The 7th Inning

At the risk of offending people, or being put on some type of FBI watch list (you can hear the reel-to-reel tapes already beginning to spin), I don't like what Bud Selig has done to baseball.

In actuality, it's not Selig that I despise, more so the fact he mandated that baseball play "God Bless America" during Sunday games. Can't we invoke some type of separation of church and state clause?

It's long, it's ancient and people don't know what to do during it. Do you remove your cap? Do you stand? Do you place your hand over your heart? After all, it's not our national anthem.

I understand that this all came about after 9/11. I get that - and we can thank the Yankees and their own version of Enrico Pallazzo for this (as if we need further reasons to hate them) . But I think enough time has passed where "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and, in Milwaukee's case, "Roll Out the Barrell" (twice) is sufficient.

I believe that history will treat Selig's tenure in a positive light. He's done a great deal for baseball: attendance is up and inter-league play is cool. Revenues are high and we have moved beyond the horrible strike in 1994. It remains to be seen, but the steroid fiasco will blemish his legacy.

But I don't put all of the blame on old Bud. I put a lot of the blame the union. A very powerful one at that. And once everything comes to light, they will attempt to take zero responsibility for it.

Much like our friends up in Fond du Lac at Mercury Marine.

Look here, geniuses: when someone sets a deadline, especially when it is essentially a second chance and your livelihoods are on the line, you better get to the station on time. Better yet, be a couple hours early, wrap it in nice paper and put a pretty little bow on top.

Playing chicken during a recession is one of the most idiotic moves I have ever witnessed. But it's typical of union thinking. Guess what. You lost. You have nobody to blame but yourselves and your greed. Businesses have to do what they have to do to survive - people everywhere are taking cuts in order to keep their jobs. If you haven't figured it out yet, there aren't a lot of people buying boats these days.

One of the stewards was interviewed on the news last night. He was saying that it was all the fault of the management, that they weren't willing to negotiate and that they weren't living up to their promises. It's that kind of thinking that is going to destroy your lives and your community.

Someone said that under the proposed contract, they would make more working at McDonald's. Best of luck with that.

Don't forget to hold the pickles.