The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : The Power of Spectacle

The Power of Spectacle

By Larry Thornberry on 8.19.12 @ 11:02PM

 After the third perfect game in four years was thrown against my hometown Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday — this perfecto by Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Sushis — I posted a snarky Spectacle item suggesting MLB disallow celebrating after perfectos against the Rays as the team’s hitting is so weak. Rays runs this season have been nearly as rare as coherent statements from Joe Biden. At least until Thursday.

Who knew Rays hitters would take this heart-felt if hastily composed lament so seriously? After it appeared, all Rays hitters have done is sweep the California Angels in a four-game series in Lalaland and score 37 runs while doing so, a franchise scoring record for a four-game set.

I like to think the Spectacle item was pinned over the whirlpool in the Rays clubhouse as a source of inspiration and resolve. This comes as a reminder of the power for good that Spectacle contributors can wield. (Angels fans may see it differently.)

About the Author

Larry Thornberry is a writer in Tampa.

http://spectator.org/blog/2012/08/19/the-power-of-spectacle

FLASHBACK TO: 1995

Pope Culture

By George Sim Johnston

A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck

By P.J. O'Rourke

Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
Dames at Sea

By John Corry
In the Absence of Guns

By Mark Steyn

In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
The Metaphysical Martini

By Werner J. Dannhauser
Counting the Costs of Clintonism

By Robert H. Bork

The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
Chuck McHagel

By George Neumayr

It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted

By Douglas Bartholomew
It’s the Best Time of the Year

By Mark Steyn

The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
The Bush Crack-Up

By Brit Hume

Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?