Oh look, Ledania and Banksy are back in the Lady Mudlark lineup and have played at least one half of basketball. Why do I say “have played”? Because we’re in the Milford locker room and Ochoa is attempting to coach them based on something they’ve already done. Why do I say “attempting”? Because Ochoa seems to have forgotten that there are two boards on a basketball court that can be attacked. Which board does Ochoa want her players to attack and which one can they conveniently neglect?
What’s important today is not the sportsball talk (as if it ever is under the Bajaras regime) but – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – the actions of one Keri Thorp, Social Justice Warrior.
Okay gentle readers, just for S&Gs let’s revisit what happened the last time a Milford High sports team was involved in a protest or was protest-adjacent. The protest at the time was about the conflict in Gaza. Inma Rimsha didn’t pick sides but wished for an end to the conflict and said as much on the air to Marty Moon*. She answered Marty’s question about a protest but wasn’t actually involved in one. Gil supported her and her First Amendment rights after some people complained about what she said. Tays (remember him?), OTOH, was not exactly of the same mind as Gil. Rodney Barnes (remember him?) kinda felt the same way as Tays.
Compare and contrast Tays’ and Gil’s approach to high schoolers speaking their mind about current events. Tays felt there was a time and place for everything, while Gil stuck to the old “kids will be kids” spiel. Guess which apple didn’t fall far from the tree? If Keri wanted to make her little public anti-ICE statement, it could have been made before the start of the game, on a t-shirt over her uniform (like Larry Nance Jr.) that she pulled off during warmups. Or maybe Keri’s visible-from-space earrings could’ve spelled ICE OUT, even if that would’ve detracted from that head of a ten penny nail sticking out of Keri’s nose.
But nooOOoo! Keri decides to scribble some slogan on her jersey after the game has already started. This after giving Ochoa a dead-eyed stare the likes of which we have never seen. Maybe a brain worm made Keri do it, or made Inma follow suit. Does Inma not remember what happened the last time Keri sucked her into doing something? Apparently not.
Along those lines, one would think that Ochoa (and by extension Gil) would know that scholastic sports leagues and their officials generally do not look favorably on political messages worn on uniforms or equipment. This is going to result in, at best, a technical foul on Keri followed by a required uni change or ejection and, at worst, a forfeit for Milford. Lesson learned? Freedom of expression does not mean freedom from consequences.
meta: I will be traveling on Saturday and would be grateful if one of my colleagues could cover for me.
*This was back when Inma was a rasslin’ powerhouse, a plot element that has since fallen by the wayside.
This Week in Milford 
