April 10, 2003
NO NO-NUKES LALOOSH?:
Stung by anti-war criticism, Hall cancels `Bull Durham' festivities (BEN WALKER, April 9, 2003, AP)The baseball Hall of Fame has canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of the film "Bull Durham," and the shrine's president said it was because of anti-war criticism by co-stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.Hall president Dale Petroskey sent a letter to Robbins and Sarandon this week, telling them the festivities April 26-27 at Cooperstown, N.Y., had been called off.
Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under Ronald Reagan, said recent comments by the actors "ultimately could put our troops in even more danger."
Reached Wednesday night, Robbins said he was "dismayed" by the decision. He responded with a letter he planned to send to Petroskey, telling him: "You belong with the cowards and ideologues in a hall of infamy and shame." [...]
In his letter, Robbins said he'd been looking forward to "a weekend away from politics and war." He said he remained "skeptical" of the war plans and told Petroskey he did not realize baseball was "a Republican sport."
"I am sorry that you have chosen to use baseball and your position at the Hall of Fame to make a political statement," Robbins wrote. "I know there are many baseball fans that disagree with you, and even more that will react with disgust to realize baseball is being politicized.
"To suggest that my criticism of the President put the troops in danger is absurd. ... I wish you had, in your letter, saved me the rhetoric and talked honestly about your ties to the Bush and Reagan administrations.
"You invoke patriotism and use words like 'freedom' in an attempt to intimidate and bully. In doing so, you dishonor the words 'patriotism' and 'freedom' and dishonor the men and women who have fought wars to keep this nation a place where one can freely express their opinions without fear of reprisal or punishment."
Robbins signed his letter with a reference to an old World Series champion.
"Long live democracy, free speech and the '69 Mets -- all improbable, glorious miracles that I have always believed in," he wrote.
So here's the question: why shouldn't the Iraqis get to enjoy those three things too? Posted by Orrin Judd at April 10, 2003 8:13 AM
Somehow, that doesn't sound like cricket.
Posted by: Barry Meislin at April 10, 2003 8:31 AMSarandon was saying something about the DoD cutting verteran's benefits to pay for the war.
I'm guessing she was being retarded as usual but is there any more to this story?
I too blogged about this - here
- the degree of obtuse-ity shown by clowns like Robbins is just staggering. "Freely express their opinions without fear of reprisal or punishment"? What an idiot. The First Amendment guarantees no such thing. Maybe if some of these people weren't such flaming hypocrites, it would be easier to take their rantings.
I'd love to see James Woods take on this clown. Robbins would be drooling within 3 minutes.
On the other hand, I don't know what position Robbins has taken (post-invasion) that actually would
"endanger" the troops.
I say, keep baseball out of it.
Clearly this is not a First Amendment rights issue. It is a lot more about the right to associate with whom you want and without those you do not want to. Organized Baseball has as much right to this as anybody else.
Moreover, while not essential to the point made above, the claim that a vocal and manipulative opposition to the War can not result in politically motivated trade-offs in the prosecution of a war is naive. Blame-America-First types like Robbins have only one goal -- to make it politically intolerable for America to prosecute a war. And once the war starts it usually means, forcing our leaders to trade-off American lifes for other lifes until they have no more popular support.
Here's the real irony: Robbins criticizes the Hall for "politicizing" baseball, but he sees nothing wrong in airing his political views at the Oscars and other entertainment events.
Posted by: Foos at April 10, 2003 10:18 AMIt's also the 15th anniversary of "Major League"...which was a funnier movie anyway...
Posted by: Foos at April 10, 2003 10:28 AMAnd Rene Russo is Top 10.
Posted by: oj at April 10, 2003 10:51 AMReprisal? Punishment? Bullying?
How about this word: consequences. They follow when your views on an issue are stated publicly. Robbins and Sarandon need to realize they are being boycotted, which, I recall, has been a favorite tool of the political left when it has a point to make.
Oh, and you gotta love the bit about having a weekend away from "politics and war." I'm sure the people involved in these difficult areas right now and who actually have to make decisions that impact many lives would love one.
I wonder if Robbins was peeved that he wouldn't be able to give an anti-war speech at the festivities?
Posted by: Bart Rhodes at April 10, 2003 11:24 AMMajor League funnier than Bull Durham? Ain't no way. Not even close, unless you indulge in a couple of oj's college year "strike outs" as explained in his glossary.
Posted by: Pat H at April 10, 2003 11:33 AMChildish, self-absorbed, petulant. The fantasy world inhabited by actors in their working life reaches into their private lives as well, I guess. The romantic world view by definition needs to divorced from reality. Mr. Robbins at the same time sees himself as heroic and persecuted, great premise for dramatic screenplay regarding blacklisting or some other injustice perpetrated on the heroic, American dissident.
In your dreams pal!