by John Walters

and also on this date in 1929, America’s princess was born…

Starting Five

1. Feelings > Facts

Missouri student body prez Payton Head posts on Facebook that the KKK is on campus and that he is “working with” the National Guard, neither of which is true. He later sends out a post apologizing for the “misinformation,” explaining that he was reacting to rumors about the KKK being on campus (from whom? can you tell us who told you that?) but not explaining about the National Guard, because how can there be misinformation about a group you are working with when you are not exactly doing so?

Meanwhile, media reports that Melissa Click has resigned, although all she resigned from was an honorary post with the journalism school, and not from her actual gig.

Jonathan Butler sends out a list of DEMANDS — not requests — beginning with a demand that the president of Missouri’s university system apologize for his “white privilege.” Sure, as soon as Butler apologizes for his family having a net worth of more than $10 million (I’m low-balling that).

Facts no longer matter, of course, because a millennial has taken umbrage, and when that happens (and I have personal family history with this), cities must be torched and lives destroyed. This is a little about race. It’s a lot more about a generation that has been coddled and indulged and led to believe that their sh*t — whether they turn it into a poop swastika or not — doesn’t stink.

It does.

2. Down and Out in Sacramento….Again

I’m wondering who will be out of the NBA first — Kobe Bryant or George Karl? The Mamba has sat out the past 2 games with a bad back but I’m sure he cannot wait to rejoin his 1-7 team and improve upon that 32.0% field-goal shooting pace. I’ll be surprised if Kobe doesn’t hang it up before the new year.

Meanwhile in the state capitol, DeMarcus Cousins –six seasons, no playoff appearances — is feuding with new coach George Karl. The latter may be a little bit old school — he is a direct branch off the Dean Smith coaching tree — but do you really want to tune a guy out just nine games (2-7) into the season?

On Monday Cousins lit into his coach with a profanity-laced tirade after a loss to the Spurs, but because he used no racial slurs Karl had no right to feel bad about it, of course, and so Cousins wasn’t even suspended (Karl wanted to, but GM Vlade Divac overruled him). George Karl is about to become that other Mizzou professor, the one who resigned when he realized that it’s a crime to make children feel bad.

(I think I’m sort of letting you know how I feel about this issue, no?)

3. Infanticide > Abortion

Leave it to @PFTCommenter to ask the most existential question of the presidential race thus far: Knowing that GOP candidate Ben Carson is both pro-life but yet believes in killing Baby Hitler, he fashioned the Catchiest-22 question imaginable: “Would you abort Baby Hitler?”

It was a classic question that challenged Dr. Carson to prioritizes his values on the fly, and now we know the answer.

4. Where are the Pats?

Yesterday Sports Illustrated unveiled its 12 finalists for Sportsman of the Year (they’ve already made their choice, if they still go through the process the way that they used to). Not included in that dozen is the best team in the NFL, a team that is 11-0 in this calendar year including a Super Bowl victory, their fourth under  the same coach and quarterback.

Don’t you find that…curious? I mean, there’s no more popular sport in America than the National Football League (“You’re taking on a league that owns a day of the week”) and it’s not like SI hasn’t awarded teams or franchises the honor before.

I’m not even saying that the New England Patriots deserve to win (I’d give it to Serena Williams, but my guess it that they’ll give it to a four-legged equine creature); it’s just sort of funny that New England failed to crack the Top 12, no?

The complete absence of the Pats is in a way damning of the way they operate, no?

5. Where In The World?

Yesterday’s Answer: Flaming Cliffs, Mongolia

Music 101

You Only Live Twice

The only song to both open a James Bond film and end an episode (and in fact, a season) of Mad Men. That’s Nancy Sinatra, daughter of Ol’ Blue Eyes, singing this haunting 1967 title hit.

Remote Patrol

Warriors at Wolves

TNT 8 p.m. 

You know me. You heard me. Time and time…AND TIME…again I begged the Cleveland Cavs not to trade away the first pick (i.e., Andrew Wiggins) for Kevin Love before last season. And by that I mean, I tried to beg LeBron James. But he….didn’t…listen! And so now Andrew Wiggins is the NBA’s most exciting player under age 24 (yes, I know who Anthony Davis is) and his Wolves get a chance tonight at being the first team to take down the Warriors, Come Out and Play this season (9-0).