USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Schoolcations’ are gaining traction
Road trips offer fun along with learning
Judy DeJohn wanted her daughter Grace, a junior in high school, to be able to get away for a few days.
But she knew Grace still had to deal with school. So what did she do?
She booked time at the Woolverton Inn, a cozy bed and breakfast in Stockton, New Jersey. They jumped in the car and soon arrived at their destination ready for four days of work, school, hiking, sightseeing, shopping and relaxation.
It’s called “Schoolcation” and it’s something that has become very popular during the COVID- 19 pandemic.
“The kids have been locked in the house since March,” said DeJohn, who lives in Montgomery Township, New Jersey. “They’re losing out on all the social aspects of being in school and a lot of the fun parts of it. I was just trying to put some fun back in.
“It’s like, OK, you can school from Mars because you’re not going into the building, so it’s like why not be some place just to kind of give you a little pickme- up and make it a little more fun? Why not some place else?” DeJohn said. “It was less than an hour from the house to get there so you don’t have airplanes to worry about. I’m a little anxious about getting on a plane right now.
“The inn is beautiful,” she continued. “There was a porch where she was able to sit. I work remote, too, so the two of us sat there with our laptops. It was beautiful scenery. When school was over, we went hiking, we went shopping, we went exploring. I did something similar with my younger daughter, but we had a friend’s house we stayed at in the Catskills.”
DeJohn said she felt very safe at Woolverton, where she said everyone walked around with their masks on and proper safety measures were followed.
“During the day, they ( DeJohn and her daughter) each found a quiet spot to work and study,” said Mary Passalacqua, owner of the Woolverton Inn. “The girl chose a rocking chair on our lovely enclosed veranda and attended her Zoom classes there. Mom was working in her room. They connected for meals and enjoyed their leisure time in the neighboring towns or outside along the river, as our area is a tourist destination year- round.”
Passalacqua had strong bookings in
the fall but isn’t sure the increase was due to schoolcation families. She said they also had couples ‘’ escaping’’ from their kids who have moved back home from their college dorms or city apartments.
Taking school with you on the road
Schoolcations have become a trend during the pandemic: Students can attend class via Zoom while sitting poolside at a seaside resort, an RV camping trip, or Airbnb getaway with the family without missing any study time.
“The pandemic has turned many hotel rooms into classrooms,” says Paul Bencivengo, president/ COO of Visit Bucks County in Pennsylvania. “We know many visitors have leveraged virtual learning as an opportunity to get the family away for a few days. In Bucks County, we have an abundance of educational experiences from museums … to nature centers and historic sites.
“We’ve also got an array of outdoor activities to give the entire family a break from screens. Hiking, biking, kayaking and horseback riding are great ways to unwind and reconnect with those you cherish most in life.”
Of course, a surge in COVID- 19 cases throughout the country has made travel challenging, often restricted and perhaps ill- advised.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy has discouraged nonessential interstate travel given the increase in the spread of the virus. So New Jersey families may opt to limit their getaways to within the Garden State this winter until the curve is flattened or vaccines become more widely available.
‘ Combine school and playtime’
After the early days of the pandemic, hotels and resorts around the region and country began getting in step with the schoolcations trend.
In September, Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority in New Jersey built a marketing and advertising campaign around workcation and or schoolcation, encouraging prospective visitors to “convert the beach, your room or rental home to an office or classroom overlooking the ocean, boardwalk or the bays.”
“Both ‘ Workcations’ and ‘ Schoolcations’ were part of our fall marketingadvertising campaign this year,” said Ben Rose, director of marketing and public relations for the tourism authority. “… I can tell you anecdotally that we did see large numbers of families vacationing in the Wildwoods this September and well into late October and also ( early November) because of the unseasonably warm weather. We also saw a lot of beachgoers during that time, as well as an increase in Boardwalk traffic.”
Meanwhile, Chris Barrett, president and CEO of Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau in Pennsylvania, said that their region has been a prime location for families to spend not just vacations but also work and school time now that virtual and remote learning are prevalent.
Barrett said several properties including the Skytop Lodge, Great Wolf Lodge and the Shawnee Inn all have offered supervised learning environments for students of all ages.
He added that visitors “are confident in the Poconos’ ability to provide a place to stay that puts an emphasis on public health safety while offering the ability to connect to work or school in a safe, comfortable environment.”
