Elton John Talks Baseball

Yes, baseball. More specifically, the Atlanta Braves (with Braves general manager John Schuerholz, former second baseman Mark Lemke and Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro, no less).



(Click to watch)

As a diehard Mets fan (and trust me folks, I'm dying hard this season), I find it hard to believe that anyone with half a brain could choose the Braves as "his team" -- especially a man who is married to another man. The Braves, of course, are the team of homophobic pticher John Smoltz ("What's next? Marrying an animal?" he said in reaction to the prospect of legalizing Gay marriage) and dumb-as-a-rock former relief pitcher/homophobic bigot John Rocker (''Imagine having to take the 7 train, looking like you're in Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids. It's depressing.'').

Perhaps Elton had some influence on the Braves' decision to disinvite Focus on the Family to future "Faith Day" events at their ballpark after the organization distributed anti-gay materials at what was called "the first promotion of 'intentional Christian ministry' in Major League Baseball." We'll never know. But one thing I'm pretty sure of: When John Schuerholz nodded his head in agreement with Elton's statement that watching baseball is "one of the most poetical things," Schuerholz had no idea that the producer of the interview was going to dissolve to a shirtless man doing an interpretative dance as Elton John sang

"Love is simple, hate breeds
Those who think difference is the child of disease
Father and son make love and guns "

Easily the most surreal baseball interview I've ever seen...