The Thrill Is Gone

I’m still a baseball fan… a Yankee fan; but, I’m not anything like the baseball freak I was once upon a time. It’s no wonder I was something of a math whiz when I was a kid, the way I used to pour over the daily box scores and monitor the stats wars. By the time I was 10, I had memorized the Red Book, the encyclopedia of baseball stats and records, cover to cover. And, although my enthusiasm for the game lessened over the years, I remained a dedicated fan.

But, now, in the wake of the steroid/performance-enhancing-drug scandal, I find my interest in ye olde national pastime has fallen to new depths. The endless revelations regarding McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, Clemens, Bonds, A-Rod, Giambi, Ramirez, not to mention scores of fringe players, have made me an unabashed skeptic, distrusting the performances of all players.

Now, if someone’s knocking the snot out of the ball, I know they’re on the juice. It’s obvious. Contrarily, if they are mired in a slump, like Big Papi has been thus far in the 2009 season, I automatically think that their prior success was the result of steroid use and that, now, they are off the juice. That’s just the way it is.

While I was watching a game the other day, the players suddenly appeared to me stripped of all magic, lure, and charisma. There was nothing special about them at all – they were just a bunch of pitiful old men getting paid big bucks for playing a little kids’ game.

Will baseball ever recover from this mess?

Will I?

The Oscars - A Tale of Two Cities.

I just couldn’t help wondering about a city who lauds Heath Ledger, Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Junior, known substance abusers, while the rest of the country vilifies athletes who took ‘roids. If Barry Bonds can't make it to Cooperstown, he should move to Hollywood. At least there he would be a hero.

There weren’t many surprises – Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle, Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger all had been considered favorites. I was surprised by the show, itself, and the new set. Pretty decent. While not Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman was at least okay as host. And, I have to admit, I really enjoyed Queen Latifa’s rendition of Sentimental Journey during the memoriam montage. I was tempted to go out and buy her latest cd, but, by morning, I had come down off that Oscar high. I could feel the tension, heartache and disappointment when Jennifer Aniston stood there presenting with Brad and Angelina just a few steps away. That was sad. But I was more than shocked back into the moment by Sophia Loren who was suffering from too much botox, too much collagen, or too much make-up. She was downright scary.

Nothing sticks out among the acceptance speeches, though I do believe Sean Penn appeared slightly too pleased with himself when he was introduced as a fine human being. And, did I miss something? Did he even mention his wife?

Unfortunately, I did doze off for a good hour, but, all indications are, I saw all that mattered.