Bradford Davis
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Articles by Bradford Davis
MLB teams fear league will pick winners and losers in tech
In modern baseball, scouting isnt just an eye testits an arms race. Whether fleshing out holes in a swing with motion capture or using high-speed cameras to find the next killer curveball, each MLB team seeks an edge by modernizing how it scouts and develops prospects. Teams regularly hire outside firms to obtain data straight from the ballpark, then deliver the info to front office staffers in an effort to gain an edge over their peers. That arms race will end next year.
MLB Sent Memo Warning Players About Prediction Markets
The major players in prediction markets steadfastly insist they are not gambling companies. That is a distinction that federal regulators have approved, allowing them to offer their sports events contracts even in states where sports betting is not legal. At least two of America’s biggest pro sports leagues remain unconvinced of any meaningful difference.
Father cared for disabled son for years, until ICE took him away
Maher Tarabishi, an Arlington resident, has cared for son Wael for decades. At age 4, Wael was diagnosed with Pompe disease, a rare genetic disease steadily destroying his muscles Courtesy of the Tarabishi family When I met Wael Tarabishi, I didn't ask him about the obvious.
Fort Worth rep's pivot to faith panel allies him with Jan. 6 speaker
Rep. Nate Schatzline, standing in front of the White house announces his resignation and partnership with Pastor Paula White-Cain's National Faith Advisory Board Nate Schatzline | X Rep. Nate Schatzline says he's leaving elected office. Knowing the outgoing representative for Texas House District 93 - which covers North Fort Worth - well enough to have a strong opinion of him in any direction assumes you either pay close attention to legislative politics or his church's sermons.
Don't be so quick to judge intent behind a casket left at mayor's house
On Thanksgiving weekend in 1995, a Fort Worth activist dropped a casket. Not as a threat of retaliation, but as a somber reminder of senseless violence and its consequences. Mortician and minister Gregory W. Spencer tinted his coffin in blue and sprinkled on red chrysanthemums, the colors representing the Bloods and Crips warring throughout Stop Six.
Jimmy Kimmel is back on ABC, but Trump still threatens free speech
Again, don't take me for a Jimmy Kimmel fan. But now that basically everyone's caved - the FCC, the White House, ABC, even right-wing affiliate owner Sinclair, which said Friday it would bring the show back on its stations that night - the late night host finally has me laughing. I'm not old enough to remember "The Man Show," but I've seen his blackface impersonation of Oprah.
Trump aims to silence his opponents with attacks on Charlie Kirk's critics
Read our AI Policy. Trump used FCC threats to pressure ABC after Jimmy Kimmel mocked his response to Charlie Kirk's death. Criticism of Kirk's views draws heat from Trump and his backers in an effort to silence their own critics. It's time to defend free speech as a warning against political misuse of tragic events. Like millions of Americans, I woke up Thursday morning confronted with an unfamiliar feeling. For the first time in my life, I had a strong opinion about Jimmy Kimmel.
Court ruling that lets ICE racially profile harks back to Dred Scott
In 1833, a man named Dred Scott crossed a border. Scott didn't traverse nations. Just a work trip, of sorts, from Missouri to Illinois. But as a slave in a pre-abolition (and rapidly fracturing) United States, Scott might as well have been hurled between dimensions.
What compels some to believe trans people are mass murderers?
Those who saw the news of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, I suspect, were mostly horrified by the targeted murder of children, sickened by the ubiquity of gun violence in the United States and dispirited because they know that nothing meaningful will be done to address the root cause of said violence. But because the person who pulled the trigger, Robin Westman, identified as transgender, the usual suspects - from politicians such as Georgia Rep.
Locked-in Fort Worth Rep. Nicole Collier is ready to fight, even other Democrats
Fresh off a two-day stint at Capitol Penitentiary, Rep. Nicole Collier tells me she's searching for the right word, the right printable word, to describe the colleagues she believes betrayed her and her constituents. But she's not talking about Republicans. Yes, it was Texas GOP lawmakers who sicced state troopers on the Fort Worth representative and the other Democrats to prevent a House quorum in the Legislature's first special session.