“The Pocono Mountains is already a destination for millions annually, but now has seen a new dynamic emerge,” Barrett added. “One that combines the capabilities of learning remotely with a time- honored tradition of spending time with loved ones experiencing the great outdoors and all the wonderful resorts, restaurants and adventures of the Poconos.”
Jeromy Wo, marketing director for The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort in Shawnee, Pennsylvania, said that resort has geared up for remote learning. “Our schoolcation program has empowered The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort to better serve our guests. Some parents chose to recreate while their kids completed their online curriculums, while others actually worked remotely from the resort.”
‘ Feel the joy of travel again’
Hyatt created its “Work From Hyatt” program recently and due to a strong interest in the initial launch, recently expanded the program to include more than 90 hotels in North America and the Caribbean, including Hotel 50 Bowery in New York City.
Prices start at $ 139 per night and include standard guestroom or suite accommodations, private workspace, daily food and beverage credit, laundry services, parking, Wi- Fi access, housekeeping services, waived resort fees and more.
The company says its expansion “will help travelers balance work- life and school- life from the comfort of a premium resort.”
“We’re seeing a strong desire from travelers to feel the joy of travel again,” Hyatt Senior Vice President Asad Ahmed said in a statement. “With Work From Hyatt, we’re leaning into the ‘ work from anywhere’ trend and believe it’s resonating with today’s travelers.
“People are looking for more than just weekend escapes, and our extendedstay package allows guests to enjoy premium amenities and services our resorts all with the conveniences of still being able to work and learn remotely.”
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World has a schoolcations program that offers flexible school schedules and accessible e- learning. Parents can enroll their children in supervised
schoolwork sessions, held in dedicated learning space at the resort. After their schoolwork is done, the kids can have “recess” at the resort’s private 5- acre waterpark.
Trained Kids For All Seasons staff members run the classes, which have no more than six kids per class with a dedicated desk area, physically distanced from other students with high- speed premium Wi- Fi provided. A full- day session costs $ 100 and includes lunch. A half day is $ 50.
“This new offering exclusively for our resort guests will be both helpful to parents, as well as something really fun for kids to experience,” said Thomas Steinhauer, general manager and regional VP of Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort in a release.
“Many kids have been completing school work in their homes for a while now. A chance to mix up their learning environment, and combine school and playtime at the resort, is sure to be a welcome treat and create a memory that will last a lifetime.”
Meet the chief virtual learning officer
Kimpton Hotels recently created a new position, a chief virtual learning officer, available at Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, Kimpton Muse Hotel in New York City, among others.
The virtual learning officer is available to help set up virtual learning classes, troubleshoot technical issues, bring essential school supplies, provide complimentary snack packs, allowing parents to focus on their own work.
“In response to the pandemic and more people working remotely, we successfully launched ‘ Work From Hotel’ packages at some of our hotels early in the summer to provide a quiet and equipped space for professionals to plug in and focus away from the distractions of home,” said Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Chief Commercial Officer Kathleen Reidenbach.
“This year’s unusual and unprecedented back- to- school season gave us the opportunity to evolve that offering and introduce our first- ever Chief Virtual Learning Officer at select Kimptons across the U. S. and Canada. With work and school continuing to remain remote for many people for the remainder of the year, we’re seeing family vacations increasingly extend into the fall and winter.
“... Our goal is to provide some relief for parents traveling with kids and help get the set- up portion of online learning, snack and lunch breaks, and school supply needs off their plate.”
Staying safe while schoolcationing
Before booking an Airbnb, a hotel room, or a trip to Disney, families must weigh the risks of travel in a pandemic, consider Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and check the latest restrictions in their own state or any they plan on visiting.
For instance, all individuals traveling to or returning to New Jersey from states with a significant spread of COVID- 19 are advised to self- quarantine for 14 days, according to the state’s COVID- 19 information hub.
The state also has a mask requirement for all hotel and restaurant employees, customers and visitors while on the premises, except when eating, drinking, or receiving a service that cannot be completed while wearing a mask.
Dr. Todd Levin, an infectious disease specialist at Jefferson Health in New Jersey, said schoolcations are fine as long as people follow necessary protocols. However, he said he worries people will relax their normal standards while away.
“I get worried that when families are away from home that they’re not going to follow the same precautions they would at home,” Levin said. “I think the schoolcations would work as long as they follow the same rules.
“You do need to take some precautions to make sure you’re going to places where they are also following rules,” he advised, such as only frequenting businesses where masks must be worn.
