12/21/24
December 20, 2007
Jonathan Papelbon's dog eats World Series winning baseball. : ESPN's brief coverage of a toothsome story of a Boston terrier named Boss, his master and a baseball that has seen better days.
posted by Joey Michaels to baseball at 05:38 PM - 36 comments
Just to start an argument: If you had the series winning ball for the Boston Red Sox, a game you had a hand in and finished, would you leave said ball within chomping reach of your dog? Seems kind of stupid.
posted by THX-1138 at 05:45 PM on December 20, 2007
If you had the series winning ball for the Boston Red Sox, a game you had a hand in and finished, would you leave said ball within chomping reach of your dog? Oh hell no. I wouldn't even keep it where I could touch it. That is part of what makes this story so bizarre. I love Papelbon, but he may have a little screw loose here or there.
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:47 PM on December 20, 2007
I think he's full of shit and probably still has the actual "winning" baseball. He probably wants people to think the dog ate it to keep something from happening similar to what Doug Mientkewitcz went through. Plus, if he did leave it lying where his dog could get to it, he IS an idiot.
posted by dyams at 06:23 PM on December 20, 2007
I think we should stamp the dog with an asterisk and launch Papelbon into outer space.
posted by BoKnows at 06:29 PM on December 20, 2007
They'll probably stuff his dog when it dies and put him on display at Fenway Park (where all of Red Sox Nation can enjoy him).
posted by dyams at 06:40 PM on December 20, 2007
I see Selig following Papelbon's dog around with a pooper scooper and an plastic baggie.
posted by THX-1138 at 07:04 PM on December 20, 2007
It wouldn't surprise me if the story is true. I love me some Papelbon, but he's never struck me as the sharpest tool in the shed.
posted by justgary at 07:12 PM on December 20, 2007
This is quite unusual. I really have nothign to say. It hard to prove either way. Maybe he just wants the ball and created an excuse.
posted by SFValley_Dude at 08:03 PM on December 20, 2007
Maybe he just wants the ball and created an excuse. Considering all the shit that Doug Mientkiewicz took when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and he tried to keep the ball, this doesn't surprise me one bit. Papelbon probably didn't want to deal with all the crap that he would've had to deal with if he just said that he wanted to keep the ball so he made up this story. The ball is probably chilling over his fireplace with a picture of all the Red Sox celebrating or maybe he replaced the star on top of his Christmas tree with the ball itself. I wouldn't doubt that considering this is the same guy that danced around the field after winning the World Series wearing a skirt...er, kilt.
posted by BornIcon at 06:31 AM on December 21, 2007
after winning the World Series wearing a skirt...er, kilt. Pishaw! Real men wear kilts.
posted by jmd82 at 07:27 AM on December 21, 2007
Well, heck, it's still just a ball. I'm not sure how many balls baseball players tend to get to keep, but it football it seems that some players must need multiple storage sheds to hold all of their "special" balls. Do you really think that ball is more special to him than the ring he got? He actually has seemed to me to be more down to earth than many sports stars. And maybe the "history" of the ball feels more "real" to him if he could actually hold the ball to re-live the moments.
posted by opel70 at 08:00 AM on December 21, 2007
My initial reaction to these initial reactions is: if you think the kid's telling a fib or being creative, you don't have enough Papelbon in your life.