Trump's unprecedented Washington takeover is more of same for homeless
Apologies to "Big Balls," but none of this is necessary. One violent crime, even against Edward Coristine, one of DOGE's once-favored sons, does not justify the militarized occupation of the entire city of Washington. The district's well-documented crime issues still compare favorably to other cities such as Cleveland, Dayton or Toledo, Ohio - municipalities with FBI-compiled violent crime rates higher than the capital.
'King of the Hill' can teach Fort Worth a lesson on inclusion
KING OF THE HILL - "First Look" - After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Hank and Peggy Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas to reconnect with old friends Dale, Boomhauer and Bill. Meanwhile, Bobby is living his dream as a chef in Dallas and enjoying his 20s with his former classmates Connie, Joseph and Chane.
Driverless cars like Waymo won't be safer because of AI's limits
Dallas, like Austin before it, is California-ing your Texas. Not with income taxes or Hollyweird, but with Big Tech proliferation set to transform how we move by introducing new fleets of autonomous robotaxis through the expansion of Waymo into the 214.
Think online harassment is bad now? Wait till everyone's wearing AI glasses
CEO and founder of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee about Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis during a hearing today on Jan. 31, 2024, at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. USA TODAY NETWORK A man approaches a young woman shopping at Target in Dallas, compliments her appearance and asks her out. The woman politely declines, citing her recent breakup.
Texas' Ten Commandments rule shows sharia law is closer than we think
Texas leaders tried to tell me that we were in danger of a hyperstrict religious imposition forcing its way into Texas life. They warned me, of course, about sharia cities. Now, what is "sharia"? The word is foreign to me, so I'm unsure. Learning about sharia would require research, curiosity and an understanding of words and customs outside myself. It might lead me to scroll a reputable news source, skim through a book or, most frightening of all, speak to the people who I'm told practice it.
Gaza starvation: Like that meme, we're all trying to find out who did this
Jules Lattimore, a pro-Palestine demonstrator with the Students for a Democratic Society and Austin for Palestine Coalition, protests UT's relationship with weapon manufacturers that work with Israel at The University of Texas at Austin's commencement ceremony at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 11, 2024 in Austin. USA TODAY NETWORK As it turns out, humans, even Palestinians, need food to live.
'Alligator Alcatraz' foreshadows expansion of concentration camps for migrants
Florida's new, rapidly constructed migrant mass detention center isn't just cheekily alliterative and, as the state Republicans have shown, useful for merchandising. But "Alligator Alcatraz," with its invocation of its swampy Everglades surroundings and the brutal penitentiary of the past, evokes its intended function.
So, Americans like immigrants now? What 'Superman,' new poll tell us Original
An American-allied Middle Eastern nation with a powerful military repeatedly raids a weaker neighbor, while a vindictive and envious plutocrat scores lucrative defense contracts towards a nefarious end. Israel-Palestine? Peter Thiel's Palantir? Nah, just fictional story arcs in the latest "Superman" movie. - While these plot points may feel ripped from the headlines, the Superman story is anchored by its retelling of the immigrant experience.
'Jewish space lasers' type of conspiracies have come to Kerrville after floods
Two people were rescued when their vehicle was swept a mile downstream during Texas flooding, authorities say. Unfounded conspiracy theories related to secret technologies and the flooding abound. Texas Game Wardens There's a journalism maxim I try to follow as best I can: Don't print lies in the newspaper (or post lies on a website). Allow me this exception.
Zohran Mamdani has done Democrats a huge favor by exposing those who need to go
Voting is the pickleball of civic participation - an old person's sport. Many have tried to push younger Americans to Pokemon Go-to-the-polls but failed. Which makes Zohran Mamdani's dominant win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, turning an electorate anchored by 60-somethings into a race defined by historic turnout from millennials and Gen Z voters, all the more astounding.
