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  1. #1

    Talking Open Letters to Congress

    Since our government representatives are so gung ho on solving baseball's steroids problem and the NFL's spygate (not to mention the BCS), I'd like to make a list of other problems they can waste their time -- and our money -- investigating.

    Let's start with the NBA. Maybe Senator Specter can lead a multi-million dollar investigation to find out why traveling is not called in NBA games.

    In baseball, a MUCH MUCH better use of their time would be to establish a federal law banning the Designated Hitter. This, literally, would be PRO-hibition.

    Then I'd like to know just what the deal is with the bumping in Nascar races.
    C

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Baltimore
    Anyone else catch mike patrick say something to the effect of "I'm really glad that, not that congress has solved the terrorism problem and the economy, they're focusing on steroids."

    Made me laugh, couldn't believe he said it. It was so deadpan, I almost believed he was serious
    Duke '03
    Tent 1 '99/'00

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by cf-62 View Post
    ...Then I'd like to know just what the deal is with the bumping in Nascar races.
    C
    Rubbin', son, is racin'.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by cf-62 View Post

    Then I'd like to know just what the deal is with the bumping in Nascar races.
    After they address bumping in Nascar races, they should move on to college basketball. Assign a group to review bumping in end of game situations when the player is bumped out of bounds.

  5. #5
    I'm taking the opposite approach. Congress SHOULD be holding these kind of hearings for at least four good reasons:

    (1) Congress has granted baseball an antitrust exemption, and it is good to remind baseball this is a rare privilege that can be taken away

    (2) All those shiny new ballparks have been mostly paid for by taxpayer dollars -- mostly at the state level, but given the national nature of the game you can't look at this problem at the state level

    (3) I'm very skeptical that any attempt by Congress to solve the "bigger" problems other posters allude to will produce a result I'm happy with

    (4) WE put these people there. Don't like them? Vote for someone else.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Waterloo, Ontario (unfortunately, no longer in London England).
    Quote Originally Posted by cf-62 View Post

    Let's start with the NBA. Maybe Senator Specter can lead a multi-million dollar investigation to find out why traveling is not called in NBA games.
    They should also look into why palming the ball is never called either. But should that be part of the travelling investigation or should they do a separate one for palming?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Waterloo, Ontario (unfortunately, no longer in London England).
    Quote Originally Posted by wilson View Post
    Rubbin', son, is racin'.
    I agree.

    For some reason though, I just cannot get into Nascar. I far prefer Champ Car (or Indy Car or whatever you want to call it). I'm just looking forward to them (hopefully) finally fixing the split that has ruined the sport for the last decade or more.

    As for Nascar, although it is something that I should love I just cannot watch an entire race. Maybe it's the fact that they only go on circles (no road courses) that makes it so boring to me. I don't know what it is. Nascar is something that I want to like but I haven't been able to really get into it yet.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Goldsboro, NC

    Or....

    Quote Originally Posted by cf-62 View Post
    Since our government representatives are so gung ho on solving baseball's steroids problem and the NFL's spygate (not to mention the BCS), I'd like to make a list of other problems they can waste their time -- and our money -- investigating.

    Let's start with the NBA. Maybe Senator Specter can lead a multi-million dollar investigation to find out why traveling is not called in NBA games.

    In baseball, a MUCH MUCH better use of their time would be to establish a federal law banning the Designated Hitter. This, literally, would be PRO-hibition.

    Then I'd like to know just what the deal is with the bumping in Nascar races.
    C
    Why the college refs think Hanstravel is in NBA already and allows him 3-4 steps in a college game. He can at least wait until he gets to the league to get away with it.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Orange County, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by wilson View Post
    Rubbin', son, is racin'.
    Can't they just outlaw Nascar altogether.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by hurleyfor3 View Post
    (1) Congress has granted baseball an antitrust exemption, and it is good to remind baseball this is a rare privilege that can be taken away
    Actually, Congress has never explicitly granted an antitrust exemption to professional baseball. The exemption arises from a Supreme Court decision holding that the Sherman Antitrust Act does not apply to baseball:

    Federal Baseball Club v. National League, 259 U.S. 200 (1922)

    Reaffirmed in Flood v. Kuhn, 407 U.S. 258 (1972)

    As far as Congress is concerned, the most that can be said is that it has "acquiesced" to the exemption articulated by the Supreme Court by not acting to change it (so far). However, because the exemption rests on an issue of statutory interpretation and is not constitutional in nature, Congress could remove the exemption any time it wants to by simply amending the statute to make it clear that professional baseball is not exempt. Some folks in Congress have made noises to that effect a few times in the past, but to date, Congress hasn't followed through.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Lompoc, West Carolina
    I hope they stay in these hearings for a long time, to the point of gridlock. This way they aren't legislating freedoms away from us.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by pamtar View Post
    Can't they just outlaw Nascar altogether.
    No...

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