Frickin' WEAK

A bit off topic, but ESPN announced that an arbiter had Kenny Rogers reinstated after serving thirteen of his twenty game suspension and that his $50,000 fine will be converted into a charitable contribution. The arbiter, Shyam Das, made the decision in Chicago after a hearing on Monday. Not surprisingly, the players union head, Donald Fehr, was happy about the decision, calling the original ruling "out of line." Also not surprisingly, Commissioner Bud Selig said he was upset by the decision, saying:

I strongly disagree with arbitrator Das' decision today. It sends the wrong message to every one of our constituents: the fans, the media, and our players." "There is a standard of behavior that is expected of our players, which was breached in this case. The arbitrator's decision diminishes that standard and is contrary to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. In my opinion, the decision is seriously ill-conceived.

Personally, I think the Commissioner is right, even if he's too weak to enforce his will. What Rogers did is wrong, period. Physical violence is not supposed to be a part of this game any more than gambling or steroids and Rogers went much farther than bumping an umpire or getting into a fight with another player in a brawl: he attacked a cameraman, who did nothing to provoke the assault...and now he's getting out without serving punishment. Rogers will be pitching tomorrow night versus Arroyo; I hope the fans boo him every time he comes out on the field - I certainly would.

baseball | kenny rogers