GOP leaders slammed Tarrant chair over post, but some embraced this hater
Patriot Mobile Action PAC leader Leigh Wambsganss, left, of Southlake, and Patriot Mobile executive Glenn Story, center, were podcast guests of former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon at CPAC in Dallas. Via @cjtackett on Twitter from Real America's Voice It was the summer of 2020, and Black Lives Matter protests against police violence erupted across the country.
Donald Trump's immigration raids pick a fight that he won't win
Job Garcia is a brother and son. A brilliant photographer and a budding philosopher. He's a Los Angeles Clippers fan and the world's preeminent LeBron James hater - but don't hold that against him. And most of all, he's my friend. Last Thursday, none of who Job is mattered to the ICE officers who pounded his body into the parking lot pavement, his reward for filming an immigration raid at a Los Angeles Home Depot.
Here's what change candidates can learn from Zohran Mamdani's NY mayor upset
Democratic mayoral candidates Andrew Cuomo (L) shakes hands with Zohran Mamdani after participating in a Democratic mayoral primary debate on June 4 in New York City. On Tuesday, voters braved triple-digit temperatures to vote in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.
This Arlington resident has never been to Israel. Why is ICE deporting her there?
Ward Sakeik might be the first Palestinian whose life was spared by an Israeli rocket. On June 12, hours before the Israeli Air Force dropped hundreds of munitions across Iran, Sakeik waited on the Fort Worth Alliance Airport tarmac, cuffed at her wrists and legs, wondering if her next plane would send her to the country that made her a refugee - a country she's never seen.
Blame disruptive protest tactics on ICE's state-sanctioned violence in raids
The distance between police chasing a guy passing out fliers and a journalist sharing his local newspaper is, roughly, the length of Sha'Carri Richardson's gold-winning fingernails.
Simone Biles didn't have to apologize for calling out Riley Gaines' trans comment
Aug 5, 2024; Paris, France; Simone Biles of the United States competes on the floor exercise on day three of the gymnastics event finals during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. USA TODAY NETWORK At the risk of being too self-referential, last week, I wrote about my admiration for Simone Biles, who offered a blueprint for dealing with anti-trans activism.
Give Simone Biles another gold for obliterating Riley Gaines' on trans athletes
One of my favorite innovations to the English language, and a direct result of social media, is the modern reapplication of the word "dunk." Inspired by the thrill of watching a basketball player leap into the air and slam the ball in the hoop of a defeated defender, dunking refers to people who land a successful blow on another person's terrible social media post.
Pardoning celebs like NBA YoungBoy doesn't mean Trump is after the Black vote Original
I like the rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, also known as NBA YoungBoy. Not in a recite-his-lyrics sense, but if I hear him at LA Fitness, his melodic delivery can carry me through a tough bench press. And frankly, if you like rap music, he's impossible to avoid. He's a chart-topping platinum-selling - well, what are "platinum sales" in an era where everyone streams (read: rents) music? - artist, and he's got a 28-city tour planned. So, the success and popularity is real.
'Free Palestine' is not a war cry. Don't use embassy killings to distort protests
Jules Lattimore, a pro-Palestine demonstrator with the Students for a Democratic Society and Austin for Palestine Coalition, protests the University of Texas at Austin's relationship with weapon manufacturers that work with Israel at a May 11 commencement ceremony in Austin.
A struggling Rangers lineup is missing SEAGER - in more ways than one
The Texas Rangers came into Yankee Stadium with an impenetrable pitching staff stacked with Cy Young contenders, a dominant defense that never makes mistakes. They left holding a triple-L, a losing record on Memorial Day weekend, and a strong case that none of what they're good at will matter.
Now we know how many kids must die from measles before RFK Jr. tries to save them | Opinion
Every commercial vaccine available to Americans is rigorously tested, significantly improves the health outcomes of the person who takes it and lessens the strain and spread of an illness on that person’s community. The measles vaccine was so effective, it stamped out the virus decades ago. If vaccination had been embraced across Texas, two grade school children would almost certainly be with us today.
Now we know how many kids must die from measles before RFK Jr. tries to save them | Opinion
Every commercial vaccine available to Americans is rigorously tested, significantly improves the health outcomes of the person who takes it and lessens the strain and spread of an illness on that person’s community. The measles vaccine was so effective, it stamped out the virus decades ago. If vaccination had been embraced across Texas, two grade school children would almost certainly be with us today.
