Sunday, May 28, 2006

Odds & Ends: Greatest Play in Baseball

Barry Bonds hit his 715th steroid-enhanced home run today, passing Babe Ruth. However, Bonds' asterisk-accompanied accomplishment is not the "greatest play" referred to in the title of this post.

Instead....

Thirty years ago last month, during a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, a father and son jumped out of the stands and ran into the outfield. Once they got there, they pulled out an American flag, soaked it with lighter fluid, and attempted to set it on fire. Before they could get it going, Cubs center fielder Rick Monday sprinted up and grabbed the lighter fluid-soaked flag away from the protesters. Afterward, the crowd in the stands spontaneously started singing "God Bless America."

I firmly believe, as does the Supreme Court of the United States, that burning the flag is constitutionally protected speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution. See (Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989)).

I also firmly believe that Rick Monday did a great thing in grabbing that flag.

MLB.com has photos and video.

No comments: