An election prediction: If Barack Obama wins on Tuesday, a week later, U.S. banks will be closed and soldiers will be marching in the streets.
Of course, the main reason for this is that exactly one week after Election Day — Nov. 11 — it will be Veterans Day, an annual banking holiday and a day of parades in cities across the country. So my prediction really has very little to do with the election. In fact, if John McCain wins, the same thing will undoubtedly happen.
I’ll stick with the prediction, though.
———
I keep hearing that the upcoming presidential election is “the most important election in our time,” or any of several variants on the expression.
Personally, I’m not buying it. Sure, the election is important. And I plan to vote. But is 2008 really that much more critical than any other election? I don’t see how.
The truth is, every election is important. 2004 was important. 2000 was important. So was 1992, and 1980, and 1972, and 1964, etc. In fact, I’m hard-pressed to come up with a time when the presidential election wasn’t important. If anyone can come up when that happened, please let me know.
———
One thing that is probably true, however, is that the election is historic. This is for the simple fact that we are either going to end up with our nation’s first African-American president, or our first female vice president.
But beyond that, the 2008 elections will also have historic significance because for only the third time in American history, a sitting senator will advance directly to the Oval Office. (For you history geeks out there, the other two were Warren Harding and John F. Kennedy.)
Typically, U.S. senators are considered likely White House hopefuls; but in actuality, few make successful presidential candidates. The problem for senators is that through the years, they inevitably end up voting for any of a number of measures that end up seeming a little unflattering, especially when taken out of context. Indeed, I have no doubt McCain and Obama could spend hours simply hurling accusations of unpopular votes at each other.
But since both candidates are senators, that whole thing kind of gets canceled out this year.
———
Governors often make better presidential candidates than senators. For one thing, they don’t have as many controversial votes in their past. For another, they can claim “executive experience,” a quality generally deemed important for presidents.
In this year’s campaign, the only governor in the mix, of course, is McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.
Interestingly enough, very few governors end up as vice presidential candidates. In fact, other than Palin, the only other governor to take the No. 2 spot on a presidential ticket in recent memory is Spiro Agnew, the Maryland governor who ran as Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1968.
The knock on governors is that they often lack foreign policy credentials, as well as a vigorous knowledge of national issues. Perhaps that’s why senators or Cabinet officials more commonly end up as running mates. Even though they may struggle at the top of the ticket, such individuals often seem more well-suited to assume the presidency in the event of the president’s death.
———
I’ll make one serious prediction in closing: No matter who wins the election next Tuesday, the sun will still come up Wednesday morning.
Whether it’s Obama or McCain, I can guarantee there will be good times, and there will be bad times. The stock market will go up; the stock market will go down. There will always be taxes. Health care will always be expensive. There will always be individuals across the sea that want to do harm to our country; not to mention some within our own borders who wish to do the same.
The good news is our national greatness extends beyond any one man, even the president. The country is not going to go to hell, regardless of who wins.
By all means, of course, go out and vote. Let you voice be heard. But when it’s all said and done, remember that we’re all on the same team. We’re not the “Red States of America” or the “Blue States of America;” we are the “United States of America.” Let’s live up to that.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Ballot offers alternatives to McCain, Obama
I think we’ve now reached the point in this presidential election when we’re all just pretty much ready for the whole thing to be over. Maybe you know who you’re going to vote for; maybe you don’t. Either way, campaign fatigue has set in, big-time.
It’s usually about this time that a lot of folks become more or less fed up with both major candidates. When it comes down to it, for many people, neither one really embodies the ideas we have for what we want our president to stand for.
But one of the great secrets of the presidential campaign is that John McCain and Barack Obama are not the only people running for president. Across the country, dozens of people will appear on various state ballots. They are what are referred to as “third party” candidates. None of them really have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning on Nov. 4, but for those looking for a candidate they can vote for without having to hold their nose, these longshots offer a potential alternative.