posted by yerfatma at 08:23 AM on December 21, 2007
I think it's absolutely great. Really. I mean, I do understand the collector's impulse to preserve and all that, and how things have precious memories attached to them, but all things are subject to damage and decay and getting lost or stolen or whatever. No matter how much monetary or emotional value is attached to a thing, eventually it crumbles into dust, and the more it's worth, the more people will be grabbing for it -- the Gardner Museum is still looking for Storm on the Sea of Galilee and various other works. People say Papelbon's an airhead -- maybe, or maybe (at least in this regard) he's a bit smarter than most. There's a great story about Bode Miller's first World Championship gold medal, which he won in the combined with an absolutely brilliant comeback performance -- it was a great moment in sports, and clearly a victory that meant a lot to him. The medal? Not so much. At the time, Bode had an apartment in Austria with several other team members. The toilet in the bathroom was broken, and they needed a counterweight to keep the bobber properly positioned. He figured out that the world championship medal was the perfect counterweight, and so it hung at the back of their toilet for the remainder of the season. When they moved out in the spring, apparently it got forgotten. No one knows where it is now, and Bode apparently doesn't much care. Medals can get lost or destroyed or stolen -- the victory is his for all time.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:28 AM on December 21, 2007
Sport in Perspective, it is after all a kids game in a ugly world, 100 years from when the Cubs blow another chance at the World Series Harry Carey VIII will have a story to tell future fans.
posted by thatch at 09:12 AM on December 21, 2007
The ball obviously meant something to Papelbon or he wouldn't have kept it. If he truly doesn't/didn't really care about it, it would have been nice for him to donate it or auction it off (even though the team and MLB probably would have tried to stop that). True, it's only a ball, but this type of thing does intrigue a great many people. If every player had that "It's only a ball" or "It's only a jersey" type attitude, the Baseball Hall of Fame would be pretty dull.
posted by dyams at 12:36 PM on December 21, 2007
Collections provide people with a connection to the past. That's why we have museums (well, ONE reason). Baseball is no different. People have been collecting autographed baseballs, programs, bats, and of course, baseball cards since practically the beginning of the game. Over time these relics have been nearly as revered as the Shroud of Turin. We have all heard the stories of a kid we knew whose parents threw out his baseball card collection. That sinking feeling of compassion and shared regret over his plight was not just for the monetary loss, but also the lost memories and the ruination of hard work in amassing such a collection. We have probably all heard a tale or two about the "lost Babe Ruth Ball" or how someone can't find their signed Lou Gehrig base ball card. Those of us who collect things know that it is like having a piece of the game. We can hold it and in the holding, the game becomes a part of us. We are linked to a moment witnessed by many, but one that we can share with others and take pride in ourselves. So when you hear about the destruction of a WORLD SERIES BALL no less, that old sinking feeling begins to re-emerge. Kind of sad and deflating to have a piece of history, particularly one shared by the New Englander's who would obviously covet such a treasure due to it's rarity, find it's demise at the jaws of a pooch upon whose significance it was lost. Just another chew toy to old Fido or whatever his name is. If Papelbon actually let this happen, then woe unto him from those in Red Sox nation.
posted by THX-1138 at 01:36 PM on December 21, 2007
About 2 weeks ago,Papelbon responded to a local news station reporter here in the Boston area when she asked him "What ever happened to the World Series ball?"and he gave the response to something like "my dog ate it,he likes to play with balls".At the time he was smiling and he made it sound like a joke.I'm sure that his dog didn't eat it.I think that he's got more brains to put the ball somewhere his dog couldn't get at it.Maybe now he's riding this joke to keep everyone wondering. Don't think he'd let that happen.
posted by Ghastly1 at 04:10 PM on December 21, 2007
There's a great story about Bode Miller's first World Championship gold medal, which he won in the combined with an absolutely brilliant comeback performance -- it was a great moment in sports, and clearly a victory that meant a lot to him. The medal? Not so much. At the time, Bode had an apartment in Austria with several other team members. The toilet in the bathroom was broken, and they needed a counterweight to keep the bobber properly positioned. He figured out that the world championship medal was the perfect counterweight, and so it hung at the back of their toilet for the remainder of the season. When they moved out in the spring, apparently it got forgotten. No one knows where it is now, and Bode apparently doesn't much care. Medals can get lost or destroyed or stolen -- the victory is his for all time. It is a great story. Too bad it's about Bode 'freakin' Miller, the man who won the mythical gold medal for best "partying" at the winter Olympics but otherwise embarrassed much of his country with his attitude and performance.
