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For A Moment, The First Lady Looked Kinda Annoyed At President Obama During The Tampa Bay Rays Vs. Cuba Game

By March 22, 2016 at 5:16 pm

Days after President Barack Obama landed in Havana for a historic visit, Major League Baseball returned to Cuba for the first time in 20 years. The Tampa Bay Rays arrived at the Estadio Latinoamericano to face off against the Cuban national team, and the stadium was packed. President Obama and Raúl Castro were both in attendance, along with several baseball legends. Here’s what went down:

Before the game began, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer made a new friend.

Credit: @MLB / Twitter

After a game of catch, Archer made his way over to President Obama…

Credit: @MLBGIFs / Twitter

Earlier this month, Archer asked Obama to join him for lunch in Cuba. Obama didn’t reply to his tweet, so Archer teased him about it before the game.

The Cuban national anthem rang out loudly at the Estadio Latinoamericano.

Credit: @hatzelvela / Twitter

As did the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Credit: @markknoller / Twitter

Cuban baseball legend Luis “El Tiante” Tiant threw out the first pitch along with two-time Olympic gold medal-winning pelotero Pedro Lazo.

Credit: @RedSox / Twitter

Lazo, who is still playing at 42 years old, is the one on the left. Tiant, who left Cuba in 1961, told Fox Sports it wasn’t easy to return to Cuba. But the 75-year-old former pitcher said he hopes the U.S. and Cuba can mend their relationship: “The world changes. We have to fix it.”

After a moment of silence for the victims of the terror attack in Brussels, Belgium, the game began.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty

Obama later defended his decision to attend the game following the attacks: “The whole premise of terrorism is to disrupt people’s ordinary lives.”

Once fans heard the first crack of the bat, things became a bit more festive. Here’s everyone doing the wave:

Credit: @rgaut999 / Twitter

And, yes, both President Obama and Raúl Castro joined in.

Credit: @charliespiering / Twitter

When the Rays scored the first run of the game, Obama started a little trash talk.

But the Cuban team showed they’re also loaded with talent.

Credit: @MLBGIFs / Twitter

At one point, President Obama must have ticked off the First Lady, because we all know a “Hey, don’t be mad me” shoulder grab when we see one.

Credit: @JemeleHill / Vine

Seems like everything was OK, because Obama was all smiles when he met up with Derek Jeter.

Credit: @Yankees / Twitter

When it all ended, Tampa Bay was victorious, defeating the Cuban national team 4-1.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty

After the game, Dayron Varona, a Cuban player who defected from Cuba in 2013, embraced old friends.

Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty

Varona, who plays for a minor league team affiliated with the Rays, was not even thinking about making the trip to Cuba. But several Rays players, including Evan Longoria, Kevin Cash and Chris Archer, asked for Varona to be included on their roster. Varona told ESPN he was surprised by the gesture: “It’s amazing. Longoria, Archer, the manager and other players on the team, who I’ve only known for around 20 days, have supported me so that I can go back to my country.”

Just a few days earlier, Varona reunited with his family for the first time in three years.

Credit: @RaysBaseball / Twitter

Moments after the game, a protestor interrupted a live report from ESPN’s Bob Ley.

Credit: CorkGaines / ESPN / YouTube

A man in a white shirt jumped in front of the camera and threw up a handful of pamphlets in the air.

Cuban police quickly swarmed the man in the white shirt and another man, then threw them into a police car. Ley then remarked that the situation underscored “the entire political nature in which this game took place.”

Credit: @Lizzs_Lockeroom / ESPN / Twitter

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Dad Of Julio Urías Got A Tattoo Honoring His Son’s World Series Win

Entertainment

Dad Of Julio Urías Got A Tattoo Honoring His Son’s World Series Win

By February 25, 2021 at 12:34 pm
BY  | February 25, 2021 AT 12:34 pm

Parents always find new ways to be proud of their children and how to tell the world how proud they are. This includes Julio Urías’ father who recently unveiled his newest tattoo in honor of his World Series-winning son.

Julio Urías’ dad is showing off just how proud he is of his son.

Tattoo artist Andres Ortega Rojas posted photos on Instagram showing off the tattoo. Carlos Urías forever enshrined his sons victorious lunge after Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays while a tattoo on his left arm.

Rojas told TMZ that the tattoo took nine hours to complete and that is was Carlos’ first tattoo. The moment captured on Carlos’ arm is one that is etched into the brains of Dodgers fans. It was the first time the Dodger has won the World Series since 1988 ending a decades-long dry spell.

The tattoo is catching everyone’s attention.

