By Jay Menard
I’ve realized that I really don’t want the Chicago Cubs to win. After all, if they’re not the lovable losers that we’ve known for over a century, what are they?
Just another team. And that’s nothing special.
It may even be boring. Continue reading
By Jason Menard
Apparently, I missed out on the day they defined “success” at school. Because if David Martin is using this word to describe the launch of the London Rippers baseball club, then I clearly have no idea what the word means any more.
“It was one of the most successful launches in minor baseball history,” Martin is quoted as saying. This is just a few paragraphs after his VP Alison Stier is quoted as saying, “We couldn’t have asked for a (better) marketing campaign… We knew it would stir controversy. Never did we think it would be like this.”
First off, does anyone else find it odd that Stier was anticipating controversy? Continue reading
By Jason Menard
Yesterday was supposed to be a day of excitement for London baseball fans. Unfortunately, a combination of spectacularly poor judgement and an unwillingness to be honest about a mistake has turned what should have been the easiest home run in franchise history into a potentially franchise-threatening stumble out of the batter’s box for the London Rippers.
Reaction was swift and almost universally negative towards the Rippers’ name and logo. The obvious reference to Jack the Ripper is in poor taste; the fact that it was announced on a day where many were openly showing their support of ending violence against women is deplorable. But the continued denial of any “Jack the Ripper” tie is absolutely insulting. Continue reading
By Jason Menard
If baseball fans can’t see their way to embracing Toronto Blue Jays’ all-star slugger Jose Bautista, it may be because their view is being obscured by Barry Bonds’ oversized head.
While Bautista will be the feature attraction at this year’s all-star game, it was only a couple of months ago that Time magazine called the Dominican superstar “the best baseball player you’ve never heard of.”
I think Time got it wrong. I think fans are well aware of whom Bautista is; I just think fans hesitate to jump in with both feet when they’re so wary of the other shoe dropping. And that shoe has been used by the Bonds’ (allegedly), the McGuire’s, and the Sosa’s of the world to stomp on the hearts of fans. Continue reading
By Jason Menard
True innovation in sports? Overrated. In fact, it’s safe to say that once a winning formula’s been discovered, most teams are more than willing to drink the Kool-Aid.
That bodes well for the Toronto Blue Jays in light of the San Francisco Giants’ recent World Series win, as they’ve already started taking pulls from the same bottle. Continue reading
The M-Dash by Jason Menard 