Welcome to Glass Slipper! I can’t be the only one who forgot how fun it is when the biggest NBA stars play in the Olympics; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

When Jared Goff got shipped to the Lions in 2021, I couldn’t help but chuckle. My amusement didn’t really have anything to do with the trade itself, but more so the city fit.

As you may know, Goff was born and raised outside of San Francisco. He then played his college ball at UC Berkeley, before getting drafted by the LA Rams. But even if you were completely unaware of his background, you can listen to the guy speak for 45 seconds and know that he’s a California boy. Everything about him - the voice, the body language, the attitude - is that of a relaxed West Coast dude who probably loves to surf in his free time.

Needless to say, I was intrigued to see how Goff would handle a Midwest football environment. If he jogged to the locker room down 21-6 at home, he would now be hearing harsh Detroit boos instead of a symphony of encouragement from his fellow Californians. Much to my surprise, Goff has been a perfect match for the Lions; the two sides have totally embraced each other, and he is now beloved in the city.

My reaction to that blockbuster Detroit-LA deal was recreated when I heard that Jazz Chisholm Jr. was headed to the Yankees yesterday. One of the flashiest guys in sports was joining New York’s notoriously uptight culture? The fit was hard for me to even comprehend.

I will never understand the grouchy baseball fans that whine when they see a guy like Chisholm perform his exuberant home run celebrations. We never did that in my day! Play the game the right way! Um, you actually did do that in your day. Tom Lawless hit a bomb in the 1987 World Series and unleashed a massive bat flip, which drew giggles and glee from the broadcasters. The next year, Kirk Gibson crushed one of the most famous homers in baseball history and taunted his way around the bases. We didn’t do that back in the day. Give me a break. Chisholm is having fun; that is exactly how to play the game the right way.

With that said, I won’t completely defend some of Jazz’s other antics. In March, he went on a podcast and explained that he didn’t like many of his Miami teammates for the first three years of his career. While it hardly seems as though Chisholm was 100% responsible for that clubhouse disconnect, his decision to reveal such drama while he was still on the Marlins was pretty weird. Nonetheless, the fact that Jazz - despite playing in that toxic environment - managed to make the All-Star Game and appear on the cover of MLB: The Show proves how talented and fun the kid is.

I will never be mistaken for a Yankees fan, but I’m always pulling for Chisholm. I have my fingers crossed that he can figure it out in the Big Apple just like Goff did in Detroit.

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“Got To Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn. Yet another absolute classic. Enjoy.