posted by cjets at 08:31 PM on December 22, 2007
cjets, I'm going to guess that you'd barely even heard of Bode Miller before the Torino Olympics; that you couldn't begin to name his accomplishments without resorting to a websearch; that you never watch ski racing outside the Olympics, if then; that you never heard of the Londoner; that you cannot state what Bode Miller's results were at the Torino Olympics; that you cannot say anything about those races, who won them, or the conditions under which they were run; that, in short, you are like "most of the country" in making a judgment of an athlete in a sport you don't follow based on a misremembered distortion of a soundbite. Am I wrong about any of that?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:26 AM on December 24, 2007
cjets, I'm going to guess that you'd barely even heard of Bode Miller before the Torino Olympics; I'd say that I knew about him before the Torino Olympics as a result of Nike's Relentless Marketing Blitz with Bode as their primary spokesman. That enough would be grounds for disliking him. Especially if he doesn't deliver. I assume that no one put a gun to his head and made him sign with Nike. that you cannot state what Bode Miller's results were at the Torino Olympics; He DQ'ed out of three races and finished out of the medal round for the other two. And you're right. I don't know much about the sport. But my problem is really with his attitude, not his performance. Here's some quotes from Bode: "My quality of life is the priority. I wanted to have fun here, to enjoy the Olympic experience, not be holed up in a closet and not ever leave your room," or this beaut: "Me, it's been an awesome two weeks," Miller said. "I got to party and socialize at an Olympic level." And let's not forget his apology on 60 MINUTES for skiing while drunk. Are these quotes and the apology "Misremembered distortions?" All this makes me think that the US would have been better served by giving his Olympic spot to someone who wanted to represent their country, not "party and socialize at an olympic level." Even if that person finished last in every race. Competing for your country in the Olympics is an honor and a privilege. Not an excuse to get drunk. Add to that Nike's ubiquitous marketing campaign and maybe you can understand why I have problems with this guy's attitude, regardless of his perfomance in other races.
posted by cjets at 04:09 PM on December 24, 2007
I'd say that I knew about him before the Torino Olympics as a result of Nike's Relentless Marketing Blitz with Bode as their primary spokesman. That enough would be grounds for disliking him. Okay, so you don't know anything to speak of about Bode. You a fair trade type, then? Or do you have other reasons for disliking Nike? He DQ'ed out of three races and finished out of the medal round for the other two. And you just got that from a websearch, amiright? And you're right. I don't know much about the sport. I'm not saying you should, but what you did is a bit like me opining about the Premier League despite never having watched a match. Alpine ski racing is a sport with tiny margins of victory. It's also heavily influenced by conditions, where (depending on your start position) you might be in a situation where you really have no chance to win -- weather changes, and it's just not possible to create equal conditions for everyone. The conditions in Torino were not optimal for any of the events (it's kind of a chronic problem with Olympic skiing in the age of global warming), and there were some odd results. To give you an idea, the winner of the men's downhill had only won one World Cup downhill in his career, and finished the season 55th in the World Cup downhill standings. But my problem is really with his attitude, not his performance. What you know about his "attitude" is based on selective soundbites. Do you form your opinion of everyone's "attitude" that way? Here's some quotes from Bode: "My quality of life is the priority. I wanted to have fun here, to enjoy the Olympic experience, not be holed up in a closet and not ever leave your room," Yeah, it really is a shame that you didn't take (or never heard) this one in context, or didn't stop to reflect on it. Bode has often expressed disgust with the "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chants that get bellowed come Olympics time, and admiration for the Olympic ideal of athletes competing from many countries, not so much for many countries. But the Olympics have become such a spectacle that many teams keep their athletes in virtual lockdown, to keep them from getting distracted. and the US Ski Team was in a particularly heavy-handed mode at the time. You can argue necessity, but it really makes the Olympics kinda suck for the people who are most responsible for making it happen. And let's not forget his apology on 60 MINUTES for skiing while drunk. Are these quotes and the apology "Misremembered distortions?" Yes, in fact, they are. You just made two errors about his statement on 60 minutes. The remainder is left as an exercise for