Know Thine Enemy: ALL STAR GAME SPECIAL

This was supposed to be up 24 hours ago...pretend will you?

Tomorrow the Midsummer classic will be played. But the average fan has a problem, who do you root for? Your favorite players regardless of where they play? The players from your team only? The league your team plays in?

The answer is you should cheer for whomever the Loathe-O-Meter tells you to. So now:

National League Loathe-O-Meter Factors:

1.  Old School: The National League was the first national baseball league, they started the whole thing--they also kicked African Americans out of the game, and kept them out for half a century: *35 Loathing Points*
   
2. Pitchers: The NL still asks pitchers to be complete athletes, swinging a bat as well as throwing a ball. It's baseball the way it's meant to be. *-25 Loathing Points*
3. Yawn...: More than a few fans have a problem with the dearth of home runs in the NL, I think they're crazy, but if that's your thing... *5 Loathing Points*
4. Cubby hole: There are 8 Cubs in the All-star game. They are the Yankees of this years' all star game, smug and assuming their greatness. Having been to Wrigley I can see why, but I don't have to like it. *10 Loathing Points*
5. Scrappy: The NL swipes bags, hustles like crazy and hasn't won an All-star game in a decade. Root for the under dog *-40 Loathing Points*

American League Loathe-O-Meter Factors:

1. The rebels: The spunky younger league invaded the fuddy-duddy establishment and brought youth and vitality to the game. They also were more tyrannical, parsimonious and vicious to minorities. *15 Loathing Points
2. Lazy asses: no matter what others say, I dislike the DH, which, to me at least, smacks of an over grown gimmick and removes strategy from a great game. *20 Loathing Points*
3. Original smug-itude: Yankees...Red Sox...shoot me *50 Loathing Points* 
4. Josh Hamilton: No story is cooler than a guy who overcame serious problems, by himself and became an all-star after three years away from the game. *-32 Loathing Points*
5. Twins: They are my boys, and I've got to love my boys. *-79 Loathing Points*

Final Score

National League: 15 Loving Points: Cold beer with the game

American League: 26 Loving Points: Cold beer and hot dog with the game

So it's the AL, but really, its baseball itself--Enjoy the game