160 00:11:48,115 --> 00:11:52,115 Speaker 1: a religious objection to and to allow into this country 161 00:11:52,155 --> 00:11:59,115 Speaker 1: only immigrants who have accepted the Bible. This is what 162 00:11:59,155 --> 00:12:07,715 Speaker 1: they want. This is the serious, crazy shit, says. And 163 00:12:07,795 --> 00:12:11,795 Speaker 1: if you think it's just stuff, he says, you may 164 00:12:11,835 --> 00:12:15,395 Speaker 1: have missed this from Alabama last Friday, where the Supreme 165 00:12:15,475 --> 00:12:20,035 Speaker 1: Court there ruled that embryos frozen for in vitro fertilization 166 00:12:20,635 --> 00:12:27,155 Speaker 1: are people which not only essentially destroys in vitro fertilization 167 00:12:27,235 --> 00:12:31,675 Speaker 1: in the state of Alabama, but if the embryos are destroyed, 168 00:12:32,475 --> 00:12:35,475 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court there is saying that somebody will be 169 00:12:35,595 --> 00:12:40,475 Speaker 1: liable to be prosecuted under an act called wrongful Death 170 00:12:40,475 --> 00:12:47,155 Speaker 1: of a minor. This is where we are going. This 171 00:12:47,355 --> 00:12:50,915 Speaker 1: is why what was said on CNN yesterday is so important. 172 00:12:52,275 --> 00:12:56,075 Speaker 1: This is where Trump and the Christo fascists are taking 173 00:12:56,195 --> 00:13:07,635 Speaker 1: us and taking us as hostages. On a happier note 174 00:13:07,675 --> 00:13:12,595 Speaker 1: of programming, announcement two weeks from now, approximately Thursday night, 175 00:13:12,715 --> 00:13:16,795 Speaker 1: March seventh, iHeart and I will be doing a countdown 176 00:13:16,795 --> 00:13:20,955 Speaker 1: with Keith Olderman live State of the Union podcast special 177 00:13:21,115 --> 00:13:25,475 Speaker 1: on YouTube. Right after Yeah the State of the Union, 178 00:13:26,155 --> 00:13:29,235 Speaker 1: President Biden talks, he stops, we go live on YouTube 179 00:13:29,475 --> 00:13:37,595 Speaker 1: on camera with the podcast tomorrow's podcast today around ten Eastern. 180 00:13:37,715 --> 00:13:40,355 Speaker 1: I think still working out the details, but me on 181 00:13:40,475 --> 00:13:46,195 Speaker 1: camera I'll shave and take viewer questions at the end 182 00:13:46,235 --> 00:13:48,795 Speaker 1: of it. Two. Not gonna kid you. The premise of 183 00:13:48,835 --> 00:13:51,395 Speaker 1: this is we want to try out live video capability 184 00:13:51,395 --> 00:13:53,955 Speaker 1: here for key nights during the rest of the campaign. 185 00:13:54,195 --> 00:13:57,355 Speaker 1: So we'll start ten pm Thursday night, March seventh, the 186 00:13:57,395 --> 00:14:00,955 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman live State of the Union podcast 187 00:14:01,035 --> 00:14:04,595 Speaker 1: special on YouTube. A nice catchy name for it too, 188 00:14:05,315 --> 00:14:07,675 Speaker 1: and it will be viewable again later on YouTube, and 189 00:14:07,715 --> 00:14:11,395 Speaker 1: the regular podcast will appear in the regular places wherever 190 00:14:11,515 --> 00:14:15,315 Speaker 1: you podcast, but we'll change up a little bit. We'll 191 00:14:15,315 --> 00:14:19,755 Speaker 1: do it live. And also of interest, here time to 192 00:14:19,795 --> 00:14:23,035 Speaker 1: salute the man who broke the color barrier in Major 193 00:14:23,115 --> 00:14:30,435 Speaker 1: League Baseball, Jackie Robinson. No, not him, the tragedy of 194 00:14:30,515 --> 00:14:35,315 Speaker 1: William Edward White of the eighteen seventy nine Providence team. 195 00:14:36,035 --> 00:14:37,515 Speaker 1: That's next. This is Countdown. 196 00:14:40,235 --> 00:14:58,555 Speaker 4: This is Countdown with Keith Alberman. This is Sports Center. Wait, 197 00:14:58,715 --> 00:15:06,075 Speaker 4: check that, not anymore. This is Countdown with Keith. 198 00:15:05,835 --> 00:15:12,275 Speaker 1: Ulberman in sports date line Nashville, Tennessee and dateline Salt 199 00:15:12,355 --> 00:15:21,995 Speaker 1: Lake City, Utah. Congratulations Nashville congratulations, Salt Talaka City, You're 200 00:15:22,035 --> 00:15:25,835 Speaker 1: getting Major League Baseball expansion franchises. There is a catch. 