Shut Up and Pitch!

In 2004, sports and politics danced a wickedly nasty tango as the ESPN trolling fan was not only subjected to Curt Shilling's thoughts on the Yankees, but his unwavering support of George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. Just what I need, another know-nothing athlete trying to sound intelligent on television.

Now, in the midst of one the most hotly contested midterm elections in recent memory, another know-nothing pitcher has decided to get into the act. Jeff Suppan, St. Louis Cardinal pitcher, appeared recently on a republican financed ad denouncing a Missouri State Constitutional Amendment proposal on the upcoming ballot that would call for increased funding for state stem cell research. Yes, the Crespi High grad and career flame out Jeff Suppan suddenly is under the impression that people actually care about what he thinks. Sure the ad also has 1-hit wonder, and starting quarterback on the God Squad, Kurt Warner denouncing the measure, as well as Jim Caviezel, you know that guy that was a crap actor and all of a sudden started walking and talking like Jesus Christ after that anti-semite/drunk's movie premiered. Yeah him, not to mention the broad from that stupid Raymond show.

All this "star power" for one reason, to denounce Michael J. Fox's support for the measure. Why Alex P. Keaton you ask, well he happens to live with a little condition, maybe you heard of it, it's called Parkinson's disease. Yes, his afflication which cause, among other symptoms, uncontrollable muscle movements and spasms is one disease that could be erradicated by conducting stem cell research to find new ways of fighting the disease. Yet, while he sits and dialogues about living with parkinson's on an ad supporting the measure and the democratic candidate, he is criticised by the likes of the drug riddled Rush Limbaugh who said yesterday on his radio program, "I think he [Michael J. Fox] was either off his meds or acting, he it exaggerating his Parkinson's." Gee, I knew Rush had an anal cyst that kept him from serving in Vietnam, however I wasn't aware he also had Parkinson's.

Why should I care? Well, file under the perpetually growing list of idiots in the public eye that love to talk without knowing the facts. One thing that probably escaped the Suppes' attention is that the ballot measure has nothing to do with a constitutional amendment for human cloning. Unfortunately, the radical religious right, or the Al-Qaeda of Christianity, has managed to make stem cells equal cloning. It is really sad to see a guy try to act informed, while looking like a complete jackass. Does he really think that a vote for the measure is going to create some human cloning farm somewhere in rural Missouri where people will be harvested for parts? If that's the case, then I am sure Suppan still believes he is an elite pitcher.

Now, the issue isn't whether you should support stem cell research, that's up the voter and their conscience. The issue is whether professional athletes should have the forum to talk about their views and use their celebrity to inform or mislead the public. People complain that "Liberal Hollywood" is a prime example of celbrity run-a-muck in the political process, but honestly, absent the occasion PSA on get out the vote, when have you ever seen any credible superstar artist actively campaining for the party line? George Clooney takes his cues from himself, and quite frankly I would imagine he and Sean Penn have both earned the right to say whatever they want. After all, how many of these blow hards like Shilling and Suppan have ever gotten on a boat and drugged through hurricane ravaged streets in New Orleans to rescue people from water filled homes like Penn, or traveled to the Sudan to see first hand the effects of genocide and been involved in world wide campaigns to end hunger and poverty like Clooney?

Furthermore, this game of discrediting celebrity was started by the very right wing of the political system that is funding this ad, and many other ads across the country that are misleading, deceptive, and in the case of Harold Ford Jr. in Tennessee, down right racist. When the Dixie Chicks said they were ashamed the President of the United States was from Texas at a concert in England, they were received in the United States with murder threats and Toby Keith types that told them to "shut up an sing." Hey, turn about is fair play in politics, right?

So again, the question remains, do we really need Suppan, Warner, and Shilling types driving home half truths and lies? The question is a flat out no. I've never seen Shills or Suppan spending the off season teaching Somalian children to read, or joining the USO to entertain the troops in Iraq. I have never heard of them ever assisting in the Katrina clean up or personally assisting schools meet no child left behind standards. All I have seen is them preach to the base and denounce the opposition party, and continue a narrative, or party line, that has seen the US build a 3 trillion dollar deficit, be bogged down in Iraq, and cover up pedophilia by GOP congressman.

So here is an open letter to these athletes that want to be involved in the political rhetoric:

Shut up and pitch. Do your job and leave politics out of sports. We look to you guys to take us away from the nightmare that is the real world, not to remind us of everyday crap. In the end, you only serve to fatten our pockets when we place a bet on you or assist us in getting wasted at a bar. We pay to watch you play, not to talk. Oh, and also, remember that the people that pay your salary, A.K.A the fans, are both democrats and republicans.

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