“As far as hotels, it’s probably best if you can stay at a hotel that has a private entrance so you don’t have to use elevators and common hallways to avoid interaction with other people,” he continued. “I would also try to avoid eating in restaurants. Takeout is always best so you’re minimizing your contact with other people, especially if they’re not following distancing recommendations which is tough to do sometimes on vacation especially.”
New Jersey’s hotels and motels must comply with safety protocols outlined in the Department of Health Executive Directive No. 20- 024, such as ensuring every guest room is cleaned and sanitized, and provided with an adequate supply of clean towels, sheets and pillowcases, ensuring every occupied guest room is cleaned and sanitized daily and more.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Department of Health requires that travelers stay at home and quarantine after returning from an area where high amounts of COVID- 19 cases have been reported, and also requires that masks are worn in all public spaces.
DeJohn didn’t stay at a hotel chain, but is more than satisfied with the schoolcations she’s taken with her daughters in New York’s Catskills and at the Woolverton Inn.
“It was beautiful there, the people were so nice, fantastic food,” she said of the Hunterdon County, New Jersey, resort. “Everybody was so helpful. Yes, we’re all walking around in masks, but they really did a good job of making you feel not so awkward about it ... It felt very comfortable there. My daughter loved it. She was the envy of all her friends.
“It’s just a giant reset button that made it fun. Like I said, you can go to school anywhere. Why not take an opportunity to do some place fun?”
GO SEE ... BERLIN 1. Berlin Wall Memorial
The Berlin Wall may be gone, but it will never be forgotten. This outdoor museum, which includes the last remaining stretch of the wall in its original location, explains how the barrier divided a city and its people for 28 years. Bernauer Strasse 119
+ 49 30 467 986 666
2. Stasi Prison
Former inmates lead tours of the prison where the East German secret police held suspected opponents of the regime — most of them innocent of wrongdoing. Genslerstrasse 66
+ 49 30 9860 8230
3. Panoramapunkt
For the best bird’s- eye view of central Berlin, let Europe’s fastest elevator whisk you 24 floors to this lofty perch above Potsdamer Platz in a mere 20 seconds. Potsdamer Platz 1
+ 49 30 2593 7080
4. Schloss Charlottenburg
See how the Prussian kings who ruled much of Germany until 1918 lived at this mini- Versailles, framed by a lovely park perfect for summer picnics. Spandauer Damm 20- 24
+ 49 30 320 911
5. Humboldt- Box
This multimedia exhibit accompanies the ongoing reconstruction of the city’s Prussian imperial palace, which was demolished by the communists in 1950. Humboldt- Box introduces the future tenants and explains how the huge building will fit within the city’s historic center. Schlossplatz 5
+ 49 180 503 0707
6. Pergamonmuseum
This crowd- pleaser wows with monumental antiquities from Greece, Rome and the Middle East. Star exhibits include the radiant blue Ishtar Gate and the intricate facade of a caliph’s palace. Bodestrasse 1- 3
+ 49 30 266 424 242 7. Neukölln neighborhood
Catapulted from gritty zone to vibrant district, Neukölln is perfect for DIY exploration. Cafes like Katie’s Blue Cat invite lingering between stops at vintage boutiques and hipster bars.
Katie’s Blue Cat Friedelstrasse 31
+ 49 178 806 9701
8. Jüdische Mädchenschule
A former Jewish girls’ school in a Bauhaus- era building has evolved into a cultural hot spot, featuring cutting- edge galleries, a museum about the Kennedys and even stellar restaurants. Auguststrasse 11- 13
+ 49 030 3300 6070
9. Museum in der Kulturbrauerei
This exhibit in a former brewery uses original documents, photographs and objects to peel back the Iron Curtain on daily life in communist East Germany. Knaackstrasse 97
+ 49 030 4677 7790
10. Bikini Berlin
Browse fashion and design at Germany’s first “concept mall,” in a 1950s landmark building with front- row views of the monkey enclosure of the Berlin Zoo.
Budapester Strasse 38- 50
GO SEE ... FRANKFURT
1. Palmengarten
Established in 1868, this oasis in the Westend is Germany’s largest botanical garden. Displays include more than 13,000 tropical and subtropical plant species. Siesmayerstrasse 61
+ 49 69 2123 3939
2. Hauptbahnhof Station
The busiest train station in Frankfurt consists of a massive main vestibule and two adjoining neoclassical halls made of steel and glass. Inside are a series of platforms, shops and food stands.
