Memo to Costas: I'd Rather Watch Manny Than Listen to You

I used to like Bob Costas.

When he first broke into broadcasting, he was one of the best in the business. His knowledge of any sport he covered and style of delivery had eloquence without pomposity.

As he became more well-known and famous, his opinions started to matter. I didn't always agree with them, but they were thought out and well-expressed, so I gave him a pass. He was still Bob Costas, one of the best broadcasters in sports.

Then came the movie appearances and the moving away from sporting events to host talk shows. Costas, while still eloquent, wasn't always as funny as he thought. But that was OK, because he was Bob Costas.

But his latest salvo at an entire community during Los Angeles Dodger Manny Ramirez's minor-league assignment as he prepares for his return tonight from a 50-game suspension for using a banned substance shows that Costas now has become pompous and overbearing and self-righteous.

Costas was a guest on the final Tirico and Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio earlier this week and bashed Albuquerque for turning Ramirez's two-game appearance into a "celebration." Costas said he didn't have a problem with Ramirez having the opportunity to tune up at the minor league level as he gets ready to return from his suspension.

"What I do have a problem with," Costas told co-hosts Mike Tirico and Scott Van Pelt, "is the ideal that when he shows up in Albuquerque, he's treated like a returning hero. It was tasteless to have Manny Ramirez promotions around there.

"I understand the possible political aspect of it, but Bill Richardson shows up, the governor of New Mexico and the mayor of Albuquerque show up as if they're greeting Lindbergh coming back after his transatlantic flight. What the heck is that?"

Yeah, Mr. Costas, what the heck is that? Why are you singling out Albuquerque when every other city -- big and small -- would do the same? Like Albuquerque is some unique, backwards hick town?

Now, I have as much distaste for steroids as the next sports fan -- primarily because its rampant use during the past decade forced the majority of baseball players to have to decide:

Are they were going to cheat just to keep up and put their health at risk? Or are they going to play clean, not be able to recover as quickly from the day-to-day rigors of the sport and risk the loss of millions of dollars or lose the opportunity to play baseball at the major league level altogether?

But at least players used steroids to get better. Maybe they only wanted to get better to make more money, but they were trying to become more productive.

They weren't out conducting dogfights and destroying animals. They weren't driving drunk and killing people. They weren't making it rain at strip clubs, causing fist fights or shooting themselves in the leg because they had a gun at those strip clubs.

Like Ramirez said so eloquently during his suspension, "I didn't kill nobody, I didn't rape nobody. ..."

But Costas took Albuquerque to task for its circus-like atmosphere during Manny's two-day trip there. Like Albuquerque is unique in its hero-worship of Ramirez.

So what if New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was there? Who cares if Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez was there as Ramirez played his first Isotopes game? Why wouldn't they be in attendance? There were 15,000 fans at the game.

It was an event. What politician would miss such an opportunity to hobnob with his or her constituents?

It's not like either made a speech, proclaiming the day, "Manny Ramirez Day."

Albuquerque isn't a big city. It doesn't have any professional teams that play at the highest level. Still, it is a very good sports town for its population. It treats U.S. national team exhibition soccer games played there as huge events. The University of New Mexico men's basketball team has one of the most loyal fan bases in the nation.

Heck, the UNM women's basketball team is one of the top 10 draws in the country.

Duke City fans came to see Manny for the same reason that Boston Red Sox fans used to love Manny and Dodger fans now treat him like a rock star -- he's one of the most intriguing characters in the the game.

Albuquerque certainly isn't the only city enthralled with the dreadlocked superstar who comes to games in his pajamas. Tonight's game between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres at Petco Park also happen to be sold out.

“I think the Dodger-Padre series down here always brings a little bit more energy but I think this will be heightened because of Manny, because he is one of the true lightning rods in the game today,” San Diego manager Bud Black told the Associated Press on Thursday. “I guess our fans and the game itself will benefit from that.”

And it's not like the Padres, sitting with a record of 34-44 going into tonight's game, are a huge draw. Before Thursday night's game against the Astros, San Diego averaged just shy of 16,000 fans in its last three home games.

The AP story also said that Padres reliever Cla Meredith seems fascinated by what he termed “one of these rare occasions” in which a player has drawn interest “over this event that’s really negative and detrimental to himself and the game. It’s really kind of taken on a new life of its own. I’ve never seen, really, something like this.

“Fans like him,” the sidearmer said to the AP. “And so he’s never really had too much negative stuff about him. He’s kind of done his own thing in his career ... And fans are drawn to him. I can see why.”

So what's San Diego's excuse, Bobby? That it's close to Los Angeles? So what'll be L.A.'s excuse July 16 when Manny plays his first game at Dodger Stadium and he gets a standing ovation?

If Costas called out podunk Albuquerque, he better have a doozy of a speech handy for major league cities San Diego, L.A., and whatever else town produces elevated attendance with his return.

It won't make me like him anymore, but at least I'll know he's consistent in his now-overriding boorish behavior.