WBC: Team Venezuela and Hugo Chavez

People use sports to escape.  After a long day of work we turn on ESPN to unwind.  On the weekends, we get together with friends to watch “the game” (especially Sundays during NFL season) and forget about the week that passed or the one that waits for us on Monday.  Sounds a little melodramatic, but seriously – whether watching, playing or talking about – we get away from regular life through sports.  Sometimes, however, the issues in the real world are too great to be ignored, and that seems to be the case with the Venezuelan team of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

The winners of Pool C (following a 5-3 victory over the United States), Venezuela travels to Miami on Saturday to play the Netherlands amid speculations of a potentially hostile crowd – the result of Venezuelans’ (both domestic and abroad) mixed feelings over the country’s current president, Hugo Chavez.  Let’s hope the situation stays peaceful down in Florida (and I think it will), but there’s no question the controversy follows Team Venezuela wherever they go.  Magglio Ordonez, the squad’s star outfielder and a Chavez supporter, gets booed every time he steps to the plate, and Endy Chavez, who only shares a last name with the controversial president, has heard “Endy, si! Chavez, no!” chants from the Venezuelan fans.

The scrutiny and extra attention seem unfair, especially since these guys signed up to represent their country on the baseball diamond – not serve as fodder for political demonstration.  Yet can you really blame the Venezuelan fans?  No matter your stance on Chavez (or even if you have one at all), completely “escaping” reality – via sports, music, art, etc. – seems to be nearly impossible in the current state of our world.  Sure, the World Baseball Classic can give us a break from personal stresses, and even distract us from the bigger issues for a bit, but the tournament – or any other diversion for that matter – can't shield us from the events impacting society.  

Let’s leave the analysis and critique to the experts, as I barely know enough to give an intelligent argument on Chavez either for or against (and it would be irresponsible of me to use my blog and try), but here’s my two cents for Venezuelan fans going to this weekend’s game: If you plan to voice your opinion, do so in a peaceful and respectful way, but please, please, please support your guys on the field – they just came to play ball.