The Great Sports Writer, Lowell Cohn, Comes Out of Retirement to Write a Column for 415 Media

 My friend Rich Lieberman asked if I’d come out of retirement for one day and write a column for his blog,  415 Media. So here I am writing a column after three-and-a-half years of being columnless.

And here’s the deal.

What follows is a list of topics I would write columns about if I were still writing columns...



BUSTER POSEY is a great example for ballplayers and people in general. Why? Because he refuses to play baseball during the pandemic. It is insane to play ball with that virus in our midst. Of course, Posey could afford not to play because he’s very very rich. But so are lots of other major leaguers. They all should pick up their gloves and bats and go home.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL should cancel plans for the upcoming season. I mean, come on. Show some smarts. Have a heart. Same for the NBA and their abbreviated playoffs.

WHICH LEADS ME to a statement from the heart. I miss sports. I really do. I miss baseball more than basketball – a personal preference. At this time of year, baseball is the background story to my life, listening to Ken Korach on the radio, his wonderful voice in my head. But – and here’s the key – I don’t need sports. Let me write that again. I miss sports but I don’t need them.

 Here’s how I fill my time. I read. I write. I look out the window. I watch British mysteries on TV. I talk to my wife. I drink good wine. I’d prefer there to be sports, but my life isn’t in the dumper because the Giants aren’t playing. How about you?

THE 49ERS STRIKE me as cheap. That statement right there probably ticked you off. The 49ers are a good team after being a bad team and ownership deserves a ton of credit. For sure. But the Niners have done some cheap things lately – in my humble opinion.

Let me be clear. The 49ers are generous with their coaches, pay big salaries and, clearly, have an elite coaching staff. So, the team is not a cheapo bunch in that regard. But look at their player contracts.

They got rid of their best player, DeForest Buckner, because he asked for, in their opinion, too much money. They have not improved the contract of George Kittle even though he’s currently their best player and deserves a big raise. He is one of the best players in the NFL. And they are snubbing their best running back, Raheem Mostert, who’s requested a modest raise. He is being paid as a special teams player even though he’s among the best running backs in the league.

This is troubling stuff. And I’ll tell you why. Word gets around the locker room that the team isn’t treating its stars right. It hurts morale. Word gets around the league that the Niners are cheap. Players hear the word, so do agents. It’s never good to have a bad reputation.

I always have doubted the accumulated wisdom of the York family. This behavior toward star players doesn’t exactly make my doubts vanish. If there’s one bunch who can louse up a good thing it’s the Yorks.

I HOLD TWO degrees from Stanford. I taught Freshman English at Stanford as a grad student ages ago. I love Stanford. But I don’t love what Stanford did last week. It announced its intention to discontinue many so-called minor sports – like men’s and women’s fencing. Why? So it could support football and basketball, etc.

Bad move. The university is for students, not for the football team. Let the university delete certain assistant coaching positions on David Shaw’s football staff which resembles an NFL staff in sheer numbers of coaches. Let the university eliminate some positions of assistant athletic directors. Let the school be a school instead of a minor league for the NFL and NBA.

Read Gary Cavalli on this travesty: https://www.insidetrackgarycavalliblog.com/single-post/2020/07/09/The-Unkindest-Cut

FINALLY, I MUST write about the NFL and the Jews. I am a Jew. The Nazis killed six million of us not so long ago. Instances of anti-Semitism are rising in America. Yes, in America. It makes me sad and scared. As you know, the Eagles DeSean Jackson posted anti-Semitic stuff on the internet a few days ago. Horrible stuff.

God love DeSean Jackson, he apologized. I accept his apology. I always try to accept an apology. He has accepted an invitation to visit Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp. He wants to educate himself.

But what about the NFL and the issue of anti-Semitism. A lukewarm response. To the best of my knowledge commissioner Roger Goodell hasn’t said a word. The league issued a statement but Goodell said nothing. If I’m wrong please correct me.

Thing is Goodell went out of his way to apologize to black players for his past actions. He should have. I applaud that. He also should apologize to Jewish players and Jews in general. Why hasn’t he done that? Don’t we count?

One more thing. Kevin Durant – yes, that Kevin Durant – “liked” an anti-Semitic pic on the internet posted by DeSean Jackson. While Jackson has apologized, Durant has said nothing unless I missed his apology. Shame on you, Kevin Durant. Glad you’re out of here.

* Lowell Cohn has a book out --getting great reviews --415 Media thanks Cohn and his column for a day.