Last night I experienced one of Dante's planes of hell. That's right, I sat and watched Bud Selig testify before the House Judiciary Committee regarding H.R. 3288, the "Fairness in Antitrust in National Sports (FANS) Act of 2001." True to form, Commissioner Bud (or "Commissioner Squidward as my wife has taken to calling him) made an ass of himself and cast Major League owners in the worst possible light. He repeatedly refused to answer simple yes or no questions, and generally engaged in a disturbing yet all-too-familiar dance of rhetoric.

Selig's act appeared to wear thin on many of the committee members and others present, including fellow witnesses MLBPA rep Steven Fehr and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, as well as the entire Minnesota constituency. Representatives Maxine Waters (D - CA) and Anthony D. Weiner (D - NY) were particularly aggressive in their pursuit of straight answers, with Waters going so far as to remind Selig twice that he was under oath.

Baseball is in a sad, sad state as long as the former used car dealer is running things. I'm no expert but a partial repeal of the anti-trust exemption sure seems like a step in the right direction. At the very least, it will force Selig and his cronies to stop their tactics of intimidation and obfuscation. To make Major League Baseball accountable to the people, as are other businesses, might not keep it as stable as Commissioner Bud repeatedly reminds us it is, but given the mess he and the owners have made of our game, is that really such a bad thing?

Further resources:

• Testimony of Allan H. (Bud) Selig
• Testimony of Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura
• Testimony of Minnesota Twins President Jerry Bell
• Statement of Donald M. Fehr, Chairman of the Major League Baseball Players Association

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