as often the case …
crash probably exactly
what appeared to be
For some reason when I first saw the NYT opinion piece headline, Plane crash was probably exactly what it appeared to be (By Serge Schmemann, New York Time, Aug. 24, 2023), I thought I was going to read an expert’s opinion that when the plane that had Yevgeny Prigozhin listed as a passenger crashed, it was just one of those things.
Bad things can happen to bad people.
Lots of people have been killed in plane crashes.
Knute Rockne, Head Football Coach ‘win one for the gipper’ at Notre Dame, for one.
I never once met Mr. Rockne as his plane crashed in 1931, but I when I was a kid I saw a biographical film of Mr. Rockne and when the story came for the plane to crash, the movie showed a farmer out plowing his field and looking up in the sky, saw the plane crash.
The farmer then bowed his head and removed his hat.
I don’t know how old I was, 3rd or 4th grade, but it was 20 years before I realized that that piece of the movie was just some stock footage, not an actual record of the Rockne crash.
Still, as a kid, I felt I had witnessed something and I long felt a certain attachment and sadness about Mr. Rockne.
At least until Michigan renewed their contract with Notre Dame and started playing them again in 1978.
Prior to that Michigan and Notre Dame hadn’t played since 1947 for many reasons.
By chance, as student doing research on Michigan Football, I was able to get an interview with then Michigan Athletic Director Dan Canham.
During the course of the interview I asked if it was true Michigan wouldn’t play Notre Dame because Fritz Crisler didn’t like Catholics and didn’t like Rockne.
“Oh No,” said Canham, “It had nothing to do with that. Crisler felt cheated over the 1947 National Champion vote … It was Yost who hated Rockne.”
BUT I DIGRESS.
The topic was plane crashes.
So I clicked on the headline and I read:
As is so often the case with atrocities in Mr. Putin’s Russia, the plane crash was probably exactly what it appeared to be: the assassination of a nettlesome rival by the ruthless ruler.
Wow!
Such a matter-of-fact, cold blooded use of simple words.
What else could have happened?
Not much room here to wiggle or discuss.
The plane crash was probably exactly what it appeared to be: the assassination of a nettlesome rival by the ruthless ruler.
Mr. Schmemann closes with:
The need to enforce personal loyalty has become even more critical with the invasion of Ukraine, an operation linked directly to Mr. Putin that is amassing a terrible cost in lives, treasure and international standing.
Given Mr. Prigozhin’s sordid history, it remains possible that new and perhaps surprising revelations about this crash still lie ahead. But if it turns out that this was not Mr. Putin’s doing, it may only be because someone beat him to it.
Our democratic process is screwed up.
And we have really trod hard on it with seven league boots of late.
But it does have its advantages.
We had 8 contenders to high office on TV last.
I bet all 8 flew home safely.
Maybe that’s why a certain someone with a appointment today in downtown ATL likes Mr. Putin so much.
But this certain someone himself will fly in and out of ATL without any concern.
I have to admit I tried to reach out to this certain someone today.
I know of several Fulton County Bail Bond locations and I can personally recommend Bond James Bond.
No Haiku For You 