International competition in sports could be the key to world peace.
Ok, maybe the statement is a bit fantastical, said in the company of pink elephants and lotus leaves and whatever else one can lose oneself in, but think about it. Isn't the idea of sports teams from countries who hate each other competing peacefully very utopian? As if games can occupy the place in man's heart where war sometimes is?
The World Baseball Classic is currently underway, the first real World Cup-like international baseball tournament, and it really shows how international baseball has become. These are Major League players, not amateurs, 16 teams from six continents doing something other than dropping bombs on each other. (Although there were a few beanballs today.)
The most interesting team in the tournament is probably Cuba, who had to get special permission from the State Defartment before participating and who was denied entry on the first request. El Commendant or whatever they call their beloved brutal asshole for a dictator gave them a special send off party, daring to quote Che when his regime has no ounce of Che in it and never has.
My theory is that Castro's whole beef with the US stems from his failed attempts to make the Majors as a pitcher, as he tried out before real integration took place and more than likely he just wasn't good enough.
FYI: The US team got spanked today by Canada. Good game, though.
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