201 00:15:26,355 --> 00:15:30,115 Speaker 1: This will happen sometime around the year twenty thirty two. 202 00:15:30,875 --> 00:15:34,275 Speaker 1: That is the conclusion of my former ESPN colleague Jeff Passon, 203 00:15:34,635 --> 00:15:37,595 Speaker 1: pointing out that it has already passed a quarter century 204 00:15:37,915 --> 00:15:40,595 Speaker 1: since the last Baseball expansion clubs took the field back 205 00:15:40,635 --> 00:15:43,515 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety eight, and once the game started to 206 00:15:43,595 --> 00:15:47,595 Speaker 1: expand in nineteen sixty one, after sixty years of stasis, 207 00:15:47,915 --> 00:15:51,155 Speaker 1: baseball had never gone more than sixteen years without selling 208 00:15:51,835 --> 00:15:55,995 Speaker 1: absolutely nothing of value for as much money as possible 209 00:15:56,035 --> 00:15:59,875 Speaker 1: and adding at least two more deadbeat franchises to the 210 00:15:59,915 --> 00:16:03,275 Speaker 1: bottom of the pile. It hasn't been much a topic 211 00:16:03,355 --> 00:16:07,515 Speaker 1: of conversation, one owner anonymously told Passing, even though the 212 00:16:07,555 --> 00:16:11,275 Speaker 1: expansion fee that the other owners would share would probably 213 00:16:11,315 --> 00:16:16,355 Speaker 1: be about four billion dollars per team. Well, why isn't 214 00:16:16,395 --> 00:16:19,555 Speaker 1: a topic of conversation Because baseball realizes, even if the 215 00:16:19,555 --> 00:16:21,795 Speaker 1: fans don't yet, that there is going to be a 216 00:16:21,955 --> 00:16:25,515 Speaker 1: huge economic shakeout after the failure of the company that 217 00:16:25,595 --> 00:16:28,715 Speaker 1: had most of the local TV rights to the current teams. 218 00:16:29,195 --> 00:16:32,835 Speaker 1: The money growth is going to stop at least temporarily. 219 00:16:33,195 --> 00:16:36,915 Speaker 1: Plus there is this unresolved mess about the Oakland maybe 220 00:16:36,995 --> 00:16:42,955 Speaker 1: Las Vegas, maybe Sacramento. Maybe they stay in Oakland A's anyway. 221 00:16:43,035 --> 00:16:46,395 Speaker 1: Jeff Passing at ESPN says Nashville and Salt Lake City 222 00:16:46,435 --> 00:16:49,955 Speaker 1: are now co favorites for expansion, and there is some 223 00:16:50,195 --> 00:16:52,675 Speaker 1: news in that. It had been thought for decades that 224 00:16:52,715 --> 00:16:55,355 Speaker 1: if the game ever expanded to the West coast, the 225 00:16:55,475 --> 00:16:59,595 Speaker 1: new franchise would go to Portland, Oregon, not the other one. 226 00:16:59,635 --> 00:17:02,355 Speaker 1: He says, Salt Lake has now leapfrogged Portland. Of course, 227 00:17:02,995 --> 00:17:06,595 Speaker 1: neither may wind up with that ex franchise, neither Portland 228 00:17:06,595 --> 00:17:10,955 Speaker 1: nor salt Lake. The last time the A's moved to Oakland, 229 00:17:10,955 --> 00:17:15,195 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty eight, the only way Baseball avoided losing 230 00:17:15,315 --> 00:17:19,315 Speaker 1: its unique anti trust exemption was to immediately grant a 231 00:17:19,395 --> 00:17:24,515 Speaker 1: replacement expansion franchise to Kansas City, so the next Baseball 232 00:17:24,555 --> 00:17:32,875 Speaker 1: expansion could be to Oakland. Dateline East Brookfield, Massachusetts. One 233 00:17:32,915 --> 00:17:36,555 Speaker 1: of the countless great character actors and perhaps the greatest 234 00:17:36,595 --> 00:17:40,995 Speaker 1: of all sports comedy movies, has died. Paul Tomato played 235 00:17:41,075 --> 00:17:44,675 Speaker 1: Captain hook player coach Tim McCracken of The Bad guys 236 00:17:44,715 --> 00:17:49,915 Speaker 1: the Syracuse Bulldogs in the utterly politically incorrect hockey movie 237 00:17:50,035 --> 00:17:54,515 Speaker 1: slap Shot, starring Paul Newman. He passed away at home 238 00:17:54,555 --> 00:17:57,555 Speaker 1: on Monday after a long fight against the neurological disease. 239 00:17:57,955 --> 00:18:00,635 Speaker 1: To Motto also played a Green Beret in The Deer Hunter. 