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A young Jimmy Carter was no stranger to gospel music growing up in the small rural town of Plains, Georgia during the ’20s and early ’30’. He heard it sung by Black tenant farmers working on his father’s land. He heard it too during 24-hour gospel sings that occurred every fifth Sunday, where quartets, local and distant gospel groups, different denominations and communities came together to rejoice around prayer, all-day-singing, and a meal. This love of gospel music, along with a deep religiosity, was implanted in Carter’s heart at a young age and stayed with him throughout his lifetime. And you could tell by the way the late president’s face would light up that his connection to not only gospel music, but also rock, folk, country, jazz, and rhythm and blues ran through the deepest parts of his soul. Jimmy Carter’s deep connection to music, especially gospel, was more than just a personal joy — it was a reflection of his broader worldview and presidency. Music served as both solace and strategy, uniting Americans across divides of race, region and politics. Carter used music as a powerful tool to embody and promote his vision of unity, human rights, and healing — a vision that resonates even more poignantly as the nation reflects on his legacy following his death on Sunday at 100. In the late summer of 1979, partway through his third year as president, Jimmy Carter hosted an afternoon of gospel music at the White House. Blankets covered the grass on the South Lawn as over 800 attendees ate fried chicken, potato salad and coleslaw on paper plates. “Gospel music is really rural music from the country. It has both Black and white derivations; it’s not a racial kind of music,” President Carter said to the crowd. “But I think it’s important to recognize that gospel music is derived from deep within the heart of human beings — it’s a music of pain, a music of longing, a music of searching, a music of hope, and a music of faith.” Since he entered hospice care in February 2023, a lot has been shared about his life. The first president to be born in a hospital was a man of many anomalies. He grew up without electricity and running water in the segregated south, yet most of his friends before he left for the Naval Academy in 1943 were African Americans. He was a peanut farmer, a nuclear engineer, a carpenter and a poet whose simple writing illuminated the historical reckoning and soul of America. One of his first official acts as governor of Georgia in 1971 was to refute the segregationist pride of his predecessor Lester Maddox, the former Georgia governor and Democratic populist, by displaying a portrait of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the capitol and by stating “the time for racial discrimination is over.” This surprised many Georgians who voted for Carter. During his presidency, he was a champion for the environment, installing solar panels at the White House. He was a staunch advocate for women’s rights, civil rights and human rights, and was a pivotal figure in the progressive New South movement, looking to modernize social attitudes ingrained in the culture of the Old South. Though arguably one of the most pietistic, genuine and well-intentioned presidents of the 20th century, Carter’s presidency was clouded by challenges, many of which were out of his control. In 1979, Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days. “I would play Willie Nelson music primarily,” Carter said, of the time that he spent alone, in his study, “so I could think about my problems and say a few prayers.” A failed rescue attempt was also a significant blow to his presidency, ultimately stymieing his reelection. Fuel shortages created high oil prices. Carter struggled to effectively address high inflation, high unemployment and slow economic growth that came to be known as “stagflation.” Also, the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan marked a setback in the Cold War. “Music was a way Carter could insulate himself from the political noise,” says Iwan Morgan, emeritus professor of U.S. Studies at University College London. Morgan was in the United States, doing an exchange teaching job from August 1979 to September 1980 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He recalled that the hostages were the most fundamental thing on people’s minds ultimately blighting the final years of Carter’s presidency. “Music was a way of touching the soul, probably the closest man has to do that. And music was a comfort for Carter,” Morgan says. “I’m not saying it helped him make good decisions. By any standard the attempted rescue of the Iranian hostages was a longshot highly likely to end in failure and gave Carter no real chance thereafter of negotiating the release of the hostages.” Chuck Leavell, the keyboardist for the Allman Brothers Band during the band’s rise to fame in the 1970s, came to know Jimmy Carter when he was governor of Georgia. They’d been friends ever since. Leavell would visit the Carters in Plains or Jimmy and Rosalyn would visit Leavell’s homeplace at the Charlane Woodlands and Preserve in Dry Branch, Georgia for hunting trips. Carter would always ask Leavell to play something on the piano. “I played ‘Georgia on My Mind’ for him and probably did the Allman Brothers song ‘Statesboro Blues’,” Leavell told me. “And again, just, you know, the smile that would get on his face and his eyes would light up. And, you know, it’s not like he was jumping around and dancing. Don’t get me wrong. You know, he wasn’t that kind of guy. He didn’t react in that way, but he was listening, always listening intently. You could just see it. And, you know, even though he didn’t play an instrument himself, I think he had something in his DNA that felt the music, not only heard it, but felt it.” Carter wasn’t initially well-known outside of Georgia, and an endorsement from the Allman Brothers Band in 1975, some three months before the Iowa caucuses, helped increase his candidacy, particularly among young Americans. There was a feeling at the time that young people were in charge. 