SAN FRANCISCO – The upcoming closure of a Safeway supermarket in San Francisco’s Fillmore District is creating an uproar in the community.

Safeway has now made its plans official to close the supermarket near the intersection of Webster Street and Geary Boulevard in the city’s Fillmore District. The chain sent a letter to Mayor London Breed on Tuesday saying that it would be closing the location on or around February 7th after 40 years of operation.

In a statement, the chain said the decision came about following ongoing concerns about associate and customer safety and persistent issues with theft.

Customers said the closure will devastate a community that needs a place to buy groceries. 

“We can’t lose something like this without people suffering,” said Richard Rodriguez. “A lot of elderly people can’t just go wherever the new Safeway is.”

Safeway said in a statement that workers have been notified of the closure and will be transferred to other locations.  

Regular customers say they will miss the staff who have become a part of the community, and they say they worry about the closure of a pharmacy that serves the community. 

“Where are the elders going to go for their medicine?” said Tamara Williams. “You’ve got Queen Adah Hall, you’ve got different elder and senior buildings around for the community. What are you going to shop at? Safeway is reasonable for us.”

Now the local branch of the NAACP is stepping in, saying the closure will cause irreparable harm to one of the city’s last remaining Black communities. 

Reverend Amos Brown is calling on city leaders to block the sale of the property if it will bring harm to the Black community. “This is a slap at Black people and we are saying we see it, we feel it, and the world needs to understand,” said Rev. Brown.

Outgoing District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston was among those who fought to keep the Safeway open when it first announced plans to close last year. He said the city needs to fight to purchase the site to build affordable housing and meet the shopping needs of the community. “I’ve also urged that if they won’t voluntarily sell it, that we consider using eminent domain to acquire it,” said Supervisor Preston. “Pay market rate value and acquire the site. Eminent domain has been used to harm this community. Why not finally use it to help?”

The NAACP is saying the closure of the Safeway in February, Black history month, is offensive. The organization stopped short of calling for a boycott, but did say there will be actions to raise awareness about the injustice they see with the potential sale of this site. Those actions are set to get underway next month.

There is clarity in brevity. Not profanity.

Bo Nix will help guide the Broncos into their most important game since 2015 with a leadership style that remains as effective as it is unique.

Nix does not curse. It traces to his upbringing by his parents, Patrick and Krista, and connects directly to his faith. And it works.

“It’s a little different. I curse all the time. I am an Irishman,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said with a smile. “I don’t know how he does it. He has an immense amount of discipline, and it translates over to his game.”

Nix, 24, grew up in a locker room. His father coached him in high school. Sports are a clearing house for cussing. When Jim Leyland managed the Rockies in 1999, he used the F-word as a subject, verb, noun and adjective. Attend a Broncos training camp practice, and it is impossible not to hear an assistant fire off an obscenity. Or seven.

Nix long ago made a conscious choice to communicate differently. His parents provided freedom but were strict, and he felt comfortable following their example. He never went through a cursing phase. Not even in middle school.

As a leader, he does not talk much. When he speaks, he is more confident than colorful.

“I just believe out of the heart, the mouth flows. I want to keep my heart clean. There is something positive about the words you use. So I think it’s important,” Nix told me Wednesday afternoon. “I just figured out that I didn’t need to do it.”

It can be challenging in a sport littered with Type-A personalities. There are times it feels like curse words command attention, create urgency and add importance. Nix operates effectively outside of this space because he is authentic. This is who he is. And that comes across in his interactions with teammates.

“There is nothing corny about it. Without a doubt he has a real edge to him,” McGlinchey said.

“Absolutely, you can lead without (cursing), and he does it well,” added receiver Courtland Sutton.

Philip Rivers, a Chargers legend, is the last well-known quarterback known to refrain from cursing. Like Rivers, Nix’s trash talk is environmentally friendly. He showed off crazy eyes when yelling at a Raiders defender last month, but there were more shoots than anything else.

I asked a half dozen players about Nix on Wednesday, and they all swear they have never heard him utter a swear word.

“Good by him for sticking to his values and what he believes in. It’s cool,” backup quarterback Zach Wilson said. “He’s a great dude. Guys love being around him. He’s got all the Philip Rivers words in his bag. It works for him.”

That is because sports are Darwinism. Only the strong survive. Nix commands respect because of his work ethic, his maturity, his performance and his fiery competitiveness. The NFL operates under the premise: don’t tell me you are good, show me. Nix has followed these footsteps since his first spring practice.

