By CHRIS RASMUSSEN
Even in today’s information age, the media ignores Kansas City sports fans.
The Star is here to help with the Star Voices column, which lets anyone who calls in with an opinion about the city’s teams to get it printed in the daily newspaper. This isn’t to mock the Star -- it's just providing a voice to the KC sports fan’s id.
I, for one, find a hotline devoted to musings, rants and comments immensely beneficial and tempting. If I didn’t already have a blog, I might call with the following musings tonight:
“There are too many World Team Tennis teams in today’s standings – please eliminate three.”
“Bradford Doolittle needs a shave.”
“WHERE THE HELL DID I PUT MY CAR KEYS?”
But often the Star Voices poses questions that are unanswered. That’s where I come in.
In this, Small Market Scribblings’ first Mailbag, I'll respond to questions posed over at Star Voices. I do so as a public service, in part to ensure these cogent questions don't go unanswered.
Let’s get started:
Q: “Soria’s curveball should be illegal in all 50 states.” (July 17)
A: No. First, that’s a declarative statement, not a question.
Second, banning a Mexican curveball just because the pitcher hails from Mexico may cause Lou Dobbs and Pat Buchanan pleasure, but it's shortsighted in a 21st-century economy. To close our borders from services and goods ultimately hurts the American consumer and, as hard as it might be for some protectionists to believe, American ballplayers. Competing with a Mexican curveball actually makes American hitters more adept and competitive in today's modern economy, while protecting Americans from Soria's curveball only causes the American skills to atrophy in the future global economic paradigm.
Q: “Is it a surprise that the top two picks of the Chiefs are not signed?” (July 21)
A: Actually, it shouldn’t be too surprising if you follow the NFL. First, only 7 of 31 first-round picks have a contract. This is July, not August, and it isn’t abnormal for top picks to sign during training camp. Millions of dollars are at stake, after all, and the Chiefs are unlikely to sign long-term assets to overvalued contracts.
Also, Carl Peterson is an evil person bent on destroying the hopes of everything in his path. He hates puppies and wants the home team to lose.
This regular column has potential, but only if you mock The Star. The second caller most likely asked the question in response to an article which noted that the Chiefs had not signed any of their first three picks. Brandon Albert was quoted saying that they had just started talking with his agent. But that Brandon would be in camp without a contract. READ: "Carl sucks, players go the extra mile to play without contracts anyway." They couldn't bother to to add one more sentence - the number of first rounders signed league-wide - as you did.
So there are two reasons to mock The Star. First is that they have a call-in line that people actually call; and second is that their editorial bias and/or incompetence guarantees the need for the call-in line, at least for those who only get their information from The Star (a shockingly large number of people, by the way).
Posted at: July 23, 2008 12:06 PM