Am Hauptbahnhof
3. Museumsufer
A walk along the Main River’s Museum Embankment is a must. Twelve museums sit on a single tree- lined street, the most notable being the Städel art gallery. Städel, Schaumainkai 63
+ 49 69 605098 232
4. Rheinfels Castle
West of the city, this castle’s ancient stone ramparts rise over the Rhine at Sankt Goar. The ruins recall the Middle Ages, while the restaurant and its lovely terrace herald the modern day. Schlossberg, Sankt Goar
+ 49 6741 7753
5. Goethehaus
Grand wood staircases take visitors through the reconstructed timbered house where the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent his childhood.
Grosser Hirschgraben 23
+ 49 69 138 800
6. Gerbermühle
After cycling along the Main River, relax in the garden at this 16th- century flour mill renovated as a hotel complex. Gerbermühlestrasse 105
+ 49 69 689 7779 0
7. Hauptwache Station
This busy rapid- transit station resembles an underground city with its street performers, chalk artists, international markets, dry cleaners and even an entrance to the Galeria department store.
An der Hauptwache 17
8. Kleinmarkthalle
This market hall hosts some 60 vendors selling fresh food, wine and flowers every day except Sunday. Locals like a glass of wine in the outdoor garten upstairs. Hasengasse 5
+ 49 69 2123 3696
9. Römerberg
Heart of Frankfurt’s old town, this charming central square is lined with reconstructed halftimbered houses. Be sure to visit the Zum Römer, where Holy Roman emperors were coronated. Römerberg, Altstadt
10. Alte Oper
The Italian Renaissance- style Alte Oper is Frankfurt’s original opera house. Can’t make a show? Linger at an outdoor cafe on Opernplatz, the Opera Square. Opernplatz 1
+ 49 69 1340 0
GO SEE ... MUNICH 1. St. Peter’s Church
Munich’s oldest church, “Alter Peter” ( Old Peter) is recognizable by its 91- meter tower, offering some of the best views of the city. Rindermarkt 1
+ 49 89 2102 3776
2. Hirschgarten
This used to be part of the royal hunting grounds. Today it’s the site of a family- friendly beer garden ( Bavaria’s largest), serving top- notch local food. Hirschgarten 1
+ 49 89 1799 9119
3. Odeonsplatz
For photo opportunities, it’s hard to beat this square in central Munich. Odeonsplatz, named for the Odeon concert hall, is bordered by some of the city’s most significant buildings. Odeonsplatz 1
+ 49 89 222 324
4. Viktualienmarkt
From sausages and fish to exotic fruit, Munich’s open- air food market boasts the highest- quality gourmet groceries in town. At its center lies a beer garden with a lively atmosphere. Viktualienmarkt 3
+ 49 89 8906 8205
5. Alte Pinakothek
The former royal collection of Old Masters paintings resides here. Dürer, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens and El Greco are among those represented.
Barer Strasse 27
+ 49 89 2380 5216
6. Marienplatz
Munich’s main square since 1158, Marienplatz is abuzz with activity and a great place for photos, with the Gothic Revival- style New Town Hall in the spotlight.
+ 49 089 2330 0115
7. Residenz
Take a tour of the former main royal palace of Bavaria, with its 130 rooms and 10 courtyards. Residenzstrasse 1
+ 49 089 290 671
8. BMW Museum
From the earliest BMW engines to modern prototypes, the permanent exhibit here appeals to the car lover in all of us and rolls out fun for all ages.
Am Olympiapark 2
+ 49 89 125 016 001
9. Nymphenburg Palace
This baroque beauty housed Bavaria’s rulers beginning in 1675. Perhaps more spectacular than the palace itself are the 490 acres of formal gardens.
Schloss Nymphenburg 1
+ 49 089 179 080
10. Asamkirche
A rococo gem, Asamkirche was built as a private chapel for the brothers who completed it in 1746. Now it’s open to the public. Sendlinger Strasse 32
+ 49 089 2368 7989
Want even more great ideas? Go to 10Best. com for handy travel lists, cool pics and hot tips by Local Experts in popular destinations around the world.
PHOENIX – Tony La Russa is sitting outside a golf resort, wearing a New England Patriots cap and talking about the sensation searing through his body that he hasn’t felt since, well, six pennants, three World Series championships and 5,097 games ago.
It’s not so much nervousness as it is anxiousness. He’s confident, but jumpy. He’s relaxed, but hardly peaceful.
