Let me say first that I am an avid Major League Baseball fan in Chicago, not a tree-hugger or a member of PETA. In reading the quote of Buck Rogers of your Daytona Cubs affiliate, however, I was appalled. I suppose it’s fine for him to be supportive of his players and to try to minimize the effect of the recent sorry incident with the killing of an endangered osprey.
I understand that “it was [just] a bird” and that it is much less important than, say, homicide, spousal battery or the drug use that often make sports headlines these days.
But I don’t think that flip answers are the best way to handle this kind of situation either from a public relations or a role model perspective. I would think that the image of the Cubs organization and the youth of America would be better served if the organization stuck to a simple apology for the incident with the message that cruelty to animals (even if unintended) is not a fun sport and that this has been discussed with the players and coaching staff. Left there, I think then the incident could be considered closed.
