Not much has been said about the recent revelation that the Colorado Rockies are going with the God Squad, other than a USAToday and Alternet article. I mean, they are REALLY going with God. They are only recruiting players,coaches and now fans that are born-again,dyed in the wool Christians.The owner has deemed this the new direction of the Rockies and by god..oops,sorry for the pun…its working!
Well, not really. The Rockies,as usual, are mired in last place in their division. This isn’t deterring the managment from their new direction however. They relish this uphill battle. They are a team on a mission from god.
Perhaps they are,who’s to say their not? Not, I..I am a god-loving soul that prays daily to a spiritual being. As long as its a private business I think they should be allowed to preach the word of god to their employees and if they choose, their customers. As long as the customers and employees are aware in advance that part of the game will include worship or strict guidelines for behavior. The managers and owners should make it very clear to all prospective ball players that god is a big deal and any deviation will not be tolerated. That way, when a Babe-ruthian type that likes to stay up late,party with the “ladies” and drink like the proverbial fish sign’s on the dotted line..he knows full well what he has gotten himself into. If the Rockies think their fan base of christians is large enough to sustain the revenue of the team..more power to them. I do however, feel very sorry for the fans that don’t want a side of religion with their crackerjacks and baseball game.
Because I sure as hell wouldn’t. If I lived in the team’s hometown, you wouldn’t find me going to a game if I had to listen to gospel instead of “take me out to the ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch, or a small sermon prior to the first pitch or a prayer meeting after the last out. Nope, I like my god at home, in private or sometimes in a church setting. I do not go to baseball games for any other reason than to watch a baseball game,drink a beer or two..and eat a couple of hotdogs.
But, it is a privately-owned team right? They can run it into the ground if they want,or perhaps this new fangled god n’ baseball thing will take off through the roof..I don’t care. Its my right as a fan to reject this type of religious indoctrination at a Major League Baseball Game.
But I do wonder about the anti-trust exemption that congress extended to Major League Baseball. I wonder how the folks that don’t want god at the ballpark feel about that one.
Cross-posted at Bring it On!.
*Picture:The MLB Hall of Fame exhibit of Don Larsen's perfect game in Cooperstown.
