Today Is Baseball's Latest "Dark Day" !!

[magnumpi]

As a baseball fan, I'm awaiting the Mitchell Report which comes out later today with mixed emotion. Evidently, there are at least 80 players named in the report - some of whom we already know and others not. Supposedly, multiple MVP's and Cy Young winners are present (we already know names like Bonds, Giambi, etc), but it could get ugly. I'd like to know the names, but there's a side of me that would rather not. I remember my Father speaking of the 1919 Black Sox scandal as he was born/raised in Elgin and huge Sox fan, but I really don't know where the two fall on the scale of "scandal size" !! I guess the topic comes up so frequently that we're numb to new revelations of abuse - I guess I'm enough of an idealist to think most players still fall into lock step with the Torii Hunter's of the world (in terms of effort, love of the game etc etc), but we'll see. It's a sad day for baseball. Craig

[Ron Luebke]

craig i know what you mean part of you wants to know but the other part says you'd just be better off not knowing.

[magnumpi]

Exactly Ron !! It's bad enough that the skinflint owner of the Twins gets his new stadium under the guise of the "we need it to compete" card and then promptly lets Hunter walk and is about to trade off Santana. The guys are nothing but greedy pigs and the taxpayers of MN should be outraged. The flip side of this equation is his "cheapness" all but guarantees that no one mentioned today will be a Twin as he refuses to pay for the top line players. Craig
PS: Oh, BTW, he's the RICHEST owner in baseball !! Go figure.

[phantom]

magnumpi, i was a baseball fan when i was a kid. you know, back in the days befroe free agency. the day baseball decided the best team could be fielded by the owners with the deepest pockets. i felt that i was one of the best fans going. i could quote batting averages, number of home runs by each player etc. i waited and waited but the call never came. it seems that no team wanted me. i didn't get a single offer. while the players were offered fat contracts to move to another town the fans were left waiting until after spring training to decide who their hero would be, and which 'team' they would be playing for.

[Don McCombs]

IMO, professional "sports" are all a joke. They are no longer sports, but are media entertainment, not far behind professional wrestling. I will not legitimize them or line their greedy pockets by watching them. BTW, that includes NASCAR.

Flame away.

[magnumpi]

For the most part, I agree with you but check out the Yankee payroll related to WS appearances - it ain't that great considering a 200 + mil payroll. Even my rumbling, stumbling Twins have won the AL Central something like 3 of the last 5 years with below aberage payrolls. I watch to see athletes and athleticism and whatever happens happens. No longer can you be loyal to a team because the players are mercenaries. Craig

[magnumpi]

Don: I suspect everyone watches sports (or anything else for that matter) with different motives in mind. I watch some races because the technology is fascinating to me, I watch football and baseball becuase I played both in high school and college and appreciate the skills pf the players, I can't watch the NBA (in spite of the fact that they are probably the best athletes on the planet) because of the thug factor, I've gone to movies for no reason other than they were filmed in the Twin Cities and I was curious about what made the final cut. I've lowered my expectations and concentrate on what gives me pleasure and ignore the rest. You could argue that given the lowered expectations, my time could be better spent (probably true) and I have altered my entertainment choices to some extent. Bud Grant called the Vikes "entertainment" 30 years ago so this is nothing new. For some reason lost on me, they have become unhealthy preoccupations for a large segment of the population (witness the explosion of ESPN) and until that changes, expect more of the same. It's the harsh reality of today's world. Craig
PS: Full disclosure - I haven't bought a ticket to a pro athletic event in over 30 yrs and routinely turn down offers of free tix ($5 hot dogs & $25 parking are my thing).

[Don McCombs]

Craig,

I agree with everything you said and don't begrudge anyone who enthusiastically watches professional sports. My brother and nephew are two of them. I just choose not to participate myself. I just wish that everyone would see professional sports for what it really is (entertainment), and not a group of heroes doing battle on the field of honor.