240 00:18:00,875 --> 00:18:03,875 Speaker 1: He was in Heaven's Gate and Suspect, and as he 241 00:18:04,035 --> 00:18:06,675 Speaker 1: liked to joke, quote, I'm probably the only actor that 242 00:18:06,715 --> 00:18:09,475 Speaker 1: ever beat up Paul Newman, almost beat up Robert de 243 00:18:09,555 --> 00:18:12,435 Speaker 1: Niro and held a knife to the throat of chaer. 244 00:18:13,675 --> 00:18:15,875 Speaker 1: Everyone who knew him said, Paul to Motto was as 245 00:18:15,955 --> 00:18:18,675 Speaker 1: nice a man as they ever made. Tell him about 246 00:18:18,675 --> 00:18:20,995 Speaker 1: a charity for kids, and he'd show up in his 247 00:18:21,075 --> 00:18:25,835 Speaker 1: Syracuse uniform from the movie, carrying another Syracuse uniform auctioned 248 00:18:25,955 --> 00:18:30,115 Speaker 1: off for charity. But he looked so wild, his big 249 00:18:30,155 --> 00:18:35,075 Speaker 1: eyes flaring, his hair flying outwards, that how he appeared 250 00:18:35,115 --> 00:18:38,995 Speaker 1: in slap Shot had served as the basis for the 251 00:18:39,035 --> 00:18:44,395 Speaker 1: comic book and film character Wolverine. Paul to Motto was 252 00:18:44,395 --> 00:18:47,395 Speaker 1: seventy five years old. So one last time, for those 253 00:18:47,395 --> 00:19:37,995 Speaker 1: of you who know your slap Shot still ahead of 254 00:19:38,035 --> 00:19:40,155 Speaker 1: us on this all new edition of Countdown, let's take 255 00:19:40,195 --> 00:19:42,435 Speaker 1: one show from this month to remember the man who 256 00:19:42,515 --> 00:19:48,115 Speaker 1: broke baseball's color line, William Edward White of the eighteen 257 00:19:48,195 --> 00:19:52,115 Speaker 1: seventy nine Providence Grays of the National League. No, it 258 00:19:52,235 --> 00:19:56,555 Speaker 1: wasn't Jackie Robinson. I'll explain this not so glorious history 259 00:19:57,235 --> 00:20:00,275 Speaker 1: in things I promised not to tell. First. Yes, the 260 00:20:00,355 --> 00:20:02,595 Speaker 1: daily round up of the miscrants, morons, and Dunning Krueger 261 00:20:02,595 --> 00:20:08,235 Speaker 1: effect specimens who constitute today persons in the world. The 262 00:20:08,275 --> 00:20:14,235 Speaker 1: Bronze Worse alex Andreida, Florida State representative from Pensacola, Republican 263 00:20:14,275 --> 00:20:18,355 Speaker 1: sponsor of HB seven fifty seven, another right wing nut 264 00:20:18,475 --> 00:20:23,035 Speaker 1: job bill. This is a media accountability law that would 265 00:20:23,035 --> 00:20:26,835 Speaker 1: allow people to sue no news organizations and require judges 266 00:20:27,195 --> 00:20:31,835 Speaker 1: to presume that any anonymous source is lying and is 267 00:20:31,875 --> 00:20:35,315 Speaker 1: automatically guilty of malice. And it would require a quote 268 00:20:35,395 --> 00:20:39,675 Speaker 1: veracity hearing about any story anybody wanted to sue over. 269 00:20:40,475 --> 00:20:42,515 Speaker 1: You'd have to have a hearing where a judge would 270 00:20:42,555 --> 00:20:46,235 Speaker 1: decide if the story was true or false within sixty 271 00:20:46,315 --> 00:20:50,875 Speaker 1: days of the filing of the lawsuit. Cool says local 272 00:20:50,915 --> 00:20:54,635 Speaker 1: Florida talk show host Trey Radel. Signing this into law 273 00:20:54,675 --> 00:20:59,555 Speaker 1: will destroy conservative media in this state. He adds, while 274 00:20:59,635 --> 00:21:01,755 Speaker 1: certain Republicans may think they're going to be suing and 275 00:21:01,795 --> 00:21:03,875 Speaker 1: taking on the New York Times in the Washington Post, 276 00:21:04,075 --> 00:21:07,595 Speaker 1: here's the news. Liberal trial lawyers are going to have 277 00:21:07,595 --> 00:21:10,235 Speaker 1: a field day with center right media in the state 278 00:21:10,275 --> 00:21:14,795 Speaker 1: of Florida. This Riddell guy, he too is a conservative 279 00:21:14,875 --> 00:21:20,035 Speaker 1: radio host. This Republican state legislator is backing a gun 280 00:21:20,155 --> 00:21:25,715 Speaker 1: bill that is pointed at his own side. Good work, Sparky, 281 00:21:26,235 --> 00:21:29,275 Speaker 1: the runner up worser Senator Mike Lee of Utah, you 282 00:21:29,355 --> 00:21:32,195 Speaker 1: know him. There are more evil Republicans, There are more 283 00:21:32,275 --> 00:21:36,755 Speaker 1: vicious