Friday, April 13, 2012
Ozzie's bigger crime
His team stinks. He apologized for making bone headed statements in praise of fidel castro, when will he apologize for the fact the team is 2-5? Maybe during spring training instead of being outrageous to journalists in an effort to live up to well-cultivated image, he should have been preparing his team for the upcoming season.
Ozzie's bigger crime
His team stinks. He apologized for making bone headed statements in praise of fidel castro, when will he apologize for the fact the team is 2-5? Maybe during spring training instead of being outrageous to journalists in an effort to live up to well-cultivated image, he should have been preparing his team for the upcoming season.
Ozzie Guillen: Dumb Luck or Just Plain Dumb?
The fine folks at Pajamas Media asked me to opine about the Ozzie Guillen kerfuffle. Here it is...
There are thirty teams competing in Major League Baseball, but only one has just inaugurated a state-of-the-art, taxpayer-funded ballpark in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. There are thirty Major League managers leading those thirty teams, but only one was dumb enough to recently offer fawning praise of Fidel Castro to a Time reporter. If I told you that the man who said such things has to field a team for 81 home games in front of an audience of escapees from Fidel’s Caribbean gulag and their children, you probably wouldn’t believe anyone could possibly be that dumb. And yet it happened.
In Ball Four, his groundbreaking memoir about life in the big leagues, Jim Bouton explains what it’s like to be a thinking man in a sport that has a dearth of them. And that explains Ozzie Guillen, the Miami Marlins manager, and why he’s now public enemy number one among many Cuban Americans: he’s old school dumb.
The furor began when Time magazine quoted Guillen as claiming to “love” and “respect” Fidel Castro because of his longevity, in spite of the fact that there are many who wish him dead. The piece in Time was about Ozzie’s outlandish personality, and I’m sure that he got carried away trying to live up to his well-earned reputation, except that this time it was really, really dumb.
In the same piece, Ozzie asserts that he gets drunk after every game, win or lose. It’s probably not true and it’s kind of a dumb thing to say, but praising a brutal dictator who has repressed, imprisoned, tortured, and exiled more than a million of your neighbors breaks the dumb-o-meter.
More, after the jump.
Continue reading Ozzie Guillen: Dumb Luck or Just Plain Dumb?
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The dawn of a new day is upon us
It's been 15 long years since H. Wayne Huizenga said that the building of a publicly-financed baseball-only facility was necessary to make baseball viable in south Florida over the long term. Tomorrow, that goal, sought after by three owners becomes a reality as the brand new Marlins Ballpark officially opens for the regular season. As a resident of greater Miami for the last 34 years and an ardent baseball fan I am extremely happy. As usual, there are plenty of critics and malcontents vociferating about the financing, the location, the parking, the accessibility, whatever. Over the years I wrote a lot about this ballpark, mainly defending it, though nothing recently. Today I'm not going to defend it. I am going to enjoy it. I'm headed out to the open-to-the-public batting practice. I have tickets for the April 19th game and I wouldn't be surprised if I decide to go to another game before that. It's time to celebrate. Baseball is here to stay.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Congrats to the Fighin' Phillies
I was born in Philadelphia. The first sporting event I ever attended was a Phillies game. I remember the 1980 World Series like it was yesterday. The 1993 World Series is one I'd like to forget. I was at Skydome when Joe Carter hit that homer to win it for the Blue Jays. I'm not conflicted about my loyalty. I became a 100% Marlins fan when I had season tickets for the club. But if the Marlins can't win it all, the other team I'll always like to see hoisting that trophy with all those little flags on it is the Phillies.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Marlins financial info leaked to media
Miami Today published a report based on pro forma financial statements that it apparently obtained from Norman Braman. The second I saw the report I contacted Jorge Costales who is, to my mind, the most knowledgeable person about Marlins finances that doesn't work for the organization or Forbe's magazine.
He has posted his interpretation of this recent development here.
He has posted his interpretation of this recent development here.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Judge Cohen Punts...
and Jorge Costales thinks that's a good thing.
I don't.
I think what the judge did was weak. She passed the buck. Her job is to rule based on current law as she understands it, not to wait for guidance from the Supreme Court to do it for her. What precedent does that set?
There is a time-sensitive nature to this case and now it's in limbo indefinitely for what Jorge rightly points out could be nothing more than political considerations for the judge herself.
As far as the naming rights to the ballpark go, Wayne Huizenga sold the name of Joe Robbie Stadium to the now defunct Pro Player apparel company for $20 million over 10 years back in 1996. That's $2 million a year. A nice sum, but not something to stop the Marlins deal over. It should be also be noted that the market for stadium names probably isn't as strong as back then. Huizenga finally gave up trying to sell the name and it's now Dolphin Stadium.
