Another athlete opens his mouth, and presto, instant idiot. At least that’s what I thought at first.
Gary Sheffield, the New York Yankee slugger who testified that he took steroids but didn’t know that what he took was steroids, has told reporters from the New York Daily News that he won’t play in the Major League All-Star game because it is something that is “made up.”
When I first read this story, I was really disappointed in Sheffield. For as difficult as it was for me to believe that he didn’t know that he was taking steroids when he was involved with Barry Bonds and the Balco Mafia, I still admired Sheffield for meeting the issue head on, talking about it and as a result making a compelling case for his innocence.
Now, I’m not one of these guys that think baseball is like church. Actually, I don’t think church is like church, but anyway…Baseball is a game, it occupies a place in our culture and our history, but I don’t waste my emotional energy getting all worked up about the sanctity of baseball.
But when I read that Sheff basically said that the All-Star game was a waste of his time and effort, I was ready to blast him. After all, it is an honor to be selected to participate in the All-Star game in a sport that has made him a millionaire.
Then I saw the Fox pre-game show. Gary Sheffield was right. The All-Star Game is not worth playing in and risk getting injured. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game has become another info-mercial, marketing vehicle, synergistic advertising opportunity sham.
The lead in to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, pre-game show was a promotional tie-in to the remake of the movie The Bad News Bears starring Billy Bob Thornton. A movie that really needed to be re-made, by the way.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Since when do corny commercials speak for the quality of the game?
You got suckered into watching the pre-game festivities. Everyone knows when coverage starts 8, the game starts at least 30 minutes later.
NBA Finals. Kentucky Derby. Any sport out there does the "watch us talk about the game" thing. Don't be shocked, let alone bitter.
2 - sal m
I didn't get suckered into anything, I wanted to see how Fox handled the game...And it's not the commercials that have devalued the game, it's the fact that Fox and baseball have tied themselves in with corporate sponsors to the point that the game is just one big commercial.
And this revoltin' development doesn't even include the discussion as to how Texas Rangers' pitcher Kenny Rogers was allowed to participate in this game after his disgusting on-filed assault of a cameraman a week ago...Talk about devaluing the game even further...
3 - Matthew T. Sussman
Corporate sponsors? The horror!
I'm not sure what you want MLB to do. Not make money?
If you're so cynical about MLB's tie-ins with things like auto companies, take a look at the context of the auto industry and where the game is being played.
Detroit is a car town. Their biz is struggling. The All-Star game was a great way to help out a great sports town with their single most important economy.
As for Rogers, ESPN showed that video clip way too many times because it sold well to the ADD media consumer. What he did was braindead stupid, and many of us wish he knew what he was thinking, myself included.
But he's already hurt his team by losing 4 to 5 future starts and essentially his bonus money is retracted for making the All-Star game. Where do we draw the line on his punishment?
He earned this trip because of his merit on the field, and he was courageous enough to go to Detroit. He didn't cower. He didn't shy away from the incident. He allowed Fox to interview him about it during the game.
Don't let one incident like that sour your experience on a great sport with plenty of great personalities that are overlooked every day in lieu of arrogant athletes.
You saw Ernie Harwell. The game had great personalities at this game from top to bottom. Why not focus on that?
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
BTW, Sheffield blasted the World Baseball Classic, not the All-Star Game.
5 - Tan The Man
Sheffield is getting older, and if he did get injured at a "meaningless" game, then there would be hell to pay - considering he's the Yankees' best player.
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
But Tan, the WBC is a huge opportunity to permeate the sport to more countries. The WBC already has signed up countries from all 6 populated continents. The popularity and success of the product is bigger than the success of one team in one league, albeit the Man U. of the sport.
And the WBC will take place during March simultaneously with spring training, and players are just as, if not more, likely to be injured down in the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.
Sheffield spoke before he knew all the facts about this. I'm sure MLB and MLBPA have worked out deals regarding players playing in the WBC, including injury comp.
7 - Tan The Man
I'm sure he didn't know all of the facts, but if the WBC is supposed to be helping to promote the game, then I wouldn't want Sheffield to be on the field anyway. We shoud promote baseball by promoting its best and brightest (and maybe younger) players. Sheffield is old, yet good, but I know he's not the main attraction on the club where Rodriguez and Jeter remain the most popular. Heck even Matsui gets more votes over Sheffield.
8 - SphinxMontreal
Sheff is 100% correct. The Rogers incident only further underscores the fact that MLB has become a total sham, ruled over by head clown Bud Selig. People that follow and support this fiasco are obviously hurting for entertainment.
As for the game being "made up", the conspiracy to destroy the Montreal Expos pretty much proves the game has become a farce. When your main objective is to kiss corporate ass, what do you expect?
9 - SportsFan
Did the pre-game drag on? Totally in my opinion. But, you expect it. To me it was 5 minutes too much. But its not like I am bitter about it. Fox is a FREE channel. They broadcast with support of SPONSORS. As someone else said-- its NBA, NFL, Horses, all of it has big pre-games for the big event games.
As for Rogers, big deal. He appealed he was at the game. Sports writers need something to write about.
As for Selig, I am no fan. I don't like the All-Star exhibition game being tied to the World Series. But, at the same time, since it is, it does make the game much more important and kudos to the A.L. for taking it seriously.
Corporate sponsors-- you don't say! Good for them!
10 - J.P
Well lets face it, WBC is and is going to be a joke!, Selig just wants to to compete againts Cricket and the international success of the game of Cricket