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I love the fact that the All-Star Game is coming to NY and even though I am a Mets fan, I think it is completely appropriate that the game be held at Yankee Stadium given the historic significance. (Why Shea has been shafted for many years – another time).
However some of the over-the-top festivities/promotions that MLB and the city have cooked up are just too much.
This past weekend, 42 replica Statue of Liberties (about 6 feet tall) were deposited at significant locations throughout the city. The replicas have the same design as Lady Lberty, but have been painted/overlaid with garish colors and pictures/emblems of the 30 current MLB teams as well as 12 other New York baseball-related themes (the Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Giants count as baseball-related theme apparently).
Aftet the All-Star Game these statues are to be auctioned off for charity. OK, of course I am going to say that is great. But have you seen these things? They look HORRIBLE.
MLB has already started to hear some criticism that by defacing Lady Liberty in such a way is unpatriotic. I disagree. Small replicas of each of the 42 are available for purchase at mlb.com and there is nothing more patriotic than selling a version of a national icon.
But seriously, these things are ugly and do nothing to celebrate the reverence that is supposed to be the All-Star Game. (I actually got through that last part with almost a straight face).