Calls to Boycott Dbacks Due to Arizona Illegal Immigration Law
By Scott Allen
So, you may have heard about the new Illegal Immigration bill that was passed in the Arizona Legislature and signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer last Friday. Senate Bill 1070. God knows I’ve been deep in it. My wife even had her hands on the bill minutes after Governor Brewer signed it. She works in the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. Now comes word there are protests being organized all along the country wherever the Arizona Diamondbacks play. My question is, why?
Regardless of how you feel, no matter which side of the fence you are on with this issue, no matter how much protesters try, boycotting a Diamondbacks game in Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York, no matter where the Dbacks play, does nothing to hurt the Diamondbacks nor the state of Arizona. It’s a waste of time. Let’s talk about why.
First of all, the Arizona Diamondbacks have nothing to do with the law, which doesn’t even become law until this summer after 90 days and that’s if none of the legal challenges pushes through. Then there is word today it could be 2012 before this bill could become law.
Secondly, all you are doing by protesting at other ballparks and boycotting games is hurting the home team, not the traveling Diamondbacks. Think about it. First, boycotting isn’t going to change the law. It isn’t going to repeal the law. The governing officials won’t be there and have no stake in Diamondbacks games. What protesters and boycotters will be doing in essence, is hurting their home team. Boycotting hurts the home team gate receipts. In fact, one could argue from the Dbacks perspective is go ahead, boycott. The fewer fans to listen to in road games, the better. You do nothing to hurt the Dbacks.
There are many ways to protest the Arizona law. This isn’t the way. I understand the sentiment but if someone with half a brain would think about this, and an intelligent person would, you bring the protest to Arizona, not a ballpark 2,000 miles away where the team from Arizona won’t even know the difference. Pittsburgh, yeah your absence won’t be felt. Don’t you get like 112 fans a game anyway? The Chicago Cubs will never see a boycott. Remember, fans there are die hard. They go to games in 15 degress and snow and 105 with 90 percent humidity, no matter how bad they are. Boycott in Philly? Never. In fact, the opposite will happen. You will just find more people to show up to heckle the Dbacks and their state laws. Same will happen in Los Angeles. Smart people in those cities will show up.
See, boycotting just won’t fly. Now, it might happen locally and that would hurt the Dbacks. No one is going anyway and the true Dbacks fans would never boycott the team no matter the local laws. So, let’s stop all this talk about protesting and boycotting the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s a waste of time, a waste of breath, just a plain waste. There are better ways to be heard.
Scott Allen