D2 EZ M2 THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 , 2019
“To the ‘people’ in this
end who made the
monkey noises: Shame
on you. Shame on you.”
MARIO BALOTELLI,
black Italian soccer star, responding
in an Instagram story to racist chants
directed at him Sunday by fans of
Hellas Verona. Balotelli, who plays for
Brescia of Serie A, kicked the ball into
the crowd and nearly walked off the
field in frustration.
NATIONALSBY SCOTT ALLENSpotted: Big red buses from
the Washington Nationals’
championship parade on the
streets of Philadelphia, one day
after they carried Nationals play-
ers and coaches down Constitu-
tion Avenue to celebrate the
District’s first World Series title
in 95 years.
The buses were still decorated
with Nationals-themed decals,
including a giant World Series
Champions logo, a stylized rendi-
tion of the Commissioner’s Tro-
phy and the words “Fight Fin-
ished” on the side, and a smiling
Baby Shark on the back. If you’re
a Phillies fan, you hate to see it.
A spokeswoman for Big Bus
Tours — tagline: “We like Big Bus
and we cannot lie” — said the
company, which operates in 22
cities throughout the world, sup-
plied 20 buses for Saturday’s
parade. Fifteen were from Big
Bus’s D.C. fleet, and the other five
were from its Philadelphia fleet.
Nationals Manager Dave Marti-
nez rode on top of one of those
buses from Philadelphia, which
included a Liberty Bell inside the
Big Bus logo on the front.
A sports editor for the Dela-
ware County Daily Times
snapped a photo of one of the
decal-adorned buses making the
trip down I-95 South from Phila-
delphia on Friday morning.
Nationals fans, including D.C.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, couldn’t
help but laugh at the richness of
Washington’s World Series pa-
rade buses driving through the
streets of the city former Nation-
al Bryce Harper now calls home.
“Looks like this Philly
@BigBusToursUSA bus is paying
the bryce for participating in our
@Nationals #FIGHTFINISHED
parade,” Bowser tweeted Sunday
of the incredible, unintentional
troll job.
The Big Bus spokeswoman
said the World Series decorations
will remain on five of the buses in
the D.C. fleet for another month.
The company was in the process
of removing the decals from its
Philadelphia fleet Monday.
“How I longed to see these
things; how I longed to see the
Liberty Bell and party on the
streets where Bobby Clarke, Nick
‘BD’ Foles, and Chase Utley had
partied!” Harper wrote on Insta-
gram in late March. Alas, Harper
wasn’t in Philadelphia to see the
Nationals’ parade buses Sunday,
because he was vacationing in
Italy with his wife and infant son,
Krew.
Shortly after the Nationals
clinched their first World Series
title last week, Harper posted a
photo on his Instagram story of
himself and his wife on a plane
with the words “Free rent
‘Krew’. ” It may have been a
reference to the suggestion that
Harper is living “rent-free” in the
heads of Nationals fans. Actually,
the rent isn’t free; the payment
date is just heavily deferred.
[email protected]Buses from
the parade
roll, troll
in Philly
BY AVA WALLACEThe Navy football team en-
tered the Associated Press poll
for the first time this season,
slipping in at No. 25 ahead of a
bye week before the Midshipmen
play Notre Dame on Nov. 16 in
South Bend, Ind. The ranking is
another landmark in what has
been a rebound year for the
Mids.
Navy (7-1, 5-1 American) enters
the poll after rolling over Con-
necticut, 56-10, on Friday to
notch its fifth straight win and
the biggest margin of victory
since a 49-point win over Rice in
- The Mids are off to a 7-1
start for the sixth time since - Their lone loss came
against No. 19 Memphis (8-1, 4-1).
Since joining the AAC five
seasons ago, Navy has cracked
the AP poll at least once every
season except for last year. Be-
fore joining the conference, the
Mids hadn’t been ranked since
the final poll of the 2004 season,
when they debuted at No. 24
after posting a 10-2 record.
As for the about-face between
this year and last, several devel-
opments have contributed to
Navy’s success after its 3-10 dip in - But what jumps to the fore
is the Mids’ vastly improved
defense (No. 19 in the country at
310.6 yards allowed per game)
under a new staff and increased
stability on offense — remember
the three-player quarterback car-
ousel Navy had been riding for
the past couple of seasons? —
behind quarterback Malcolm
Perry.
Perry, a senior, became the
second player in program history
Friday to reach 1,000 rushing
yards in a season three times in
his career. He is up to 1,042 yards,
seventh most in the nation, lead-
ing the country’s top rushing
offense (357.9 yards per game).
Behind him, a bundle of reliable,
strong rushers has emerged,
highlighted by sophomore Jama-
le Carothers, who is averaging
88.8 rushing yards.
Navy’s next challenge is a
game at No. 15 Notre Dame (6-2),
where the Fighting Irish have
won the past four home games in
the annual rivalry.