As far as trying to get Braman aboard, I don't think the Marlins can offer anything that will appease him. He's just being a curmudgeon and enjoying every minute of it. As fans we've been waiting for this new ballpark ever since Huizenga announced he was selling the team in 1997 and now that we're an inch from the finish line that old fart is standing in the way. And the judge is allowing him to.
I don't.
I think what the judge did was weak. She passed the buck. Her job is to rule based on current law as she understands it, not to wait for guidance from the Supreme Court to do it for her. What precedent does that set?
There is a time-sensitive nature to this case and now it's in limbo indefinitely for what Jorge rightly points out could be nothing more than political considerations for the judge herself.
As far as the naming rights to the ballpark go, Wayne Huizenga sold the name of Joe Robbie Stadium to the now defunct Pro Player apparel company for $20 million over 10 years back in 1996. That's $2 million a year. A nice sum, but not something to stop the Marlins deal over. It should be also be noted that the market for stadium names probably isn't as strong as back then. Huizenga finally gave up trying to sell the name and it's now Dolphin Stadium.
As far as trying to get Braman aboard, I don't think the Marlins can offer anything that will appease him. He's just being a curmudgeon and enjoying every minute of it. As fans we've been waiting for this new ballpark ever since Huizenga announced he was selling the team in 1997 and now that we're an inch from the finish line that old fart is standing in the way. And the judge is allowing him to.
Arguments for the ballpark
I'd like to take a minute to address some of the criticisms of the plan for the new Marlins ballpark. Opponents to the plan center their argument around two basic premises. The first is that the money could toward more worthwhile things like education, mass transit, etc. And the second is that public funds should not be used to help private business.
There is no doubt that despite the many positive aspects of living in South Florida, there's a lot of things that need to be fixed. The abysmal traffic situation is one and the pathetic state of of public education is another. The argument that all of those millions of dollars could be put to better use is a seductive one. I mean how important is a ballpark when the future of our children is at stake? But it's also a dishonest argument that implies that problems with education and other quality of life issues in the county are due to lack of funding.
To put a point on it, the ballpark is budgeted at $515 million. The team is on the hook (pardon the pun) for $155 million. The balance will be paid with public funds ($347 million from the county and $13 million from the city of Miami). Consider that the city of Miami funds would never be funneled toward education since administering the public schools is a county function. Also consider that $50 million of the funds were earmarked for a renovation of the Orange Bowl which has now been demolished. Also consider that a large proportion of the public funds come from tourist taxes that are earmarked for convention and development projects.
But for the sake of argument, let's say all $360 million of the publicly committed funds could be instantly channeled into education, for example, what impact would they have?
Before you answer, consider that in 2006, the budget for Miami-Dade Public Schools was approximately $6.1 billion. The school system serves approximately 350,000 students. That means the public school system is spending in excess of $17,000 per student. Perhaps we should be looking elsewhere to find the source of the education problems that plague us. As I've said here before, can anyone prove to me that NOT building the ballpark will solve the problems our community faces?
You might be thinking that $360 million is still a lot of money. And of course it is, to ham and eggers like you and me. But in relative terms it's less than 6% of ONE YEAR's education budget. Consider that the ballpark will be around for 30 years. Assuming the county's education budget doesn't grow by one penny (a crazily conservative assumption) over those thirty years the county will spend $183 billion on education. The one-time public contribution of $360 million to the ballpark project represents 0.2% of that figure.
In short, the public contribution for the ballpark is minuscule compared to what we spend on the troubled public programs in our county.
The other argument is that we shouldn't spend public funds to "line the pockets" of private business. While the first argument is an appeal to emotion and ignorance, this one is an appeal to envy and indignation. But the truth is that at all levels of government private business is subsidized or given tax benefits because it's generally accepted that when businesses do well, the public does well.
Now I'm not a big fan of subsidies, especially at the federal level because a lot of has to do with social engineering (like subsidizing corn ethanol which is a money loser and is driving up the price of food). I have no problem with tax breaks for corporations but honestly I'd like to see lower across the board tax rates for corporations if not the complete repeal of corporate taxes. But that's a discussion for another day. My point is that in the real world we help out individual businesses when we feel the benefit outweighs the cost.
That's why we build county facilities like the airport to serve private businesses like the airlines. That's why we build a performing arts center that can be used by private organizations that produce such entertainment.
And the last example is an important one because baseball (or any sport) is no less (or no more) a of a form of entertainment than the opera or the ballet. An opera company is a private organization, with executives and employees, etc. Just because the such organizations tend be legally categorized as non-profits and don't generate the type of revenue a ballclub generates doesn't mean that there aren't private citizens living well off of them.
The last thing I'll leave you with is this. What the Marlins owner, Jeffrey Loria, is asking for is not outrageous in the sense that most of the other owners he's competing with have the benefit of playing in ballparks that were at least partially publicly financed. That leaves their clubs with more money towards the bottom line. In other words he's competing against teams that are publicly subsidized. As baseball fans we cannot ask him to behave like other owners when it comes to signing players and spending money on payroll when we don't give him the same tools that those other owners have to work with.
