A photo of Yasiel Puig smiling, with three bats of different colors on his shoulder appears in the cover of the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine, the journal of the TV sports network. A sign over his head announces the main theme of this issue: Cuba.
Next February 17th, readers can enjoy exclusive interviews to some of the most renowned Cuban athletes at this time in the United States as the baseball players Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Fernandez.
The interviews go beyond the sporting aspect and venture into the lifestyle, nostalgia for their homeland, the interaction between them, dreams to fulfill. Puig opens the doors of his house where, amid laughter and anecdotes, he clarifies a bit the mystery of his origins to American fans. His adventures to get out of Cuba, the call of former Yankees coach Joe Torres to the Dodgers general manager claiming to have someone amazing, and his subsequent signing by 42 million dollars are part of an interview peppered with Puig´s Cuban humor, who is revered for his skills in the fields and criticized for his childish off them.
Chapman received the ESPN team in his five bedrooms and six bathrooms mansion in Davie, Florida, his “first house”, which he bought for $ 1.8 million when he signed his contract with the Cincinnati Reds. Among other amazing things, he confesses having seriously thought about joining the rapper 50 Cents in promoting Cuban boxers just to return to his roots, but “it was too complicated, I had to have a business plan and all that”.
An interview with Antonio Castro in his capacity as IBAF vice-president, his comments on the current state of Cuban baseball and its possible inclusion in MLB shows another view of how the Cuban sports is seen in the United States.
A special segment was devoted to extreme sports in Cuba, to which ESPN sent a team to interview in situ surfers, skaters and bikers. Dozens of pictures show how a group of young people fight to maintain their identity, with limited resources, without official approval, but with an immense pride and love for what they do.
This issue includes dozens of similar stories with ESPN The Magazine’s style: irreverent, funny, far from the traditional way of others of seeing the sports world like Sports Illustrated.
On the occasion of this special edition to all Cubans, OnCuba interviewed Neely Lohman, Senior Deputy Editor of ESPN The Magazine
Why did you choose Cuba as the main topic to run a full edition of your magazine?
The idea began in the fall, when we set out to profile Dodgers’ sensation Yasiel Puig. Around that time, in September, Cuba announced that it would begin allowing its athletes to play outside its borders. The combination of those two things generated lively discussions among our editors about the influence that Cuban-born athletes have had on American sports — and what it will mean for American sports if the doors to Cuba were to eventually open up. It quickly became apparent that it was a vibrant and varied topic worthy of an entire issue.
What is your take on Cuban sports in general?
It is difficult to know, as access is extremely limited. What is certain is that Cuba is a country with a rich sports history and a deep appreciation for sports as a part of its culture.
If the US embargo is lifted Cuban athletes will be able to compete freely in the United States…what is your opinion about that? I cannot speak to the politics and economics of the U.S. embargo. I can only say that Cuba appears to be home to many talented athletes, and I’m sure the United States would be excited to gain access to those incredibly talented individuals. I believe there would be a lot of interest among U.S. sports leagues.