People are loving the tribute made to his son with a tattoo. It being his first tattoo is even sweeter. We all know how much our parents are anti-tattoos so seeing this happen is extra touching. Julio is framed by the flags of the Commissioner’s Trophy in the tattoo marking what is clearly Carlos’ most proud moment.

The moment marks a culmination of a long journey to athletic stardom.

Julio first pitched for the Dodgers in 2015. The Mexican baseball player was called up to join the famed baseball team. Carlos and the family made a 13-hour road trip from the Mexican state of Sinaloa to Maryvale Park in Phoenix, Ariz. It was after that long trip that Carlos got to see Julio on the field pitching against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It just goes to show you that anything is possible and that, if you work towards your goals, they can come true.

READ: Dodgers Win First World Series Championship Since 1988 And It’s Great To Be An Angeleno

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BaseballDodgersJulio UriasSportsTattoo

Filmmaker’s Short Documentary Shines A Light On Woman Who Fought For Cuban Revolution

Entertainment

Filmmaker’s Short Documentary Shines A Light On Woman Who Fought For Cuban Revolution

By January 27, 2021 at 12:27 pm
BY  | January 27, 2021 AT 12:27 pm

Filmmaker Celina Escher wanted to capture a historic moment in the Caribbean through the eyes of someone you might not expect. As an assignment from the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV (EICTV), Escher was tasked with finding a compelling character to cover. Her response was a woman who fought for the Cuban revolution and her excitement for President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba in a film titled “Verde Olivo.” CiNEOLA is bringing the short documentary to the U.S. audience to have a peek into this historic moment.

“Verde Olivo” captures one of Cuba’s most historic moments through the eyes of a revolutionary soldier.

Escher wanted to speak to someone from the Cuban Revolution because of the influence it had on her own home country: El Salvador. The filmmaker wanted to see the people who encouraged the guerilla fighters she learned about growing up. Her search led her to Teresa, a woman who fought for the revolution and has maintained her unwavering support for Fidel Castro and his vision.

“When I met Teresa we spoke about her life and the woman’s role in the Cuban Revolution. On one occasion, Teresa mentioned that she needed to repair her television for the arrival of Obama,” Escher says. “It was a historical moment for Cubans, and especially for Teresa who had devoted her life to the revolution. I was inspired by her and it was then I began to film Teresa’s preparation process.”

Escher appreciated that Teresa and her husband were getting their television repaired in order to watch President Obama’s visit. Cubans are known for maintaining old cars and appliances because of the scarcity of stuff available on the island.

“In Cuba, what is broken is repaired. The Cuban people don’t throw away what is broken and replace it with a new one, like most other western consumerist societies,” Escher says. “Cubans found a way to survive and thrive despite the U.S. embargo. In this precarious situation, the Cubans have been forced to be creative, to repair and recycle.”

“Verde Olivo” shows the resilience of some in Latin America to retain socialist ideals.

The documentary, according to Escher, is important to highlight the strength some in Latin America have maintained against “U.S. imperialism.” Despite the U.S. embargo, life has continued to go on in Cuba after the revolution.

“There have been numerous U.S. military interventions and coups d’etat throughout Latin America where left wing leaders have been replaced with authoritarian military regimes,” Escher says. “There are 76 U.S. military bases in Latin America and the Caribbean with the purpose of securing their economic and political interests. It’s remarkable how Cuba managed to survive all the aggressions and violence.”

The civil war in El Salvador is a strong example for Escher. She grew up knowing of the violent civil war the killed tens of thousands of Salvadorans. The civil war was funded in part by the U.S. government and adds to the overall narrative of U.S.-backed coup d’etats in Latin America.

President Obama’s visit was a wonderful experience while on the island.

Escher remembers that the island was electric as the Cuban people waited for President Obama’s arrival. He was the first president to visit the island in decades and created a renewed hope in cooperation between the two countries.

“It was as if a superstar was arriving. The streets of Havana were cleaned, streets were closed for his arrival, and overall the Cubans were very excited,” Escher recalls. “First of all it was the first U.S. President to arrive in Cuba since 1928, and it happened to be the first Black U.S. President. There has never been a Black president or comandante in Cuba which added to the excitement of many Cubans.”

Despite the visit, many of the Cuban people remained frustrated and disappointed with the overall impact. Escher spoke with Teresa, and her husband Orlando, after the visit. The couple has soured a bit on the visit because the embargo remained and Guantanamo Bay remained occupied.

You can watch the full documentary through CiNEOLA here.

READ: Cuban Embassy Reopens. Cigars, Protests and Food Ensue

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CaribbeanCubadocumentaryFilm