03 December 2008

Humpday Happenings...
Fort Wayne's *new* (old) baseball team unveiled their new team uniforms yesterday and and TWO WORDS came to my mind:
NOT IMPRESSED!
Sorry...hate to say it, but they pretty much suck.
Now the COLORS the team has aren't all that bad, and I suppose that's the ONLY saving grace to this whole (ramrodded) deal, but everything else is kind of lame.
The numbers on the backs of the shirts look like some 3 year old drew them. I saw the number *23* on one jersey and thought "That looks more like "Z-3". And yes, Virginia, I still think the NAME of the team is DUMBER THAN A BAG OF ROCKS (which is a term I use to describe most of my neighbors).
Tincaps - Potheads - Tincups...all the same to me...wrong.
But it's not like one of the last bastions of Americana (baseball) has all but been bastardized into relative oblivion, is it?
And like most every sport today (save the Olympics), it's not so much about the GAME any longer...it's about "Da money".
The "love" of the game has been superseded by endorsements, promotions, branding, and whatever other marketing ploy those running the show see fit to toss at the consumer (fan).
That's right, you're no longer JUST a fan of the game...you're a consumer; a demographic to be exploited (by any and all means possible for that "bottom line") every time you pass the turnstile and hand over that ticket.
These are no longer the days of Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Bob Gibson, or Mike Schmidt.
Get used to it.
Too cynical?
Hell yeah.
When a ball club, be it BASEball, or FOOTball, or even BASKETball enters a city (and we're not just talking about MINOR leaguers), it most likely NOT for love of the sport. It's probably some device needed to shore up the pitiful tax base that city is currently wallowing in.
Go to ANY large metropolis, take a look at the FACILITIES and then check the PRICES for tickets AND concessions.
The cost will ASTOUND you (if not send you tearfully running in the opposite direction).
Some cities tear down perfectly GOOD sports arenas or stadiums to (what else?) erect totally NEW sports areas or stadiums mere blocks from the former one. And to what end?
Are MORE people going to the (higher-priced) games?
Hardly.
It's all about grasping at straws...something to take the consumer's eye off of the other problems that city may face.
And JUST like ancient Rome, these cities do it with good reason.
Keep the populace ENTERTAINED...and they'll soon forget they're being fleeced by the politicians.
Yeah...worked in the past...why not today?
Keep their minds OCCUPIED (and let them play on the railroad tracks, so they never see the train coming). Sure makes sense to me.
It was once said that the FIRST victim in ANY war is the TRUTH.
Well, someone ALSO said that KNOWLEDGE IS TRUTH.
And yet another stated that KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
So, being a fan of Sherlock Holmes, if I were to invoke deductive reasoning, what those "in charge" don't want YOU to know is that THE TRUTH IS POWER, therefore you are not to know the TRUTH, for if you DID, that would give POWER to YOU (the PEOPLE).
Amazing how that all works out, isn't it?
When it comes do damn near ALL politics, it IS all about DECEPTION, and that leads me to believe that required reading for these people MUST include THE ART OF WAR by SUN TSU. Sorry guys, hate to disappoint, but I read it AS WELL.
And if that makes me (and others like me) seem to be the quintessential cynic and able to find fault in damn near everything, you must know that it's because I've been brought up to rarely take things at face value. I've been taught to question that which NEEDS questioning. I've learned that what you SEE isn't always what you GET, and that NO good deed ever goes unpunished.
But that was back in the "stone age", when barbaric practices such as ethics, morality, civility, and courtesy ruled the day.
Yet, times have changed, and unfortunately many people have changed right along with those times.
I know, you're going to tell me that people who DON'T ADAPT are doomed to defeat.
Oh, it's OK to "adapt", as long you don't sacrifice your core principles in the process.
We ALL adapt to something, situationally-speaking. To do otherwise DOES invoke defeat. We adapt to hot weather, cold weather, rainy weather, snowy weather (well most do anyway). We adapt to "boom" times, as well as the "bust" times. We adapt to higher oil prices, and damn near higher everything prices.
We "go with the flow" as it were.
But there is nothing wrong with swimming against the current when dictated.
Look at salmon...they do it because they have to in order to survive as a species.
Seems there is a lesson (for us) to be learned THERE.
And to think this started out with a minor league baseball team's *new* uniforms.
No one ever said understanding life was EASY...did they?
But one thing understanding life it is not, and that's impossible.
It just takes a few more minutes than usual.
That is, if you can peel yourself away from whatever it is that's distracting you.
Just like Mikey from the cereal commercials of old...
Try it...you might like it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

well look at our lucus oil stadium down here in indy. our property taxes went up becouse of it. and not many people in marion county will even get to go in there. on the first high school games that were there they were all from outside of marion county and pretty much all white teams. wtf. they didnt even care if a marion county school got to go in first and we all pay taxes here. i would have at least though that warren high would have been one of the first. one of the best teams in high school in the state of indiana period. then the tickets to go see a high school game were 10 or 12 dollars. when they were giving away free tickets to the public to go in there right after it was built you had to go online to get them then most of them were resold for like 20 to 100 dollars later. the colts team had enough money to build that stadium but they didnt want to. and our old stadium the hoosier dome (i perfer that to the rca dome wasnt even paid off yet. wtf. i could go on but really what is the point its all said and done now.

Bob G. said...

Ida:
You have brought up ALL the reasons why something like this is the WRONG idea for ALL the people.
It only goes to serve a small portion of the populace (the "haves").
And taxes everyone else along the way (the "have nots").
And if memory serves, you already had a fine stadium that was making some decent money!

But there is ONE consolation in Marion...

AT least you now have OBAMA DAY (first monday in November) off from now one.
Let's just hope people get it off WITH pay.

Thanks for the comment.

B.G.

Anonymous said...

are you joking obama day? i may have voted for him but they made a day of it? lol

Bob G. said...

I am NOT kidding...saw the "proclamation" on TV the other night.
First Monday of November...mark your 2009 calendars NOW!

;)

B.G.