La Velle Neal has covered the Minnesota Twins for more than two decades. Generally his writing is concise, worthwhile, and sticks to proper topics. But like most sports writers, he is on the political left and stepped outside his knowledge zone this weekend to praise baseball’s egregious decision to relocate the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver over an innocuous Georgia voting bill.
Neal led by saying it’s a “Home. Run.” He then added, “MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has stepped toward the fire with a decision that will not be popular with many baseball fans or politicians. Those things happen when making a stand, but Manfred appears ready to deal with the consequences while backing players who believe that Black Georgians are facing voter suppression.”
There is no “voter suppression,” Mr. Neal; black turnout hit record highs last year.
Rob Manfred did not cite a single disagreement with the legislation because he probably never read it; when will a reporter ask the commissioner, his fellow corporate cowards at Delta and Coca-Cola, or Barack Obama, which particular provision of the 96-page bill they dislike? They could not answer, as it requires reading the law. It is far easier bowing to a leftist mob.
“Some provisions of the law have come under fire for potentially affecting Black voters more than any other group,” Neal continued. “Solutions are being thrown at a problem many don’t feel exists, a result of President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud from the November election that were never proven. Black voters are wondering if Jim Crow has emerged from a time machine.”
“Many don’t feel” is poor journalism. Citing Jim Crow is a dangerous, offensive slur that should not be used in 2021, even if the current president does.
Neal ended his rant with more clichés and misstatements.
“MLB is not usually on the front lines of political causes. But last season the league supported its players who supported the BLM movement, and many players took a knee during the national anthem. And Manfred is listening to them again,” he wrote.
A duplicitous fool, Manfred only listens to the hard left players union and his progressive underlings, La Velle. Even radical conspiracy theorist Stacey Abrams has argued against these boycotts, as has Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Sports are absolutely not platforms for electoral politics, and the modern left does not tolerate conservative views being espoused. So spare me the hypocrisy. Millions of baseball fans were irate seeing low-information athletes bow to a bigoted Marxist group last summer.
But because of lies and the agenda of elite progressives like Manfred, the president, CEOs, and mainstream media, the Peach State stands to lose nine figures in revenue, which even Neal confesses, “will affect every socio-economic level there.” So Democrats continue to destroy societies and move on.
I guess Neal is fine with it because “baseball no longer has a ‘take action’ problem.” But it’s a game, not an activist league; don’t become the NBA, which lost most viewers while turning a blind eye to China’s evil actions simply because they profit from them.
I also wonder if Neal understands this drama was caused by lies from President Joe Biden; prevarications that even the Washington Post‘s liberal fact-checker Glenn Kessler gave “four Pinocchios” last week.
Either purposely or ignorantly, Biden mischaracterized provisions of this law, which actually bolsters election integrity. The bill also codifies drop boxes for ballots as a permanent feature of the state’s voting system, expands early voting, and institutes a voter ID requirement supported by Americans of all races.
“The Election Integrity Act expands access to the polls and ensures the integrity of the ballot box. Then, why did MLB move the All-Star game yesterday? Because Joe Biden and Stacey Abrams have spent days lying to Georgians and the American people,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday. “Yesterday, MLB caved to fear and lies from liberal activists. They ignored the consequences of their decision on the community.”
I am eager for what Neal will say next. My guess is nothing. He’s got a baseball game to cover and should focus on that, because he’s otherwise not interested in honest conversations.
A.J. Kaufman
A.J. Kaufman is an Alpha News columnist. His work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Florida Sun-Sentinel, Indianapolis Star, Israel National News, Orange County Register, St. Cloud Times, Star-Tribune, and across AIM Media Midwest and the Internet. Kaufman previously worked as a school teacher and military historian.
