Sports and Elections

My old DC friend Robert George notes that Yankees recent era of dominance started when a Democrat (Bill Clinton) was elected to the White House.

Of course, the two times the Mets won the World Series, a Republican was in the White House.

One other point. The 1970 UK General Election was something of a shock win for the Tories. The preference polls mostly showed it close, but with Labour winning. But polls asking who people THOUGHT would win were heavily Labour winning.

It was a shock but shouldn't have been -- though Labour started with a large lead, the Tories gained steadily through the campaign. In the end, the Tories won by a few percentage points, but comfortably in seats.

The reasons given usually deal with a mistimed late budget released by Labour with a little bit of Shy Tory factor (like Bradley factor, except that people did not want to admit being a Tory because it was uncool). Another factor was that Enoch Powell's anti-immigrant speeches may have thrown some traditional Labour voters to the Conservatives.

So where am I going with all this? There is another theory. Shortly before the 1970 General Election, on top of everything else, the English soccer team (who were defending World Cup champs) were knocked out by West Germany in spectacular fashion days before the election. Some commentators feel that with all the other bad news at the time, that was the final straw that killed Labour's chances.

Let's Go Mets!

Court Ruling

Queens, NY October 5, 2007(AP) -

A seven-year old boy was at the center of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.

The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with NY State child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

Following two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the New York Mets, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

(From a friend via e-mail)

Being a Mets Fan

I am glad I no longer live in New York. If I was home, I would be devastated. Now I just feel a bit of annoyance. Half of my family is on suicide watch. Most of the rest are sitting in the corner, incoherently balling to themselves. The few Yankee fans I know are keeping quiet, lest they touch off a time bomb.

One thing to remember though is that most Mets fans either were Brooklyn Dodger fans, or are the children or grandchildren of Dodger fans. So we are used to pain. As my cousin Raymond has said, the worst thing is that the Mets do sometimes win. It is easy to follow a constant winner. It is also easy to embrace losing (as Cubs fans are accused of doing). But Mets fans, you always expect the worst but sometimes things work out.

Well, as they used to say in Brooklyn, "WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!"

New Mets Fight Song!

Here in Chicago, I am limited to hearing Mets and Phillies updates on the Cubs games. But the Mets lose again, Philly wins, and now the Mets are in second place.

So, without further ado, the Mets new fight song!

Beat the Mets, beat the Mets,
Last place teams defeat the Mets.
Hanging sliders, minor-league speed,
Guaranteed to waste a seven run lead.

Because the Met bullpen keeps fading away,
October baseball won't be at Shea.
Mota...Sosa...,Every game is now in doubt.
Can anyone who's on this staff, Get three men out?

(I was sent this by a friend who saw it on NRO.com where it was posted by a Mets fan who got it from a Phillies fan who in turn received it from another Mets fan)

50 Years

I am Brooklyn born (though Long Island raised) and my parents were big Dodgers fans. I am not sure my father ever totally recovered from the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn, though as far as he was concerned, the Mets (not those imposters in LA) were the real Dodgers.

With all the nostalgia regarding the Brooklyn Dodgers, it is interesting that (i) the Mets have played more games in Shea than the Dodgers played at Ebbets and (ii) there does not seem to be any nostalgia for the NY Giants, who left the same time as the Dodgers.