Republicans, but there probably are not dumber Republicans. Mike 284 00:21:36,835 --> 00:21:40,395 Speaker 1: Lee is honked off at reports and the widespread conclusion 285 00:21:40,435 --> 00:21:44,835 Speaker 1: in Washington that the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorcis 286 00:21:45,035 --> 00:21:48,755 Speaker 1: will never have a trial in the Senate because Senate 287 00:21:48,795 --> 00:21:52,835 Speaker 1: Republicans are way less dumb than House Republicans are now 288 00:21:53,515 --> 00:21:57,075 Speaker 1: except Mike. Mike Lee has written Senate Minority Leader Mitch 289 00:21:57,155 --> 00:22:00,715 Speaker 1: McConnell to insist that the impeachment not be tabled and 290 00:22:00,755 --> 00:22:02,555 Speaker 1: that there be a trial, and there must be one. 291 00:22:02,595 --> 00:22:04,115 Speaker 1: There must be one, There must be one, and all 292 00:22:04,235 --> 00:22:06,395 Speaker 1: is Republic and colleagues are in favor of it. And 293 00:22:06,675 --> 00:22:08,715 Speaker 1: look at all the signatures on his letter, and there 294 00:22:08,715 --> 00:22:14,875 Speaker 1: are thirteen signatures. He only got thirteen other senators to 295 00:22:14,995 --> 00:22:19,755 Speaker 1: sign his letter, and there are eleven blank spots on 296 00:22:19,835 --> 00:22:25,755 Speaker 1: the letter helpathetic. Worse yet, on the letter the signatures 297 00:22:25,755 --> 00:22:29,835 Speaker 1: of Senator Blackburn, Senator Ron Johnson, Senator Braun and Senator 298 00:22:29,955 --> 00:22:33,795 Speaker 1: Roger nine Marshall. They are clearly all in the same 299 00:22:33,955 --> 00:22:41,755 Speaker 1: handwriting Oops. But our winner Elawn Musk, while Putin is 300 00:22:41,795 --> 00:22:45,715 Speaker 1: now prosecuting Alexei Navalni's brother, and Putin has promoted the 301 00:22:45,715 --> 00:22:48,835 Speaker 1: head of the prison service who clearly helped to kill Navalny. 302 00:22:49,355 --> 00:22:52,515 Speaker 1: Twitter x got hold of the new account established I 303 00:22:52,555 --> 00:22:56,235 Speaker 1: think just Sunday or Monday by his widow, and right 304 00:22:56,275 --> 00:23:00,275 Speaker 1: after Julia Navalnaya reposted her video Saint Putin had killed 305 00:23:00,275 --> 00:23:04,915 Speaker 1: her husband, Twitter x under Musk suspended the account out 306 00:23:05,435 --> 00:23:12,795 Speaker 1: suspended Navalny's widow's account, of course it did. After an 307 00:23:12,835 --> 00:23:16,315 Speaker 1: international outcry. Somebody managed to talk Elmo down from his 308 00:23:16,795 --> 00:23:20,315 Speaker 1: shroom high or whatever he was on that he will 309 00:23:20,355 --> 00:23:25,675 Speaker 1: eventually ode on, and Twitter issued this statement, our platform's 310 00:23:25,755 --> 00:23:31,115 Speaker 1: defense mechanism against manipulation and spam mistakenly flagged the account 311 00:23:31,155 --> 00:23:34,995 Speaker 1: as violating our rules. We unsuspended the account as soon 312 00:23:35,075 --> 00:23:37,155 Speaker 1: as we became aware of the error, and we'll be 313 00:23:37,235 --> 00:23:46,035 Speaker 1: updating the defense. Unquote Elon Musk's platform defense mechanism against 314 00:23:46,075 --> 00:23:52,075 Speaker 1: manipulation and spam is a guy named cat turd Elon, 315 00:23:52,755 --> 00:23:57,835 Speaker 1: I am owned by Vladimir Putin musk Ovite two days 316 00:23:58,635 --> 00:23:59,915 Speaker 1: worse person. 317 00:24:01,355 --> 00:24:11,875 Speaker 5: Hello. 318 00:24:13,875 --> 00:24:16,115 Speaker 1: Finally to the number one story on the countdown, and 319 00:24:16,155 --> 00:24:19,195 Speaker 1: before we reached the end of Black History Month, I 320 00:24:19,235 --> 00:24:23,355 Speaker 1: wanted to salute the fact that in sports, Black History 321 00:24:23,355 --> 00:24:26,355 Speaker 1: Month begins and ends with the men who integrated Major 322 00:24:26,435 --> 00:24:33,715 Speaker 1: League Baseball, William Edward White and Fleet Walker. No, not 323 00:24:33,835 --> 00:24:39,435 Speaker 1: Jackie Robinson, William Edward White and Fleet Walker. This is 324 00:24:39,675 --> 00:24:42,795 Speaker 1: in no way to diminish in the least what Jackie 325 00:24:42,875 --> 00:24:47,075 