the student. All this makes me think that the US would have been better served by giving his Olympic spot to someone who wanted to represent their country, not "party and socialize at an olympic level." Even if that person finished last in every race. There's no point answering emotion with logic, so I won't try to explain why this is purely sentimental hindsight and that you would almost certainly have never known the name of (nor given one bit of support to) your hypothetical virtuous last place finisher. You do know, though, that the "US Ski Team" has nothing whatsoever to do with the US government or federal funding? That being the case, I'm not sure why or how you think the "US" should be served. Competing for your country in the Olympics is an honor and a privilege. Not an excuse to get drunk. Add to that Nike's ubiquitous marketing campaign and maybe you can understand why I have problems with this guy's attitude, regardless of his perfomance in other races I understand why you have problems. They seem to me to derive from a flawed and incomplete misunderstanding of the history, the sport and the athlete. That never stopped anyone from having an opinion before, but it sure is sad for you that you "remember" the events surrounding Torino so very...um...keenly, and yet you almost certainly did not witness Bode's winning of the combined at St. Moritz. Trust me, that is very, very much your loss...but it does make you sound to me a lot like the people who form a strong opinion on (for example) Tony Romo based on his involvement with Jessica Simpson et. al., and yet have never seen him play. Regurgitated opinions are easy to parrot, but they lack a certain something.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:44 PM on December 24, 2007
Okay, so you don't know anything to speak of about Bode. You a fair trade type, then? Or do you have other reasons for disliking Nike? I have lots of reasons for disliking Nike. But that's not what I had a problem with in this case. It's that the Bode commercials were everywhere (what was the Slogan? Get Bodeized?) seemingly deifying him. I found that extremely annoying. To use a more contemporary example, my opinion of John Cougar Mellencamp has plummeted after seeing his "my country" song being played endlessly during games. As far as I'm concerned Mellencamp can take "my country" and shove it up his ass (and thanks for the opportunity to vent about that). I'm not saying you should, but what you did is a bit like me opining about the Premier League despite never having watched a match. I watch very little football outside of the World Cup (men's and women's). Does that mean I don't get to opine about Zinedine Zidane's head butt? And you just got that from a websearch, amiright? Not really. I watched the 2006 Olympics and certainly do remember that he didn't win a medal and did DQ more than once (As far as the specifics beyond that, OK, you got me). Alpine ski racing is a sport with tiny margins of victory. It's also heavily influenced by conditions, where (depending on your start position) you might be in a situation where you really have no chance to win -- weather changes, and it's just not possible to create equal conditions for everyone. The conditions in Torino were not optimal for any of the events (it's kind of a chronic problem with Olympic skiing in the age of global warming), and there were some odd results. To give you an idea, the winner of the men's downhill had only won one World Cup downhill in his career, and finished the season 55th in the World Cup downhill standings. I'm guessing in a sport where hundreths of a second can determine a victory that a hangover is not going to help. There's no point answering emotion with logic, so I won't try to explain why this is purely sentimental hindsight and that you would almost certainly have never known the name of (nor given one bit of support to) your hypothetical virtuous last place finisher. I might not remember their name now, but I certainly would have supported them then. I support the effort of all of the Olympic athletes, well, those that don't view the Olympics as their chance "to party and socialize on an Olympic level." but it does make you sound to me a lot like the people who form a strong opinion on (for example) Tony Romo based on his involvement with Jessica Simpson et. al., and yet have never seen him play. Regurgitated opinions are easy to parrot, but they lack a certain something. Please. Regurgitate? There's something you need to understand. I don't follow Alpine Ski Racing outside of the Olympics. But I've been a major, major fan of the Olympics for 35 years. In particular a fan of Alpine Ski racing in the olympics, at least since 1976, when I saw Franz Klammer win the gold medal on a heartstopping downhill run. My opinions regarding Bode are a result of watching him (and his endless commercials) during the Olympics. You're right when you say I know nothing of his competitive career outside of the Olympics. But for those two weeks, he certainly seemed to make a mockery of representing his country.