In Arkansas, there will be seven presidential candidates on the ballot Nov. 4. Excepting Obama and McCain, whom we’ve all heard enough about, here are the other presidential candidates Arkansans have to choose from, along with their party, and what their party stands for:
— Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party. The Constitution Party advocates a platform which aims to reflect the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Baldwin, founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., strongly opposes the "New World Order," the United Nations, U.S. income taxes, the Patriot Act, and assaults on individual liberties in general. He would withdraw troops from Iraq and end illegal immigration. Emphasizing America's Christian heritage, he strongly supports the gold standard, the right to keep and bear arms, homeschooling, and pro-life legislation such as the Sanctity of Life Act. Baldwin also hosts a daily one-hour radio program, "Chuck Baldwin Live," and writes a daily editorial column. For more, see www.baldwin08.com/
— Gloria La Riva, Party for Socialism and Liberation. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a Marxist party in the United States founded to promote revolutionary change. The PSL is very active in the antiwar movement and has taken a lead organizing role in mass antiwar demonstrations since 2001. It supports the government of Cuba, but is critical of the government of China. La Riva has been the director of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, and has been president of the typographical sector of the Northern California Media Workers Union. She also translated Fidel Castro's book “Cuba at the Crossroads” and produced the documentary videos “NATO Targets,” “Workers' Democracy in Cuba,” “Genocide by Sanctions: The Case of Iraq” and “Let Iraq Live!” For more, see www.votepsl.org
— Ralph Nader, Independent. This is Nader’s fifth campaign for the presidency, having also run in each of the previous four elections. Though an independent in Arkansas and other states, Nader is running on the Independent-Ecology and the Peace and Freedom tickets elsewhere. Nader is known for his commitment to issues such consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism and democratic government. For more, see www.votenader.org
— Bob Barr, Libertarian Party. Libertarians stand for laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in foreign policy that respects freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. The party stands for freedom of speech, freedom of association and sexual freedom. The party seeks to abolish laws against "victimless crimes" (such as prostitution, driving without a seat belt and use of some controlled substances.) A former Republican, Barr portrays himself as an alternate for conservatives to Republican nominee John McCain. He emphasizes his opposition to the Republican Party for its positions on the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act, but stands as an advocate for border security and fiscal constraint. For more, see www.bobbarr2008.com
— Cynthia McKinney, Green Party. The Green Party of the United States emphasizes environmentalism, non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social justice, respect for diversity, peace and nonviolence. McKinney supports statehood for the District of Columbia, slavery reparations, electoral reforms including instant runoff voting, and calls for abolishing the death penalty and the War on Drugs. For more, see votetruth08.com
If nothing else, these candidates demonstrate that the marketplace of ideas remains robust in America. And you may not see anyone listed here that you like, but you at least ought to know that these candidates are out there.
Some folks have a hard time voting for a third party candidate. The cynics like to say voting third-party amounts to “throwing your vote away.” And there might be some truth to that.
But for some voters, casting a vote on Election Day is about more than picking a good-looking horse. It’s about partaking in a sacred civic duty and wanting to still be able to look at yourself in the mirror the next day. It’s about voting for something you really believe in.
Is there anyone on this list worth believing in? Maybe, maybe not. But surely there’s at least one or two candidates worth a closer look.
It’s usually about this time that a lot of folks become more or less fed up with both major candidates. When it comes down to it, for many people, neither one really embodies the ideas we have for what we want our president to stand for.
But one of the great secrets of the presidential campaign is that John McCain and Barack Obama are not the only people running for president. Across the country, dozens of people will appear on various state ballots. They are what are referred to as “third party” candidates. None of them really have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning on Nov. 4, but for those looking for a candidate they can vote for without having to hold their nose, these longshots offer a potential alternative.
