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May 29, 2006 Major League Baseball deceived its fans on Sunday, and not because Barry Bonds’ passed Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list. That lie is relatively tame in comparison—even if allegations of Bonds’ steroid use turn out to be true. No, baseball is actually helping perpetrate a con of far greater significance than that. At 3 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, the middle day of the Memorial Day weekend, games were halted at all Major League parks around the country to show a White House-produced video honoring those who lost their lives serving in our nation’s armed forces. Hmmm… War effort not going so well in the Middle East… President’s approval ratings not so hot, armed forces personnel under investigation for conduct in Iraq… Time for new ideas? Nope. Time for a video, one that will tug at the heartstrings of Americans and have them reaching for their handkerchiefs instead of saying, “Hey, wait a minute! What the hell is going on here?” We are at war, folks, and—Newsflash!—it’s not going well. Our soldiers are dying. Innocent civilians in countries that have never done anything to us are, too. War is hell, and any video worth its salt—and air time at Major League ballparks—must have THAT as its central theme. Now, let’s get one thing straight: A soldier is a soldier, a sailor is a sailor, a pilot is a pilot and a marine is a marine. Doesn’t matter where or who they are fighting. I admire their devotion to this country and its ideals. I applaud Major League Baseball’s decision to recognize the efforts of their fallen brothers this past weekend. Far too many of us have forgotten the significance of holidays such as Memorial Day, July 4th and Veterans’ Day. These indeed are days for reflection, for putting our country’s history in perspective, for recognizing the contributions of everyday Americans in preserving and protecting our freedom. Which is why I find Major League Baseball’s decision to show what essentially amounted to a propaganda video during what otherwise was a fitting tribute particularly galling. When did this happen? When did spin replace the spitball at the ballpark? Probably around the time a former team owner assumed the presidency, that’s when. Major League Baseball owners obviously have no problem doing George Bush’s dirty work. These guys are all part of the same club. They all go to those owners’ meetings at those fancy resorts. They vote Republican. And most of them never served a day in combat. That’s how ballpark jumbotrons become America’s equivalent of al-Jazeera for one day. America’s pastime indeed. ------------ About the author:Brian P. Dunleavy is a New York-based freelance sportswriter. He can be reached at: bpdunleavy@yahoo.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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