Speaker 1: Robinson did. His success on the field and off, especially 326 00:24:47,075 --> 00:24:50,435 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty seven, not only reshaped American sports, It 327 00:24:50,515 --> 00:24:54,915 Speaker 1: reshaped America. If he had failed, if he had hit 328 00:24:55,035 --> 00:24:57,235 Speaker 1: one ninety seven that first year instead of what he 329 00:24:57,275 --> 00:25:01,475 Speaker 1: did hit two ninety seven, all of the mindless prejudices 330 00:25:01,515 --> 00:25:05,035 Speaker 1: and cliches of the segregated country we were would have 331 00:25:05,035 --> 00:25:09,595 Speaker 1: been reinforced integration would have been deferred or defeated. And 332 00:25:09,675 --> 00:25:13,555 Speaker 1: Lord only knows what kind of blighted society might already 333 00:25:13,675 --> 00:25:18,355 Speaker 1: exist here and not just threaten us. But Jackie Robinson 334 00:25:18,395 --> 00:25:22,475 Speaker 1: did not break the baseball color line. In the winter 335 00:25:22,595 --> 00:25:26,155 Speaker 1: of eighteen eighty three eighty four, the minor league team 336 00:25:26,395 --> 00:25:32,075 Speaker 1: in Toledo, Ohio, moved intact into the American Association, which 337 00:25:32,155 --> 00:25:35,635 Speaker 1: was then the other major league, the lesser rival to 338 00:25:35,675 --> 00:25:40,275 Speaker 1: the National League in baseball. Toledo's starting catcher was a 339 00:25:40,315 --> 00:25:45,195 Speaker 1: former Oberlin and University of Michigan star named Moses fleetwood Walker, 340 00:25:45,515 --> 00:25:49,715 Speaker 1: and he was an African American. On opening day of 341 00:25:49,755 --> 00:25:53,395 Speaker 1: the American Association season May first, eighteen eighty four, he 342 00:25:54,035 --> 00:25:58,595 Speaker 1: broke the color line. Toledo started its season on the 343 00:25:58,715 --> 00:26:03,875 Speaker 1: road on the road in Louisville, Kentucky. The baseball color line, 344 00:26:03,915 --> 00:26:08,635 Speaker 1: as we have understood it historically was broken nineteen years 345 00:26:08,795 --> 00:26:12,555 Speaker 1: and twenty one days after the Civil War effectively ended, 346 00:26:12,835 --> 00:26:19,435 Speaker 1: and it was broken in Kentucky. Indeed, the America and 347 00:26:19,475 --> 00:26:22,195 Speaker 1: the American Association of eighteen eighty four, in which Fleet 348 00:26:22,275 --> 00:26:24,715 Speaker 1: Walker and later in the season his brother well Day 349 00:26:24,755 --> 00:26:30,515 Speaker 1: Walker survived unimaginable Hatred and Abuse had eleven other teams 350 00:26:30,955 --> 00:26:34,235 Speaker 1: besides Toledo and Louisville in it. Among them in the 351 00:26:34,275 --> 00:26:38,675 Speaker 1: American Association, Richmond, the capital of the Confederate States of America, 352 00:26:39,155 --> 00:26:42,235 Speaker 1: also Baltimore, which nearly sided with the South in the 353 00:26:42,235 --> 00:26:46,715 Speaker 1: Civil War, and Washington, a collectively mixed message, and Cincinnati, 354 00:26:46,755 --> 00:26:50,875 Speaker 1: then an utterly Southern city, and Saint louis It is 355 00:26:50,955 --> 00:26:56,635 Speaker 1: amazing that the Walker brothers survived and thrived. Fleet Walker 356 00:26:56,675 --> 00:26:59,155 Speaker 1: batted two sixty eight, well above the league average for 357 00:26:59,195 --> 00:27:01,835 Speaker 1: that eighteen eighty four season, and even one of the 358 00:27:01,875 --> 00:27:05,915 Speaker 1: fiercest racists on the team, his own pitcher Tony Mullane, 359 00:27:06,555 --> 00:27:08,755 Speaker 1: said Walker was the best catcher he'd ever played with. 360 00:27:10,075 --> 00:27:13,275 Speaker 1: The Toledo team dropped out of the American Association that winter. 