The media, social and conventional, have had a field day pillorying Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, whose work in New York had him on a fast track as a potential Mayoral candidate when Mayor Michael Bloomberg eventually steps down. The week long media frenzy, which reached new heights Monday when Rep. Weiner admitted a host of indiscretions and photos were actually his after a week of denial. For the sports world most just look on in shock and amazement, realizing that the spotlight is much wider, and the social media world is again much smaller, than even those in positions of ultimate power sometimes admit.
So now that even more is out in the open, will any minor league teams, usually looking for every potential advantage and promotion, look to take advantage of rep. Weiner’s problems and come up with their own version of Weiner Night? Would the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, or maybe other contests looking to gain publicity, also look to take advantage of the scandal and headlines? The guess is that Mr. Weiner’s popularity and clout will keep many New York based Minor league teams…especially the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones, or those upstate like the Hudson Valley Renegades…away from the fray at the risk of some backlash, especially while the storm over a man, his family and what was his good reputation are still very much in play. But will there be outreach for publicity from an Independent League team, or a club somewhere in the Midwest who may want to take advantage of the scandal in an area where New York is not held in such high regard? Some minor league hockey teams played off the O.J. Simpson scandal, and nary a celebrity or politician has been exempt from some sort of parody in the world of minor league sports as entertainment, no matter how questionable the taste sometime is. Now this scandal may not fit within the realm of family entertainment, and the Rep. may well be on the way to salvaging his political career, so the point may be considered but may also be moot Which team will fire the first salvo? Will be interesting to see.
