|
![[img]](http://www.sportsrant.com/forums/vbmynews/viewthu.php?id=100504-637558)
This week saw another black eye for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball. At this point, they have more of those than Tommy Lee’s girlfriend.
In an announcement that should have been made on April 1st, Major League Baseball officials stated that webbed logos of the upcoming film Spider-man 2 would appear on bases and on-deck circles in 15 cities during June interleague series.
But, before Abner Doubleday could roll over in his grave, Bud Selig and Major League Baseball changed course in reaction to fan backlash, pulling from the deal. “I am a traditionalist,” he said. “The problem in sports marketing, particularly baseball, is you’re always walking a very sensitive line. Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do.” I assume he means the great traditions of All-Star Game ties, steroid epidemics, competitive imbalance, and interleague play.
One major concern was that this would engage MLB down that proverbial slippery slope. The Boston Herald’s Gerry Callahan pointed out that we might not be too far from seeing Shrek inhabiting the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Perhaps next, a set of computer generated Viagra testicles at the end of Rafael Palmeiro’s bat. Witty Cleveland Indians first basemen Travis Hafner took it a step further when he told reporters, “Maybe we can forget our uniforms and wear Spider-man outfits. It may just help me steal a base.” As Tony Massarotti reports, Travis may need the help, he only has two steals in three seasons.
The sad part is that for a mere 3.6 million dollars (the reported worth of the deal), MLB was willing to sacrifice its integrity and destroy the purity of the game. THE PURITY OF THE GAME! This was a sport that refused to integrate for years because that might violate the purity of the game. Now, for less than the cost of a utility outfielder, they are integrating fictional characters.
Of course, playing the role of a ballerina excelling at spin control, MLB was quick to point out that this ad-venture was more than just about an insignificant amount of money, it was a way to reach out to the younger crowd, to get the kids excited and involved in the game. Hey Buddy, I have some ideas on how to get the kids involved, have a couple afternoon World Series games, cut ticket prices so that a family of four may be able to enjoy the game without sacrifice their financial stability, section off areas in every ballpark as alcohol free “family zones” to protect the children’s virgin ears from fans like me, and force the players to be more accessible to the fans (and not just the groupies).
Bottom line, MLB got Punk’d. The media flack gives Spider-man 2 loads of free publicity (not that it needed it) while MLB once again appears hopelessly out of touch with their fan base and gets no financial compensation. They are also left to explain to a sensitive Incredible Hulk why he was neglected. BUD SELIG HURT HULK’S FEELINGS! HULK SMASH!
|
|
|
14 comments - join this discussion...
|
|
|
|
|
|