[email protected]
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
After their
7-1 start,
Mids enter
the AP poll
PRO BASKETBALLJENNIFER S. ALTMAN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
“We’ve got to be a little bit more intentional about how we navigate the world,” NBPA executive Michele Roberts said.BY BEN GOLLIVERBefore LeBron James and China,
there was Kevin Durant and India.
Two years ago, Durant, fresh off
winning the first title and NBA Finals
MVP award of his career, went on a
summer tour of India. He visited the Taj
Mahal and hosted training sessions
with local children, but he returned
home facing an international
controversy. In an interview with the
Athletic, Durant said India was “20
years behind in terms of knowledge”
and that there were “cows in the street
[and] monkeys running around
everywhere.” After his comments were
criticized as culturally insensitive, he
apologized and said he meant “no
offense” and that he should have been
more careful with his wording.
That saga feels like ancient history
following the outrage sparked by
Houston Rockets General Manager
Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of pro-
democracy protesters in Hong Kong
last month. James was pilloried by
major American politicians for refusing
to criticize China, ignoring the
protesters and dismissing Morey’s
political statement as inconvenient
given its timing right before the Los
Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets
played exhibitions in Shanghai and
Shenzhen. Rockets star James Harden
was also condemned for apologizing for
Morey’s tweet. All told, that made three
NBA MVPs who faced major backlash
for comments on international issues
since 2017.
For National Basketball Players
Association Executive Director Michele
Roberts, the size and scope of the Chinasaga provided a wake-up call:
Something needs to change, or NBA
players will continue to find themselves
embroiled in international incidents.
“We don’t have the luxury of
confining ourselves to the four corners
of the United States,” Roberts told The
Washington Post in a phone interview.
“As the game is expanding [globally]
and the union is interested in having a
greater impact outside the U.S., I need
to, and the players need to, be more
aware of the world around us. [The
China standoff brought] difficult days,
and the problem hasn’t gone away. We
need to address it as a union and as a
sport. We’ve got to be a little bit more
intentional about how we navigate the
world given what happened this past
[month].”
Some portion of the criticism
directed at James and Durant focused
on their perceived ignorance. James
acknowledged he hadn’t followed the
Hong Kong protests, and Durant spoke
at length about how his preconceived
notions of India and its culture did not
match what he saw during his first trip
to the country.
Roberts admitted that the union has
not done enough to help prepare
players before their international
travels and that it is the NBPA’s
responsibility to take proactive steps to
prevent its members from doingunintentional harm to their
reputations and brands.
“For many of the players that went
over there, it was their first trip to
China,” Roberts said. “Many had no idea
what was going on in Hong Kong. Most
Americans, let alone most basketball
players, are not aware of the politics
that have been of concern in China. If
we’re going to be sending our guys all
over the globe, then we have to make
sure they’re armed with the knowledge
of where they are going and what’s
happening in the locales they’re visiting
and playing in.
“That’s a role we’re going to play as a
union. It’s a role I don’t think we’ve
done a good job of fulfilling to date.
We’ve got to be capable of providing
information to the players [and
assisting them if ] they ask for help in
formulating a comment.”
As the China issue has shifted to the
back burner with the season in full
swing, Roberts has started to look
ahead to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Her hope is that the competition will be
a unifying event and an opportunity to
heal. The Olympics will also be another
major test for the players, who will be
headed abroad for more international
exhibitions during the closing months
of the 2020 presidential election
campaign.
Until then, Roberts offered to be a
sounding board for any players who
might be struggling to make sense of
current events.
“The players are pretty independent,”
she said. “They don’t ring my phone off
the hook asking me what they should
say. I sometimes wish they would.”
[email protected]Union leader: Perspective is vital
NBA players association boss
vows to educate athletes
before they head overseaswashingtonpost.com/sports
BASEBALL
Rendon and Scherzer
among awards finalists
Major League Baseball on
Monday announced the finalists
for the four major Baseball
Writers’ Association of America
awards, with Washington
Nationals players among the top
three vote-getters in the races for
the National League MVP award
and Cy Young Award.
Nationals third baseman
Anthony Rendon is an MVP
finalist, joining the Brewers’
Christian Yelich and the
Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger.
Rendon’s best finish in the NL
MVP race was fifth in 2014.
Nationals ace Max Scherzer,
who has won three Cy Young
Awards, is up for his fourth. The
Mets’ Jacob deGrom and the
Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu are the
other top vote-getters.
The finalists for manager of the
year (Craig Counsell, Brewers;
Mike Shildt, Cardinals; and
Brian Snitker, Braves) and
rookie of the year (Pete Alonso,
Mets; Mike Soroka, Braves; and
Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres)
didn’t include anyone from the
World Series champions.
On the American League side,
here are the finalists:
MVP: Alex Bregman, Astros;
Marcus Semien, Athletics; Mike
Trout, Angels.
Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, Astros;
Charlie Morton, Rays; Justin
Verlander, Astros.
Manager of the year: Rocco
Baldelli, Twins; Aaron Boone,
Yankees; Kevin Cash, Rays.
Rookie of the year: Yordan
Alvarez, Astros; Brandon Lowe,
Rays; John Means, Orioles....