361 00:27:13,795 --> 00:27:17,115 Speaker 1: Walker continued to play in the Miners, working towards another 362 00:27:17,235 --> 00:27:20,355 Speaker 1: shot at the big leagues until eighteen eighty nine, And 363 00:27:20,435 --> 00:27:23,515 Speaker 1: that is when baseball unofficially brought down the color barrier 364 00:27:23,915 --> 00:27:29,315 Speaker 1: that Jackie Robinson would eventually break through. We celebrate Jackie 365 00:27:29,355 --> 00:27:33,235 Speaker 1: Robinson and we all but forget Fleet Walker. He's not 366 00:27:33,315 --> 00:27:36,075 Speaker 1: even in the Baseball Hall of Fame, nor is there 367 00:27:36,075 --> 00:27:40,755 Speaker 1: some kind of plaque somewhere saying he was Major League 368 00:27:40,795 --> 00:27:46,995 Speaker 1: Baseball's first African American player. Of course, in part, that's 369 00:27:47,035 --> 00:27:51,875 Speaker 1: because fleet Walker also wasn't actually Major League Baseball's first 370 00:27:51,915 --> 00:27:55,275 Speaker 1: African American player. The distinction, in fact belongs to a 371 00:27:55,275 --> 00:27:59,755 Speaker 1: man who never claimed it, who did everything possible it appears, 372 00:27:59,795 --> 00:28:04,595 Speaker 1: to hide and deny it. On the twentieth of June eighth, 373 00:28:04,675 --> 00:28:08,275 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy nine, Joe Start, the first basement of what 374 00:28:08,395 --> 00:28:10,435 Speaker 1: was then one of the National League's top teams, the 375 00:28:10,475 --> 00:28:14,835 Speaker 1: Providence Grays Providence, Rhode Island, broke his finger. There were 376 00:28:14,875 --> 00:28:18,115 Speaker 1: no twenty five man rosters or twenty six man rosters, 377 00:28:18,275 --> 00:28:20,635 Speaker 1: and no farm teams from which to call anybody up 378 00:28:20,675 --> 00:28:23,995 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventy nine. So the eighteen seventy nine Providence 379 00:28:24,075 --> 00:28:28,435 Speaker 1: Grays did what many clubs before nineteen twenty did when 380 00:28:28,435 --> 00:28:31,275 Speaker 1: they needed an extra player. They signed a kid off 381 00:28:31,315 --> 00:28:33,995 Speaker 1: the streets, or in this case, they signed a kid 382 00:28:34,035 --> 00:28:37,675 Speaker 1: off the campus of Brown University. And his name was 383 00:28:37,715 --> 00:28:42,675 Speaker 1: William Edward White. He was eighteen years old. We think 384 00:28:42,755 --> 00:28:46,915 Speaker 1: they called him Bill, but nobody's certain. And on June 385 00:28:46,955 --> 00:28:49,275 Speaker 1: twenty first, eighteen seventy nine, he stepped across the foul 386 00:28:49,355 --> 00:28:52,195 Speaker 1: lines at the Messer Street Grounds in Providence, and he 387 00:28:52,635 --> 00:28:58,475 Speaker 1: broke baseball's color barrier, and nobody really knew it for 388 00:28:58,515 --> 00:29:03,115 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty five years. That's when irrefutable evidence 389 00:29:03,195 --> 00:29:06,915 Speaker 1: was unearthed that William White's father was the president of 390 00:29:06,955 --> 00:29:11,395 Speaker 1: a railroad in Georgia, and his mother was one of 391 00:29:11,435 --> 00:29:17,515 Speaker 1: the slaves he owned. She herself was of mixed heritage. 392 00:29:17,555 --> 00:29:22,435 Speaker 1: William White was evidently light skinned, Caucasian featured, and spent 393 00:29:22,475 --> 00:29:26,955 Speaker 1: his life in the old now unused and heartbreaking term passing. 394 00:29:29,195 --> 00:29:31,635 Speaker 1: His college thought he was white, his wife thought he 395 00:29:31,715 --> 00:29:35,195 Speaker 1: was white. His census takers thought he was white. When 396 00:29:35,235 --> 00:29:39,035 Speaker 1: he died in nineteen thirty seven, the death certificate listed 397 00:29:39,115 --> 00:29:43,675 Speaker 1: him as white. Deep down, he may have considered himself white, 398 00:29:43,675 --> 00:29:47,995 Speaker 1: and thus, since race is a non scientific concept, he 399 00:29:48,195 --> 00:29:53,475 Speaker 1: was white, whatever that means. Or he may have just 400 00:29:53,635 --> 00:29:58,395 Speaker 1: chosen to enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to avoid the hell 401 00:29:59,075 --> 00:30:02,355 Speaker 1: that was living in America for blacks of the nineteenth 402 00:30:02,355 --> 00:30:06,355 Speaker 1: century and for most of the twentieth and now sadly 403 00:30:06,475 --> 00:30:09,595 Speaker 1: much of the twenty first. We don't know his motives. 