Bang The Drum

The wealthy had their say in the Daily News today. They always seem to have their say because money can buy just about anything these days.

Newspapers used to stand for something in this city, but those days are long gone. The pages once filled by Red Smith and Jimmy Breslin are now clogged by Mike Lupica, who shamelessly bangs the drum for the wealthy who control our game and our city and our country.

Lupica used today’s column to sell George Mitchell and his baseball drug investigation to New York the same way FOX News sells George Bush and his tax cuts for the rich to America. The truth doesn’t matter and neither do the facts. That makes Lupica the perfect man to defend the man who defends those who have the money.

And the money is what this is all about. That’s why Bud Selig picked Mitchell to lead this little dog-and-pony show in the first place.

Mitchell is a longtime member of the old-boys club and he takes his defense of the wealthy very seriously. Jason Giambi found that out the hard way this summer when he said:

“I was wrong for doing that stuff. What we should have done a long time ago was stand up – players, ownership, everybody – and said: ‘We made a mistake.’

“We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward… Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it.”

Giambi’s statement moved us closer to ridding baseball of dangerous drugs and exposing those responsible. Since that is the last thing Selig and Mitchell want, they quickly leaked a confidential amphetamines test and threatened to suspend Giambi if he didn’t meet with Mitchell and promise never to talk to anyone else about who’s to blame.

If Mitchell was honestly interested in placing the blame where it belongs then his report would simply say: Everyone.

Owners, players, managers, coaches, trainers, general managers, the media and the fans are responsible. This belongs to all of us.

But Mitchell has spent millions to concoct a story that will protect the owner’s backs and bank accounts.

And Lupica – a millionaire sportswriter – is there to protect Mitchell.

Millionaires protecting millionaires protecting billionaires.

It was only fitting that Lupica wrapped up today’s column by banging the drum for his old buddy Don Imus.

As Jimmy Breslin would say: Beautiful. Absolutely marvelous.