george steinbrenner passed away today, a week after his 4th of july 80th birthday. the all american capitalist - he represented the bad and the good.  he had a driving desire to win and spent his profits to improve and dominate. my dad passed away a year and half ago, at age 79.  my dad was a capitalist, and more than that an ardent yankee fan.  the fiercest yankee fan you'll ever meet.  he wasn't a collector, didn't wear alot of gear.  he would just have sleepness nights if he watched or listened to games the yanks lost by a run or two.  he got sound sleeps when they won of course, and even when they lost big. he reasoned those were the games you're supposed to lose. but the close losses drove him nuts.

 he was ready to talk yankee baseball any minute, 365 days a year, to anybody, even if they didn't follow the sport.  he would have enjoyed today, as would have george, usurping the all-star game and george being heralded as possibly the best owner ever. so mythically, they're together today,  my dad finding his beloved yankee owner to talk away to, discuss players and strategies..the next signing.  i imagine george needs a break already, someone to talk horses with.  that's okay, there's the mick, joltin' joe, and thurman and... 

i was rooting for the usa yesterday...but barely...good feeling either way..  http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/worldcup2010/2010/06/27/2010-06-27_world_cup_2010_ghana_represents_all_of_africa_beats_the_world_by_taking_down_uni.html

interesting storyline developing on the history of the interaction and relationship between sports and government and society from the black sox scandal to jackie robinson to hearings on monopoly to collusion to steroids and pressure from sports from the nfl's lobbying to move the super bowl to honor martin luther king day to the nba's renaming the pheonix suns to los suns and the possible major league baseball action to move the 2011 all-star game to influence arizona's controversial immigration law. 

update note- currently the office of baseball is publicly quiet- a senator robert menendez (d-nj) is urging the baseball players union to boycott- hopefully some behind the scenes pressure is coming from the commissioners' office - but with the trend of bud selig to vacilate on issues of matter (he's more quick to action when it means a buck), he'll probably call a tie.

update - i hate the commish - he's a spud who never makes tough baseball decisions, never goes outside nothing- he had a perfect situation, which i faced with marco the local sports net/radio guy that night for bud to call a perfect game, institute an emergency proclamation for a further enhanced instant replay rule to make sure this situation, or jeffrey mair debacles don't happen again, he could name it the armando galarraga rule - and everybody's happy and baseball does the right human thing, gets great press and moves forward and the umpire is the happiest of all. the next batter making out created the perfect storm for bud to do this. there is precendent, the commish has the power to just do it. i hate spud so bad he makes me yearn for bowie kuhn - either way not dudes you want to have beers with. 

"you know barry bonds won't beg, and he won't cry."

"nobody is defending what bonds did with his own drug(steroid) use, ever. but bonds didn't start the 'steroid era'. (mark) mcgwire is the one who did that." 

"he (mcgwire) doesn't get cleared now because of a crying jag that started to make you think he was watching some kind of all-day 'old yeller' movie marathon."

from mike lupica 1/13/10 at  www.nydailynews.com