I went out to Nationals' park yesterday for the first time, to take in the Nats-Giants game with my son. While it's always nice to sit in the stands and soak up that ballpark atmosphere, especially with your children, there were a lot of things about the experience that left much to be desired.
While the park is nicely designed, the statue of Josh Gibson, placed next to those of Walter Johnson and Frank Howard, was a politically correct slap in the face. Actually, while I liked Howard and thought he was a good player, I don't think he really deserved the honor, either. If they wanted to honor the greats of Washington baseball, obviously Johnson should be #1, but former Senators like Joe Cronin, Goose Goslin, Heinie Manush, Sam Rice and Bucky Harris were more worthy, imho. And, of course, anyone who played in the Major Leagues has more right to a statue than an overhyped "star" of a league that kept no real records.
Then there was the level of play on the field. The lack of fundamental skills that nearly all these guys possess is shocking. Can anyone bunt now? It's not a hard thing to master, but it appears beyond the capabilities of these multi-millionaires. The Giants have one of the most ridiculous tubby affletitos I've ever seen- third baseman Sandoval (sorry, I've blocked his first name from my memory). I would LOVE to see what his workout regimen is. Nats' center fielder Nygel Morgan is a true affirmative action hire; no bat and an awful fielder. Yeah, that's what you want in a leadoff hitter who plays one of the most important defensive positions.
Finally, there were the mind-boggling number of great looking white females matched up with black escorts. It's probably good I don't get out much any more, and definitely good that I'm not single. These are fine, pretty white girls without a trace of fat, or a sign of trashiness about them, accompanied by mates they shouldn't rationally be attracted to, under any circumstances. On the other hand, I saw group after group of lone white males, drinking their favorite, wildly overpriced beverage. Not really a great deal of drunk white fan behavior, but way too much of another kind of DWF (dumb white females.)
While the park is nicely designed, the statue of Josh Gibson, placed next to those of Walter Johnson and Frank Howard, was a politically correct slap in the face. Actually, while I liked Howard and thought he was a good player, I don't think he really deserved the honor, either. If they wanted to honor the greats of Washington baseball, obviously Johnson should be #1, but former Senators like Joe Cronin, Goose Goslin, Heinie Manush, Sam Rice and Bucky Harris were more worthy, imho. And, of course, anyone who played in the Major Leagues has more right to a statue than an overhyped "star" of a league that kept no real records.
Then there was the level of play on the field. The lack of fundamental skills that nearly all these guys possess is shocking. Can anyone bunt now? It's not a hard thing to master, but it appears beyond the capabilities of these multi-millionaires. The Giants have one of the most ridiculous tubby affletitos I've ever seen- third baseman Sandoval (sorry, I've blocked his first name from my memory). I would LOVE to see what his workout regimen is. Nats' center fielder Nygel Morgan is a true affirmative action hire; no bat and an awful fielder. Yeah, that's what you want in a leadoff hitter who plays one of the most important defensive positions.
Finally, there were the mind-boggling number of great looking white females matched up with black escorts. It's probably good I don't get out much any more, and definitely good that I'm not single. These are fine, pretty white girls without a trace of fat, or a sign of trashiness about them, accompanied by mates they shouldn't rationally be attracted to, under any circumstances. On the other hand, I saw group after group of lone white males, drinking their favorite, wildly overpriced beverage. Not really a great deal of drunk white fan behavior, but way too much of another kind of DWF (dumb white females.)