MLB Network’s Propaganda

So, here’s what’s going on with the MLB network this evening. Instead of hiding this story and saying “innocent until proven guilty” and letting the unofficial outlets like ESPN beat it into the ground, or simply pushing it under the rug with reruns, they brought out Bob Costas (the most respected interviewer on MLBN) to do a live interview (on a Saturday night!) with the SI reporter who broke the story.

Costas tossed softball questions trying to show how everything she did was foolproof, with a particular focus on “subtle” allegations that Gene Orza and the players union was complicit in both the actual cheating and a cover-up of all results. After this, they had everybody (Reynolds, other misc. talking heads, etc) on with Costas in a live roundtable discussion absolutely assassinating the player’s union. During this discussion, they essentially likened it to Nixon/Watergate, all but saying it was a massive coverup and that the union members were brainwashed and radicalized.

So Bud Selig gave marching orders to his shiny new station that they were to destroy the player’s union while more or less ignoring what Alex did or did not do. They attempted to make the union seem like crazed, corrupt radicals, hiding info and fabricating results. The net effect of this, of course, is that:

1). MLB gets the PR boost of being lied to (ostensibly) by the player’s union, and so Selig’s total inaction is forgotten.

2). MLB gets to plead innocent on the entire issue.

3). Selig gets to parlay this propaganda war into the removal of all of the union leaders who could come close to being involved in the steroid years.

4). Selig demands whatever he wants for the next version of the CBA.

It’s brilliant. horrible, evil, and wretched to watch, but brilliant to see done well. The worst thing is the utter destruction of any shred of respectability Bob Costas had yet.

I hope Gammo steers clear of this network as much as possible. I feel dirty just for watching. It’s very clear that Selig is going to have the network by a stranglehold, and the quick-response team already in place to act as 24 hour propaganda arm.