¶ This is what happens when we try to cover sports
Re: your recent memoriam on the late Pat Williams — there are references to his "Orlando Dreamers" project and to it being "Orlando's first professional baseball team."
First off, semantically speaking, it would be our first Major League team. Downtown Orlando has had professional baseball as far back as 1914 in the form of the minor league pro teams that played at Tinker Field, a site that also hosted Major League and Negro League Spring Training games.
When MLB was in its early-'90s expansion mode, Williams and the then-owners of the Magic, the DuPonts, put together a push for an expansion club. (The two teams ended up in Miami and Denver.) Along with wild statements that we wouldn't need a covered stadium because of our sunny summers (!), the Orlando group convinced the civic leaders to let the Minnesota Twins move to Fort Myers.
The group bought the Twins' AA Orlando club, redubbed it the SunRays, and sold it three years later when the DeVos family bought the Magic and preferred chasing NHL expansion. This started the slow roll of Orlando losing the eventual Orlando Rays to the Disney stadium (and their move to Montgomery, Alabama) as well as the city allowing Tinker to rot to the point where demolition of the historic landmark was the only option.
Orlando's now the largest metro area without a pro ball team of any level. And we'll not get started on the Magic's legacy of sucking up tourist tax dollars and the empty promises of economic effects on downtown ...
— Dave Mitchell, Orlando
Editor's note: We stand corrected — and somewhat in awe.
¶ Stop worrying — start knocking on doors instead
In the book The Republican Brain, Chris Mooney states that those attracted to conservative politics tend to have larger amygdala. That makes them more prone to fear. Should their reaction to the recent rally tragedy cause concern? Instead of avoiding scary things, many of them are attracted to conspiracy theories.
One advantage to those theories is that they know deep down they aren't real. Finding like-minded people is also comforting because relatives tire quickly of the "crazy uncle" phenomenon. Living in Florida, we know these people. Because we rub shoulders with relatives and friends all the time here, we don't demonize them, and despite their propaganda, they don't demonize us. Sure, they seem to. A beautiful thing is shared experiences like opera and theater and culture. It's a mystery why DeSantis decided to cripple that.
Our voices need to get louder. Join up with our like-minded who at least care about sound reasoning. Knock on a door. Make a phone call. The right-wing attack machine media is strong. Media isn't liberal; it is corporate. Conservatives' minds are currently roiling. They may have a view, especially those here raised in the Good Old Boy days, of wanting that time back. Don't get into it with them. Instead of reacting, just be a bit proactive. Ignore national. Look next door. Ask. Let's get motivated. All politics are local. Don't withdraw completely. Continue online sharing, yes, but use it as a springboard to jump into real life.
We have good people in our cities who represent us, not themselves. Whether you think there is a storm brewing or just a rain shower, strengthen your county or your city. That is what the door-knocking does. That beats just worrying.
— Catherine Hettinger, Winter Park
