Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Baltimore Orioles Are Acting Like Fascists
It doesn't seem like too many people in Baltimore care about the Orioles. This is evidenced by a significant lack of fans showing up to the ballpark throughout the 2006 season. In fact, last season the Orioles were 25th in stadium percent capacity filled. One would think that the Orioles' front office would eagerly beg, let alone allow, any interested media member to come to Camden Yards, in hope that their media coverage would bring more fans to the stadium. But apparently logical thinking isn't a part of the plan in Baltimore...
This is the case as the Orioles rejected the press credential application of now enraged local sports personality, Nestor Aparicio. A press release by WNST expressed the anger of Aparicio, radio host and also owner of 1570 AM WNST in Baltimore:
"It's just amazing that every single year, when you think it can't get any worse, it does," Aparicio said in a blog on his website, www.wnst.net. "Are they honestly trying to say that we're not a legitimate media entity, after we've covered every major sporting event in this country for 15 years? Is it a personal attack? Is it an attempt to punish us for being honest in our assessment of the Orioles franchise? I really don't know. But one of our chief complaints as an organization and as fans -- and every employee in my company grew up an Orioles fan -- has been the lack of professionalism and accountability from Peter Angelos and his franchise. This is a prime example.
Aparicio believes the rejection of the press credential comes as a result of a personal vendetta Angelos and the Orioles have against him for organizing a "Free the Birds" protest last season when the WNST staff led nearly 2,000 fans to exit simultaneously during a September 21st game last season, "designed to bring to light the plight of Orioles fans everywhere and the economic damage being done to the downtown area around the ballpark, which has suffered along with the Orioles' decade-long fall from grace."
"I would hate to think that Mr. Angelos would want to suppress free speech or punish true Orioles fans like myself and my staff at WNST," Aparicio said. "I have loved the Orioles for 38 years and I have 23 years of being honest and accountable in the media. My track record speaks for itself. To deny WNST or any specific person on our staff a press credential is wrong. To repress free speech is wrong."
Maybe if the Orioles' front office stopped acting like fascists, by denying press credentials to local media members who are critical of the franchise, and instead figured out how to win ball games, not only would the critics go away but more fans would start showing up as well.
5 Comments:
True story, a few years Angelos shut down some of more successful Mom and Pop hot dogs stands surrounding Camden Yards because they were making too much money
Remember the days when the Orioles were a winning team and an elite organization under Edward Bennett Williams...
Its sad that the Orioles blow every year...Baltimore winning is good for baseball
Man, unfortunately there's way too much of this 'big guy squashes small guy' stuff going around at the moment. What gives?
You guys seen the game, unbelievable, Orioles is my best team in the MLB. I wish I could go to watch all their games but ticket prices this season are getting very pricy. Brokers made the game hard to attend. Well talking about Brokers. I found a new web site where you can compare Baltimore-Orioles ticket brokers, the site is Baltimore-Orioles tickets
http://www.ticketwood.com/mlb/Baltimore-Orioles-Tickets/index.php . Well I hope this will be helpful for you guys. Go Go Orioles. Keep me updated Great blog!!!
You guys seen the game, unbelievable, orioles is my best team in the MLB. I wish I could go to watch all their games but ticket prices this season are getting very pricy. Brokers made the game hard to attend. Well talking about Brokers. I found a new web site where you can compare baltimore orioles ticket brokers, the site is
http://www.ticketwood.com/mlb/Baltimore-Orioles-Tickets/index.php . Well I hope this will be helpful for you guys. Go Go orioles. Keep me updated Great blog!!!
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