I thought this pretty much sucked!
Baseball League Rejects Gun Dealer as Sponsor
Updated: 20 hours 10 minutes ago
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N.J. Youth Baseball League Rejects Gun Dealer as Sponsor - AOL News
Michelle Ruiz
Contributor
AOL News
(March 5) -- When Matt Carmel applied to sponsor a youth baseball team in his hometown of Maplewood, N.J., he got an answer he didn't expect: No.
The South Orange-Maplewood Baseball Committee rejected Carmel's application by a vote of 8 to 1, saying Carmel's business, a licensed gun dealership named Constitution Arms, could spark "controversy" and "backlash" from players' parents.
"They're just hypocrites," Carmel told AOL News of the volunteer committee that oversees the local Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball league. "They want this rainbow, welcoming, all-inclusive community ... but they really don't want diversity."
Carmel applied for sponsorship in October, offering to contribute the $300 fee to sponsor a team in the league his 10-year-old son, Kalman, played in last spring. But after the committee vote and weeks of letters, Carmel learned his rejection was final on Sunday. It was the first time in recent memory that the South Orange-Maplewood committee had voted on a potential sponsor, much less rejected one.
"I voted against it," Craig Gruber, secretary of the committee, told the Newark Star-Ledger. "Personally ... given the nature of that business, I'm certain there'd be quite a bit of contention. We don't need the headache. ... We have our hands full with deciding whether infield fly rules should be in effect for 9-year-olds."
Carmel told AOL News he won't pursue the issue further, saying it appears the decision is final. Nevertheless, he thinks it's unfair that his firearms business prevented him from contributing to a youth organization in his community.
"I might not object if they had a policy that said 'no guns, no tobacco, no sexual innuendo,' " he said. "But I'm galled by the fact that they would accept other sponsors who are clearly inappropriate."
Among those sponsors, according to Carmel, is Cluck-U Chicken, which he said features sexually suggestive advertising, as well as other liquor and tobacco stores that have served as team sponsors.
Carmel said his rejection came with a counteroffer: He could sponsor a team, if he dropped the "arms" from his business name, Constitution Arms.
"I said, 'How about guns?' " Carmel told AOL News. "How could I be the sponsor with just the name 'Constitution'? Is that my justice system or just my evening walk?"
Kate Schmidt, deputy director of The Baird, South Orange's recreation agency, told the Star-Ledger that according to the rule book for the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken league, there should be "meticulous care" in selecting sponsors that will mind the "welfare of youth."
Though he said he wanted to sponsor a youth baseball team, Carmel said he will agree to act as a sponsor for the Morris Rugby Football Club in Montville, N.J., which reached out to him after learning of his rejection in Maplewood.
"They said, 'We'd love to have you as a sponsor,' " Carmel said. "I'm going to take them up on their offer."
Carmel's son decided against playing this spring -- but Carmel said 10-year-old Kalman wasn't affected by the committee's decision.
"He knows what Daddy does for a living," Carmel said. "He's a good shot, too."
Updated: 20 hours 10 minutes ago
Print Text Size E-mail More
N.J. Youth Baseball League Rejects Gun Dealer as Sponsor - AOL News
Michelle Ruiz
Contributor
AOL News
(March 5) -- When Matt Carmel applied to sponsor a youth baseball team in his hometown of Maplewood, N.J., he got an answer he didn't expect: No.
The South Orange-Maplewood Baseball Committee rejected Carmel's application by a vote of 8 to 1, saying Carmel's business, a licensed gun dealership named Constitution Arms, could spark "controversy" and "backlash" from players' parents.
"They're just hypocrites," Carmel told AOL News of the volunteer committee that oversees the local Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball league. "They want this rainbow, welcoming, all-inclusive community ... but they really don't want diversity."
Carmel applied for sponsorship in October, offering to contribute the $300 fee to sponsor a team in the league his 10-year-old son, Kalman, played in last spring. But after the committee vote and weeks of letters, Carmel learned his rejection was final on Sunday. It was the first time in recent memory that the South Orange-Maplewood committee had voted on a potential sponsor, much less rejected one.
"I voted against it," Craig Gruber, secretary of the committee, told the Newark Star-Ledger. "Personally ... given the nature of that business, I'm certain there'd be quite a bit of contention. We don't need the headache. ... We have our hands full with deciding whether infield fly rules should be in effect for 9-year-olds."
Carmel told AOL News he won't pursue the issue further, saying it appears the decision is final. Nevertheless, he thinks it's unfair that his firearms business prevented him from contributing to a youth organization in his community.
"I might not object if they had a policy that said 'no guns, no tobacco, no sexual innuendo,' " he said. "But I'm galled by the fact that they would accept other sponsors who are clearly inappropriate."
Among those sponsors, according to Carmel, is Cluck-U Chicken, which he said features sexually suggestive advertising, as well as other liquor and tobacco stores that have served as team sponsors.
Carmel said his rejection came with a counteroffer: He could sponsor a team, if he dropped the "arms" from his business name, Constitution Arms.
"I said, 'How about guns?' " Carmel told AOL News. "How could I be the sponsor with just the name 'Constitution'? Is that my justice system or just my evening walk?"
Kate Schmidt, deputy director of The Baird, South Orange's recreation agency, told the Star-Ledger that according to the rule book for the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken league, there should be "meticulous care" in selecting sponsors that will mind the "welfare of youth."
Though he said he wanted to sponsor a youth baseball team, Carmel said he will agree to act as a sponsor for the Morris Rugby Football Club in Montville, N.J., which reached out to him after learning of his rejection in Maplewood.
"They said, 'We'd love to have you as a sponsor,' " Carmel said. "I'm going to take them up on their offer."
Carmel's son decided against playing this spring -- but Carmel said 10-year-old Kalman wasn't affected by the committee's decision.
"He knows what Daddy does for a living," Carmel said. "He's a good shot, too."
that they wouldn't accept him as a supporter seeing as how they have accepted liquor sales and sexually suggestive advertisers. So sounds like they are OK with underage drinking and teenage sex just not with those evil guns.