1972 was the first year that 18-to-21-year-olds could cast a ballot, making the youth vote more important than ever before. So Carter both naturally and strategically aligned himself with musicians to give him a crucial boost during the Democratic primaries. A major strategy for Carter’s presidential campaign was to put on concerts on the campaign trail. It started with the Marshall Tucker Band headlining a concert at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on Oct. 31, 1975, then the Allman Brothers Band on Nov. 25 at Providence Civic Center in Providence Rhode Island, and Charlie Daniels at the Fox Theater in Atlanta on Jan. 14, 1976. Jimmy Buffett put on a benefit for Carter in Portland, Oregon. These concerts not only brought notoriety to the Carter campaign, they also brought in a lot of money that could be matched by the federal government. “Musicians don’t always feel safe with somebody except other musicians,” says Chris Farrell, lead producer of the documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.” “His authenticity definitely played a great role in his ability to connect with musicians.” The music of change at that time was rock and roll. When Gregg Allman was arrested for trying to acquire pharmaceutical grade cocaine, and testified to get out of serving a prison sentence, Jimmy never turned on Allman. He could have said, “this is too big of a risk for me” and ended his association with the Allman Brothers. “But he didn’t judge people,” Farrell says. “He just cared about who you were as an individual and that’s very spiritual in a very Christian sort of view of the world. And I think that carried over into politics; he didn’t care if you were a Republican or a Democrat. If you’re trying to do the right thing, then why can’t we all do this together? So I think it was not political expediency or effectiveness or, you know, a gimmick. I think that’s just who he was.” Carter won the presidency in 1976, and was inaugurated in 1977. The cowboy-Western film star John Wayne spoke at the inaugural ball. As a conservative, he still wished Carter well. Paul Simon sang. So did Charlie Daniels. Aretha Franklin sang “God Bless America.” Coming out of Watergate, there was a sense too that America needed to heal together. Through music, but also through unifying Republicans and Democrats alike. “John Wayne worked with President Carter to give the Panama Canal back to the Panamanian people,” says Mary Wharton, director of “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.” “It’s that old line about people who forget about history are doomed to repeat it. And unfortunately, we’re repeating the things in history that we didn’t pay attention to.” When he was president, dozens of musicians came to the White House for themed music nights. In April, 1978 Loretta Lynn, Tom T. Hall, and Conway Twitty were invited to an evening devoted to celebrating country music. Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, George Benson, Ron Carter and Tony Williams played a jazz event. It was an honor for Carter to bring jazz musicians who hadn’t been recognized by the government to the White House. He used music as a way for people to see a common humanity among different races, religions and cultural backgrounds. He felt jazz helped break down the racial divide in the country. Cecil Taylor, Chick Correa — their presence wasn’t just for performance. Their inclusion was a statement against racial prejudice, a reminder of music’s potential to dissolve barriers. Carter felt deeply that jazz and country music represented America. Carter also used music to entertain and educate members of Congress. He held a Nascar event, where country singer Willie Nelson performed on the South Lawn. It’s as if Carter used music as a reflective mindfulness practice, decades before the mainstream was aware of what mindfulness is. The Carter administration never dropped a bomb, fired a missile or shot a bullet to kill another person. After his presidency, the Carter Center helped eradicate Guinea worm disease. For 35 years, he spent at least a week every year building houses for Habitat for Humanity. In the days and weeks to come, I imagine a revisionist history about Carter’s presidency will begin to unravel. This began in 2020, with the release of the documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” and will continue, especially now during a time where the world seems more divided than ever. Carter was a president with a lot of faith and a lot of soul. He cried when thinking of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn. The man was calculated and believed in the power of music. Scholars and historians will remember that Carter wanted to represent America’s value system by making human rights the center of his foreign policy. He helped broker the Camp David Accords, a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and Egypt, marking the first time an Arab country recognized Israel. When I remember Carter, I will think of a man listening to the painful ballads of Willie Nelson when trying to be mindful and make sense of complex problems. I will also think of Jan Williams, the pianist at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. “Carter said he couldn’t sing,” she told me. “But I liked his voice.” The late president first attended Maranatha Baptist Church in 1981 and started teaching Sunday School there until 2015. “His favorite song was always ‘When I Get To Heaven’,” Williams says, thinking of Jimmy reunited with his Rosalynn again.
