Nader sends a letter to Major League Baseball

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Presidential candidate Ralph Nader called the advertisements on uniforms during major league baseball's season-opening series an ``obscene embarrassment'' and sent a letter of protest Tuesday.

``This overcommercialization is sapping the fun out of being a fan of major league baseball,'' Nader wrote in his letter to commissioner Bud Selig. ``Now, you have sunk to a greedy new low.''

``We urge that you immediately put this issue to rest once and for all and eliminate any current or future possibility that major league baseball will accept advertisements on uniforms,'' Nader wrote.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-uniforms-nader&prov=ap&type=lgns

Priorities, Ralph!

:evilgrin:

Enron Field

He is running for President? He is more worried about baseball uniforms, than what is going in in Iraq? & I thought my prioroties were fucked up!

Not accept a shoe contract worth 90 million dollars because of the poor children in se asia. Meanwhile, he owns a mutual fund invested in Nike. In fact, he owns dozens of funds with all kinds of shady investments, including oil in central asia.

Every soccer (football) team in the world has logos on their uniforms. The Japanese baseball teams if I remember are actually named after corporations.

Does it stink, well yes. Are there bigger fish to fry in this world? Yes. Why is Nader so vocal about this but so silent about overcommercialization of the media? Which is more dangerous?

...thanks for the link...actually, I was more concerned about opening the season in Japan at 5am eastern time...no wonder I didn't see it.

Why is Nader so vocal about this but so silent about overcommercializion of the media? Which is more dangerous?

Statement Of Ralph Nader On Media Concentration and Bias

Wow, he managed to write TWO letters. Now I'm confused - which one represents his number one priority? Surely the fact that he's taken the time and enormous effort required to write a letter means these are the topmost issues ever in the world of Nader...how do I decide which is more important to him? What do I do if I discover he's written other letters or statements on other issues?! Ack! My brain hurts!

By the way, if there are bigger fish in this world than ads on baseball uniforms, then surely there are bigger fish than a man who writes a letter about ads on baseball uniforms...why does this thread exist at all? If, by the logic I see here, this speaks to Nader's priorities, what does it say about the priorities of everyone participating in this thread?

I didn't see any opening day coverage, but I've watched alot of baseball since then...The Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers uniforms all seem to be commercial free (the nike swoosh or some other sporting goods company logo aside...remember Wilson gloves?)...while "my" Phillies have a patch to honor Paul Owens and Tug McGraw and the new stadium, I believe that's it? Again, please explain to me what he is talking about (aside from demonstrating even less grasp of reality than I had previously suspected).

Yeah, you heard me, and this letter is part of the reason why. He does so much good in this world, and I, for one, loathe the way advertisements are seeping into practically every available space in my life. I'm glad he's talking about it, even if it accomplishes nothing more than raising awareness.

It's a shame people can't see past his candidacy to accept his good works. Such such a polarized view of the world can't possibly be healthy.

...I just haven't seen any corporate logos. Seriously, has Ralph noticed something I haven't seen?

According to the letter he's talking about the ads on the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays uniforms for Major League Baseball's opener on March 30 in Tokyo.

This from Kaufman's Sports Daily at Salon:
The Yankees and Devil Rays are plastered with advertising. This astounding fact is going uncommented upon by the announcers. There are no advertisements on baseball uniforms. This isn't European soccer or NASCAR. But both teams have large sleeve patches and helmet decals advertising a copier company.

http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/kaufman/2004/03/30/tuesday/

I've watched at least a half dozen baseball games this season and I haven't noticed a damn thing. Very effective advertising, isn't it?

Give me a damn break. While the market isn't God, the market WILL take care of this sort of thing.

In the grand scheme of things, overcommercialization of sports is one of the most insignificant things ever mentioned by any candidate for any political office, ever. It's like Bush with his anti-steroids in baseball pitch... Who, even among the most diehard baseball fans, gives a damn?!?

We have an Administration sending kids off to die in foreign countries so that Halliburton can line their pockets; we have an Administration raping the environment, and firing EPA employees who expose that local water supplies are being poisoned; we have an Administration that kept secret a study that showed anti-depressants had a high correlation with teenage suicide; we have a Supreme Court that is soon going to rule that "executive privilege" means the President can simply refuse to comply with an order of a court; we have an Administration that is pillaging an Arab country and causing world opinion to shift against us; and we have a President who believes that Armagedon is approaching, and who is doing everything he can to make sure it takes place.

I'd gladly trade a damn patch on a baseball uniform for my country's future. I would hope that you would, also.

If Nader wants my respect, he can do one of two things: 1) if he stays in the race, he should renounce all the campaign contributions he's received from Republicans and stop campaigning exclusively against Kerry (as opposed to Bush), or 2) he should withdraw from the race and urge all his supporters to vote for Kerry, and use all of that Republican blood money to help Kerry win this election.

If Nader wants my respect, he can do one of two things: 1) if he stays in the race, he should renounce all the campaign contributions he's received from Republicans and stop campaigning exclusively against Kerry (as opposed to Bush), or 2) he should withdraw from the race and urge all his supporters to vote for Kerry, and use all of that Republican blood money to help Kerry win this election.

This has nothing to do with the issue itself and everything to do with Nader's candidacy. I refer you back to my initial post.

And, as I pointed out in another post, this was ONE letter. I'm sure Nader is bright and capable enough to write ONE letter about ads on baseball uniforms while also thinking about and addressing other issues, and EVERY issue you mentioned is one that Nader has been vocal about. ONE letter does not make this his number one priority, and I think you know that. Again, if his writing a letter on this "insignificant" issue is so completely absurd, what does that say about everyone's need to comment on it?

If people want to criticize his candidacy, go ahead, but don't try to deny that his positions on issues are wrong or that out of whack with progressive ideals. Tackle what's bothering you head one rather than taking this roundabout ways to criticize him. It's dishonest.

Nader is right. Again!

That's a clever way to difuse debate about the impact of his candidacy!

Congratulations!

Is this a debate about his candidacy? I thought the initial post was about ads on baseball uniforms.

.... to have the spare time to get worked up over such insignificant bullsh*t. God, what an ass.

If the White Sox want to change their name t the "All Tempercheer White Sox" , who would give a F*&^k?

...a Rat's Ass about what he thinks?

Fuck you, Ralph, why don't you write a book about it?

Call it "Sold out at Third: The Overcommercialization of American Pro Sports"...

Oh, I WILL expect royalties for the title. You, of all people, understand the concept of "Money for NOTHING", dontcha?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Spider-Man is coming to a base near you.

In the latest example of a sponsor's stamp on the sports world, ads for the movie ``Spider-Man 2'' will be placed atop bases at 15 major league ballparks during games from June 11-13.

The promotion, announced Wednesday, is part of baseball's pitch to appeal to younger fans -- and make money along the way.

``This was a unique chance to combine what is a sort of a universally popular character and our broad fan base, including the youth market we're trying to reach out to,'' said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. ``It doesn't impact the play or performance of the game.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-spider-manonbase&prov=ap&type=lgns

such as professional sports, can be "over-commercialized"

isn't that akin to saying that something like water whose defining feature is to be wet, has suddenly become "too wet"?

ok, probably a silly/bad comparison, but clearly ralphie is continuing down the path to complete insanity at a rapid pace . . .

the guy is an idiot. The less we hear from Nader the better. Its sad to see what he has become.