404 00:30:10,515 --> 00:30:13,835 Speaker 1: We don't know Also, if he only played that one 405 00:30:13,915 --> 00:30:16,955 Speaker 1: day in the National League because somebody suspected he was 406 00:30:16,955 --> 00:30:20,315 Speaker 1: of mixed heritage. It's just as easy to think that 407 00:30:20,395 --> 00:30:23,795 Speaker 1: he was a one day emergency replacement, and the Providence 408 00:30:23,835 --> 00:30:26,235 Speaker 1: Grays had three games until the next game after that, 409 00:30:26,555 --> 00:30:29,435 Speaker 1: and they rearranged their lineup, and they just dropped him, 410 00:30:29,515 --> 00:30:32,355 Speaker 1: as dozens of other teams did to dozens of other 411 00:30:32,475 --> 00:30:35,595 Speaker 1: one or two day Big leaguers literally for the next 412 00:30:35,595 --> 00:30:39,595 Speaker 1: forty years. We do know there is no evidence that 413 00:30:39,635 --> 00:30:43,515 Speaker 1: he ever proclaimed himself to be an African American, nor 414 00:30:43,595 --> 00:30:46,075 Speaker 1: that the team had any idea, nor that he ever 415 00:30:46,155 --> 00:30:51,515 Speaker 1: acknowledged his accomplishment. That fact that White clearly did not 416 00:30:51,755 --> 00:30:54,955 Speaker 1: self identify as black leads many to the interpretation that 417 00:30:55,075 --> 00:30:58,195 Speaker 1: White was not the first African American in baseball, because, 418 00:30:58,315 --> 00:31:04,635 Speaker 1: at least passively, he was insisting he was not black. Regardless, 419 00:31:05,115 --> 00:31:08,155 Speaker 1: there were at least three African Americans in the major 420 00:31:08,235 --> 00:31:11,475 Speaker 1: leagues before Jackie Robinson in nineteen forty seven, owhen there 421 00:31:11,515 --> 00:31:16,235 Speaker 1: was nearly a fourth. Charlie Grant, a top second baseman 422 00:31:16,755 --> 00:31:20,875 Speaker 1: from the early Negro leagues, whom John McGraw, the manager, 423 00:31:20,915 --> 00:31:23,395 Speaker 1: had at spring training with the nineteen hundred and won Baltimore, 424 00:31:23,395 --> 00:31:27,875 Speaker 1: Orioles McGraw said he was a Native American called Tuckahoma. 425 00:31:29,075 --> 00:31:33,155 Speaker 1: When people saw how well Tukahoma played, they knew he was, 426 00:31:33,155 --> 00:31:36,475 Speaker 1: in fact Charlie Grant. There was also nearly a fourth. 427 00:31:36,555 --> 00:31:40,155 Speaker 1: In nineteen oh five. The newspaper of The Boston Traveler 428 00:31:40,315 --> 00:31:43,235 Speaker 1: reported in mid season that the team that would become 429 00:31:43,275 --> 00:31:46,395 Speaker 1: the Braves was fed up with its lousy second baseman 430 00:31:46,595 --> 00:31:48,915 Speaker 1: and was about to sign the top collegiate player in 431 00:31:48,955 --> 00:31:53,395 Speaker 1: the country, Mattie Matthews of Harvard, a black man. It 432 00:31:53,475 --> 00:31:57,635 Speaker 1: did not happen. It was nineteen oh five. Matthews instead 433 00:31:57,635 --> 00:32:01,515 Speaker 1: signed with a minor league team in Vermont. There was 434 00:32:01,555 --> 00:32:05,155 Speaker 1: nearly another fourth. In nineteen sixteen, the Oakland Oaks of 435 00:32:05,155 --> 00:32:07,955 Speaker 1: the Pacific Coast League signed a top local amateur player 436 00:32:08,155 --> 00:32:11,995 Speaker 1: named Jimmy Claxton. They believed he was a Native American. 437 00:32:12,755 --> 00:32:16,955 Speaker 1: He was and also an African American, and he was 438 00:32:16,995 --> 00:32:21,875 Speaker 1: released five days later when they found that last part out. Ironically, 439 00:32:21,915 --> 00:32:25,755 Speaker 1: that was not before a local candy company rushed out 440 00:32:25,755 --> 00:32:28,235 Speaker 1: a baseball card of him. There is a Jimmy Claxton 441 00:32:28,715 --> 00:32:35,755 Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen baseball card. Jimmy Claxton William Clarence Mattie Matthews, 442 00:32:36,955 --> 00:32:42,675 Speaker 1: Charlie Grant, Fleet, Walker, Well Day Walker, William Edward White 443 00:32:43,675 --> 00:32:50,315 Speaker 1: buried by history even during Black History Month. And why well, 444 00:32:50,355 --> 00:32:54,315 Speaker 1: I think because we like our history, especially our social history, 445 00:32:54,355 --> 00:32:57,435 Speaker 1: to have struggles and pitfalls and even danger, provided it 446 00:32:57,515 --> 00:33:00,915 Speaker 1: has a happy ending. And can you have heard these 447 00:33:00,955 --> 00:33:05,435 Speaker 1: stories and say that Claxton or Matthews, or Grant or 448 00:33:05,475 --> 00:33:11,115 Speaker 1: the Walkers had any kind of happy ending? Or William White. 