Word: rockers
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Some contend that John Rocker's arguments in that fateful Sports Illustrated interview do not render him worthy of punishment. Famed conservative commentator Dennis Prager has defended Rocker to the hilt. In The Weekly Standard, Prager wrote that Rocker's disparaging remarks about Manhattan and its minority inhabitants "merit as little attention as comic books"--not the "hysteria" that the closing pitcher has received. On his talk show, Prager asserted that Rocker was simply exercising his freedom of speech and had never taken any action against the people who commute on the No. 7 subway train. Why shouldn...
...fairness, though, the New Yorkers had free reign to retaliate. Rocker made unsolicited, ungrounded and rude comments about Asians, women, New Yorkers, foreigners and blacks. And the people of the greater Manhattan area fought back with the same weapons: words. The vendors outside Shea Stadium were making a killing selling anti-Rocker apparel. A large majority of the audience donned specially designed T-shirts claiming the standard "John Rocker sucks" to the more creative "Rocker sucks Cox." (The aforementioned "Cox," of course, refers to Braves manager Bobby Cox.) One man proudly displayed a sign meant to read...
Prager and others characterize New York's reactions to Rocker as "hysterical," as a product of the media-mob, and as so ridiculous that it could not possibly yield commendable consequences...
There are benefits from the rivalry that exists between John Rocker and the rest of New York that extend beyond the marketability of the feud. Mets' fans hatred for the not-so-impressive Rocker (he had been demoted to the minor leagues just a few weeks ago) united the stadium in energy and enthusiasm. Rarely does anything today inspire entire groups of people to feel passionate and moved--or even just excited...
...dreary as the presidential race looks, there is hope on the horizon. Thankfully, the Rocker syndrome has struck more than just baseball; it has infected--and thus inspired--our politics, too. Consider this year's New York Senate race: When Rudolph W. Giuliani was still running, the contest focused on the popular opinion of the New York City mayor. Votes were determined by an assessment of the mayor's performance in office. (Hillary Clinton, of course, had done nothing for New York and there was no means of judging her performance.) Now that the mayor has excused himself from...