Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Sensing a Theme?

Is it sheer coincidence, or is The Sun subtly building a case for new ownership at the Warehouse? Perhaps Peter Angelos should talk to Governor Ehrlich about local newspaper relations.

First, an Op-Ed from Tuesday's paper:

Exasperated O's fans deserve better, on and off field (link to full article)
If you grew up loving baseball and cherishing the way it was played by the Baltimore Orioles, these dog days of summer are filled with sheer anguish and frustration. The "Oriole Way" that once produced 24 winning seasons out of 26, and a palpable spiritual bond between a city and its worthy team, has dissolved into history amid a disheartening run of ineptitude that, without a remarkable September turnaround, is about to produce a ninth consecutive losing year.

This accumulating record of failure, and the manner in which it has been achieved, has so ruptured fan relations that the only late-season rally being contemplated this year is a protest rally being promoted by a sports talk-radio station. That exercise is conceived not only as a show of passion for Orioles baseball but also as a communal denunciation of team management. Indeed, the stated goal is nothing less than to encourage the sale of the team to new ownership. Such is the state of exasperation of Orioles fans.

This sentiment is representative of the thousands of passionate Baltimoreans who grew up in the embrace of a baseball team that was shared across generations, neighborhoods, social classes and educational backgrounds.

Then, the paper ran this short piece on Wednesday about every O's fan's dream scenario:

If Orioles go on market, Ripken has an interest (link to full article)
Cal Ripken Jr. says he would consider purchasing the Orioles if owner Peter G. Angelos put the club up for sale.

"I think I could have value to a group, an ownership group," the former Orioles star said in an interview. "I like Mr. Angelos, and I don't know what's going to happen to his club, but if it were for sale, it would be interesting to explore."

Perhaps Thursday's Sun will document in excruciating detail Peter Angelos' tenure as Orioles owner.

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