In Arkansas, there will be seven presidential candidates on the ballot Nov. 4. Excepting Obama and McCain, whom we’ve all heard enough about, here are the other presidential candidates Arkansans have to choose from, along with their party, and what their party stands for:
— Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party. The Constitution Party advocates a platform which aims to reflect the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Baldwin, founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., strongly opposes the "New World Order," the United Nations, U.S. income taxes, the Patriot Act, and assaults on individual liberties in general. He would withdraw troops from Iraq and end illegal immigration. Emphasizing America's Christian heritage, he strongly supports the gold standard, the right to keep and bear arms, homeschooling, and pro-life legislation such as the Sanctity of Life Act. Baldwin also hosts a daily one-hour radio program, "Chuck Baldwin Live," and writes a daily editorial column. For more, see www.baldwin08.com/
— Gloria La Riva, Party for Socialism and Liberation. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is a Marxist party in the United States founded to promote revolutionary change. The PSL is very active in the antiwar movement and has taken a lead organizing role in mass antiwar demonstrations since 2001. It supports the government of Cuba, but is critical of the government of China. La Riva has been the director of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, and has been president of the typographical sector of the Northern California Media Workers Union. She also translated Fidel Castro's book “Cuba at the Crossroads” and produced the documentary videos “NATO Targets,” “Workers' Democracy in Cuba,” “Genocide by Sanctions: The Case of Iraq” and “Let Iraq Live!” For more, see www.votepsl.org
— Ralph Nader, Independent. This is Nader’s fifth campaign for the presidency, having also run in each of the previous four elections. Though an independent in Arkansas and other states, Nader is running on the Independent-Ecology and the Peace and Freedom tickets elsewhere. Nader is known for his commitment to issues such consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism and democratic government. For more, see www.votenader.org
— Bob Barr, Libertarian Party. Libertarians stand for laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in foreign policy that respects freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. The party stands for freedom of speech, freedom of association and sexual freedom. The party seeks to abolish laws against "victimless crimes" (such as prostitution, driving without a seat belt and use of some controlled substances.) A former Republican, Barr portrays himself as an alternate for conservatives to Republican nominee John McCain. He emphasizes his opposition to the Republican Party for its positions on the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act, but stands as an advocate for border security and fiscal constraint. For more, see www.bobbarr2008.com
— Cynthia McKinney, Green Party. The Green Party of the United States emphasizes environmentalism, non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social justice, respect for diversity, peace and nonviolence. McKinney supports statehood for the District of Columbia, slavery reparations, electoral reforms including instant runoff voting, and calls for abolishing the death penalty and the War on Drugs. For more, see votetruth08.com
If nothing else, these candidates demonstrate that the marketplace of ideas remains robust in America. And you may not see anyone listed here that you like, but you at least ought to know that these candidates are out there.
Some folks have a hard time voting for a third party candidate. The cynics like to say voting third-party amounts to “throwing your vote away.” And there might be some truth to that.
But for some voters, casting a vote on Election Day is about more than picking a good-looking horse. It’s about partaking in a sacred civic duty and wanting to still be able to look at yourself in the mirror the next day. It’s about voting for something you really believe in.
Is there anyone on this list worth believing in? Maybe, maybe not. But surely there’s at least one or two candidates worth a closer look.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Blytheville gas prices falling ... like a feather
The good news is, gas prices are going down.
The bad news is, in Blytheville … not so much.
You’ve probably read the news stories. Around the country, gas prices are falling fast, as a combination of economic woes, declining demand and falling crude oil prices kick in at the same time.
And — as reported last week in the Courier News — gas prices are coming down in Blytheville, too. Barely. If gas prices elsewhere are falling like a boulder; in Blytheville, they’re falling like a feather.
I like to frequent a Web site called GasBuddy.com. It uses volunteers to keep track of the gas prices across Arkansas and the rest of the country, keeping a running list of the 15 most-expensive and 15 least-expensive places to buy gas in the state. For weeks, Blytheville has been a fixture on the most-expensive list, consistently holding five or more of the top 15 spots. It’s been a dubious distinction.
For the record, there was a brief time last week when our community at last did not hold any of the top 15 spots. And that’s worth noting.
But it was short-lived. Tuesday afternoon, Blytheville was well-represented on the most-expensive list once more, holding six of the top 15 spots.
It could be worse, of course. Blytheville — at least at present — does not have the most expensive gas in Arkansas. That distinction, according to GasBuddy, belongs to places like Mountain View, with several gas stations charging in the $3.30s for regular unleaded.
The opposite side of the spectrum can be found in the Springdale-Rogers area, which holds nearly every spot in the ranking of the least-expensive gas stations, with gas selling for as little as $2.45 at some stations. In Jonesboro, gas is selling for $2.69. In West Memphis, it's $2.85.
It’s a frustrating situation. It would be one thing if gas prices were the same — high or low — everywhere you went. But when you can drive an hour or less up the road and see gas for 30 or 40 cents a gallon less than you pay back home, it’s hard to not feel like there’s something screwy going on.
