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Hall of Fame cancels movie gala over stars' remarks

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Oski2005, Apr 11, 2003.

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  1. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    Come on, this is getting ridiculous.


    Nuke and Annie's war stance means no 'Bull'


    Associated Press


    NEW YORK -- The Hall of Fame president, a former official in the Reagan administration, canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham" because of anti-war criticism by co-stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

    Dale Petroskey sent a letter to Robbins and Sarandon this week, telling them the festivities April 26-27 at Cooperstown, N.Y., had been called off.

    Recent comments by the actors "ultimately could put our troops in even more danger," said Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under President Reagan.

    Reached Wednesday night, Robbins said he was "dismayed" by the decision. He responded with a letter he planned to send to Petroskey, telling him: "You belong with the cowards and ideologues in a hall of infamy and shame."

    The weekend affair, planned months ago, also was to feature "Bull Durham" actor Robert Wuhl and writer-director Ron Shelton.

    Robbins plays an up-and-coming minor league pitcher in the 1988 film and Sarandon plays a fan who helps him focus his erratic talent. Kevin Costner also stars.

    Instead of commemorating the movie, the Hall canceled the celebration in a letter sent Tuesday to the scheduled participants.

    "In a free country such as ours, every American has the right to his or her own opinions, and to express them. Public figures, such as you, have platforms much larger than the average American's, which provides you an extraordinary opportunity to have your views heard -- and an equally large obligation to act and speak responsibly," Petroskey wrote.

    "We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important -- and sensitive -- time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger. As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict."

    Robbins and Sarandon, his longtime partner, have been active in peace rallies to protest the war in Iraq.

    In his letter, Robbins said he'd been looking forward to "a weekend away from politics and war." He said he remained "skeptical" of the war plans and told Petroskey he did not realize baseball was "a Republican sport."

    "I am sorry that you have chosen to use baseball and your position at the Hall of Fame to make a political statement," Robbins wrote. "I know there are many baseball fans that disagree with you, and even more that will react with disgust to realize baseball is being politicized.

    "To suggest that my criticism of the President put the troops in danger is absurd. ... I wish you had, in your letter, saved me the rhetoric and talked honestly about your ties to the Bush and Reagan administrations."

    Robbins signed his letter with a reference to an old World Series champion: "Long live democracy, free speech and the '69 Mets -- all improbable, glorious miracles that I have always believed in."



    Here's Rob Neyer's take.

    If we can't keep politics out of baseball, it's a sad time in our history.
     
    #1 Oski2005, Apr 11, 2003
  2. DCkid

    DCkid Member

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    Yep, pretty stupid. I can perfectly understand why he wouldn't want a person there who potentially could go all "Michael Moore" on their asses, but all it would have taken was a phone call to express the concerns. I don't like Tim Robbins, but I don't think he was planning on using it as a political platform.
     
    #2 DCkid, Apr 11, 2003
  3. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    They should honor "The natural" it is a better film anyway.

    :)

    DD
     
    #3 DaDakota, Apr 11, 2003
  4. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    Yeah, but if Susan Sarandon didn't go Michael Moore at the Oscars, why would they here? Petroskey isn't worried about them doing anything, he's calling it off for what they've already done and said, he makes it pretty clear in his letter.
     
    #4 Oski2005, Apr 11, 2003
  5. DaDakota

    DaDakota Balance wins
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    Oski,

    Freedom of speech is protected, but if people don't like what you are saying, they have the right to not listen.

    If they don't like what Robbins is saying, too bad.


    DD
     
    #5 DaDakota, Apr 11, 2003
  6. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    Is that all you have to say?

    I'm sure they have honored the natural, but this was about the 15 year anniversary of the movie. Bull Durham is probably the favorite baseball movie amongst all MLB guys. Ever notice the commercials for Baseball Tonight?
     
    #6 Oski2005, Apr 11, 2003
  7. Timing

    Timing Member

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    How pathetic. It's not the Communist Hall of Fame ya know.
     
    #7 Timing, Apr 11, 2003
  8. Hammer755

    Hammer755 Member

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    The ironic thing is that Robbins/Sarandon will get much more publicity now than if they had been allowed to go to Coopertown in the first place. I hadn't heard about the Bull Durham celebration until today, but I've seen Tim Robbins on SportsCenter today and have heard this story several times.
     
