There’s no doubt that acquiring the Major League Baseball All-Star game is a huge economic boon for Denver and reputation boost for Governor Polis. As a sports fan, I am of course excited to have this event at Coors Fields, but there are mixed feelings, too.
This may be petty, but it’s frustrating to see the people who run Colorado baseball rewarded after the miserable job they’ve done managing the Rockies. I know I’m not the only one who feels a disconnect to the Rockies this season. The bungled Arenado trade, a symptom of the overall lack of strategy and vision, has left many Rockies’ fans disengaged.
Another reason I have mixed feelings was summed up best by center fielder Charlie Blackmon, who accurately observed that any gain to Colorado is a loss to Georgia. As Polis boasts of the millions we’ll receive, Blackmon, who hails from the Atlanta area, is thinking about how the people and businesses there will lose those millions. Due to differences in Denver’s and Atlanta’s demography, ironically many black people will be negatively impacted by this venue change.
Ironic, because the All-Star Game was moved to protest Georgia’s new voting laws, which some, MLB included, say will restrict voting, particularly among black voters.
I have always marveled when come Election Day I see photos posted from across the country of what appear to be mile-long queues. I have never witnessed that in Colorado, even before mail ballots became the norm. Colorado’s self-proclaimed “gold standard”seems an accurate description. If fair voting is the MLB’s criteria, Colorado fits (although New York, where MLB is headquartered, probably doesn’t).
I have reviewed Georgia’s new voting laws and overall don’t find them to be as egregious as is being widely and loudly claimed. I am disturbed by the limitations set on ballot drop boxes. These should be widely available in outdoor, public spaces. Reducing the amount permitted and allowing them only to be housed inside federal buildings will limit their use. Coming from the “gold standard,” I don’t see why these limitations are necessary and they buoy the argument that Georgia’s governor is trying to supress voting.
At the same time, I understand the motivation of preventing fraud. I don’t want to go through another election cycle where claims of fraud poison the discourse, regardless of their veracity. I, like the majority of Americans, think requiring ID to vote is smart. It may even save a lot of ballots that have to be tossed due to illegibility and inability to verify signatures.
So here I am feeling awkward about the All-Star Game. I have a feeling by July 13 though, I’ll just be excited.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com.
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