The calls I get at my desk range from allegations of “gas-gouging” to “price-fixing.” Is that what’s going on in Blytheville? I really don’t know. Only the folks who set the prices know for sure. But I agree that it seems awfully fishy. I have yet to hear a logical explanation for why gas stations less than an hour north, west and south of us are able to drop their prices more quickly, raise their prices more slowly, and otherwise charge dramatically less for the exact same product that is being sold here.
I’ve heard some folks talking about organizing a boycott. I’m hesitant to go that far. As an advocate of shopping locally, I’m unable to bring myself to call for an out-and-out boycott of a local business. That said, there are a few things consumers might be wise to do.
For starters, for those that do happen to travel out of town — for work or for pleasure — it only makes sense to buy your gas where it’s cheapest. It used to be that it was convenient to fill up before you left town. Nowadays, it seems smarter to top off your tank before you get home. That’s not a boycott; it’s simply a matter of acknowledging that in these tough economic times, it’s common sense to buy your product where it’s the least expensive.
Second, if you do have to buy gas locally — and we all do — make sure gas is the only thing you buy. If you want a soda, or a bag of chips, or a gallon of milk, or a candy bar, shop elsewhere in town. After all, there’s plenty of local grocery stores in our community that are working hard to keep their prices low. They deserve that business.
I don't claim to have all the answers on this stuff. When it comes to the business of running gas stations, I'm far from an expert. All I can do is make my own observations and — in the absence of any rational explanations — draw my own conclusions. And right now, those conclusions aren't making me very happy.
The bad news is, in Blytheville … not so much.
You’ve probably read the news stories. Around the country, gas prices are falling fast, as a combination of economic woes, declining demand and falling crude oil prices kick in at the same time.
And — as reported last week in the Courier News — gas prices are coming down in Blytheville, too. Barely. If gas prices elsewhere are falling like a boulder; in Blytheville, they’re falling like a feather.
I like to frequent a Web site called GasBuddy.com. It uses volunteers to keep track of the gas prices across Arkansas and the rest of the country, keeping a running list of the 15 most-expensive and 15 least-expensive places to buy gas in the state. For weeks, Blytheville has been a fixture on the most-expensive list, consistently holding five or more of the top 15 spots. It’s been a dubious distinction.
For the record, there was a brief time last week when our community at last did not hold any of the top 15 spots. And that’s worth noting.
But it was short-lived. Tuesday afternoon, Blytheville was well-represented on the most-expensive list once more, holding six of the top 15 spots.
It could be worse, of course. Blytheville — at least at present — does not have the most expensive gas in Arkansas. That distinction, according to GasBuddy, belongs to places like Mountain View, with several gas stations charging in the $3.30s for regular unleaded.
The opposite side of the spectrum can be found in the Springdale-Rogers area, which holds nearly every spot in the ranking of the least-expensive gas stations, with gas selling for as little as $2.45 at some stations. In Jonesboro, gas is selling for $2.69. In West Memphis, it's $2.85.
It’s a frustrating situation. It would be one thing if gas prices were the same — high or low — everywhere you went. But when you can drive an hour or less up the road and see gas for 30 or 40 cents a gallon less than you pay back home, it’s hard to not feel like there’s something screwy going on.
The calls I get at my desk range from allegations of “gas-gouging” to “price-fixing.” Is that what’s going on in Blytheville? I really don’t know. Only the folks who set the prices know for sure. But I agree that it seems awfully fishy. I have yet to hear a logical explanation for why gas stations less than an hour north, west and south of us are able to drop their prices more quickly, raise their prices more slowly, and otherwise charge dramatically less for the exact same product that is being sold here.
I’ve heard some folks talking about organizing a boycott. I’m hesitant to go that far. As an advocate of shopping locally, I’m unable to bring myself to call for an out-and-out boycott of a local business. That said, there are a few things consumers might be wise to do.
For starters, for those that do happen to travel out of town — for work or for pleasure — it only makes sense to buy your gas where it’s cheapest. It used to be that it was convenient to fill up before you left town. Nowadays, it seems smarter to top off your tank before you get home. That’s not a boycott; it’s simply a matter of acknowledging that in these tough economic times, it’s common sense to buy your product where it’s the least expensive.