He goes to bed with a notepad and pen on his nightstand. He wakes up in the middle night to jot down notes. He drinks coffee in the morning, his mind racing, desperately searching for anything he might be missing.
La Russa might be one of the greatest managers to put on a uniform but as the Hall of Famer prepares to enter the White Sox’s complex for their opening workouts Wednesday, he feels as if he’s a pimple- faced teenager instead of a 76year- old manager entering the 49th spring training camp of his career with 34 years of big- league managerial experience.
And a manager who is under more scrutiny than perhaps anybody else in the game this year.
“I know what’s at stake here,” La Russa tells USA TODAY Sports in his first sit- down interview since being hired, discussing racial injustice, analytics, the state of the game and his DWI arrest.
“I know there’s going to be pressure. My understanding is if I don’t do a good job in spring, I won’t make it to opening day. That’s just a little tongue- in- cheek, but not a big tongue- in cheek.
“There are expectations, a lot of expectations when you have a good team. That’s one of the beauties of being downstairs. You can’t hide from pressure. You’ve got to embrace it.
“I know people have expressed their doubts, but in the end, I’ll hold myself accountable for everything that happens.”
It has been 3,400 days since La Russa last wore a uniform, clutching the 2011 World Series trophy after the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in Game 7 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Now, 35 years since La Russa was fired by Chicago in 1986 – which White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf called the worst mistake of his career – here they are, coming full circle.
“Really, it’s a Hollywood story,” says Walt Jocketty, the Reds’ adviser who won seven division titles, two pennants and a World Series together with La Russa in St. Louis. “This could have a terrific Hollywood ending with a World Series title.
“If that happens, they better make a movie out of it.”
If it fails, it becomes a horror flick, with critics believing he’s over the hill, out of touch and won’t survive in today’s game.
“I know there are a lot of people who have their doubts,” says La Russa. “I heard about all of the questions. And not one wasn’t a legitimate question. I’m fine with that. I know how I’m going to be judged.”
‘ This one was ideal’
If the White Sox win the American League Central Division and make a deep playoff run into October, it will be viewed as an overwhelming success. If they don’t win, it’ll be a failure.
First things first, he’ll be meeting his players in person for the first time this week, knowing only starter Lance Lynn and closer Liam Hendriks, with other introductions relegated to phone calls this offseason.
“When it first happened, I was definitely not open,” Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson said recently on the “White Sox Talk Podcast.”
“Moving forward, I’m open. I get it. I understand it. ... He’s been around baseball for a while, and he’s been successful for a while. So it goes back to, ‘ Why wouldn’t you want to learn from a guy who’s been successful for a while?’
“We’re trying to win a championship, and he’s going to be a part of it.” The biggest question is why. Why come back and open yourself to scrutiny?
Why risk tarnishing the Hall of Fame legacy?
The truth, La Russa says, is that while he might have walked away as manager, he never left the game. He went to the commissioner’s office for two years, spent four years with the Diamondbacks ( heading baseball opera
tions for three of them), was an adviser with the Red Sox for two years and another year with the Angels.
The longer he was out as manager, the greater the itch to return. He fielded a couple of inquiries in the first year after leaving the Cardinals, but nothing was serious.
Then, 11 days after the White Sox were eliminated by the Athletics this past season, they fired manager Rick Renteria.
Reinsdorf called La Russa, who said he was intrigued and would get back to him.
La Russa talked to his family. He reached out to his closest friends in the game. He even called Baseball Hall of Fame President Tim Mead, asking if he would be stripped of his Hall of Fame status. After all, no player or manager was inducted into the Hall of Fame and returned to their same line of work.
“The first inquiry, he couched it pretty good,” Mead says. “He said in- theevent type of thing. I told him that nobody’s excluded from returning.”
And if La Russa was told that he would be stripped of his Hall of Fame status by returning to the field?
“If this opportunity, as great as it is, cost me the Hall of Fame,” La Russa says, “I wouldn’t have taken it. The Hall of Fame is beyond everything else.”
Really, it was the only stumbling block preventing La Russa’s return, his friends say. It was the perfect job at the perfect time, inheriting a playoff team that’s on the verge of greatness.
“He wasn’t going to just go anywhere, but this one was ideal,” says former manager Jim Leyland, who speaks to La Russa nearly every day. “He needed to manage again. He was so just antsy sitting up there and being in that box. I knew his patience was growing thin and the fire was burning.