“To me, his words have the same effect. The big thing is his confidence. You can definitely feel it in the huddle. How confident he is in himself. Even in OTAs and training camp, he’s out there playing ball,” receiver Marvin Mims Jr. said. “There’s some plays that we were supposed to be run a certain way and he would go off and do his own stuff, but it was just how he played.”

This is an example of what makes Nix special and why Denver will come closer to ending its eight-year playoff drought with a win over the Colts. He gets it. His preparation sets him apart. When he was drafted, his family, Nix included, wanted to know what were some of the mistakes players before him made in his position. It showed remarkable self-awareness.

Quarterback of the Broncos is more high-profile than the mayor or governor. Nix embraced the challenge, recognizing that everything matters. He exhibits intelligence, yet remains spontaneous and organic, like when he high-fives fans after home games.

During the bye week, Nix traveled to Alabama to watch his father coach in the state championship. There is no “too cool for school” with him. He doesn’t believe he has everything figured out. Quite the opposite.

Nix articulated this when I asked him about his leadership style, about how he balances when to be assertive as a rookie.

“My role right now is simple. I have to go out there and perform on Sunday and help these guys win games. Get them going. That’s my job as a quarterback. You have to honestly take the rookie out of it. They are looking at me as their starting quarterback. That’s how I have to treat it,” Nix said.

“Right now, being young I can’t talk a whole lot. There’s not much I can say. I haven’t really proven anything. I have to go out there and work. They want to see that and how hard I am preparing and what I do on the field. Do I show up the same every day? And I think when they see that they have a form of respect and trust. Then when you make a few plays in critical moments then they know they can believe in you.”

Nix faces another huge test this week and understands what is at stake. His demeanor is always more serious than aw-shucks. But, make no mistake, he absolutely gives a … well, you know.

“I don’t make (not cursing) a big deal. Guys will eventually come up and ask and I will tell them why. I just want to make sure that I am encouraging, trying my best to use the right words,” Nix said. “It’s how I roll.”

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Originally Published: December 11, 2024 at 6:14 PM MST

If the Seattle Mariners are going to make a big trade this offseason, there’s now one indication of who it could be with.

Here’s who Mariners could take at No. 3 overall in 2025 MLB Draft

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi reported Wednesday that per a source, the Boston Red Sox “are working to acquire one of the Mariners’ starting pitchers.” That comes on the heels of the Red Sox making a blockbuster deal with the White Sox for All-Star pitcher Garrett Crochet earlier Wednesday.

Seattle Times Mariners reporter Adam Jude had his own report shortly after, posting on social media that “Boston has been persistent in its pursuit of one Seattle’s starters.” He added that a hypothetical deal that would send Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo to the Red Sox for first baseman Triston Casas would “seem to make sense for both sides.”

Alex Speier, who covers the Red Sox for the Boston Globe, followed up on that, splashing some water on the fire at least when it comes to the names.

“Asked a source if there were legs to a deal involving Triston Casas for Luis Castillo,” Speier wrote on social media. “The answer was straightforward: ‘No.’”

So while specific names haven’t been pinned down yet, it at least seems clear that the Red Sox are interested in a trade for a Mariners pitcher. The level at which Seattle is interested, however, remains to be seen.

The M’s have been steadfast about wanting to keep their starting rotation intact, in particular their four youngest starters: All-Stars Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, and recent breakout pitchers Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo. Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said trading one of the Mariners’ young starters this offseason would be “Plan Z” when talking to the media at the end of the 2024 season, and he spoke this week at MLB’s winter meetings more about looking to trade from the team’s well-stocked farm system than from the big league club (click the link below for that story).

Dipoto shares how Mariners are being ‘very aggressive’ on trade market

It has been a quiet offseason thus far for the Mariners, who have made a minor addition in corner infielder Austin Shenton and expressed their interest in pursuing Japanese star pitcher Roki Sasaki, who was posted by his Nippon Pro Baseball team as available to MLB clubs this week.

The biggest news of Seattle’s offseason came Tuesday when the Mariners surprisingly ended up with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft despite entering the draft lottery with odds that put them most likely to get the 14th pick.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Lucky Mariners just unexpectedly landed very high MLB Draft pick
• The Mariners will have a strong pitch for Japanese star Roki Sasaki
• Salk: The three Seattle Mariners to watch as surprise trade candidates
• Dipoto shares how Mariners are being ‘very aggressive’ on trade market
• Salk: No thanks on a Seattle Mariners trade for 3B Alec Bohm

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