Opening Day
Tonight is Opening Night of the baseball season!!!! The games in Japan last week technically were the first of the season, but who gets up to watch baseball at 6:30 in the morning besides the fans of the teams playing? Actually, the answer is pretty simple: since there are no A's fans that would wake up at 3:30 am to watch, Red Sox fans. That's who. I can only hope that all of the players get whatever virus all the Yankees players got when they came back from Japan 4 years ago. Oh wait, that was the combination of sushi and steroids that did them in, so I guess the Red Sox players are likely in the clear...no pun intended.
Anyway, tonight is the first game at Nationals Park, which is A) a good name for a stadium, particularly because it's not named after some corporation and B) pretty cool, since there was all this drama three years ago about building the stadium, will the team stay in DC, yada yada yada. All is good.
But I have to ask, for those of you that were at the game or those of you who watched or will see the highlights, but did you boo when President Bush was brought out to throw the first pitch? It's a tradition for the standing President to throw out the first pitch at the first home game of the season in DC. Tonight marked the 48th time the President did it. I wonder if any others had been booed before.
Now, I'm not a republican, but not really a democrat. I don't agree with all that's happened in the past 8 years and there is no way I currently know enough about politics to be able to tell you one way or another if Bush really is the devil that all the hippies cry him out to be. Even if I had strong opinions one way or another, I probably wouldn't boo the President if he is throwing out the first pitch. Why?
First, I find it embarrassing. Not just for DC but for the country. If the President was invited to throw the first pitch at other stadiums around the country, I bet the fans would consider it an honor. Perhaps DC area folk don't understand the privilege that it is to have the leader of your country ceremoniously begin the game. I find it embarrassing for our country because it shows a lack of respect for our leaders. Yes, it's been the running joke to laugh at Bush for his general public speaking issues or to find the urge to put "Impeach Bush" stickers on your cars and all, but still, I would not boo.
But maybe that's the beauty of the whole free country thing. We don't get hanged for expressing our opinions, which is a good thing. I just think it's an honor to have someone like the President, no matter his approval rating, participating in a long standing tradition that was lost for years when there was no DC team. I would respect this tradition enough to applaud it and forget [my] opinions on the figurehead continuing it.
posted by Quentin P. Live at 8:25 PM
4 Comments:
OK Mr Live (we need get used to calling you by your surname now because you'll be old and married soon),
here's the thing: "impeach Bush" isn't a joke. the man is so incompetent and has violated so many of his constitutional duties, people aren't making fun of him, they're dead serious. And it's great that they can also express this attitude in a baseball park. the guy is so foolish, i really believe he thinks he's still popular, and doing things like throwing out the first pitch are offered because of who he is, not the office he holds. So maybe he gets a wake up call when he steps out there and gets booed.
you say booing shows a lack of respect for our leaders. Well, last I checked you had to earn respect. Bush hasn't done so, so he doesn't deserve respect.
On the other hand, I also think that there is the aspect of tradition and that DC area fans are spoiled by having the pres come out and throw the first pitch every year. Polite applause (with neither cheering nor booing) would be the tactful way to display discontent with his policies whle honoring the local tradition. Had I personally been at the game, I would have gone even further, and just been silent. Imagine how impressive that would be: an entire stadium silent as the Idiot throws out the first pitch. Silence until he leaves the field, followed by cheering for the home team. It's even more impressive than booing, because fan's won't even give him the time of day anymore - he's that far from getting respect they won't even boo.
the extra bonus would have been his facial expression - we might even have gotten a second shot of that cluelessness we saw on 9-11, when he just continued to read the children's book at that elementary school while looking really confused.
In a shameless plug, let me just remind people to keep reading my posts, also
8:54 AM
I actually went the Willis route and chose to remain silent. I'm too tired and have too much work to do to really think about what's right/wrong. I would say that it was probably around a 60/40 booing/cheering split.
The whole thing happened extraordinarily quickly - probably around 10 seconds if that. He basically jogged out, waved a hand, threw the pitch, and jogged off. Apparently he stayed with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan on the ESPN telecast for like an inning and a half. Like everyone else, he was there to escape the world for just a brief moment.
PS - The stadium is pretty sweet.
10:23 AM
It's not about respecting the man, it's about respecting the institution. It's a shame people reacted the way they did. That's not to say that I don't understand why people dislike Bush (I do too), but disrespecting the commander-in-chief and the revived tradition of D.C. baseball is distasteful. I know I just rehashed everything that Mr. Live already said, but it's a good point and I wanted to briefly state my agreement.
Go Indy Indians!
Writing from exile in the Midwest,
-House
10:05 PM
Is it more or less disrespectful than booing Santa Claus?
10:24 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home