Deadspin
As we continue to try to make peace with ESPN's ridiculous Bonds coverage last evening, we strap on our Fire Joe Morgan helmet for a moment and present our favorite moment from last night's telecast, as relayed by a reader (and mentioned by a couple of commenters):
"As Barry walks into left field, he is faced with a massive banner, that must be held by 30 - 40 people across the first row of the left field bleachers. It reads, 'Babe did it on hot dogs and beer. Hank did it with class. How did you do it?'
Joe Morgan, clutching his Sports Emmy, says, 'The funny thing about that is that, wasn't beer illegal in Babe Ruth's day?'
Dude, totally. He's absolutely right. Whoa.
Phillies Win; ESPN Says 'Bonds Is Awesome' [Philadelphia Will Do]
(UPDATE: A reader points out: "Actually — and hardly surprisingly — Joe Morgan was still wrong. During prohibition, mass production, distribution and sales of booze was illegal. However, personal consumption was still very much legal. It's nice to see that even as somethings change, there are still things like Joe Morgan being wrong that you can always count on.)
Comments
'The funny thing about that is that, wasn't beer illegal in Babe Ruth's day?' not when he played for boston...
I wonder if he got that information from a book or possibly even a *gasp* computer?!
sometimes Jon Miller's reactions are just great. when Morgan says something so mind-boggling, Miller just pauses for a few seconds, feels himself get a slight bit stupider, then changes the subject like the conversation never existed. now that's a primetime broadcaster.
That comment was so amazing I forgot it when I was writing this morning. The only thing that would have made it better would've been if he had added in "I hate Billy Beane, the author of Moneyball!" at the end of it.
My favorite moment last night was right after he hit the HR, people were standing and yelling at him (yes, a few were cheering; the people standing next to Bonds' mom didnt want to get sucker punched) and booing, etc. So what does Joe Morgan say "Well the Philly fans are knowledgable; they're giving him a standing ovation." If that was a Standing O, then my wiffle OPS is greater than Ruth's.
Joe Morgan doesn't believe in computers, similar to how Carl Everett doesn't believe in dinosaurs.
However, beer is not a performance enhancer. Unless you count slump-busting.
Didn't Babe do it with hookers, too?
And Fred Smoot did it with a double-ender.
Excuse me for my delayed Standing O comment. Was actually busy working (gasp!) and checked the stories from most recent to earliest and didnt see that... hmmm... everyone noticed the same thing. Nonetheless, fire joe morgan.
Joe Morgan also commented something like fifteen times on things that, in his opinion, were "ironic." Example..."Ruth hit his 714th home run playing for the Braves, the team that, ironically enough, Aaron hit most of his home runs with." That's not even as ironic as a black fly in your chardonnay. Can someone get a seventh-grade teacher on the line for Mr. Morgan?
Not a performance enhancer? Beer makes me better at being a jackass, passing out, harassing strange women, vomiting, dropping my drawers at inappropriate times, and unraveling the complexities of string theory.
Aaron also hit a few home runs for the Brewers, who ironically produced the beer that the Babe illegally ingested during his best years. Joe Morgan must be forced to walk around the ESPN studios in a leather village people outfit until Berman hits on him.
You're with me, Ombudsman.
Did Budweiser pay for that banner? Is that Ted Ferguson on the end? Seriously, best picture ever.
I'm going to go crawl back into my cave after today. First, Cptn. Caveman agreeing with Tsetse, and now Joe Morgan being right. Even reminding myself that even a blind squirrel finds a few nuts once in a while is not helping with that one.
people botching the use of the word irony isn't so bad, i've gotten used to it. but when somebody like morgan does it over and over again i weep for our nation's education
Prohibition only banned manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol. Possession and consumption were still legal.
This post brought to you by Bud Light.
I am surprised Joe didn't make a remark about those fans holding the signs having never played. This is the same guy that blew off the HOF inductions lanst year for the first time since he got in, when Ryne Sandberg was inducted. If/when Barry gets in, I bet he is the only HOFer that doesn't boycott, unless another second baseman like Jeff Kent is inducted at the same time.
That fact that Joe Morgan has a job is ironic. No; wait a minute. No it's not. Unless Joe Morgan says that Joe Morgan having a job is ironic. Then it's ironic. I'm on board with the fire Joe Morgan petition.
Monday Morning Punter nails it. Plus, during 1921, arguably Babe's best season statistically (YMMV), President Harding was having whiskey delivered to the back door of the White House in defiance of both the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act. And as we all know, until President Nixon, when the President does it, it isn't illegal. And since Ruth made more than the President (well, he did have a better year), it must not have been illegal for him either. I'll have a flowchart printed up for that later.
We kept track. "Ironic" count: Morgan - Five uses, all incorrect Miller - Two uses, both correct
Further evidence that Joe Morgan is totally unnecessary. Do he and Stu Scott have a running argument at the ESPN holiday party about who kisses more athelete ass?
As my uncle said on the phone the other day, the Babe also did it with antibiotics (or whatever) to treat the V.D. he got from hookers.
Someone asked me today at the gym about the whole Bonds and Babe's Record issue. I said I thought that Bonds' homers should have at least an asterisk. Apparently the old dude with the nasty beard on the treadmill heard me, and must have watched Joltin' Joe last night, and started rambling about Babe should have an asterisk too because of prohibition and he drank all that beer. Wacko.
I have a masters in writing studies, and so it kills me when people can't use the language properly (except on the Internet, the Wild West of Grammar). And yes, I know the grammar Nazi-ing is to my own detriment, which explains why I'm on Deadspin at 11 p.m. and not out with a girl. Thank you, Unsilent Majority for your support and Zembla for your fact checking.
From the Wikipedia article on Prohibition: This discrepancy between legality and actual practice led to widespread disdain for authority. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition As such, I think the comparison of steroid use to alcohol consumption is fairly apt. Not spurious. APT!!
Rev, legality vs. practice aside, please explain to me the benefits of alcohol in relation to athletic performance. By your logic, David Wells should have at least 400 home runs by now.
Joe's performance Sunday night appears to have dealt a crushing blow to firejoemorgan.
Actually, MMPunter, I was thinking more about people's regard for Bud Selig. Personally, I think Bonds has accomplished a mighty goal with respect to his jealousy of Big Mac: Have baseball fans been this united about anything since McGuire? People are giving props to Philadelphia fans for chrissakes! Bonds is a god.
"To be honest, I made signs. There's nothing a guy who has never made a sign can teach me about making a sign. Or about Prohibition."
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