PrintJuly 14, 2009
Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie and... Obama?
Is nothing sacred to Team Obama? Does the most anti-American president in the country's history have to turn everything we true blooded Americans hold dear into The Obama Show 24/7? Wasn't Chevrolet enough? Does the POTUS who built an indoor basketball court in the White House now have to take over Major League Baseball as well? Apparently the answer to all four questions is a resounding "Yes" (as in "Yes We Can", because "I won").
With just three sitting Presidents throwing out the first ceremonial pitch in an All-Star Game, Barack Obama, self-described sports aficionado, friend of our foes, and narcissist of the year, found another golden opportunity to project himself on the world stage. He also probably noticed that his face has not yet graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. In order to correct that dreadful oversight, Obama has decided to inject himself into America's national pastime and be the first President since Gerald Ford in 1976 to toss the first pitch.
Perhaps Obama believes that this will help further ingratiate him to the likes of the Castro brothers and other Latin American despots who also enjoy a good game of baseball. Maybe he will even join MLB's talent scouts on a trip to Cuba to choose the next Tony Perez or Luis Tiant since world travel on the taxpayers' dime seems to be something that Obama quite enjoys. However, since Obama declined an invitation from the Cincinnati Reds to throw out the first pitch at the Civil Rights Game this past Saturday against his beloved Chicago White Sox, as well as requests by the White Sox and the Nationals to toss the ball for their season openers, my guess is that the media attention surrounding the All Star Game was simply too irresistible.
Squeamish baseball lovers may have a difficult time enjoying tonight's All-Star Game as the world's greatest pitchman throws out the first pitch at Busch Stadium (gotta love the irony there). And although he is only the fourth President to receive this honor, Obama was not satisfied. The limelight in Russia and Italy was not enough for his insatiable ego and unquenchable thirst for attention either so the POTUS has decided that he will become the sportscaster du jour as well. Why should baseball fans be stuck with Fox Sports announcers, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, when they can be graced with the presence of the all high and mighty One. And according to SI.com, Obama is even considering Fox Sports' request for an interview. My guess is that unless the White House can figure out where to hide the teleprompters containing the answers to the prescripted questions, that interview will not be forthcoming.
In a Q&A interview with John Brody, senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing for Major League Baseball, Barry Janoff noted:
"Baseball and its partners have made President Obama's call to service in his inauguration speech, in which he asked all Americans to give back to the country and their communities, the focal point of their All-Star Game efforts."
John Brody explained the new campaign entitled "This is Beyond Baseball":
"We realized quickly that this year we had to lead and we had to listen to President Obama's call to give back to the country and to the community. We had to look at what we are as a social institution."
Sadly, America's favorite pastime has afforded Obama yet another platform on which to peddle his socialist agenda as he preaches to baseball fans about community service. In Obama speak, fans are to believe that giving back to the community through wealth redistribution is our patriotic duty and is not the same thing as socialism.
Mr. Brody further explained:
"It started with the President asking during his inauguration in January for all Americans to give back and answer the call for service. That led to the White House and Major League Baseball coming together. When we presented plans about what we and our partners were working on for the All-Star Game, [he White House] knew this was something vital to President Obama's call to service."
Many of us remember the Chevy commercial with the jingle, "Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet." A modern version of that commercial is posted on YouTube and ends with the statement, "Chevy, an American Revolution." Perhaps someone in the White House will see fit to remake the commercial one more time replacing the last line with "Obama, an American Revolution."
The US government owns the financial industry, it owns the auto industry, and it will soon own the healthcare industry. Should any of us be surprised that Obama is involving himself in the sports industry? Will he speak out regarding players salaries? Probably not. But I would not be surprised if we read in the newspapers that he has ordained a new sports czar who is tasked with the job of dictating to the teams' owners what is fair to charge for seats, sodas, and souvenirs. George Steinbrenner better enjoy his profit margins while he can because socialized entertainment may soon be on its way.
What is most ironic about MLB's approach to the game is that the type of giving on the part of the sponsors of the event is that of charitable donation. Yet as I wrote previously, one of the ways in which Obama is paying for his socialist "investments" is by removing the tax incentives associated with charitable donations. The promotion of Obama's community service agenda is a farce given the nature of the monetary giving on the part of the game's sponsors.
Mr. Brody's most insightful observation was when he noted that:
"It's also about the tremendous pageantry of having the President of the United States come to the All-Star Game and throw out the ceremonial first pitch."
And our POTUS loves pageantry. What's next? The Obama's walking down the red carpet at the Academy Awards and announcing the winner of the Best Picture? Perhaps someone from her $1.5 million staff can teach Michelle the words to the Star Spangled Banner which she could sing at the World Series - now that would certainly be something for the little misses who was never proud of her country until it was handed it her on a silver platter. I just can't stop singing, "We love baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and..."
Lauri B. Regan is an attorney with a global law firm.
