Up Yours Congressman

I don't think there are few things (outside of actually watching the games) better than draft commenting. Anybody, even people who's vocabulary only consists of upside, verticle and athleticism can and do comment on who were the winners and losers (for the record I am one of those people as Hart will repeatedly note). By training I'm a political scientist which means I really like sports because its a good reason not to talk/read about politics (and if reading about Cleveland sports is less depressing than politics you know politics can be depressing). On this blog I typically avoid commentating on the intersection of politics and sports - however one topic has risen to the top and deserves a little airing.

The Washington Nationals are going to be sold off to a bidder. Thats typically how things work in sports (and business and well anything in a capitalist society): Individuals own things. Here's the catch: one of the members of a group aiming to purchase the Nats is George Soros. Soros was a huge donor to progressive groups and the Democratic Party in 2004. Obviously, for some Republican Congressmen, this must be an issue for someone with an ideology different from the ruling party to own things . As Sally Jenkins reported in the Washington Post today (an article I would encourage everyone to read) several Republican Congressmen threatened tougher steriod sanctions if Soros became part owner in the Nats and John Sweeney (NY) stated that baseball's anti-trust exemption might be lifted if the Soros group purchased the team. As Jenkins remarked:

I must have been napping, and that's why I missed the part where we became a country in which Democrats are no longer allowed to buy things.

I will firmly state that what Soros' political affiliation or political ideology is completely besides the point. The point is that someone could be denied ownership based on those beliefs or affiliations. Should all owners of professional sports be vetted to make sure they have the correct beliefs? Should any CEO or stockholder of a company that Congress regulates (and I assure you theres quite a few) pass an ideology litmus test to the in-power government or be forced out? Ultimately this question is one of personal freedom versus government coercion and I would hope Major League Baseball does not buckle under the threats but instead replies to Sweeney as I would "Up Yours".