Second, if you do have to buy gas locally — and we all do — make sure gas is the only thing you buy. If you want a soda, or a bag of chips, or a gallon of milk, or a candy bar, shop elsewhere in town. After all, there’s plenty of local grocery stores in our community that are working hard to keep their prices low. They deserve that business.
I don't claim to have all the answers on this stuff. When it comes to the business of running gas stations, I'm far from an expert. All I can do is make my own observations and — in the absence of any rational explanations — draw my own conclusions. And right now, those conclusions aren't making me very happy.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Time to load the crop-dusters with Xanax
I think it's time for everybody to just take a deep breath. Relax.
In with the good air ... out with the bad air.
Or perhaps, better yet, we ought to just get one of these crop-dusters flying around to dump a giant dose of Xanax on the whole town ... or maybe the whole country.
Is it just me, or is pretty much the whole world just a wee bit edgy these days?
It seems like every time I turn around, someone's upset about something. Non-issues are suddenly issues; minor issues are suddenly a huge deal. It's as though folks are going out of their way to find something to be mad about.
My wife thinks it's because of the weather change. Something about a “seasonal affective disorder.” She might be on to something. Certainly, these dark mornings are making it all that much harder to get out of bed.
Personally, I’m blaming the ongoing presidential campaign. American democracy being what it is, it's not enough to simply like a candidate — you've got to hate the other side. And when you walk around in a state of constant disharmony, it's only a matter of time before that contention seeps into everything else you do.
And even if you manage to ignore the campaign and forget the weather, there's the whole financial meltdown thing to worry about. The fun folks over on the round-the-clock cable news networks tell us it's the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. And they’re kind enough to remind us of this over and over and over again. No wonder we're a little tense.
I know some people who seem to thrive on contention. It's like they can't be happy — or can't be productive — unless they have someone or something to be mad at. Anger is their motivation, and they always have a scapegoat ready at hand. I guess these folks are pretty cheery these days.
It's not that I don't mind a good debate every now and then. After all, an intelligent argument is good for the brain. But when the argument is over, I want to be able to walk away from it. I have no desire to live life in a permanent state of discord. It's not good for the soul. I don't think it's good for anybody.
And that's why I'm calling for a community-wide deep breath. We need to relax, mellow out ... remember that ultimately, we’re all on the same team.
A good, positive distraction from it all might be just the thing. Lucky for us, there’s a couple of community happenings this weekend that might fit the bill.
On Saturday morning, the Blytheville Area Soccer Association will be playing its fourth week of games. I've beat the drum for the soccer league before; and I'll do it again. Believe me, it's hard to be ticked off about much of anything when you're surrounded by so many kids in bright colors running around having fun.
And if soccer isn't your thing, there's the Gosnell Cotton Festival Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Featuring barbecue, a car show, a kids area, live music and more, the Cotton Festival is one of our community's great annual events, a pleasant respite from our hectic lives.
Whether you attend either of these events or not, the key is to relax. Chill out. Take a deep breath. Get away from it all. We need to find reasons to not be mad at each other. We need to find reasons to not complain about each and every little thing that doesn’t go our way.
We are all on this earth but for a short time. Who wants to go through life being angry?
In with the good air ... out with the bad air.
Or perhaps, better yet, we ought to just get one of these crop-dusters flying around to dump a giant dose of Xanax on the whole town ... or maybe the whole country.
Is it just me, or is pretty much the whole world just a wee bit edgy these days?
It seems like every time I turn around, someone's upset about something. Non-issues are suddenly issues; minor issues are suddenly a huge deal. It's as though folks are going out of their way to find something to be mad about.
My wife thinks it's because of the weather change. Something about a “seasonal affective disorder.” She might be on to something. Certainly, these dark mornings are making it all that much harder to get out of bed.
Personally, I’m blaming the ongoing presidential campaign. American democracy being what it is, it's not enough to simply like a candidate — you've got to hate the other side. And when you walk around in a state of constant disharmony, it's only a matter of time before that contention seeps into everything else you do.
And even if you manage to ignore the campaign and forget the weather, there's the whole financial meltdown thing to worry about. The fun folks over on the round-the-clock cable news networks tell us it's the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. And they’re kind enough to remind us of this over and over and over again. No wonder we're a little tense.
I know some people who seem to thrive on contention. It's like they can't be happy — or can't be productive — unless they have someone or something to be mad at. Anger is their motivation, and they always have a scapegoat ready at hand. I guess these folks are pretty cheery these days.