Cory Booker’s record filibuster was 1st shift on a job that’s far from over | Opinion
In this image from United States Senate television, United States Senator Cory Booker (Democrat of New Jersey) speaks during a marathon address from the floor in the US Senate in the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Mandatory Credit: US Senate TV via CNP/Sipa USA CNP US Senate TV via CNP/Sipa USA He didn’t drink or eat to ensure the gastrointestinal tank was empty before he took the Senate floor.
Jackie Robinson’s legacy is the people who want him muzzled — and the real reason why | Opinion
To know anything about Jackie Robinson — the civil rights leader, businessman, columnist, political adviser and all-galaxy athlete who desegregated and then dominated American baseball — is to understand that he lived a life worth remembering. But for me, the clearest proof Robinson was one of the most consequential people in American history is that nearly a century after he changed baseball, the same cowards still want to shut him up.
Who cares if Trump’s ag chief is from Fort Worth when she slashes food-bank funding? | Opinion
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins (center) arrives March 4 on the floor of the U.S. House ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s address to Congress at the U.S. Capitol. Rollins cuts $2 million in local food aid, hitting her hometown of Fort Worth. Win McNamee USA TODAY NETWORK One month before Brooke Rollins pulled $2 million from Fort Worth dinner tables, the city she threatened to starve honored her ascension.
Q&A: Mo Amer’s confrontational comedy can see both sides, but forces you to pick one | Opinion
MO. Mo Amer as Mo in episode 201 of MO. Cr. © 2024 EDDY CHEN/NETFLIX I suspect Mo Amer would prefer his comedy were just a little less doggedly relevant.
Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil should be free. And his arrest endangers us all | Opinion
On Saturday night, a legal resident of the United States, a former student from one of America’s most esteemed universities and an expecting father was, for roughly 36 hours, disappeared by his government. Warrant? None The crime? None, and that’s what the White House said. Evidence? C’mon, catch up. Yet, we are told, this will be done to this man and others like him, to protect our freedoms.
Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil should be free. And his arrest endangers us all | Opinion
On Saturday night, a legal resident of the United States, a former student from one of America’s most esteemed universities and an expecting father was, for roughly 36 hours, disappeared by his government. Warrant? None The crime? None, and that’s what the White House said. Evidence? C’mon, catch up. Yet, we are told, this will be done to this man and others like him, to protect our freedoms.
If Dems claim civil-rights mantle against Trump, they must be willing to make trouble | Opinion
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) is removed from the House chamber for disrupting President Donald Trump as he addresses a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.. Mandatory Credit: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY via Imagn Images Josh Morgan, Josh Morgan USA TODAY NETWORK The late Rep. John Lewis doesn’t need my exaltation. Opposing the same institution you’ve joined is rife with inherent contradictions.
The Epstein Files, a rickroll and clownish GOP staffers: Any adults left in the room? | Opinion
Jeffrey Epstein in custody in West Palm Beach in 2008. Uma Sanghvi Palm Beach Post-USA TODAY NETWORK If you’ve never heard of a “rickroll”: God bless you, and I’m sorry. For those spared until two seconds ago, it’s a meme — the viral, recycled jokes that compose and evolve the language of online rhetoric — where instead of providing information you suggest or outright tell your reader they’ll receive, you instead link to the music video “Never Gonna Give You Up” by 80’s one-hit-wonder Rick Astley.
The Epstein Files, a rickroll and clownish GOP staffers: Any adults left in the room? | Opinion
If you’ve never heard of a “rickroll”: God bless you, and I’m sorry. For those spared until two seconds ago, it’s a meme — the viral, recycled jokes that compose and evolve the language of online rhetoric — where instead of providing information you suggest or outright tell your reader they’ll receive, you instead link to the music video “Never Gonna Give You Up” by ‘80s one-hit-wonder Rick Astley.
