Baseball's Back!

Watched the Civil Rights game tonight and got to see the Mets dispatch the White Sox. I gotta say that John Maine looks very good thus far, and hopefully he can carry his solid pitching into the new season. I know I have said it before but I love the New York Mets, and I love to watch them play ball. My wonderful wife has allowed me to purchase MLB Extra Innings from Comcast this year and I cannot wait to watch nothing but baseball for the next 7 months!!! I know she's excited too...

MLB had its second annual "Civil Rights" game tonight, and I must say, I love the idea. It is an opportunity to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, and other heroes of the Civil Rights movement, and of baseball's segregated past. I appreciate it because I think unlike other sports baseball is built on its reverence for history. What I mean is that the game of baseball is built on the shoulders of the players who came before... that is why Barry Bonds HR record is so controversial, and Pete Rose's banning for life is so painful, and why millions of kids today who could not tell you the name of the Vice President of our country is could tell you who Babe Ruth was. It is important that baseball remembers its shadier past and honor men like Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson.

This is a natural segue into a political subject.
A lot has been said recently about Barrack Obama's speech on race and politics in America. I heard someone compare the speech to "I have a dream"... and I must say as a non-black American, I was aghast. Obama basically said that black Americans talk about white people behind their backs, in barber shops and churches. I am here to announce that white (and in my case latino) Americans do not talk about black America behind their backs... or to their faces for that matter. I am not saying that racism is not alive in America, but I am saying that it is much more insidious than the white - black racism of Jim Crow through the 1960s. As someone on the outside looking in it almost looks like perhaps, today in America, people are racist against whites...?
* Here is CNN's Roland Martin making a fool of himself.
Hey Roland, let me ask you a question. If John McCain was a good buddy of David Duke would you not write about it, and blast McCain for his association to him? A couple of years ago Trent Lott lost his job for saying during Strom Thurmond's birthday party that "The country would have been better off electing him...". This was the man's b-day party and Thurmond ran for President 50+ years ago! Whether you like it or not Roland everyone...you, me, and our politicians are judged at least partly by their associates.
* Here is a great article from the venerable Pat Buchannan on "the new racism".
* Woodrow Wilson is on my short lists of "worst" Presidents...interestingly enough Martin Sieff has written an article comparing Mr. Wilson to Mr. Obama.
* I was pleased to read this quote from Senator Obama ( though I don't know how sincere it is), especially with all his supporters telling Mrs. Clinton to drop out. Personally, i'd like this to go on as long as possible ... I think that it helps the Republicans if the Dems keep fighting. However, it does actually bother me that some Democrats have been discounting the desires of half of their party so that Mr. Obama could be pronounced the candidate sooner. I think the 50% of democrats who are Hillary supporters deserve their say.
* Enjoyed seeing that this anti-war movie is a flop. When will Hollywood realize that America does not reside in the coastal cities but in the heartland. These movies don't get watched because we don't agree with their message! Wake UP Hollywood!
* Finally, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is planning to boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. I know that our leaders official position is that a boycott makes no sense, but maybe we should consider it. The Chinese don't deserve the world's focus (in a positive way) and this will make it possible for us to protest without hurting our Olympians.

Don't forget to tune into Opening Night ... tomorrow Sunday March 30th at 8pm on ESPN. Washington will open up their new stadium against the Atlanta Braves, should be fun!