It's not that I don't mind a good debate every now and then. After all, an intelligent argument is good for the brain. But when the argument is over, I want to be able to walk away from it. I have no desire to live life in a permanent state of discord. It's not good for the soul. I don't think it's good for anybody.
And that's why I'm calling for a community-wide deep breath. We need to relax, mellow out ... remember that ultimately, we’re all on the same team.
A good, positive distraction from it all might be just the thing. Lucky for us, there’s a couple of community happenings this weekend that might fit the bill.
On Saturday morning, the Blytheville Area Soccer Association will be playing its fourth week of games. I've beat the drum for the soccer league before; and I'll do it again. Believe me, it's hard to be ticked off about much of anything when you're surrounded by so many kids in bright colors running around having fun.
And if soccer isn't your thing, there's the Gosnell Cotton Festival Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Featuring barbecue, a car show, a kids area, live music and more, the Cotton Festival is one of our community's great annual events, a pleasant respite from our hectic lives.
Whether you attend either of these events or not, the key is to relax. Chill out. Take a deep breath. Get away from it all. We need to find reasons to not be mad at each other. We need to find reasons to not complain about each and every little thing that doesn’t go our way.
We are all on this earth but for a short time. Who wants to go through life being angry?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Anyone worth rooting for in baseball playoffs?
The Major League Baseball playoffs begin today, and there’s no St. Louis Cardinals to be found anywhere.
That pretty much sounds to me like a recipe to forget about baseball altogether, and turn my sights toward the much more worthwhile college and professional football seasons.
But before we write off the baseball season completely, perhaps it’s worth taking a look at the teams competing in the playoffs to see if there’s anyone worth rooting for.
We probably ought to start off by talking about the champions of the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs. Personally, I don’t care how deserving they may be, nor do I give a lick about their compelling story, what with it being a century since the club won a World Series and all. I just can’t bring myself to cheer for the Chicago Cubs. Sure, part of it is the whole Cardinals arch-nemesis thing. But more than that, it’s the fact that back home in Iowa, there is a pathetically large concentration of Cubs fans. And if the Cubs win the World Series, it’s just not going to be bearable to go home for the holidays.
On the American League side, I see there’s a team from Tampa Bay in the playoffs. Is it just me, or there something that just doesn’t seem right about a Major League baseball team in Tampa Bay? Tampa Bay used to be the "Devil Rays," but apparently sometime when I wasn't paying attention, they exorcised their demons, and became just the "Rays." And honestly, “Tampa Bay Rays” sounds more like something you’d expect to see in the Class A Florida State League than in the American League East.
Then there’s the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies provide close competition for the Rays in the “stupidest team nickname” contest; while the Red Sox are just plain annoying. Besides that, both teams are from East Coast metropolises, and people from cities like that are always pretty much full of themselves. It’s the same story whether it’s Boston or Philadelphia, or New York or Washington. The East Coast elitists make it out to be a HUGE deal, while the rest of the country is just bored.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an intriguing option. For much of my youth, I was a mild Dodgers fan. You see, my dad was never much of a baseball fan, so I wasn’t indoctrinated into the fandom of any professional baseball team. One of my best friends in elementary school was Chris Ransom, and he was a Dodgers fan, so I pretty much became one too, cheering for the likes of Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Fernando Valenzuela. Luckily, when I got to college, I fell in with right crowd, and they introduced me to the clear righteousness of the Cardinal Nation. I haven’t cheered for the Dodgers since, and I see no reason to have a relapse now.
For that matter, I can’t cheer for the Dodgers’ cross-town rivals, the Angels, either. I don’t see how any person could be a fan of a team that doesn’t know who they are. Growing up, it was always the “California Angels.” But then it became the “Anaheim Angels,” and now it’s something like the “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California.” If that wasn’t enough, the Angels were also featured in that cheesy Disney movie “Angels in the Outfield” a few years back. How could anyone cheer for a team after that?
With the Chicago White Sox knocking off the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night to earn the last playoff spot, the Windy City is no doubt all aquiver at the thought of a "Lake Michigan Series." At that’s enough reason for me to root against the White Sox. Furthermore, I have a natural fear of any sports team whose nickname doesn’t end with an “s.”