posted by cjets at 06:49 PM on December 24, 2007
And by the way, LBB, Happy Holidays. I look forward to more discussions in the New Year.
posted by cjets at 06:57 PM on December 24, 2007
I have lots of reasons for disliking Nike. But that's not what I had a problem with in this case. It's that the Bode commercials were everywhere (what was the Slogan? Get Bodeized?) seemingly deifying him. I found that extremely annoying. To use a more contemporary example, my opinion of John Cougar Mellencamp has plummeted after seeing his "my country" song being played endlessly during games. As far as I'm concerned Mellencamp can take "my country" and shove it up his ass (and thanks for the opportunity to vent about that). Hey, I hear you. What I find annoying about it is...Nike? This is the Winter Olympics, forgodsakes. Since when does Nike make their crappy sweatshop shoes and apparel for winter sports? But they've got to brand their stupid swoosh all over everything even so. The Bode website they created was pretty damn cool, though, and more than a little surreal -- you kind of had to see it, but among other things there was a game where you could make an animated bear push a stone clay-court roller up a hill (one of Bode's favorite training regimens), and if you made the bear run fast enough, he'd puke. It was pretty funny. I watch very little football outside of the World Cup (men's and women's). Does that mean I don't get to opine about Zinedine Zidane's head butt? Look, everybody "gets to opine" about anything they want -- there's no law stopping you. What I was talking about is the quality of the opinions being influenced by how well-informed they are. I'm not about to opine about whether Zidane's headbutt is outrageous behavior unless I know that it is. If I don't know about the incidence of headbutting in football, or the kind of remarks that provoked it, I'm not in any position to say whether it was all that outrageous. I'm guessing in a sport where hundreths of a second can determine a victory that a hangover is not going to help. No, nor does stomach flu, or having missed your flight, or weeks of bad food, or having been unable to sleep due to getting stuck in a shitty European hotel with a bed that's half a foot too short for you (the latter two, BTW, are the main reasons why Bode started using that RV that everybody got so goddamn pissy about). The interesting thing, to me, is that very few of those who get their underwear knotted about Bode's "wasted" race know anything about it. Here are some facts to add some light to the heat. The race was the last race of the 2005 season, at the World Cup finals at Lenzerheide. The term "finals" is a deceptive one, since it implies in most sports that it's a championship race or match, but in the World Cup it simply means the last race series of the season. The day before, Bode secured the overall World Cup victory (the greatest achievement in ski racing, far above an Olympic medal) with a second-place finish in the GS. That night, he went out and partied. Everyone went out and partied, except those who were in the hospital -- winners and losers both went out and partied, to celebrate the end of one of the most grueling (and, for North American racers, lonely and difficult) sports circuits in the world. The next morning, Bode showed up at the start of the day's race with a hangover. Given that this was a race that could not influence the outcome of any championship, either the overall or the slalom cup, and given that World Cup racers are not given to celebrating with (in the words of David Feherty) "a nice glass of tea", it is fair to say that there were other racers who went out the start that day with hangovers. Had it been a downhill, it's unlikely that they would have done so -- but this was a slalom, a much lower speed race, where you might blow out a knee but are simply not going to get killed or critically injured no matter how badly you screw the pooch. And, to address the perennial American justification for sobriety at all times (the danger of harm to others), a ski race is held on a closed course. "Closed" means that the course is fenced off and other people are not allowed to be on the hill when a racer is on course. The possibility of innocents being struck down by a hungover out-of-control slalom racer is...well, I won't say it's