Huss on Mac...
by Mike Huss
Welcome to St. Louis, Missouri. The Gateway City: Where it's
all McGwire, all the time!! We are wasting away in Mark McGwireville.
This region (and actually the entire country) has been in such
a buzz since 8:18 PM Tuesday night (9/8/98). That's when Mark
McGwire blasted Home Run #62, becoming baseball's all time single
season home run leader.(well, at least for now). Everywhere you
look, adults, children, even dogs and cats are donning McGwire
merchandise. Buy STARTER Stock!!
Mark McGwire does not have to drop into CHEERS, because everyone
knows his name.
Heck, even the September 9th edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch
was in great demand. Buyers were actually hoarding copies. That
daily edition was nowhere to be found around the area. When was
the last time that anyone was scalping (or wanted to scalp) copies
of the PD?
Yes, indeed that was a magical night at the ballpark, capping
off a busy, hectic and frustrating weekend. The McGwire watch
brought 699 of my closest colleagues to town. Powerful outlets
like ESPN, CNN, the Major News Networks reported from our town.
National and World News reports, National Publications, Major
Television and Cable Networks are starting their reports or bylines
"From St. Louis".
We also played host to others who occupied space at the ballpark
from Nickelodeon, M-TV, and Television Tabloid show "EXTRA".
Some even could identify a baseball diamond and as many as three
Major League Players.
ATTENTION: Major League Baseball, Here is one for the suggestion
box. The next time you have a major story where swarms of media
will attend, please qualify them better. My suggestion: Try a
Spelling Test!!
I realize that since I am not a member of the Baseball Writers
Association of America, so perhaps this suggestion may not qualify.
To me, it is intriguing that this recent global media frenzy on
the McGwire (and now Sammy Sosa) story perhaps gives us a microscopic
view of our society, today. Right, wrong, or indifferent, sports
still has major impact with the public; perhaps to the point that
our priorities may be rearranged. Major topics of the day have
taken a back seat to the Home Run Chase of 1998.
Forget about the Kenneth Starr Report which may impeach a President,
or a stock market which rose 350 Points only later to drop days
later 300 points; or a Russian economy which is ready to collapse,
or problems in Sudan and Afghanistan; the public wants to know
how McGwire and Sosa are doing??
Locally, forget about local bus drivers being on strike, or road
construction. bridge closings, the Gateway City public is entranced
that Sosa has also blasted 62 HRs and is creeping up on Big Mac.
It is not surprising that the baseball chase is getting more
play than the serious problems of the day. Baseball in general
and sports in particular should serve as a diversion of the real
matters of the day. Maybe we don't want to deal with the major
problems. Sports remind us of simpler, perhaps happier times.
That actually may be a good thing.
However, as the "Jay Walking" segment of the Jay
Leno/Tonight Show can attest, there is much truth of the dumbing
down of America. Society may not know the name of the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United States but they do know the
name of the lady who turns the letters on Wheel of Fortune. This
is actually a scary thing.
In two weeks, the 1998 baseball season will end for the Cardinal
faithful. On that date, Mc Gwire Way reverts back to Stadium Plaza,
Brian Jordan will begin his time as a former Redbird, and will
all know will be Baseball's new all time single season HR champion(s?).
Let's enjoy it while at last before returning to the ugly, cold
facts of reality.
You know, like the Starr Report, or the St. Louis Rams season.
