As we have documented here more than once, liberal bias has a way of working its way into all nooks and crannies of the MSM, including sports reporting. That made it particularly refreshing to hear renowned sports journalist Peter Gammons take a stand today for small government and private philanthropy.
Gammons, whose main ESPN beat is baseball, and who was honored at the Hall of Fame in 2005, was a guest on today's "Morning Joe." After discussing some of the negative news surrounding sports these days, including the dogfighting indictment of Michael Vick and the Jose Offerman bat attack, talk turned to more positive developments. Host Joe Scarborough asked Gammons about his work on behalf of the "Foundation to be Named Later," a charity formed by Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and his brother Paul that, as described by Wikipedia, raises funds and awareness for non-profit agencies serving disadvantaged youth in the Greater Boston area.
Gammons then made this observation.
PETER GAMMONS: For those of us who believe that we can't be asking government to run programs left and right, it's up to us to do things for people a lot less fortunate than we are.
Good on Gammons. You might say, Peter Gammons: Point of Light.
Note: While interested in helping the unfortunate, Gammons has overcome significant misfortune of his own, returning to work after overcoming a serious health challenge.
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He's a HOFer
August 16, 2007 - 08:12 ET by dvdaughtryGammons is a dying breed. He's reason enough to watch the whoopla of that 4 letter network.
I am not for diversity. I am for what works.
...
August 16, 2007 - 09:50 ET by mattmLet's hope he's not a dying breed. If those on (and in) the Right keep exposing and hammering the Left (or the wrong) it will be the Libs who will be the dying breed.
Peter Gammons is always
August 16, 2007 - 08:18 ET by KC MulvillePeter Gammons is always entertaining, always delivers insights that comes from real baseball people, and seems like a decent guy. As for the political view of journalists, a couple points:
Note the correlation between journalists and social activists. They both want to do the same thing … “change the world.” It isn’t so much that they want the world changed; they’re compelled to be the ones to change it. Remember that when journalists declare that they’re politically neutral. People who live to “make an impact” have a hard time eliminating themselves from the actual story.
We need to analyze why journalists and social activists tend Democrat. Since activists are overwhelmingly Democrat, maybe Republicans just don’t feel welcome. Birds of a feather, so to speak. But I think the answer is much more ideological: liberals take for granted that changing the world (to their way of thinking) is a good thing. Conservatives prefer to take the world as it is, and let individuals’ own self-interest move society on its own.
Whoah, Nellie!
August 16, 2007 - 10:46 ET by Fidel SarcastroI think we need to differentiate between "activists" and "advocates". An "advocate" is someone who types up a newspaper column lambasting the federal government for failing the victims of Hurricane Katrina. An "activist" is someone who takes a weeks vacation from their job to volunteer to rebuild Katrina-damaged houses in New Orleans.
Anybody can advocate for someone else to do something. Unfortunately, that's a skill all too prevalent in modern journalism. True activism is hardly exclusive to those on the political left.
"The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution."
Hannah Arendt
On the surface, his comment
August 16, 2007 - 10:47 ET by robert108On the surface, his comment seems like a good one, but the reality is that, if we didn't have so much of our money confiscated by the social engineers, charitable giving would increase over what it is already. It has also been demonstrated that conservatives and Republicans generally give more to charity than lefties and Dems. He should preach to them, not to us.
He wasn't "preaching" to
August 16, 2007 - 20:35 ET by balboaHe wasn't "preaching" to anyone. He was making a point on a TV show.
PETER GAMMONS: For those
August 16, 2007 - 11:10 ET by motherbeltPETER GAMMONS: For those of us who believe that we can't be asking
government to run programs left and right, it's up to us to do things
for people a lot less fortunate than we are.
That's quite a difference from Michael Moore. When told by Star Parker on "The View" that Jesus didn't say to take money out of your neighbor's pocket to "take care of each other", Michael Moore the bible scholar, retorted that "He said we should do it collectively!"
Chapter and verse, Mikey?
Mr. Gammons, bless him, puts his efforts where his mouth is. That can't be said for Moore.
Interesting that this comes
August 16, 2007 - 11:52 ET by Del DolemonteInteresting that this comes from Gammons, who for almost 20 years wrote about the Red Sox for the liberal Boston Globe.
By the way, Peter also plays Strat in a Boston-based rock band, which performs for Theo Epstein's charity. He released an album last year which isn't too shabby!
Good for you...
August 16, 2007 - 13:01 ET by Wildcatter1980...Peter, good for you!
Just my $0.02
Have they yet?
August 16, 2007 - 21:48 ET by tkeefeAs my grandpa use to say ( I wish the left would!)