Red Sox designated hitter J.D.
Martinez decided to stay in
Boston instead of becoming a free
agent, declining an option that
would have voided the last three
years and $62.5 million owed as
part of the five-year, $110 million
contract he signed in 2018....
The New York Yankees did not
make a $17.8 million qualifying
offer to Didi Gregorius and will
not receive draft-pick
compensation if the shortstop
signs with another team.SOCCER
Carlos Vela won Major League
Soccer’s MVP award by shredding
scoring records and captaining
Los Angeles FC to the best regular
season in league history.
Vela accepted the award
Monday after garnering nearly
70 percent of the total vote overDIGESTAvenue after a four-year absence
following World War II.
Billionaire Roger Penske will
become just the fourth owner of
the 110-year-old speedway.
The speedway spun off
multiple subsidiaries, including
the IndyCar Series and
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Productions, which are also partof the deal to Penske
Entertainment. That group is a
subsidiary of Penske Corp., which
is owned by Roger Penske....
President Trump is expected
to attend Saturday’s football
game between No. 1 LSU and
No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
— From news services
and staff reportsCOLLEGE FOOTBALL
7 p.m. Kent State at Toledo » CBS Sports Network
8 p.m. Ball State at Western Michigan » ESPN2
9 p.m. College Football Playoff rankings show » ESPN
SOCCER
1 p.m. UEFA Champions League, Group F: Slavia Praha at Barcelona » TNT
2:30 p.m. FIFA U-17 World Cup, round of 16: Angola vs. South Korea » Fox Sports 2
3 p.m. UEFA Champions League, Group H: Ajax at Chelsea » TNT
TENNIS
8 a.m. ATP: Next Gen ATP Finals, round robin » Tennis Channel
Noon USTA Men’s Pro Circuit: Knoxville Challenger, early rounds » Tennis Channel
1:30 p.m. ATP: Next Gen ATP Finals, round robin » Tennis Channel
5:30 p.m. USTA Men’s Pro Circuit: Knoxville Challenger, early rounds;
USTA Women’s Pro Circuit: Henderson Tennis Open, early rounds »
Tennis Channel
COLLEGE SOCCER
1:30 p.m. SEC women’s tournament, quarterfinal: Alabama vs. Vanderbilt »
SEC Network
2 p.m. ACC men’s tournament, first round: Boston College vs. Notre Dame »
ACC Network
3:30 p.m. SEC women’s tournament, quarterfinal: Georgia vs. South Carolina »
SEC Network
4 p.m. ACC men’s tournament, first round: Syracuse vs. North Carolina »
ACC Network
6 p.m. SEC women’s tournament, quarterfinal: Mississippi vs. Arkansas »
SEC Network
8:30 p.m. SEC women’s tournament, quarterfinal: Florida vs. Texas A&M »
SEC Network
Los Angeles Galaxy star Zlatan
Ibrahimovic. Vela scored an
MLS-record 34 goals and added
15 assists, setting a league mark
for combined scoring for the
second-year club....
Toronto FC striker Jozy
Altidore said it will take a “little
bit of a miracle” for him to recover
from a quad strain in time to play
in the MLS Cup final Sunday in
Seattle against the Sounders.MISC.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
and the IndyCar Series were sold
to Penske Entertainment Corp. in
a stunning move that
relinquishes control of the iconic
speedway from the Hulman
family after 74 years.
Tony Hulman bought the
dilapidated speedway in 1945 and
brought racing back to the corner
of 16th Street and GeorgetownTELEVISION AND RADIO
NBA
8 p.m. Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago » NBA TV
NHL
7:30 p.m. Boston at Montreal » NBC Sports Network
10 p.m. Chicago at San Jose » NBC Sports Network
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
6:30 p.m. Wagner at Seton Hall » Fox Sports 1
6:30 p.m. Louisville at Miami » ACC Network
7 p.m. Appalachian State at Michigan » Big Ten Network
7 p.m. Champions Classic: Kansas vs. Duke » ESPN
7 p.m. Jacksonville at Xavier » Fox Sports 2
7 p.m. Saint Francis (Pa.) at VCU » MASN
7 p.m. North Florida at Florida » SEC Network
7 p.m. Virginia Tech at Clemson » ESPNU
7 p.m. Sacred Heart at Providence » MASN2
8:30 p.m. Army at Villanova » Fox Sports 1
8:30 p.m. N.C. State at Georgia Tech » ACC Network
9 p.m. Georgia Southern at Auburn » SEC Network
9 p.m. UC Riverside at Nebraska » Big Ten Network
9 p.m. Alcorn State at DePaul » Fox Sports 2
9 p.m. Saint Mary’s vs. Wisconsin » ESPNU
9 p.m. Fresno State at Oregon » Pac-12 Network
9 p.m. Kennesaw State at Creighton » MASN2
9:30 p.m. Champions Classic: Kentucky vs. Michigan State » ESPN
10:30 p.m. Utah at Nevada » CBS Sports Network
11 p.m. Florida A&M at Southern California » Pac-12 Network