No, Thanks

The Sun-Times quoted some Cubs’ pitchers today about how great it would be to pitch for the United States in the Summer Olympics, if only baseball were a recognized sport. To which I say—No, thanks. I may be the only person in all fifty states to think that the Dream teams of the 1990s made up of American NBA stars was an embarrassing example of Ugly Americanism, but I do. I’d also argue it verges on big-time hypocrisy to lionize the Dream Teams, the antithesis of amateurism, and the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” men’s hockey team, the quintessential example of amateurism. But that’s just me. On a more practical note, I don’t see how NHL fans can stand having their sport shut down for over two weeks so players can to their respective national teams. I’d like to see that happen in the NFL. And I want to know how fans and teams will react when a star player gets injured. I don’t like the World Baseball Classic for how it messes with getting ready for the regular season. What if Tarik Skubal and/or Paul Skenes gets injured? It wouldn’t be any better if the injury happened on the mound at the Summer Olympics.