In a suburb east of Cleveland, Ohio, the long-standing tradition of the town's post-season Little League All-Star game has been officially cancelled. The move was initiated by Beachwood Mayor Merle Gordon with letters to the players parents informing them of the cancellation. The decision was prompted by an article by a man named Fred Engh, founder of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, on a website entitle Parks & Rec Business. Mr. Engh argues that all-star games damage the self-esteem of the players not selected. He cites several reasons why all-star games are damaging, including chance of injury. He even goes so far as to insinuate that the mediocre ballers do not get picked because they may be "obese." That is actually the coolest part of the argument. Of course the fat kids don't get picked for the all-star game! Fatties can't steal second or run down a fly ball.
This is political correctness of the highest order, and not a small reason for the overall decay of our society. If a kid fails to make the all-star team is it the end of the world? Of course not. But now we are going to take away the joys of making and competing in an all-star game away from the kids who can achieve such a thing. It's bogus.
Welcome to the new America folks. Pretty soon there won't be an honor roll.
The next thing you know you will be treating your family to a brand new Scrabble set and when you get home and open it up you will find that there aren't any numbers on the tiles.
When the time comes for my daughter to start soccer I will refuse to enroll her in a league that condemns the infernal act of keeping score. If that means she has to take up golf then so be it. But when she starts to best her old man's tally I'm quitting.
America 2025: where the only game the masses are allowed to enjoy is tic-tac-toe.
We're fucked.