Fort Worth-area event reveals how some conservative activists see Black history, culture | Opinion
A flyer promoting Eugene Ralph’s Feb. 2025 appearance at New Beginnings Church in Bedford. BEDFORD “There’s nothing normal about homosexuality. Nothing. Okay? They can kill each other, but they can’t procreate. And that’s just a reality.” I know what you’re thinking — this isn’t your typical Black History Month gathering. That’s exactly Eugene Ralph Sr.’s point.
GOP may be all about ‘America first,’ but this bill could make Texas last in sports | Opinion
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dives for loose ball with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during a 2023 game. They are two of the best in the NBA, and both foreign-born players first played at American colleges. Eric Hartline USA TODAY NETWORK For my money, the best player in the NBA is Nikola Jokic. I’ve never seen a near-seven-footer Frankensteined with Chris Paul’s passing mind and feel for the game.
Dem leader looking for leverage against Trump. Fort Worth visit shows he has a way to go | Opinion
U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a barbershop talk at Heritage Barbershop in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Jake Crandall/ Advertiser USA TODAY NETWORK On Saturday, in the throes of a constitutional crisis threatening to trickle its way to Fort Worth, gathered two born and bred New Yorkers with little power to change anything but a desire to be heard. One of them was your local columnist. The other was Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Brooklyn Democrat and House minority leader.
Dem leader looking for leverage against Trump. Fort Worth visit shows he has a way to go | Opinion
On Saturday, in the throes of a constitutional crisis threatening to trickle its way to Fort Worth, gathered two born and bred New Yorkers with little power to change anything but a desire to be heard. One of them was your local columnist. The other was Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Brooklyn Democrat and House minority leader. Jeffries, alongside Fort Worth Rep. Marc Veasey, held a press conference at Northside Community Health Center.
Words mean things. Even empty ones from Trump about nonsense like renaming the gulf | Opinion
President Donald Trump has performed, as of writing, 89 executive actions in just three weeks of reclaiming the Oval Office. One friend, I think, was politely trying to tell me that I probably know of too many of them. “My approach has been paying as little attention to what he says as possible,” the friend said. “It’s too much to keep up with, and so many of his words are empty.“ I was briefly aghast at his presumption and its implications — Me? Too Online?
JD Vance and a DOGE top dog remind us: It’s not racism when you’re part of the team | Opinion
From left, President-elect Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Vice President-elect JD Vance attend the Army-Navy college football game in Landover, Maryland, on Dec. 14, 2024. Having successfully worked to get his candidate elected in the U.S., Musk is setting his sights on Europe. Kevin Dietsch Getty Images/TNS Vice President JD Vance rang in the weekend by defending a quasi-coworker who bragged he “was racist before it was cool” from accusations of, well, racism.
Not sure what Trump’s tariffs will do to your wallet? Your burrito guy can tell you | Opinion
Salsa Limon Distrito is a former chrome diner moved from University Drive to White Settlement Road. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com The beauty of Mexican food is not just that it is delicious, but it’s also ubiquitous, especially here. Back home, in New York City, good Mexican can be found. But the kind of Mexican that’s unquestionably superior to reheating those freezer-burnt Trader Joe’s leftovers is something to be pursued, Googled ahead of time. Over in Texas, you don’t need a plan.
We don’t have to keep falling for Trump orders designed to divide us | Opinion
President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of executive order since taking office. Photo from the White House, Facebook As President Donald Trump spitfires fundamental challenges to whatever good is left in our country, I often take solace in an enduring meme — meaning, the viral images and gags circulating social media that define the language of the internet — that, for me, eases the blow of our daily dystopia. Let me explain the Fell For It Again Award.
Even as TikTok ban is mired in politics on China, app is already becoming more American | Opinion
This illustration photo taken in Los Angeles on January 18, 2025, shows the TikTok app on a smartphone screen in front of the TikTok logo. TikTok disconnected access to its users in the United States late January 18 after no action was taken shortly before a national ban was to take effect, in the name of national security, unless its Chinese owners reach a deal to sell it to non-Chinese buyers by January 19, with President-elect Donald Trump unable to intervene until he takes office.
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