Opening Day Discussion With My Mom

Whereby when talking about the Opening Day Parade in Cincinnati led by this year's Grand Marshal Eric Davis, (ED! Sweet!) she defends Marge Schott and says that the "liberal media" put words into Marge's mouth. Good god. While I always thought Marge epitomized so many things Cincinnatians were REALLY thinking, and loved the fact that she had the good sense to put elephants in the Findlay Market Parade alongside her slobbering St. Bernards, I had to hang up on my mom when she tried to dispute that ol' Marge wasn't an ignorant racist. Sure, maybe Marge was a product of her generation (much like my Grandma continually calling every Asian person a "Jap") but that still doesn't excuse how many times Schott was completely inappropriate.

Below, a refresher from that damn liberal ESPN.com for those of you who forgot how charming Marge was. It was always a real treat to be a Reds fan during these years, when we all pretended she didn't exist simply so there wouldn't have to be a dressing down of each embarrassing offense. I lived in San Francisco then, a town where you might well be ostrasized for being any kind of sports fan, much less one with a team owner who called earring-wearing men "fruits." And that was the least offensive of her gaffs. Cripes.

BTW, I'm still mad they don't have the first National League pitch of the season in Cincinnati anymore.

1992
Nov. 13: Former marketing director Cal Levy says in a deposition in Sabo's suit that Schott called former Reds outfielders Eric Davis and Dave Parker "million-dollar niggers" and kept a swastika arm band at home.
Nov. 20: Schott issues a statement, saying her use of the word "nigger" and her possession of a swastika arm band weren't meant to offend.
Nov. 24: Sharon Jones, a former Oakland Athletics executive assistant, is quoted in The New York Times as saying Schott said on the telephone before the start of an owners' conference call: "I would never hire another nigger. I'd rather have a trained monkey working for me than a nigger."
Nov. 29: Schott is quoted in the Times as saying Adolf Hitler initially was good for Germany, that her references to "niggers" were in jest and that she doesn't understand why the word "Japs" is offensive.
Dec. 1: The ruling executive council appoints a four-person committee to investigate Schott.
Dec. 9: Schott, appearing at the winter meetings, issues an apology, acknowledging she made "insensitive" remarks.

1993
Feb. 3: Schott is suspended for one year, fined $25,000 for language the executive council judged "racially and ethnically offensive."

1994
April 3: The Reds open the season with Schott back running the team.
May 18: The Cincinnati Enquirer quotes Schott as saying she doesn't want her players to wear earrings, because "only fruits wear earrings."

1996
April 1: After umpire John McSherry's death on the field in the first inning forces the postponement of the Reds' season opener, Schott, who wanted the game to continue, says, "I feel cheated. This isn't supposed to happen to us, not in Cincinnati. This is our history, our tradition, our team."
May 5: In an ESPN interview, Schott praises the start of Hitler's rule. "Everything you read, when he came in he was good," she said. "They built tremendous highways and got all the factories going. He went nuts, he went berserk. I think his own generals tried to kill him, didn't they? Everybody knows he was good at the beginning but he just went too far."
May 7: Schott releases an apology. Acting commissioner Bud Selig praises the apology but says baseball will continue to monitor the situation.
May 14: Sports Illustrated quotes Schott speaking in a "cartoonish Japanese accent" in recounting her meeting with Japanese prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Also in the article, in reference to seeing high school-aged Asian-Americans, she says, "I don't like it when they come here, honey, and stay so long and then outdo our kids. That's not right."
June 6: Baseball's executive council gives Schott an ultimatum: give up day-to-day operation of the Reds within a week or face a suspension of more than one year.
June 12: Schott agrees to give up day-to-day operation of the Reds through the 1998 season.