Even Steinbrenner's Death Is An Opportunity For Rush's Racism

As a Dodger fan, I was never an enthusiast for George Steinbrenner. Seeing that he passed this morning though, I felt for his family and the Yankee organization, because life comes before any sporting rivalry. However for Rush Limbaugh, sports wasn't on his mind when considering Steinbrenner's memorial. Instead he went here:



Wow. How this man is allowed an amplified voice by any sane or moral group of people that control his parent corporation is beyond me.

Man Thrown Out Of Yankee Stadium For Going To Bathroom During "God Bless America"

At this moment the story is sourced to the inbox at the Gothamist, but as the comments over there suggest, it could very well be true. A man claims to have been forced out of Yankee Stadium for the terrible offense of trying to use the bathroom during "God Bless America." Apparently somewhere on the fine print of your ticket, it says you must respect the song or face the consequences.

From The Gothamist:

"I attempted to get up to use the restroom, rather urgently, during the 7th inning stretch as God Bless America was beginning. As I attempted to walk down the aisle and exit my section into the tunnel, I was stopped by a police officer. He informed me that I had to wait until the song was over. I responded that I had to use the restroom and that I did not care about God Bless America.

"As soon as the latter came out of my mouth, my right arm was twisted violently behind my back and I was informed that I was being escorted out of the stadium. A second officer then joined in and twisted my left arm, also in an excessively forceful manner, behind my back. I informed them they were violating my First Amendment rights and that I had done nothing wrong, with no response from them.

"I was sitting in the Tier Level, and of course this is the highest level of the stadium and I was escorted in this painful manner down the entire length of the stadium. About halfway down, I informed them that they were hurting me, repeated that I had done nothing wrong, and that I was not resisting nor talking back to them. One of them said something to the effect that if I continued to speak, he would find a way to hurt me more.

"When we reached the exit of the stadium, they confiscated my ticket and the first officer shoved me through the turnstiles, saying 'Get the hell out of my country if you don't like it.'

"Nowhere on the Yankee Stadium ticket policy nor on any posted sign does it say that forced patriotism is a required element to attend a baseball game. Nowhere in the laws of this country would that begin to be defensible.

"Furthermore, when the two officers returned to their section, Steve who was still in the stadium overhead one of the officers say 'We got to watch ourselves. One day we're really gonna get in trouble.' They were also spreading rumors with a fan with whom they were friendly that I had said 'This country sucks.'

"I do not believe in God, nor am in support of this country to a degree of patriotic fanaticism. The fact that I wanted to use the restroom instead of standing through God Bless America should not be grounds for a forcible ejection from a baseball game."

Yikes! I always get that creepy feeling at Yankee games during the 7th inning stretch. Being a life-long Dodger fan (currently wearing one of their shirts as I type) and going to many more games at Chavez Ravine than in the Bronx, I found it odd just how religious it is up there. At Dodger games, they play "Take me out to the ballgame" twice and everyone has a good time and can go wherever they want. I guess that isn't the case at Steinbrenner's park.

Now as bad as that is that something like this can happen to a fan at a Major League Baseball game, what makes it worse is that Steinbrenner gets to have his cake (baked by the New York City taxpayers) and eat it too (thanks to exorbitant ticket prices). City officials should force him to pay for his own damn ballpark, but they apparently they are in on the scam too.

The whole thing makes me sick, I hope this guy takes everyone involved to the cleaners!

Rudy Gets Booed At Yankee Stadium

Even though I am a Dodger fan, have been for over twenty-seven years and until the day I die, I have to hand it to Yankee fans for their treatment of Rudy Giuliani the day they were booted from the playoffs. I've never thought about Steinbrenner's politics, but when I think back on the games I have been to in the Bronx certain things like singing "God Bless America" is a bit strange for the seventh inning stretch.

Anyways, Rudy was there to support his team, care of Steinbrenner's free front row tickets that are always provided. Not only does he get free seats, as a potential nominee for the Republican Presidential ticket, he was also given free TV coverage at the game, but Yankee fans were not pleased with this at all.

From DailyKos:

For years, George Steinbreener and right wing nutcases running the New York Yankees have subtly and overtly attempted to turn a nonpolitical sporting event such as watching a baseball game at Yankees stadium into a 1930s style German propaganda event to promote right wing politicians, right wing views on religion, and right wing views on Iraq. It's no longer take me out to the ballgame and as a Yankee fan, I find it disgusting.

The most frequent use of mixing politics and baseball at Yankee stadium is Steinbrenner's promotion of right wing extremist Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani gets a front row, unimpeded view of Yankee games because these seats are given to him by Steinbrenner. Then Yankee stadium officials and the networks try to plaster Rudy Giuliani's face all over the big screen and the television. This amounts to millions of dollars of free advertising, something quite beneficial when you are running for President.

But Steinbrenner overplayed his hand. Giuliani got roundly booed at Yankee Stadium and this will play out on the campaign trail.

DaveFromQueens over at DailyKos expands on how this can reverberate, but only if the other candidates (both D and R) use it to their advantage. It takes only a minuscule amount of common sense to know that if people from your own city resoundingly boo you at a baseball game, it shows a lot about the guy.

New Yorkers know how bad Giuliani is, his record as Mayor before, during and after September 11th was atrocious. We are sick of him using the terrible tragedy that happened here six years ago for his own benefit. As more people get to know the real Rudy, the less of a chance he will have.