nil, if they happened to be crowding the fence and the racer hit it very hard, but it's probably a good bit less than the danger of being hit by a flying puck at a hockey game. Finally, as painful as it is to depart from the realm of the hypothetical (it does provide such strong and scratchy rope to hang someone with), let's look at the skill of this particular racer, and at the actual results. Bode Miller, with hangover, came in sixth in that slalom, which ain't exactly a bad result. Bode Miller, with a hangover, was almost certainly less a danger to himself and others than your hypothetical teetotaling scrappy unknown with a 60 on his start bib (who, not having any World Cup points, wouldn't have been allowed in the finals anyway, but that's beside the point). In short...there just isn't anything to get outraged about. I might not remember their name now, but I certainly would have supported them then. I support the effort of all of the Olympic athletes, well, those that don't view the Olympics as their chance "to party and socialize on an Olympic level." No you don't. You don't even know they exist. Nor do you know their motivations. But these hypothetical Olympic athletes always say the right thing about the honor of competing and so on, and hypocrisy is easier to swallow than an unpleasant truth, I guess. Please. Regurgitate? Regurgitate, exactly so -- using the same phrasings the media fed you. Sorry, but it's true. There's something you need to understand. I don't follow Alpine Ski Racing outside of the Olympics. But I've been a major, major fan of the Olympics for 35 years. In particular a fan of Alpine Ski racing in the olympics, at least since 1976, when I saw Franz Klammer win the gold medal on a heartstopping downhill run. Oh, yeah, yawn, Klammer's run. Everybody's seen that one. And yet, despite your being a major, major fan of alpine ski racing at the Olympics, I'm guessing you don't remember the details of what Bode did in the combined at SLC. My opinions regarding Bode are a result of watching him (and his endless commercials) during the Olympics. You're right when you say I know nothing of his competitive career outside of the Olympics. But for those two weeks, he certainly seemed to make a mockery of representing his country. Give me a media outlet, and I can make you seem like a mother-raping axe murderer. Don't know a hatchet job when you see it? Maybe you should read this. I like the guy. I'm sure I wouldn't like everything about him, but what I see, I like. He is passionate about his sport in ways that casual viewers don't get, because he doesn't babble the party line. He's a woodchuck, from my part of the world, and it shows. He's not ashamed of his roots, and he's not looking to move to Vail to live in a resort-sponsored luxury condo. You hate the Nike commercials and you remember (or think you remember) some things from a 60 Minutes shit-stirring. I've heard from people who've had some live encounters with the guy, out of the media spotlight. I know who I believe. Welcome Yule and a blessed New Year to you,
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:41 AM on December 26, 2007
I've seen threads involving the Boston Red Sox (or various Red Sox team members) go in some unpredictable directions, but I never thought I'd see the day it would turn into a discussion about downhill skiing.
posted by dyams at 08:52 AM on December 26, 2007
I know nothing about downhill racing. Now, thanks to LLB. I've learned something new and that's why I enjoy Sport Filter.
posted by Nakeman at 09:04 AM on December 26, 2007
I know nothing about downhill racing. Now, thanks to LLB. I've learned something new and that's why I enjoy Sport Filter. Don't forget to thank Papelbon's dog, too. Every time I refer to "Papelbon's Dog" it makes me think about "Pavlov's Dog." Strange.
posted by dyams at 09:13 AM on December 26, 2007
It makes me think of Schrodinger's Cat.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:24 AM on December 26, 2007
Not sure how to thank a dog. Do dogs of millionaire ballplayers eat milk bones? Not sure Papelbon's dog is very good graces with pitcher (if story is true) and is probably in his dog house (pun intended).
posted by Nakeman at 09:25 AM on December 26, 2007
LLB AND dyams-Guess you can't help yourself. Happy Holiday to you and all dog lovers on S.F.
