The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is among the biggest in sports. There are many more Giants fans than Dodgers fans here in the Bay Area, so let’s run through an analogy. Imagine a play occurs during this rivalry game where the Giants runner is called out, but it seems close, so the Giants challenge the call. With instant replay in effect, the stadium and viewers at home can see the play. Looking at the review, it’s clear the runner is out. The umpire upholds the call and some Giants fans boo. Some hurl insults at the umpire.
But what if the Giants organization leaned into this rhetoric from their most biased supporters and refused to accept umpires’ calls supported by video evidence simply because it benefited the hated Dodgers? What if they started attacking umpires and demanded that, to prove their loyalty as a fan, the entire fan base do the same — because calling the runner “out” must mean they are a Dodgers fan? Or worse yet, what if they attacked MLB’s replay videos and manipulated them using AI, pushing them out on social media?
How many Giants fans would support this simply because it harms their rival? What if support for this behavior became the requirement for being a Giants fan?
I worry we are already in this timeline. Politics as a team sport has become the norm. We must ground ourselves in objective truth and strengthen democratic institutions, lest we descend into partisan madness that could end our democracy.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.