Pete Rose, Donald Trump and the corruption of literally everything

[marmar]

Pete Rose, Donald Trump and the corruption of literally everything
Our president's meddling in baseball history: Another reminder that he ruins everything he touches

By Mike Lofgren
Contributing Writer
Published May 24, 2025 10:49AM (EDT)


(Salon) On May 13, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, issued a decision reinstating Hall of Fame eligibility of 17 deceased former players, all of whom had previously been permanently banned from possible inclusion.

BFD, you might say, and you would be right. Given climate change, the planet’s wars and the horrific last four months that sane Americans have had to endure, what difference does any of that make? You may think that professional sports are mere Roman circuses to keep the proles diverted from matters their rulers don’t want them to think about, except that unlike the circuses of the Roman Empire, which were free, the American varieties charge exorbitant admission prices (either directly or through cable and streaming charges).

....(snip)....

Manfred met with Donald Trump in the White House a couple of weeks before this decision. That is the only salient reason. Trump has said that he, as president, would grant Rose “a complete pardon”; since that cannot logically pertain to the Baseball Hall of Fame issue, it probably refers to Rose’s conviction on two charges of tax evasion, for which he was fined and briefly imprisoned.

....(snip)....

Lots of sports stars have been less-than-stellar characters: we need only think of Ty Cobb and all the ’roided-up players who established suspicious home run records. But it seems reasonable to assume that Trump’s sudden obsession with Hall of Fame eligibility standards has to do not merely with Rose’s baseball infractions, but also with the ballplayer’s moral turpitude off the field.

As has been the case with virtually all Trump’s pardons, Rose is exactly the sort of person for whom our president would feel a natural affinity. If liars, cheaters and tax evaders can be exonerated, then Trump has symbolically defined our national deviancy down to his own level, and of course wins thereby. He displays a virtually demonic lust to corrupt everything he touches. .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/05/24/pete-rose-donald-and-the-corruption-of-literally-everything/

[love_katz]

1. Rump dishonors and then kills everything he touches.

I'm not a fan of professional sports, but I'm not surprised that Agolf $hitler is trying to glom on to some unearned fame from professional sports players. And is totally on-brand that he wants to cozy up to people who are scum bags, just like him.