President Jimmy Carter surprised a Pennsylvania family of three in 1979 with a visit to their Carnegie home. The Fishers were not sure why they were picked to entertain the president. They said they weren’t very political and neither had voted for Carter in the previous election. The family was joined by five others at their house where Carter asked for a frank appraisal of his administration. WATCH the video to see what tough opinions the Fishers said Carter had to face. Former President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at the age of 100.Breaking Down Drake’s Streaming Fraud Allegations Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’: Analysis
In a chat with reporters after the Sacramento Kings ' latest coaching change, star point guard De'Aaron Fox opened up on whether the players feel any guilt for the recent turn of events. Unsurprisingly, Fox denied taking any blame and he explained that it's just the nature of the business. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘guilt.’ That’s the nature of the job that we have. He signed his extension this summer, and we thought we would be together a whole lot longer," said Fox via Kirsten Moran-Kellar . "But that’s the decision that they made. But at the end of the day too, he’s still getting paid. A great part of being an NBA player and an NBA coach is that those things can happen, but contracts are guaranteed." The Sacramento Kings just recently decided to fire head coach Mike Brown , who had been with the team since May of 2022. After years of mediocrity, he helped the Kings to a respectable place in the Western Conference. In the 2022-23 season, his first as their coach, he led them to their best record in years (48-34) to secure the third seed in the West. They even gave the Warriors a tough fight in the first round before being eliminated in 7 games. But sadly, it's been downhill ever since for the franchise. Last season, they fell from 3rd in the West down to 9th and they couldn't make it out of the play-in tournament. In the 2024-25 season so far, they've been even worse. Currently, the Kings are 12th in the West and a shell of the team they were two seasons ago. They've seriously declined as a team and there was a growing sense that something needed to change. The last straw for Mike Brown was a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, which marked their 5th straight defeat. In the aftermath of the firing, several prominent NBA coaches spoke out in defense of Brown , but it's not entirely shocking that he was let go. In today's NBA, coaches are often under more pressure than the players perform and when the team fails to meet expectations, the coach is often the first one blamed by the fans and front office. Fortunately, as Fox pointed out, Brown will still get what he's owed after signing a 3-year, $25.5 million back in June. But for a Kings franchise that has lacked continuity, this latest coaching change threatens to further disrupt everything they've built in this current basketball era. The only way for the Kings to avoid disaster is by finding the right replacement for Brown. With a nearly limitless pool of candidates, it's impossible to say who they will choose but it needs to be someone who can speak to the players and instill a system that brings out the best in their stars. As for De'Aaron Fox, he's not concerning himself with the King's ongoing coaching search. Instead, he is focused on turning this season around and there is still so much work to be done. This season, through 31 games, Fox is averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds on 48.2% shooting. The next game for the Kings is tonight, December 28th, against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com arena (10:30 PM EST). On Monday, December 30th, they host the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center at 10:00 PM EST. On Wednesday, January 1st, the Sacramento Kings play the Philadelphia 76ers at Golden 1 Center at 10:00 PM EST. This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.Retirement: 4 ways to maximize your 401(k) contributions before the year ends
The Yomiuri Shimbun 7:00 JST, November 27, 2024 * * Motohiko Saito, 47, was reelected as the governor of Hyogo Prefecture on Nov. 17 after having been ousted from the post in September when the prefectural assembly unanimously passed a no-confidence motion against him over accusations of harassment. On the evening of the election day, people who had gathered in the area around his campaign office in a shopping district in Kobe’s Chuo Ward were extremely excited following his victory. The 10-meter-wide shopping arcade was packed with his supporters for dozens of meters, and people called out Saito’s name repeatedly as if they were at a concert. “The web has won!” a 43-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture shouted while live streaming the situation on YouTube. The man runs the “Fukumaro Net News Channel” on the video-sharing website. While working as a company employee, he used to live stream his commentaries on games on his channel but was unable to get many views. However, the number of views suddenly increased three years ago after he posted videos of Diet debates that he had edited. Having begun to receive several hundred thousand yen in advertising revenue per month, the man became a full-time “political YouTuber.” While continuing to produce videos, he visited places around the country where elections were being held. In July, he followed Shinji Ishimaru, 42, a former mayor of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, who ran in the Tokyo gubernatorial election. The man said he