Quasi-Political Rant. (sorry)

by Dex on Dec 29, 2005 7:28 AM PST in News

I'm sorry for this. I don't like to mix politics with baseball, but this Cuba thing is starting to drive me crazy. There still hasn't been any resolution to the fact that the Treasury Department has rejected Cuba's application to participate. The only true resolutions are being offered up by Cuba and Venezuela. This whole thing is already taking a hit in the press. And I'm starting to feel like I'm defending a losing cause in supporting this Baseball Classic thing and thinking that Cuba's denial was just a technicality.

First off, the sheer hypocrisy of denying Cuba and allowing other teams with similar governments and arguably worse conditions for their citizens drives me batty. Cuba's already volunteered to donate any revenue they make from the Classic to the Katrina victims. Isn't that enough? Doesn't the Treasury Department have better things to do? Like those new dollar coins. Shouldn't they be in high gear making sure those look shiny?

If it was only the Cuba thing, I might be OK with this, but the shoddy way the Classic is being put together hurts my brain. How many World Cup style tournaments are there? You got your soccer. You got rugby. Cricket? Does cricket have one? I assume they do. Not to mention the Olympics, both winter and summer, and a host of other deals.

Couldn't we have hired some people that run those events and asked them what we should do? Wouldn't one of them have mentioned that the Cuba thing might be a problem? Wouldn't they have experience in properly marketing this to get true sponsors and television coverage? How are we going about this alone?

I just recently watched the HBO documentary about the U.S. women's soccer team. American sponsors and American fans in general were late to the party for that particular World Cup as well. World Cup style play has an excellent track record internationally and it pains me that a lot of America doesn't seem to see this as being a potentially good thing.

Maybe all this crap politicizing and slipshod preparation shouldn't get to me so much. I suppose I should just enjoy whatever we get while it's in its infancy and spend my time drumming up the bandwagon, but still... They aren't exactly making it easy to do.

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Hmmmm....

I see what you're saying.... Who gives a damn if the Cubans play on our soil. They're freaking baseball players, not a bunch of army guys trying to spread communism! They're here to play BASEBALL!!! This doesn't make any sense. And at least let them play on Puerto Rico! Yeah, it's part of the US, but it's not even a state yet.... who knows if it ever will be. I mean, what if this WBC was held in Cuba? How would we feel if they just didn't let us in because we have a democratic government??? About the whole publicity thing, they are definitely going about it in the wrong way..... If this was just an American Baseball Classic, I wouldn't watch it... This is supposed to be a WORLD Baseball Classic, so for god's sake, don't advertise it to be an American Baseball Classic!!!!!!!!!!! This got me fed up... This definitely has to be given a little more thought.

by slodown4me on Dec 29, 2005 9:17 AM PST reply actions

Sometimes you have to be harsh though

An embargo is an embargo. You can't ease up now just because you want to play baseball.

I definitely see the hypocrisy, but that doesn't mean that Cuba's embargo should be lifted. If anything, it should mean there should be more embargos.

Cuba is like the little kid that has been in timeout for several minutes and just wants to come out of his room and play...promises he'll be good. Any parent knows that if you let the kid out earlier than you said you would, then your authority will always be questioned.

I'm not saying there isn't something to be worked out....but I don't like the idea of the US giving in to a long standing embargo just so some dudes can play baseball. Give an inch, they'll take a mile.

by thenerdhater on Dec 29, 2005 9:39 AM PST reply actions

It's a lame situation all around

In a political sense, it bothers me because of the hypocrisy, and also because I'm not convinced that the trade embargo is really doing that much in terms of the U.S. relationship with Cuba.

Speaking purely as a baseball fan, it's annoying that what's probably one of the better collection of players in the world won't get to compete because of things that are completely out of their control.

by Dex on Dec 29, 2005 9:58 AM PST up reply actions

That's true about the players

Unfair to them...but that's part of what the embargo is supposed to do. Get the people upset enough that they'll overthrow their dictator.

Of course, if it hasn't happened by now, it's not going to happen. Castro is going to have to die and then MAYBE there's a chance relations will improve.

by thenerdhater on Dec 29, 2005 11:03 AM PST up reply actions

Whatever.....

I see your point.....

by slodown4me on Dec 29, 2005 11:50 AM PST up reply actions

The whole Katrina

thing is just a ploy to make the US look bad. They know the US will not take the Cuban help or money so they offer it anyway so that we'll look like the bad guy.

by jbox on Dec 29, 2005 3:01 PM PST up reply actions