Selig the Waffling Wallaby
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by Tyduffy
Bud Selig followed Bonds for nine games, missing only to attend the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. He was in attendance, at least physically, for Bonds' 755th home run, although standing motionless with his hands in his pockets he wished he could have been anywhere else. After the ninth game, with Bonds heading back to San Francisco to attempt to break Aaron's record in front of the home crowd, Selig announced that he had called it quits and would not be attending the games in San Francisco, sending an MLB representative in his place.
The commissioner justified his decision by stating "I don't think anybody can say I haven't made a Herculean effort," because sipping Pinot Noir from the owner's box at a baseball game is such an arduous task. We here at Odds and Sods are sure that firemen, aid workers in Africa, and the troops in Iraq bestow their sympathies upon poor Bud.
Selig supporters portray this as a diplomatic decision. However, it is not a diplomatic decision. It is no decision. It is waffling of the worst kind. It is the tied all-star game all over again. Rather than make a difficult choice, Bud simply refused to make one, and in the process has blown up his indecision into as big of a story as the home run itself.
Take a stand. If you think that Bonds' record is tainted, say so. Release a statement stating that you believe there is enough evidence to conclude that Bonds was taking performance enhancing drugs, and out of respect for the sport you love and your friend Henry Aaron you refuse to condone this accomplishment in any way.
Or, state that as commissioner of baseball, it is your responsibility to be there. Take responsibility for the fact that it is under your watch that baseball's greatest stars transformed themselves into WWE style freaks of nature using any and every drug available, and that your sport reaped the financial benefit of that. Or, at the very least, acknowledge that you consider Bonds innocent until proven guilty.
As Michael Wibon points out, Bonds has actually behaved with more dignity than Selig the past few weeks. Being, for the most part, friendly to the media and making respectful comments about Hank Aaron and about his probable eventual successor Alex Rodriguez.
Bud Selig did face a difficult decision, and would have faced criticism no matter what he did. But, the fact is he took the worst possible option and did nothing. There would have been some vestige of nobility in taking some sort of stand, but he did nothing. He tucked his head and extremities inside his turtle shell and hoped it would all blow over him. By attempting to avoid all controversy, he brought nearly all of it crashing down upon himself.
Selig's actions are pure unadulterated weakness. He will skulk back to Milwaukee and shirk the burden of being present for the tainted record to one of his underlings. His conduct is shameless and unbefitting of a Commissioner of Baseball, let alone a human being.
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