had no particular interest in Saito, but started gathering information on him on X, formerly Twitter, after seeing a post in support of Saito on the social media site in September by a celebrity he follows. The man said he then began to question the remarks that commentators made against Saito on TV. Through social media, the man also felt growing public interest in Saito and the issues surrounding him, so he decided to follow Saito for his YouTube channel. He went to Hyogo Prefecture one day before the official kickoff of campaigning for the gubernatorial election. Spending nights in his car, he live streamed Saito’s speeches. Considering the costs, the man said it was a “gamble” as to whether the videos would make a profit. But the number of views his channel received increased day by day, and topped 1.7 million on the day of the vote. “I earned the highest profit ever. It’s all thanks to Saito,” he said. The man distributed more than 80 videos during the campaign period. He also streamed videos of Takashi Tachibana, 57, another candidate in the Hyogo election and the head of the political group NHK Party, making remarks that are difficult to verify. “I do think there is information that hasn’t been confirmed to be true,” the YouTuber said. “But I’m fine as long as my viewers are pleased.” According to the Net Communication Research Institute, a think tank specializing in social media analysis, there were many YouTube channels supporting Saito, and the number of views of at least 13 exceeded those of Saito’s own YouTube channel. On social media sites, advertising revenue increases based on the number of views. For this reason, attracting attention is often considered to be more important than accuracy or fairness — a characteristic of what is called the “attention economy.” “There are believed to have been videos made for profit [in relation to the Hyogo election],” said Yoshimi Nakamura, the head of the research institute. “With the success of live streamers in the election, competition for attention is likely to intensify in future polls.” The spread of interest in Saito can also be seen in posts on X. The Yomiuri Shimbun asked Prof. Fujio Toriumi of the University of Tokyo, who specializes in computational social science, to analyze the posts on X during the campaign period from Oct. 31 to Nov. 16. It found that the number of posts mentioning Saito during these dates was 1.6 times greater than the total number of posts mentioning the other six candidates. Such posts were spread by a small number of accounts. Of about 990,000 posts that showed support for Saito, about 490,000 posts were based on 786 original posts from just 16 accounts. The 16 accounts made up only 0.9% of the total accounts that were related to the 990,000 posts favoring Saito. The Yomiuri Shimbun found that some of the posts were difficult to verify with evidence. For example, some of them linked the death of a prefectural official who accused Saito of workplace bullying and other allegations with the official’s personal information, which was unrelated to the accusation and was stored on an official computer. However, the police said they could not determine the reason for the official’s death. “It had been believed that the relationship between the spread of social media and elections in Japan is weak, but this time, it is considered that it had a certain impact on voting behavior,” Toriumi said. “People should approach social media with the assumption that there is misinformation on it, and we should discuss the role of social media in elections as a society.”
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South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday ordered the transport ministry to carry out an emergency safety inspection of the country’s airline operation system. Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash. Song Kyung-hoon, Jeju Air’s head of the management support office, dismissed accusations that mechanical faults or inadequate safety preparations contributed to accident. South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok has ordered the transport ministry to carry out an emergency safety inspection of the country's airline operation system, local news agency Yonhap reported Monday. Choi was speaking at a disaster control meeting in Seoul, after a Jeju Air flight crashed at the country's Muan International Airport on Sunday, leading to 179 fatalities with just two survivors, making it the deadliest air accident in South Korea. "The pilot declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert," said Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Choi pledged that the government would "spare no effort" in supporting the bereaved families, and declared a seven-day mourning period for the country. At a press briefing on Sunday, Jeju Air's head of the management support office Song Kyung-hoon said the airline would support the victims and their families, and that the aircraft was covered by a $1 billion insurance, reported Yonhap. Addressing reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied it. "Currently, the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies," Kim said in a Sunday statement . Song dismissed accusations that mechanical faults or inadequate safety preparations played a role in the crash. "This crash is not about any maintenance issues. There can be absolutely no compromise when it comes to maintaining aircraft," Song said. On Monday, a Jeju Air flight reportedly returned to Gimpo International Airport shortly after taking off because a similar issue with the plane's landing gear was detected. The accident comes at a politically fraught time for South Korea. Choi is the country's second acting president in a month. He assumed the role after acting President Han Duck-soon was impeached on Friday by lawmakers over his reluctance to appoint three justices to the Constitutional Court looking into the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon was impeached a mere just weeks back , after imposing martial law for six hours at the start of the month for the first time since the military coup of 1979. Shares of Jeju Air hit an all-time low Monday, according to FactSet data, and were last down 8.53%. Other Korean airlines' stocks were volatile.Canada Carbon (CVE:CCB) Shares Down 33.3% – Here’s Why
