After Further Review…

Since yesterday’s blog post, I have received many e-mails, mostly supporting what I did in canceling the blog. A couple were critical, and I do support their right to disagree. However, one person messaged me and what he said resonated louder than any other message. It was from “David” and he wrote:

Hi, Mark! It’s David, one of the regular contributors to LADT. Mark, I respect your decision to end the blog. Unfortunately, the way that you did it hurt a lot of people. I’m not talking about your right to make a political statement by cancelling the blog or your involvement in MLB. I’m talking about the people, the readers and writers on LADT, who have formed a bond with each other and with you. These people, unfortunately, are the ones you hurt by not giving them a chance to respond to your last post. People like Bear, for whom your blog has obviously been a lifeline. People who not only shared their love of the game and the Dodgers, but also revealed much about their personal stories, and their ups and downs. People like Jeff, who struggles with depression, and Quas, who served time in prison. Obviously, this blog meant something to them, a place where they belonged. You have the right to end it, but you in effect cancelled them by not giving them a chance to express themselves. They deserve an opportunity to say good-bye, and to say whatever they need to say. With all respect, Mark, unless it was your intention to hurt a bunch of innocent bystanders, who as far as I know didn’t hurt you, you should give people the chance to leave their comments and say a proper good-bye. Otherwise, you have just cancelled them.

Best regards, David

David, that makes a great deal of sense, so for the moment, I am leaving the blog open. I don’t know for how long and I am not sure if I will even post. This is out of respect for all the members of the community, not the Dodgers or MLB. I think what they have done is reprehensible, not courageous.

MLB also signed a deal with Tencent Wednesday, one of China’s largest tech companies. It’s one of the Chinese firms that briefly dropped NBA games in 2019 after former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey publicly voiced support for pro-democracy protesters facing a Beijing-backed crackdown in Hong Kong.

The new deal grants Tencent rights to stream MLB games in a number of Asian countries until 2023. Back in 2018, the MLB and Tencent reached another deal that granted the company streaming rights for 125 games within China.

So, they get in bed with a Chinese company with a country who has approximately 2 Million Muslims incarcerated, and allows organ harvesting while denying their own citizens the right to vote. It is despicable.

I am not sure what I am going to do, and maybe I will close it for good. MLB leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Free speech is scared in this country and we have elections processes so that if a person or law in unpopular, it can be changed. Sports should not be a part of this process. Martin Niemöller, who was a Lutheran minister and early Nazi supporter who was later imprisoned for opposing Hitler’s regime wrote this:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

As I mentioned, I do not know what I am going to do, but you are free to comment and I will give a weeks notice if I decide to shut it down for good.

Thank you, David!

By the way, our family is in Florida. The beaches are packed and I feel like I am on another planet: NO MASKS! Before you say anything about that explain why a state who has been open, with kids in school, and has the highest average age is the country also has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates per capita!