    #8 Hammer755, Apr 11, 2003
  9. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    But what does their opinions have to do with the scheduled celebration of this movie? So if we disagree with people, we have to shun them and shut them out even in unrelated matters?
     
    #9 Oski2005, Apr 11, 2003
  10. Chance

    Chance Member

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    Man those two are so outspoken that I'm glad the event was canceled. I would have done the same thing. And your communist inferences are r****ded. Let's not forget that although baseball is as woven into the american fabric as the constitution and the Star Spangled Baner it is still a business. While the Hall of Fame is almost like hallowed ground, it's still just a profit center. And if the folks that run it do not want to be associated with people for whatever reason they don't have to. Just like if all the liberals here at cc.net want to ban baseball, go aheah. Me...it makes me want to go pay $6 for a dog a little more often.
     
    #10 Chance, Apr 11, 2003
  11. giddyup

    giddyup Member

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    If it were this never would have happened...
     
    #11 giddyup, Apr 11, 2003
  12. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    Bull Durham and The Natural are soooooooooo overrated. IMHO

    The Natural is corny. Guy knocks the ball into the lights his last at bat, what is that a kids movie.
     
    #12 pgabriel, Apr 11, 2003
  13. RIET

    RIET Member

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    Have you seen Robert Redford's swing? That homerun was an infield popup.
     
    #13 RIET, Apr 11, 2003
  14. Lynus302

    Lynus302 Member

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    No sh*t. The only good sports movie I've ever seen is Major League, and the only reason that's any good is because its a comedy that doens't (really) try to pass off a bunch of actors as athletes.

    Redford swings like a girl.
     
    #14 Lynus302, Apr 11, 2003
  15. drapg

    drapg Member

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    The fact that Pedro Cerrano plays the President of the United States on a popular TV series still makes me laugh.
     
    #15 drapg, Apr 11, 2003
  16. Mrs. JB

    Mrs. JB Member

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    Nope. Can't do that one either since both Redford and Kim Basinger are on record as being anti-war. And, unfortunately, neither Bruce Willis nor James Woods (both politically more acceptable) have done a baseball movie.

    Perhaps the Hall of Fame could honor 1942's "Pride of the Yankees." All the stars are long dead so there's no messy personal opinions to deal with.
     
    #16 Mrs. JB, Apr 11, 2003
  17. subtomic

    subtomic Member

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    The Natural changed the ending of the book from a Gatsby-esque tragedy into a sappy Hallmark moment. And wasn't Robert Redford about 50 when he made the movie?

    I think this is a petty thing to do, and reflects more on the intolerance and political bias of Dale Petroskey than the political views of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. All he had to do was call them and say, "Hey, I know we disagree about the war in Iraq, so why don't we just focus on the movie and save the political stuff for another time." If they had refused or if they had announced that they would use this forum as a platform to make their anti-war soundbites, then Petroskey would have some justification. But they didn't and he (not the actors) chose to politicize the anniversary of a movie on baseball. Somehow, I find it hard to imagine that a single troop has been endangered by the (often unfocused) ramblings of a couple of actors. Forget censorship - Petrosky is just acting like a little b****.
     
    #17 subtomic, Apr 11, 2003
  18. Rockets2K

    Rockets2K Clutch Crew

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    My wife loves the Natural, she will watch it over and over....I don't get it...too damn sappy and Redford does swing like a girl..

    Major League rocks!..

    "How's your wife and my kids?" :)

    Petroskey is just using this to get back at people that have different views about the war...nothing more, nothing less..

    It's a shame that {b]some[/b] Republicans feel the need to attempt to censure people that have different opinions than they do.
     
    #18 Rockets2K, Apr 11, 2003
  19. Pole

    Pole Houston Rockets--Tilman Fertitta's latest mess.

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    Petroskey, Robbins and Sarandon have all used their public visibility to further their own agendas.

    Personally....I'd do the same thing if I had the wherewithal.

    I don't see how one is any better or worse than the other.
     
    #19 Pole, Apr 11, 2003
  20. Chance

    Chance Member

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    My favorite part of Major League was when Charlie 'my dad's a flake' sheen was wearing that sleeveless shirt and tie with his hair all punk and zig zags shaved in the side with his earings and tattoos and he says, "I feel like a banker." some **** like that. That's hilarious.
     
    #20 Chance, Apr 11, 2003
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