Andre Ethier flipped the bird: During batting practice before Monday’s game against the Brewers, Ethier was snapped givin’ the finger to a photographer. And actually, the AP story uses the phrase “flipping his middle fingers at a photographer,” so it may have been the rare but always impressive double-barrel salute. I like that kind of moxy. UPDATE: oh yeah, it was the double-deuce. WARNING: have your fainting couch handy if you click through to those pics.
The Dodgers and Major League Baseball don’t like that kind of moxy, however, so they made Ethier apologize yesterday. Though it wasn’t the most contrite apology. The L.A. Times runs his comments, and it really sounds like he’s more interested in complaining about the photographer than anything else.
Which is fine by me. I mean, sure, I suppose the photographer could retain Gloria Allred tomorrow and hold a press conference reenacting the incident, but I’m guessing he’s seen worse before. If I were the Dodgers I’d prefer it if my players didn’t flip the bird to photographers, but given that my family -- including my wife, my mom, my grandmother and everyone ever -- has a habit of flipping off any other family member who ever tries to take a picture, I don’t have much room to talk.
Really, it’s uncanny. I have a picture somewhere of my great aunt Ruth flipping me the bird when she was 86 years old. Why? “Because you’re probably going to use that picture for my obituary.” Well no, now that you shot me the bird, I can’t really do that, can I Ruchel?
Oh well. It was a lot funnier before digital cameras and bird-bombing a pic burnt up actual film.