By blocking this stadium, we would give up the right grouse about fire sales and low salaries. And we'd also be cutting off our nose to spite our face because without a new ballpark, baseball will not be here much longer. It will come back, sure. I can envision us building a brand new ballpark, completely financed by the public, costing $750 million or more, a couple of years down the line to bring an expansion team here. And what of the generation of kids that grew up rooting for the Marlins?
There is no doubt that despite the many positive aspects of living in South Florida, there's a lot of things that need to be fixed. The abysmal traffic situation is one and the pathetic state of of public education is another. The argument that all of those millions of dollars could be put to better use is a seductive one. I mean how important is a ballpark when the future of our children is at stake? But it's also a dishonest argument that implies that problems with education and other quality of life issues in the county are due to lack of funding.
To put a point on it, the ballpark is budgeted at $515 million. The team is on the hook (pardon the pun) for $155 million. The balance will be paid with public funds ($347 million from the county and $13 million from the city of Miami). Consider that the city of Miami funds would never be funneled toward education since administering the public schools is a county function. Also consider that $50 million of the funds were earmarked for a renovation of the Orange Bowl which has now been demolished. Also consider that a large proportion of the public funds come from tourist taxes that are earmarked for convention and development projects.
But for the sake of argument, let's say all $360 million of the publicly committed funds could be instantly channeled into education, for example, what impact would they have?
Before you answer, consider that in 2006, the budget for Miami-Dade Public Schools was approximately $6.1 billion. The school system serves approximately 350,000 students. That means the public school system is spending in excess of $17,000 per student. Perhaps we should be looking elsewhere to find the source of the education problems that plague us. As I've said here before, can anyone prove to me that NOT building the ballpark will solve the problems our community faces?
You might be thinking that $360 million is still a lot of money. And of course it is, to ham and eggers like you and me. But in relative terms it's less than 6% of ONE YEAR's education budget. Consider that the ballpark will be around for 30 years. Assuming the county's education budget doesn't grow by one penny (a crazily conservative assumption) over those thirty years the county will spend $183 billion on education. The one-time public contribution of $360 million to the ballpark project represents 0.2% of that figure.
In short, the public contribution for the ballpark is minuscule compared to what we spend on the troubled public programs in our county.
The other argument is that we shouldn't spend public funds to "line the pockets" of private business. While the first argument is an appeal to emotion and ignorance, this one is an appeal to envy and indignation. But the truth is that at all levels of government private business is subsidized or given tax benefits because it's generally accepted that when businesses do well, the public does well.
Now I'm not a big fan of subsidies, especially at the federal level because a lot of has to do with social engineering (like subsidizing corn ethanol which is a money loser and is driving up the price of food). I have no problem with tax breaks for corporations but honestly I'd like to see lower across the board tax rates for corporations if not the complete repeal of corporate taxes. But that's a discussion for another day. My point is that in the real world we help out individual businesses when we feel the benefit outweighs the cost.
That's why we build county facilities like the airport to serve private businesses like the airlines. That's why we build a performing arts center that can be used by private organizations that produce such entertainment.
And the last example is an important one because baseball (or any sport) is no less (or no more) a of a form of entertainment than the opera or the ballet. An opera company is a private organization, with executives and employees, etc. Just because the such organizations tend be legally categorized as non-profits and don't generate the type of revenue a ballclub generates doesn't mean that there aren't private citizens living well off of them.
The last thing I'll leave you with is this. What the Marlins owner, Jeffrey Loria, is asking for is not outrageous in the sense that most of the other owners he's competing with have the benefit of playing in ballparks that were at least partially publicly financed. That leaves their clubs with more money towards the bottom line. In other words he's competing against teams that are publicly subsidized. As baseball fans we cannot ask him to behave like other owners when it comes to signing players and spending money on payroll when we don't give him the same tools that those other owners have to work with.
By blocking this stadium, we would give up the right grouse about fire sales and low salaries. And we'd also be cutting off our nose to spite our face because without a new ballpark, baseball will not be here much longer. It will come back, sure. I can envision us building a brand new ballpark, completely financed by the public, costing $750 million or more, a couple of years down the line to bring an expansion team here. And what of the generation of kids that grew up rooting for the Marlins?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tobacco Free?
Marlins fans no doubt are aware that one of the big sponsors on TV this year is the "Campaign for a Tobacco Free Florida". The ads in the campaign feature Marlins players pledging that they don't smoke, dip or chew tobacco. Well, tonight during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Marlins, just seconds after the announcers mentioned the Campaign for a Tobacco Free Florida, the camera zoomed in on Dan Uggla who was loading up a cheekful of chaw.
I bet those folks who bought all that ad time are really pleased with that.
Classic.
I bet those folks who bought all that ad time are really pleased with that.
Classic.
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