Wednesday, December 15, 2004
The Enemy is MLB
Understandably, the Washington-based National blogs are united in not only their despair, but in their utter contempt for Linda Cropp, Crop Dusters, Crop Circles, and Linda Blair. Washington journalists have been only slightly less vitriolic in their criticism of the Councilwoman, and to a lesser degree, the Mayor.
I can't blame them. The rug was pulled out from under them. Hopes and dreams were dashed.
But as an outsider who has followed this franchise for a while, it angers me that none of this rage is directed at Major League Baseball. The true enemy is MLB. They are not looking to give the gift of baseball to anyone. They are looking to extrort a region, to ensure the greatest profit for themselves. They try to use their monopolistic status to avoid even the most basic of business responsibilities. Yet people believe this is perfectly ok. That it's just baseball, being baseball and you have to bend over and take it from them. You don't.
If Mayor Williams had just had the sense to say three months ago "MLB is only looking out for themselves. They wanted to make zero concessions to this city and its public to help pay even part of the costs. In the end, I could not in good conscience support such a deal. " the anger woud have been placed where it belongs. Instead he went along with the plan, and MLB followed up by pushing Washington baseball hard trying to seal the deal with good feelings and merchandise. The council seemed to be wary but ready to approve. I can't imagine being in DC and not getting swept up in the excitement.
But the bad guy in this is baseball, pure and simple. Not the Mayor. He made a mistake accepting this bill with little negotiation and with no security it would go through council. Not Linda Cropp. She made mistakes, constantly reacting first then waiting until the last minute to actually decide what she thought was best for the District. Not anyone else involved in this. I't's baseball's fault and baseball should be getting hammered over this.
To that end I'll hand it over to someone a little better at writing than I.
Thank you, Jim Caple.
Micro analysis sometime tomorrow.
I can't blame them. The rug was pulled out from under them. Hopes and dreams were dashed.
But as an outsider who has followed this franchise for a while, it angers me that none of this rage is directed at Major League Baseball. The true enemy is MLB. They are not looking to give the gift of baseball to anyone. They are looking to extrort a region, to ensure the greatest profit for themselves. They try to use their monopolistic status to avoid even the most basic of business responsibilities. Yet people believe this is perfectly ok. That it's just baseball, being baseball and you have to bend over and take it from them. You don't.
If Mayor Williams had just had the sense to say three months ago "MLB is only looking out for themselves. They wanted to make zero concessions to this city and its public to help pay even part of the costs. In the end, I could not in good conscience support such a deal. " the anger woud have been placed where it belongs. Instead he went along with the plan, and MLB followed up by pushing Washington baseball hard trying to seal the deal with good feelings and merchandise. The council seemed to be wary but ready to approve. I can't imagine being in DC and not getting swept up in the excitement.
But the bad guy in this is baseball, pure and simple. Not the Mayor. He made a mistake accepting this bill with little negotiation and with no security it would go through council. Not Linda Cropp. She made mistakes, constantly reacting first then waiting until the last minute to actually decide what she thought was best for the District. Not anyone else involved in this. I't's baseball's fault and baseball should be getting hammered over this.
To that end I'll hand it over to someone a little better at writing than I.
Thank you, Jim Caple.
Micro analysis sometime tomorrow.
