Lack of Privacy

Today’s subject is privacy, or, rather, lack of same. Or, even more precisely, the sacrifice of privacy that comes with being a star athlete…or, in some cases, even an athlete who is no longer star, or no longer even employed.

Even though the Boston Red Sox are hosting the New York Yankees this week – a circumstance that inspires many in New England to go all weird and wobbly and want to know everything about everybody remotely connected to the show – I don’t need to know that David Ortiz, once a fearsome Boston hitter, has been issued eye drops.

The moisture content of David Ortiz’s eyes is the business of David Ortiz alone, unless he is crying tears of joy because he has begun to hit again, and even then the news would be his hitting.

What David Ortiz buys at the pharmacy is no more my business than what I buy at the pharmacy is his.

Likewise, do we need to know that the family and friends of once and perhaps future quarterback Bret Farve have booked a couple of dozen motel rooms in Green Bay, Wisconsin for the November Saturday night before the Vikings will play the Packers at Lambeau Field?

Bret Farve and his family don’t know anything about the motel rooms you may have rented. Why should you know what they’re up to on that score?

Similarly, anyone skimming the sports news this week learned, however inadvertently, that Liz Watson, who was married to Barry Bonds in 1998, has bailed on the beleaguered former slugger. When Bonds, who hit more homeruns that anyone else, is found to be either guilty or not guilty of lying to a federal grand jury, it will be news. It will be news again when, as an old and shrunken fellow, Bonds limps out of some grandstand somewhere to shake the hand of whoever eventually hits more homeruns than he has hit. His marital status is his business now, and it will be then.

Lastly, on Tuesday, news broke that last month NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield had tested positive for methamphetamine, and, granted, certainly a case can be made for informing people about that…especially the people behind whom Mr. Mayfield has apparently been both speeding and speeding.