That leaves the Milwaukee Brewers. And if I have to pick a team to cheer for in these baseball playoffs, I guess the Brewers would be it. Milwaukee’s got several points in its favor: One, it’s a Midwest team from the NL Central. Two, the Brewers are not a traditional power, and I always like the underdogs. And three, I like any team named after the blue-collar workers from the town the team comes from, whether it’s the Steelers, the Packers or the Brewers.
So I guess I’ll be cheering for the Brewers over the next couple of weeks. And by “cheering,” I mean maybe glancing at the box scores once in a while. Perhaps a better word for my participation in the baseball playoffs will be “ignoring.”
It’s October, folks. The Cardinals are done. Let’s go watch some football.
That pretty much sounds to me like a recipe to forget about baseball altogether, and turn my sights toward the much more worthwhile college and professional football seasons.
But before we write off the baseball season completely, perhaps it’s worth taking a look at the teams competing in the playoffs to see if there’s anyone worth rooting for.
We probably ought to start off by talking about the champions of the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs. Personally, I don’t care how deserving they may be, nor do I give a lick about their compelling story, what with it being a century since the club won a World Series and all. I just can’t bring myself to cheer for the Chicago Cubs. Sure, part of it is the whole Cardinals arch-nemesis thing. But more than that, it’s the fact that back home in Iowa, there is a pathetically large concentration of Cubs fans. And if the Cubs win the World Series, it’s just not going to be bearable to go home for the holidays.
On the American League side, I see there’s a team from Tampa Bay in the playoffs. Is it just me, or there something that just doesn’t seem right about a Major League baseball team in Tampa Bay? Tampa Bay used to be the "Devil Rays," but apparently sometime when I wasn't paying attention, they exorcised their demons, and became just the "Rays." And honestly, “Tampa Bay Rays” sounds more like something you’d expect to see in the Class A Florida State League than in the American League East.
Then there’s the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies provide close competition for the Rays in the “stupidest team nickname” contest; while the Red Sox are just plain annoying. Besides that, both teams are from East Coast metropolises, and people from cities like that are always pretty much full of themselves. It’s the same story whether it’s Boston or Philadelphia, or New York or Washington. The East Coast elitists make it out to be a HUGE deal, while the rest of the country is just bored.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an intriguing option. For much of my youth, I was a mild Dodgers fan. You see, my dad was never much of a baseball fan, so I wasn’t indoctrinated into the fandom of any professional baseball team. One of my best friends in elementary school was Chris Ransom, and he was a Dodgers fan, so I pretty much became one too, cheering for the likes of Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Fernando Valenzuela. Luckily, when I got to college, I fell in with right crowd, and they introduced me to the clear righteousness of the Cardinal Nation. I haven’t cheered for the Dodgers since, and I see no reason to have a relapse now.
For that matter, I can’t cheer for the Dodgers’ cross-town rivals, the Angels, either. I don’t see how any person could be a fan of a team that doesn’t know who they are. Growing up, it was always the “California Angels.” But then it became the “Anaheim Angels,” and now it’s something like the “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California.” If that wasn’t enough, the Angels were also featured in that cheesy Disney movie “Angels in the Outfield” a few years back. How could anyone cheer for a team after that?
With the Chicago White Sox knocking off the Minnesota Twins Tuesday night to earn the last playoff spot, the Windy City is no doubt all aquiver at the thought of a "Lake Michigan Series." At that’s enough reason for me to root against the White Sox. Furthermore, I have a natural fear of any sports team whose nickname doesn’t end with an “s.”
That leaves the Milwaukee Brewers. And if I have to pick a team to cheer for in these baseball playoffs, I guess the Brewers would be it. Milwaukee’s got several points in its favor: One, it’s a Midwest team from the NL Central. Two, the Brewers are not a traditional power, and I always like the underdogs. And three, I like any team named after the blue-collar workers from the town the team comes from, whether it’s the Steelers, the Packers or the Brewers.
So I guess I’ll be cheering for the Brewers over the next couple of weeks. And by “cheering,” I mean maybe glancing at the box scores once in a while. Perhaps a better word for my participation in the baseball playoffs will be “ignoring.”
It’s October, folks. The Cardinals are done. Let’s go watch some football.
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