Gun dealership denied as youth baseball sponsor because of, you know, the guns

If Chico’s Bail Bonds can sponsor a Little League team, I don’t see why a gun dealership can’t. But in Maplewood N.J., a chap named Matt Carmel — who is a licensed gun dealer — was turned down when he applied to be a sponsor for his son’s youth baseball team. So there will be no Constitution Arms baseball squad in the South Orange-Maplewood Baseball League this coming season. Perhaps it was the fact that Carmel has a sign on his lawn that reads ‘I’m the NRA and I vote.’ Perhaps it’s that a baseball team named Constitution Arms would be totally badass, and would intimidate the other teams, such as Nancy’s Fancy Embroidery. At any rate, we could be headin’ to the Supreme Court, kids. Pack some snacks, team moms!

Carmel, who is an NRA certified pistol instructor and licensed firearm dealer, has a son, kalman, 10, whop played in the league last season. It was such a good experience that Carmel wanted to help out, and sent a letter to the league offering to put up the $300 to sponsor the team himself.

But in an 8-1 vote, the volunteer committee said thanks, but no thanks.

“Arbitrary, capricious and unfair,” Carmel said of the perceived slight. “I don’t like being pigeonholed.”

“I voted against it,” said Craig Gruber, secretary of the committee. “Personally … given the nature of that business, I’m certain there’d be quite a bit of contention. We don’t need the headache. … We have our hands full with deciding whether infield fly rules should be in effect for 9-year-olds.”

My favorite portion of the Star-Ledger story:

But, Carmel notes, other sponsors could be deemed “inappropriate” as well. The league overseers, he said, have permitted sellers of liquor and tobacco, as well as a Cluck-U Chicken eatery whose promos feature a scantily clad woman in a bikini with the suggestive words “Large Breasts, Juicy Thighs. Luscious Legs.”

The Cluck-U Chicken has had his problems with bureaucracy as well.
Cluck-U Chicken vs. Constitution Arms in pivotal 9-year-old Cal Ripken League baseball showdown. See it Saturday on ESPN2.
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N.J. kids baseball league rejects Maplewood gun dealer’s sponsorship [The Star-Ledger]
Youth Baseball Team Not Allowed to Bear Constitution Arms [The Sporting Blog]