“He saw the game the way it was going and didn’t like it. He told me, ‘ I really don’t have the right to complain if I don’t do something about it.’ So now he’s in position to do something about it.”
Former Angels GM Billy Eppler, who watched most home games sitting alongside La Russa last season, understood his frustration. “He cares so much and is so passionate about the game,” Eppler says. “But if you’re not in the dugout or on the field itself, you are powerless. Every once in awhile, he’d say, ‘ It’s awful watching games up here. I can’t stand it.’ ”
La Russa, who was baseball’s youngest manager in 1979 at 34, understands the trepidation now. He isn’t trying to set the game back to the days of flannel uniforms and realizes he must make adjustments and address the major concerns.
A new era
How can a 76- year- old embrace today’s game filled with celebrations and personality?
Please, he says, he managed some of the most colorful and outspoken players decades ago, including Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley. Not once did
he tell them to tone it down.
And he’s not about to start.
“If you have an emotion that’s sincere and competition- related,” La Russa says, ‘ I’m good with it. If you get ( teed) off and trashed a dugout because you left the bases loaded, I’m OK that you did it. But sometimes you see some phoniness.
“I know that MLB wants more flair, and that’s what they’re going to get, so I try to balance sincerity. I just don’t ever want us to lose some basic sportsmanship and respect for the game and your opponent.”
It’s going to require communication and understanding.
“We’re going to see what happens,” Anderson said on the White Sox Podcast. “I don’t know Tony. Tony doesn’t know me. So I can’t go off what they say about this man, and he can’t go off what they say about me, because he doesn’t know me and I don’t know him.
“So really, the conversation we’re going to start at zero and just see where it goes.”
Questions remain
Can La Russa accept the dataheavy aspects of modern baseball?
He’s not going to be unplugging computers in the clubhouse and shredding spreadsheets, not after his longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan counseled him two years ago about the value of analytics. Yet he wants to return the human element to the game, not relying on metrics to prevent second- guessing.
“If you make a pitching decision, and if it didn’t work, they’ll say it’s because you didn’t check the metrics box,” La Russa says. “But if you follow the metrics and it doesn’t work, then they should be blamed. You have tons of information, but you have to trust yourself and the staff to make decisions. It’s too dynamic of a game not to have the ability to make an adjustment.”
How can he possibly communicate with today’s modern- day players?
“That’s a joke,” says Angels slugger Albert Pujols, who spent the first 11 years of his career with La Russa. “You want that experience, don’t you? When ( White Sox first baseman) Jose Abreu called me to ask about him, I told him, ‘ Trust me, Tony can communicate with anyone. Put him a room with old men, young kids, he finds a way to communicate. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.’
“He’s a winner, and if you were going to come back, what better team than the White Sox. The team is loaded. They’re not far from winning the World Series, and he’s the perfect guy to get them over the top.”
Is he simply too conservative in his beliefs?
Yes, he openly criticized former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision in 2016 to kneel during the national anthem. Last year the White Sox had five players kneeling at the start of the season.
La Russa would prefer that everyone stand for the anthem but insists he’s open to anyone expressing their beliefs.
It’s a discussion, he says, he plans to have with his team.
“If you are around servicemen and women, they will tell you the meaning of the national anthem and the flag,” La Russa says. “I just don’t want to disrespect all of those people. ...
“But when you talk about racial injustice, I’m with you, hand in hand. I’ll explain my thoughts to the guys on the team. We’re a family. If the family wants to have some expression of racial injustice, I’ll be there with them.”
How do you provide leadership after being arrested for drinking and driving less than a year ago?
La Russa, after dining with Angels employees in spring training last February, was charged with driving under the influence while returning home. It was his second drunken- driving arrest after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor DUI during spring training in 2007 with the Cardinals.
La Russa informed Angels owner Arte Moreno of the arrest the following day and offered to resign. Moreno kept him all season. When the White Sox started the interview process with La Russa in October, he also told Reinsdorf of the incident. Reinsdorf didn’t share it with anyone.
The arrest became public in November in an ESPN report. The White Sox, who hired him only 11 days before, never wavered in their support but cautioned the next time would be his last as a manager. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving, sentenced to one day of home detention, 20 hours of community service and a fine of $ 1,383.
