in the same way that the Colts and Irsay came and went and so did Memorial Stadium. Things change.
I am very heartened to have witnessed the reclamation project with the Chicago Blackhawks and that happened very quickly in the NHL.
But for the near future, in my mind, any serious suggestions for change and championship-caliber baseball mean Angelos can’t be involved.
And, again, that’s not what I think. That’s what people tell me every day. I’m the poster child for Orioles angst around town, which I think is a shame. I do what I do because I love the Orioles and I love baseball and I’m mortified by the last 14 years and what it’s done to the local sports community.
But I know I’m right. And I know how much it’s personally devastated me and my business and the joy of my life. I wrote a book about it. But until Angelos stops putting the money you’re printing for him into his pockets or until you get pissed enough to create a political climate for change, it won’t change.
Why would it?
By my estimates, he’s made about a quarter of a BILLION dollars in profit since Free The Birds five years ago this week.
Approximately $250,000,000 dollars…
Think about it?
That, or just a little more than what it would’ve cost him to sign Mark Teixeira three seasons ago and all of that profit would’ve gone to one player – or maybe two, say Teixeira and Roy Halladay – and would that have really made this team competitive?
That’s baseball. That’s what we’ll never know and never find out because it’s pretty apparent to anyone who is paying attention that Angelos is hell bent on taking the profit and the losing that goes with it.
Peter Angelos has caught on. Just put the money in your pocket, take the criticism and be glad that you’re involved in the biggest insider joke in the history of modern politics and sport. Make the citizens build the stadium, buy low, sell high, get money from cable television that’s guaranteed and automated and then threaten to sue anyone else.
Make no mistake about it, Peter G. Angelos is #winning
Baltimore is #losing
And I’m not sure that’s going to change anytime soon.
I’ve certainly given up hope…
