How do you know? It sounds right in keeping with the direct quotes to me.
Even if you don’t want to accept the stuff about Naegle or the racial stuff (which I didn’t bother to mention because I didn’t think it was important either), you’re still stuck with the instutionalized religion and the incredibly arrogant quotes from the execs.
I’ve been a Rockies fan since the first pitch back in the 90s – still have my first CR cap, which I bought at Mile High Stadium before Coors Field was even built. This is all news to me. That’s how arrogant and morally superior they’ve acted over the years, I guess – nobody knew about it. And yes, storyteller, it does matter that they kept it private.
I’m also a “reverent agnostic,” but I joined the cheering when Neagle left. Yeah, the elbow was an issue, but it was kind of refreshing to see an organization take the stand that they didn’t want to employ people who break the law. And paying a person for sex is against the law in Colorado.
Sports and religion is not a new mixture here in Coloraful Colorado. One of the more popular bumper stickers: “If God isn’t a Broncos fan, why are sunsets orange?” I guess you could say the same for the Rox – God must love the Rockies because He made 'em purple.
Bottom line: If mandatory prayer in the clubhouse and being privately moral wins pennants, I’m all for it. Go Rox and fuck the rest of ya’.
What did Lamar actually debunk?
For what it’s worth, the two Indians starting pitchers who actually looked GOOD in the playoffs are big time Christians (Jake Westbrook and Paul Byrd).
Seems like they just forgot to pray for the rest of the team 
Although - didja see the Locusts? (er, midges)
Might be something to this God and Baseball thing afterall…
Part of the standard MLB player contract says that a player violates the contract if he shall “fail, refuse or neglect to conform his personal conduct to the standards of good citizenship and good sportsmanship or to keep himself in first-class physical condition”.
In 2000, the Rockies signed Neagle to a 5 year, 51.5 million dollar contract. Nagle was hot at the time, having just been part of the Yankees series win, and the Rockies needed pitchers.
Then in 2001-2002, Neagle went into a slump, and in July of 2003, he injured his elbow and spent the rest of the season as well as the 2004 season on the disabled list.
So, when, at the end of 2004, he was arrested for being with a prostitute, the Rockies cut him, claiming he violated the provision of the contract I quoted above, and therefore, they didn’t owe him the $19 million left on his contract.
So, yeah, they dumped him “for the sake of moral purity”, but considering if they didn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to pitch anyway, it seems more likely to me that they dumped him because they saw a chance to get out of a contract with somebody who couldn’t perform, and thereby save themselves some money.
Here’s a less strident piece from the LATimes. It contains the same obnoxious quotes minus the Naegle stuff and the race stuff. It’s plenty. These guys are scum. GO SOX!
I was going to make a wise-ass comment about how you don’t need to worry because everyone knows that God loves the Red Sox best. Then I started to worry about jinxing my team. So I didn’t say it. Do you hear me, Universe? I did NOT say it!
ETA: I didn’t type it, even.
If it was a direct quote, they would have put it in quotes like all the other ones, barely relevant as they are.
Plus, I live here, am a big Rockies fan, and can’t stand Christian smugness. It wasn’t said. As others have stated, it was the morals clause in the standard player contract that was invoked to get out of paying him all that money. The article weasels it into implying that the club got rid of him for moral reasons alone.
You’re better than this.
They’re not scum. They just talk about God a lot. By focusing on this, you’re missing the more important point, which is that the Red Sox beat the Yankees. If they take the series after that, that will just encourage other teams to do the same thing.
I’m sorry, if I have to choose between rooting for a team that’s led by born again Christians and an American League East team in the series that isn’t the Yankees, it’s really not even a choice.
I have issues with any sports team that argues that God is on their side. God does not work that way, IMHO (Angels in the Outfield type movies being lovely to watch, but terrible theology in many ways).
That said…
The Rockies have NOT shoved this in everyone’s face. I am GLAD they dumped a player for violating the morals clause, and I wish that more teams would do so. Like it or not, pro sports players are held up as ideals and as role models - and I am glad that there is a team out there that won’t tolerate bad behaviour. The fact that the team is using its Christian Faith to drive adherence to fairly standard rules should only serve to point out how many teams have the same type of clause but never use it.
If the Rockies start discriminating (firing a Jewish player for no other reason than being Jewish, for example), I will have issues. I don’t see them doing that yet, however.
I think I will root on the Rockies just to piss off the anti-Christian element here in the Pit.
I didn’t say it was a direct quote, I said it was in keeping with the direct quotes.
[quote]
Plus, I live here, am a big Rockies fan, and can’t stand Christian smugness.[/quopte]
Aren’t you disappointed, than, to find out how pathologically superior and smug this organziation is on the inside.
I’m dropping the Naegle angle because I don’t really care but the verifiable stuff is bad enough.
Here’s the original USA Today piece, by the way. Warning: It may set off your gag reflex.
And how they’re morally superior to other teams, and how they’ve somehow been persecuted and how God helped them cheat in a playoff game.
You’re a Yankees fan? I would think that a fan of Satan’s team would hate the Rocckies like poison.
Go Rockies!!!
They didn’t cheat - they benefited from a blown call.
They DO claim to recruit for character - unlike other teams. Any statistics on Rockie player issues with the law vs. other teams? It certainly sounds like their clubhouse is a bit cleaner than that reported from other clubs.
All of the articles have emphasized that they do not discriminate in recruiting, but that they do expect a better level of behavior from their players.
Good for them.
Psst. You know that filthy Jew Jason Hirsh? I have it on good authority that the MSM just made up that story about him playing five innings on a broken leg just to make him look like a Hebrew Hero. What I’m told, and they spoke on condition of anonymity, is that Helton and Holliday held him down in the locker room while the All-American Farmboys whaled on him with their Louisville Sluggers.
Which they think was caused by God. Instead of acknowldging that their win was illegitimate, they claim they’re entitled to it because opf their moral superiority.
They’re definition of “character” seems to be purely religious. What’s unethical or immoral about dirty pictures on locker, for instance? Or rap music? What’s with the coersion of players into attending religious meetings?
I think Dio is over-reacting a bit to the articles, but I totally agree with his desire for the Sox to sweep the Rockies.
Go Sox!
“Christians, and what they’ve endured”? Like what? Is he actually referencing them being fed to the lions? When was the last time that happened?
And if God helps a team win because of what their religion endured, well, I’m starting an all Jewish team.
Do they still steal bases?
IU feel sorry for that guy. Dudes like that always have to suffer in cultures like this.
By the way, only douchebags use the acronym “MSM.” There is no such monolithic entity. It’s a mythical creature invented by conservative radio talk show hosts.