I few responses from a baseball player ...
--- David Brauer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Yeah, I've heard some environmentalists vandalize property and put
> cyanide in McDonalds, so they're all criminals and wackos, right?
> I've also heard some lefties attempt to murder cops, so they're
> all felons, right?
I heard that the use of cyanide was actually a myth == perpetuated by
a police force intent on suppressing ISAG dissent by using smear
tactics. But David's point about hyperbole is still well taken.
> Frankly, the Twins fans I know and hang out with define "community"
> as well as any political movement.
>
> Yeah, there are rock-heads, especially when the
> "we're-finally-winning" bandwagon starts rolling and the jerks jump
> on. But baseball is a great game with mostly great fans. You can
> decide whether or not you want to subsidize it, but major-league
> baseball is mostly a Good Thing. (And you can see it for less than
> an Ani DeFranco ticket.) I love Minneapolis, and yes, the Twins are
> one reason (and no, I haven't supported any stadium deal yet).
Professional baseball has been thoroughly corrupted by the quest for
profit. It has been commandeered by billionaire owners and
millionaire players. The continuity and history of the game have
been trampled by designated hitters, juiced baseballs, playoffs, and
interleague play. What remains is a pale imitation of the game that
was played in the days of Ernie Banks, Stan Musial and Ted Williams.
Go to a game in the Metrodome and observe carefully. You will see
mercenaries on a plastic rug illuminated by coal and nuclear power.
Your ears will be blasted by echos from the enclosing concrete. And
you will see stands filled with an overwhelmingly white and
relatively affluent subset of the population. Fans of the game no
longer represent a cross section of America because most people can
no longer afford to go to the ball park. The last time I checked, it
cost over $100 to send a family of four to a game.
This is what happens when we sacrifice public institutions to the
values of capitalism. Greed does not respect diversity, culture or
the history of an American institution like baseball.
The only way to protect public treasures is to publicly own them. If
the citizens of Minneapolis truly value baseball, they should buy the
Twins. If enough cities own their teams, perhaps we can restore our
national pastime to its former glory.
Mark Knapp
Minneapolis Green Party
City Council Candidate - Ward 10
Ash-Swinging Outfielder
Lifelong Fan of Baseball in Sunshine
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