Staff Blog
Cheapening the Chip? Phils to Shill for Obama
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| photo credit: Leeney |
If Curt Schilling was a shill for using his World Series title to increase his Q rating as he campaigned for Bush in 2004, then it’s probably only fair we say the same thing about our hometown Phils, who are set to campaign with Joe Biden tonight:
Democratic VP nominee Joe Biden will try to snare a little winning mojo in his last campaign rally before election day – appearing in Philadelphia with members of the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.
Biden is a Phillies fan, though he’s occasionally mispronounced a name (calling closer Brad Lidge “Brad Ledge”) or gotten a fact wrong (saying his wife attended game 6 of the World Series, when in fact the Phillies won in 5).
I’m of two minds about this: On one hand, I’m tired of the “Republicans buy sneakers too,” MJ-level
ubiquitous branding. I’d like athletes to be human, and I prefer personality to a conscious absence of it (which is why I loved Chase’s moment of honesty so much). On the other, politics are kind of important, and the fact that someone out there may vote for a candidate because a baseball player thought they should strikes me as somewhere between scary and repulsive.
Are people happy about this? Would they be happy if the team was shilling for the other candidate?
maybe these Phils just Like Biden (and Curt just liked Bush). Its not ALL salemanship is it?
Part of what can make sports interesting Id say is that the players DO have personality as you note…its not a bad thing to know ANYone’s opinion. Curt= great player, crazy political chooser, all part of his package. Id be MUCH unhappier it it was going the otherway, but no less interested. Thanks for the news. Go Good Guys.
First, Schill actually went out on tour, that’s different than making an appearance in your own town. Come to think of it, does Schill have a town?
I don’t like Schill as a guy (great pitcher I concede), ditto W. So I had double negative feelings when they teamed up.
I do like this Phil’s team, ditto Barack. So I have double positive feelings when certain Phil’s and Uncle Joe team up tonight at Marconi field. (Broad & Bigler y’all – down by the Expressway overpass just north of the stadiums, see you there?)
If Phil’s I like made an appearance for Senator McCain, I’d wonder about it, but give them a pass.
Hope this helps