The big protest at Wrigley Field on Thursday didn’t seem to have much impact on Cubs attendance; 36,850 showed up for their game with the Diamondbacks, which was pretty much what the organization expected. At issue of course was Arizona’s new anti-illegal immigration law, in which the police will soon be empowered to detain anyone to ask for proof of legal residency. This is causing great wailing and gnashing of teeth among much of the populace, and some are calling for a boycott of the D’Backs, whose owner, Ken Kendrick, is a big Republican donor and therefore indirectly supports the new legislation. Many folks, however, have been loathe to mix sports with politics; Olbermann and The Late Show‘s David Letterman not among them. The latter opined in a monologue recently: “Here in New York City, the Yankees, they’re champions. In Arizona they would be deported.”
The other day I tried to construct a joke in which Phoenix police stopped an Hispanic member of the Diamondbacks to ask for his ID, thus provoking the ire of all Arizona baseball fans. But as I scanned their roster, I realized I couldn’t really make it work. Esmerling Vasquez? Augie Ojeda? As Olbermann points out, not exactly Cooperstown bound. Anyway, if 2010 is anything like 2009, this whole Diamondbacks boycott issue will take care of itself naturally. Finishing last in your division tends to bring out the civil libertarian in any fan base.
Friday. I’ll give this little cookie an hour before we’re doing the no-pants dance. Time to musk up.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT …
What you missed while finding a place to park …
* They could be the San Francisco Warriors once again.
* Congressperson calls for MLB to pull All-Star Game out of Arizona.
* Mets reward loyal fans with free gift that doesn’t work.
***
TODAY IN MARK TRAIL …
They say that you’re not real. Well, I may not believe in much, hoatzin, but I believe in you.
