Take Me Out to the Gall Game

We are now 230-odd years into the American experiment and one thing is clear -- like the Roman Empire before us, we love our games!

(Fact: When Nero fiddled, he was in a luxury box at the Colosseum.)

New York, the most sophisticated sports town in Sports Nation, brings us two spectacularly expensive new stadiums this month -- rent-free and property tax-free for the Mets and the Yankees -- largely subsidized by public money on city-owned land.

The Mets' new Citi Field, a.k.a. Belly-Up Ballpark, cost $850 million.

The new Yankee Stadium -- boy, that old Yankee Stadium was a real stinker, eh? -- cost $1.5 billion.

Amazingly, in a city faced with myriad budget problems, the Mets and the Yankees not only successfully solicited public financing, both clubs came back with their hand out a second time -- and got more money.

Schools? No money. Subway? No money. Stadiums? How much do you need? Thank you sir, may I have another. During the seventh-inning stretch at the new Yankee Stadium, they shouldn't sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," they should sing, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"

As it turns out, George Steinbrenner is a welfare mother with a sugar daddy. His name is Michael Bloomberg, he's the eternal mayor of New York City and he hands out tax-free bonds like Kit Kat Club flyers.

The Yankees got $1.2 billion in tax-exempt bonds and $136 million in taxable bonds; the Mets got $697 million in tax-free bonds.

In addition, it will cost tens of millions of taxpayer money just to demolish Shea and Yankee stadiums. Geez, Amy Winehouse would've done it for free.

Once again, we are front-row witnesses to public money gone mad. I don't say this as a backseat driver in the wake of a brutal economy; I would say this if money were growing on trees. For when you spend public dollars on play things rather than real needs, when your priorities put entertainment dollars ahead of education dollars, you are destined for doom.

(On a related note, I'm still boycotting my wayward home town of Washington, whose congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, failed to file a tax return for several years and whose City Council member, Marion Barry, the former mayor, also failed to file a tax return for several years while actual tax dollars recently paid for the city's unnecessary new baseball park where, undoubtedly, Norton and Barry can attend on the public's dime any time.)