The Real Travesty

We are all jumping on the Men's U.S. Olympic basketball team and rightly so. However, as I was watching the television coverage this weekend, I was struck at something I consider nearly as appalling as USA Basketball's performance. The United States baseball team didn't even qualify for the Olympics.

Being a nutty baseball type to begin with, it's not like I didn't know the U.S. team failed to gain a berth in Athens. I just didn't know how I would feel when watching other teams run all over the diamond in Greece. Disappointed would be the obvious word, but I was more angry than that.

I know the Cubans send a pro team to the Summer Games. That's fine, but our college kids aren't even good enough to compete with the Japanese or Mexicans? Aren't most of their best players in Major League Baseball right now, too? Canada's baseball team made the field, for crying out loud. Good for our neighbors, but they aren't better than the United States.

Yeah, yeah, I'm jingoistic. I wasn't aware that was illegal. It isn't, is it? Regardless, I'm annoyed at USA Baseball. Something went wrong. I'm not going to pretend to know what, but it should get fixed quickly. Having a baseball tournament without the U.S. is ridiculous.

Brazilian would be in an uproar if they didn't qualify for the World Cup. Canadians would be upset if their national squad missed an Olympic hockey qualification. I think I have a right to be disgusted with the U.S. not making the baseball field in Athens.

It's not like I am saying I expect a gold medal, that's usually the domain of Cuba's national team, just an Olympic berth. I don't think expecting USA Baseball to be in the Olympics every four years is such an irrational, overly jingoistic ideal.

I really do feel bad for the young men who didn't get to go to Greece. I know they wanted to compete more than I wanted to watch them. They are probably having many of the same ideas about this as I am. Hopefully, by 2008, USA Baseball will be in the Olympic field. It's just a shame they aren't there now. I suspect the players would agree.