posted by Nakeman at 09:44 AM on December 26, 2007
Dog lovers who we know inhabit SpoFi thanks to a certain quarterback.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 09:53 AM on December 26, 2007
...but I never thought I'd see the day it would turn into a discussion about downhill skiing. dyams, you should know from your time on SpoFi how frequently our discussions head downhill. (or go to the dogs for that matter)
posted by Howard_T at 01:50 PM on December 26, 2007
How true, Howard, how very true.
posted by dyams at 04:44 PM on December 26, 2007
Thanks LBB, I appreciate the good wishes. And rather than debate you point for point, I'll try and sum up my opinion succintly (not that I don't appreciate the detail you bring to your posts.) 1. Before and during the Olympics, the Nike Bode commercials made him out to be the greatest thing to hit skiing since snow. 2. He underperformed in the Olympics, DQing or finishing out of the medal round in all five races. 3. When asked about this, he seemed not to care, claiming that he had "socialized and partied on an Olympic level." In retrospect, the commercials were what bothered me the most. If Bode wanted to be his own man, then he shouldn't have sold out to Nike. If I hadn't been beseiged by the commercials and all the other hype (though I do understand that, unlike the commercials, much of the hype was beyond his control ), it would have been easier to regard him as a free spirit who goes his own way. He may be a great guy and very successful outside of the Olympics but that doesn't make my opinion of his actions during the olympics invalid. Nor does it mean that the Media force fed me my opinions. My intense dislike of the commercials certainly not something media driven. This was a topic discussed amongst friends and colleagues. The phrase "word of mouth" seems to best describe how I recollect this issue, not something where I followed the lead of Bob Costas. And that's where I think you're really missing the boat here. I can certainly understand you disagreeing with me for all the reasons you state above. But when you say that I can't even form my opinions without the Media force feeding them to me, you're basically saying that I'm incapable of forming my own opinions. I think you're too smart to need to stoop to that. Whoops. Not quite as succint as I thought.
posted by cjets at 07:20 PM on December 26, 2007
In retrospect, the commercials were what bothered me the most. If Bode wanted to be his own man, then he shouldn't have sold out to Nike. If I hadn't been beseiged by the commercials and all the other hype (though I do understand that, unlike the commercials, much of the hype was beyond his control ), it would have been easier to regard him as a free spirit who goes his own way. I'll go along with you on this. He's a very intelligent guy, but I think he was a bit of a babe in the woods re: the marketing machine, and how closely his every move would be scrutinized. Another possibility is that he thought he could handle it, since he had gotten a huge amount of attention in Europe since the Worlds in '03 -- we're talking a rock-star level of fame, "the king of St. Moritz". But Europeans are different about some things, alcohol among others, and one thing that went unnoticed in all the flap about Bode "skiing WASTED!!!" was the fact that the European media, racers and fans were pretty much scratching their heads in puzzlement, wondering what all the hysteria was about. I didn't see one quote in American media from a European racer, coach or fan condemning the "wasted" skiing; all I can recall is a couple of racer quotes (one was Beni Raich, don't remember the other) basically saying, "Um, well, I don't really see what the big deal is, excusemeIhavetogotrainnnow." So he had a fair amount of prior exposure to the European media machine, which didn't try to manufacture scandals about some things that American media love to jump on. In any case, yeah, Nike was a bad decision. He had to know they'd promote him as a likely winner of five gold medals, and the odds are so strongly against anyone ever doing that that it's not even funny -- and if someone promises five golds on your behalf, and you fail to deliver, there's no way you can come out of it looking good to an audience of casual observers. FWIW, I believe he may indeed be the best thing since skiing hit snow -- at least so far. Another generation comes along, and everything changes, but for now, he's got something that's often been imitated but never been duplicated. The overall World Cup looks like a knife fight in a phone booth this season, but I think he's the most balanced of the top contenders. A lot will become clear over the next month, anyway. Good chatting with you,
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:10 AM on December 27, 2007
Yeah, it is a little short on details and I had to stretch a little bit to get a decent picture of a destroyed baseball, but I found the story very amusing.