OTTAWA - Peter Anholt tried to keep things light as he emerged from one of the elevators at Canada’s hotel. The temperature had been turned way up on the veteran hockey executive and the country’s under-20 program after a stunning upset some 12 hours earlier. “You only want to talk to me when things are bad, eh?” Anholt joked to reporters Saturday morning. “Is that how this works?” That is indeed what happens when a powerhouse with a record 20 gold medals expected to roll over an opponent suffers one of its worst all-time defeats at the tournament. Canada was embarrassed on home soil 3-2 by Latvia — a country it had thumped by a combined 41-4 score across four previous meetings — in a shocking shootout Friday. Coming off a disastrous fifth-place finish last year in Sweden and having talked a lot about upping their compete level and preparation, the Canadians looked disjointed for long stretches against the plucky, hard-working Latvians. The power play finally clicked late in the third period, but stands at 1-for-7 through two games, while the top line of Easton Cowan, Calum Ritchie and Bradly Nadeau has yet to translate its pre-tournament chemistry into success in the spotlight. “We’re certainly trying to problem solve, but not throw the baby out with the bath water,” said Anholt, who heads the world junior setup. “We’ve got to be really careful.” Canada, which picked up a solid 4-0 victory over Finland to open its tournament Thursday, had plenty of offensive zone time and directed 57 shots at Latvian goaltender Linards Feldbergs. Included in that total, however, were far too many one-and-done efforts from the perimeter with little traffic in front. There were, of course, desperate spurts — especially late in regulation and in 3-on-3 overtime — but not nearly enough for a roster peppered with first-round NHL draft picks and top prospects. “We played really, really hard,” Anholt said in defending his players. “We controlled the puck lots. We created some chances. Their goalie was really good and they defended really good ... 99 times out of 100 we win that game.” Hoping for a big response Sunday against Germany before meeting the United States on New Year’s Eve to tie a bow on round-robin action in Group A, Canada will have to push ahead minus one of its best players. Star defenceman Matthew Schaefer was injured Friday and is done for the tournament after he slammed into Latvia’s net and skated off favouring his left shoulder area. “Tough blow for the kid,” Anholt said. “The way he plays the game, he plays it at such a high speed.” Cowan, a Toronto Maple Leafs first-round selection, said Canada remains confident despite Friday’s ugly result in the nation’s capital. “We’re good,” said the 19-year-old from Mount Brydges, Ont. “Everyone’s lost a hockey game before.” But not like that — or to that opponent on that stage. “Bit of a (crappy) feeling,” said Nadeau, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect from St-Francois-de-Madawaska, N.B. “We all know what this group is capable of. Losing that game is not our standard. “We’ll bounce back.” Some corners of social media exploded following the Latvian debacle, with heavy criticism directed at head coach Dave Cameron and the team’s overall roster construction. “We’re not really worried about it,” defenceman and Ottawa native Oliver Book, who like Cowan is back from last year’s team, said of the outside noise. “We know we didn’t play well.” Canada appears poised to mix things up against the Germans. Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio of Kamloops, B.C., is set draw in for Schaefer, while Anholt indicated there’s a good chance forward Carson Rehkopf will get his first crack at the 2025 tournament as a returnee. The 19-year-old Seattle Kraken second-round pick from Vaughan, Ont., has scored a combined 78 goals over his last 97 regular-season and playoff games in the Ontario Hockey League. “Great player,” Cowan said. “He finds ways.” Anholt said taking a big-picture approach is key in challenging moments. “Let’s not panic,” he said. “The world hasn’t fallen in. It’s hard, but we’ll learn from it.” It’s something Canada will have to do under intense scrutiny. “People are gonna love you and people are gonna hate you,” said Cowan, who has a goal an assist through two games. “Gotta keep doing you.” Anholt, who was also at the helm 12 months ago when Canada never got in gear, isn’t getting 2024 vibes from this year’s group. “Not even in any way, shape or form,” he said. “We’ve just got to take care of business.” They get a first shot at redemption Sunday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2024.
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins surveyed the wreckage left by the No. 2 Longhorns' total domination of Texas A&M . Then he summed up the message he believes it sent to the rest of college football about the Texas defense.What to consider when exchanging currency
Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”