449 00:33:11,475 --> 00:33:17,675 Speaker 1: William White was born in eighteen sixty before the Civil War, Thus, 450 00:33:17,915 --> 00:33:20,315 Speaker 1: since his mother was a slave, and not by the 451 00:33:20,395 --> 00:33:24,155 Speaker 1: laws of the Confederacy, but by the laws in force 452 00:33:24,355 --> 00:33:28,595 Speaker 1: at the time in the United States of America. Thus, 453 00:33:28,635 --> 00:33:30,955 Speaker 1: by those laws, the man who actually became the first 454 00:33:31,035 --> 00:33:34,395 Speaker 1: African American in professional team sports in this country sixty 455 00:33:34,515 --> 00:33:38,555 Speaker 1: nine years before Jackie Robinson, was a man who was 456 00:33:38,635 --> 00:33:41,795 Speaker 1: born a slave and spent his life in a segregated 457 00:33:41,915 --> 00:33:48,875 Speaker 1: racist society passing as white, never acknowledging his place in history. 458 00:33:50,515 --> 00:34:07,315 Speaker 1: And exactly what is happy about that? I've done all 459 00:34:07,315 --> 00:34:09,715 Speaker 1: the damage I can do here? Thank you for listening. Countdown. 460 00:34:09,795 --> 00:34:13,235 Speaker 1: Musical directors Brian Ray and John Phillip Schaneale arranged, produced 461 00:34:13,275 --> 00:34:16,115 Speaker 1: and performed most of our music. Mister Ray was on 462 00:34:16,155 --> 00:34:20,155 Speaker 1: the guitars, bass and drums, Mister Shanelle handled orchestration and keyboards, 463 00:34:20,555 --> 00:34:23,835 Speaker 1: and it was produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including 464 00:34:23,835 --> 00:34:26,715 Speaker 1: some of the Beethoven compositions, arranged and performed by No 465 00:34:26,875 --> 00:34:30,275 Speaker 1: Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Olberman theme from 466 00:34:30,475 --> 00:34:34,235 Speaker 1: ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. 467 00:34:34,875 --> 00:34:39,355 Speaker 1: Our satirical and pithy musical comments are by my companionists 468 00:34:39,915 --> 00:34:44,515 Speaker 1: Company in company by Nancy Faust, the best baseball stadium 469 00:34:44,635 --> 00:34:47,155 Speaker 1: organist ever, and I announce he today was my friend 470 00:34:47,195 --> 00:34:51,555 Speaker 1: Richard Lewis. Everything else was pretty much my fault. That's 471 00:34:51,595 --> 00:34:53,675 Speaker 1: countdown for this the two hundred and fifty ninth day 472 00:34:54,075 --> 00:34:57,235 Speaker 1: until the twenty twenty four US presidential election, the one 473 00:34:57,675 --> 00:35:00,435 Speaker 1: one hundred and fortieth day since dementia J Trump's first 474 00:35:00,475 --> 00:35:04,275 Speaker 1: attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 475 00:35:04,875 --> 00:35:07,675 Speaker 1: Use the fourteenth Amendment, the Insurrection Act, the justice system, 476 00:35:07,795 --> 00:35:10,795 Speaker 1: the mental health system to stop him from doing it again, 477 00:35:11,835 --> 00:35:15,555 Speaker 1: and swear about it on CNN while we still can. 478 00:35:16,595 --> 00:35:19,115 Speaker 1: The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Bulletin says, the news 479 00:35:19,115 --> 00:35:22,635 Speaker 1: warrants till then. I'm Keith Oldremman. Good morning, good afternoon, 480 00:35:22,675 --> 00:35:24,715 Speaker 1: good night, and good luck. 481 00:35:31,115 --> 00:35:33,275 Speaker 2: The crazy shit that Trump says. 482 00:35:36,275 --> 00:35:42,595 Speaker 3: Someday you watch in CNN, I will feel a glow 483 00:35:42,955 --> 00:35:51,355 Speaker 3: just thinking you and the crazy shit Trump says to night, 484 00:35:55,475 --> 00:35:59,155 Speaker 3: Thank you, Nancy Faust. Countdown with Keith Olreman is a 485 00:35:59,195 --> 00:36:03,995 Speaker 3: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 486 00:36:04,035 --> 00:36:08,595 Speaker 3: iHeartRadio Apple Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.