Tophat665

Now here's the difference between Springsteen and Schilling. Springsteen's job as a songwriter is to comment upon his society. He has to know what is going on and who did what to whom if he is to be effective. In short, to be a good songwriter, you have to be able to speak to people where they live which means you have to be informed. It means that Springsteen has at least the ability to grasp the issues, and he has probably, in the course of crafting one song or another, studied many of them.

Now, I don't know what on the Red Sox Curt Schilling does, but it's one of 3 things: 1) Hit a small object with a big piece of wood. 2) Throw a small object so that it cannot be hit with a big piece of wood. or 3) Catch that small object after someone has beaten the snot out of it with a big piece of wood. While I will admit that those skills might qualify one to understand Bush's foreign policy, which seems mostly to involve big sticks failing to hit small objects, but it certainly doesn't qualify anyone to comment on society. (Yogi Berra aside.)

Now, so far as I know, Schilling is a citizen, has a right to his opinion, is a celebrity, and has the platform to air it. I'm down with that. I think he's a fool for his choice, but he's no fool for talking about it. So, in that way, I sort of have to give Ustwo half his point. On the other hand, what the hell do the people of Boston (or indeed any city with a major sports team) think they have to do with winning baseball games? It's a snow job folks, a false identity. If you want to buy into "Team Spirit" for kicks, don't believe you're doing anything different than a chronic pot smoker. That said, Kerry has as much right to claim the Red Sox as any Massachussetsite (-ian?): None. In fact, unless he were part or past owner of the team or coach or player thereon, he has diddly squat to do with it. I notice Bush wasn't talking about the Rangers this year, though, even though he has the right.

(That said, if you enjoy baseball for the game, I can't see why, but I like football pretty much for itself, so at least I understand on some level. This team identity thing, though, really escapes me.)

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