If you are not nice in view of a Canadian, well, be prepared to receive a frankly grumpy response. Case in point? The Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair on last night's intro to the All-Star Game:
We’ll leave aside the nonsense of Fox not showing the playing of O Canada on its telecast of last night’s All-Star Game. Fox is the lowest common denominator of our culture and ought not to be taken seriously. They are a loathsome network, worthy only of our pity. The point is this: baseball usually gets the All-Star Game right and this was an embarrassment. There was a Canadian, Jason Bay, voted on as a starter. There were two members of the Toronto Blue Jays starting, meaning a third of the AL starting lineup had ties to Canada.
And not much can be said for the fine, corn-fed Midwesterners at Busch Stadium who booed President Barack Obama. It was, frankly, shocking. I’d say 40 per-cent of the crowd booed and for a time it seemed they would carry the day until the majority drowned them out. More telling was the applause and cheers for George W. Bush’s appearance on a public service announcement made by all five living presidents.
Charges? Playing a taped version of the anthem in the presence of one Canadian player and two (soon to be one) who take US dollars to play 81 of 162 games in Canada. That makes it virtually as good as Canada Day on Parliament Hill when you think of it. Right? It was a shame that the US flags were even being displayed. Funny how the NYT focused on the game in its reporting. Odd that the Globe fails to mention how Halladay choked in the second.
And booing a politician! Seeing as 49% of folk in Missouri voted for the President's opponent I would figure 40% booing would constitute a 9% shift in favour of the Democrats. And given that Obama was a Chicago White Sox jacket in an cheeky act of clear hometown bias, well, that likely was the cause of half or more of the booing. Given that, wouldn't seem odd that the reigning executive would not receive boos in the order of 15-20%? Isn't that what a boo is for? We need more booing. But don't tell the Canadians.
Comments
Ben (The Tiger) - July 15, 2009 9:12 AM
Obama's people know better than to diss the Midwesterners -- they're the ones who elect presidents. (And he claims from time to time that he is one of them.)
Canadians are not so restrained.
P of K - July 15, 2009 9:55 AM
The booing of a newly elected American president by Americans, to me is a sign of a nation maturing away from blind nationalism toward something more indicative of a healthy democracy even more Canadian - albeit surficially crass. The irony of the whole affair is that George W's dismal performance probably is a contributor to America's collective realization that US Presidents are not infallible and do not deserve to be followed and supported without question.
As the for the anthem - a screw up by the organizers - either through intention of ignorance. A sackable offense for somebody but not one that should elicit indignation from Canadians. I think we can rise above that.
Ben (The Tiger) - July 15, 2009 11:49 AM
It could well be that they just hate his pitching.
I mean, it was a truly weak effort...
Say what you will about George W., he could do a great ceremonial first pitch.
In the words of Derek Jeter to the president at the 2001 World Series -- "This is New York -- throw from the mound, or they'll boo you!"
I'd cheer for Obama at the ballpark. Or I might sit on my hands, if I were really annoyed with him that day.
P of K - July 15, 2009 12:29 PM
He is definitely a suck-ass pitcher. Anyone know if he can chuck a pig skin?
Ben (The Tiger) - July 15, 2009 12:30 PM
Well, so far we know that he can't pitch and he can't bowl, so I wouldn't hold out much hope on that score.
But he _is_ a pretty darned good basketball player, so he saves his manhood with that.