“I made no excuses, it was an inexcusable mistake,” La Russa says, his voice dropping. “It has cost as much embarrassment personally as possible. Anyone to think that this wasn’t something that had a very negative impact. …
“I mean part of the embarrassment and negative feelings is the impact on the organization and the fans and the people that hired me. There were already enough questions of me managing, and then this. It has been torturous.”
So now here he is, knowing these questions will surface throughout the spring and likely seep into the season. He will have to win the trust of his players, the organization, and the White Sox fans that he is the right man.
Everyone will be watching as La Russa takes one last ride, putting his reputation on the line, with the belief he can make a difference.
“I don’t see how a Hall of Fame manager coming back to a game he never left won’t do a great job,” says Dave Stewart, a four- time 20- game winner under La Russa in Oakland. “Hell, he’s one of the best to ever do it. I really don’t see any way he fails.”
The phone rings. La Russa hurriedly gets up from the table, grabs his cellphone and notebook. He’s running late for a Zoom call.
As he leaves, he says, “I’ve always said I was the luckiest manager in baseball. This is the first time nobody disagrees with me.“
In the early hours of Dec. 4, 1969, Chicago police raided Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton’s home and shot him to death. He was 21.
More than 50 years after Hampton’s assassination, director Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” ( in theaters and streaming on HBO Max now) brings Hampton’s story to the big screen with the help of Daniel Kaluuya ( as Hampton) and Lakeith Stanfield ( as FBI informant William O’Neal) under the guidance of Hampton’s son, Fred Hampton Jr.
Viewers get a timely history lesson on how Hampton and the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party influenced the community and posed a threat to the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover ( Martin Sheen), who became obsessed with bringing down the man he believed could be a “Black messiah.”
Though King says it was hard to get things 100% factual because of the FBI’s unreliable record- keeping, he and Hampton Jr. walk USA TODAY through the historical details:
Did Chicago police really torch the Black Panther Party’s headquarters?
In the summer of 1969, the police engaged in a shootout with Black Panther Party members which culminated in the arrest of several people and cops burning the building down.
The scene in “Judas and the Black Messiah” that shows everyone silhouetted in a burned- out space “is based off a real photograph,” says King, who tried to capture the devastation. “The police were always trying to provoke the Panthers.”
King doesn’t know the specifics about how the shootout started but says police claim there was a sniper on the roof.
“But as you know, they lied incessantly,” King says. “It’s very hard to make a movie about historical events when the history has been written by people who aren’t biding truthful history.”
Was Fred Hampton drugged before he was murdered?
Hampton’s autopsy revealed he had enough fentanyl in his system to knock a horse out, his son says, though it’s unclear whether O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the Black Panther Party, had drugged him, as the movie suggests.
King says he’s “convinced” it was O’Neal’s doing, adding that Hampton would have died from the fentanyl even if police hadn’t killed him.
“If he had been conscious, then he could’ve defended himself,” King says.
“People were incredibly afraid of this man because he was a mighty figure, so they went through every means to make sure they could render him as defenseless as possible during the assassination.”
Was Hampton really arrested over ice cream?
In “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Hampton is imprisoned after he’s accused of assaulting a Good Humor man and stealing $ 70 worth of ice cream. King says this really happened. In 1968, Nelson Suitt testified in court that he was selling ice cream by a play
ground when a group of older teens demanded free ice cream.
Moments later, Suitt said, Hampton got out of a car, jumped into the ice cream truck and held him down while his crew unloaded ice cream from the vehicle.
The Black Panther Party leader denied Suitt’s accusations and claimed he was denied a fair trial. Still, Hampton spent some time in prison.
Did O’Neal try to leave the FBI?
Though O’Neal infiltrated the Black Panther Party on the FBI’s behalf, throughout the movie, he grows increasingly uncomfortable.
At times, it appears as if he believes in the Panthers’ ideologies and even threatens FBI Agent Roy Mitchell ( Jesse Plemons) with quitting.
Very little has been written about O’Neal, King says, but as far as he’s aware, the informant never tried to part ways with the FBI.
O’Neal’s 1990 obituary in the Chicago Tribune says he went into the Federal Witness Protection Program in 1973, four years after Hampton’s death.
Even the method by which O’Neal was recruited is still up for debate.
At the beginning of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” O’Neal walks into a bar and flashes a fake FBI badge before taking one of the patron’s cars. After he’s arrested, he agrees to become an FBI informant in exchange for immunity.
“I’ve heard multiple stories. That’s one of them,” King says.
“I’ve heard multiple stories that corroborate the FBI badge story.”