The Wire Creator David Simon's Latest Target: Major League Baseball

I'm not going to read The Wire's obituary again, but if you don't know who David Simon is, he's one-half of the creative duo that breathed life into the best television show of the past decade, The Sopranos (arguably) excepted. He's also been labeled by The Atlantic as "The Angriest Man in Television," a title one imagines Simon is honored by.

Simon is also a baseball fan, and in this conversation with Washington Times writer Thom Loverro, Simon has a few words for Bud Selig and Major League Baseball. Specifically, that they can "kiss [his] pale, white ass,"

But let me say this about the official side of Major League Baseball: They can kiss my pale, white ass. Seriously. Although that sequence reflected in no negative way on baseball itself -- a reporter was making up a story about a handicapped fan for his own benefit -- MLB considered our request to film on stadium property and use MLB logos and then denied the request. Unless our drama pretty much exalts baseball as the greatest game ever played by the greatest bunch of people ever to play a game, MLB will not allow the use of its logos or facilities in any act of storytelling. I find this cowardly and venal and offensive. A game that claims to be the national pastime should be confident enough and respectful enough of independent storytelling to allow itself to be seen within the context of ordinary American life.

Fortunately for the show, the sequence Simon is referring to suffered little for MLB's obstinance. I can understand the league's desire to not be a target in The Wire's dangerously precise purview, but to deny an innocuous request like that one seems really weird. Then again, weird is just another day in Bud Selig's office.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-07-2008 @ 4:55PM

murph207 said...

.. the wire allways felt like a rip off of his first and much BETTER show.Homicide. i might have enjoyed this MLB show .. bud allways covering his azz

7-07-2008 @ 5:12PM

Tom Fornelli said...

Watch out, Bud. Omar comin!

7-07-2008 @ 6:34PM

Dave said...

I don't know about the angriest man in television, but he certainly would qualify as the ugliest. I guess all of us would be angry if we looked like that. Deforming injuries in childhood are nothing to laugh about, but they do explain his actions over time.

7-19-2008 @ 3:53PM

emjay said...

What an ignorant and childish thing to say.

7-07-2008 @ 7:54PM

bryan said...

"1. .. the wire allways felt like a rip off of his first and much BETTER show.Homicide. i might have enjoyed this MLB show .. bud allways covering his azz"

Maybe that's because Homicide was based on a book written by David Simon...

7-08-2008 @ 7:56AM

bryan did you read what i wrote.. i know it was based on his book i know he was a writer on the show.. that why i said "HIS" first much better show.. not "A" much better show .. you twit

9-24-2008 @ 4:14AM

Emmanuel Wyatt said...

I Got Some Ideas and know how to have some more seasons of The Wire and what they can be about but i would like to talk to the writers of the show about it do anybody here know how i can do that if so please contact me at my email
ewolf12002@yahoo.com or oaklandphenix@yahoo.com I have enough ideas for at least a full season and more but i also have some peoples of mine with ideas and given the oppertunity we can come up with at least 4 more seasons I wana pitch our ideas to the writer and producers of the show so if anyone happens to read this and knows how to contact them please E-mail Me Imediately at my e-mail .