Exhibition of Goodwill

 

By Jason Collins

 

                                               

On January 4, 1999, the State Department of the United States made public the idea of a pre-season baseball exhibition game involving the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban National team.  The exhibition games, the first to be played in Havana on March 28th, are viewed by some as another step forward in the Clinton’s administration’s efforts to expand people-to-people contacts between the United States and Cuba.  However, some protesters said that they oppose a game played on the island of Cuba while the Castro government continues to jail political opponents.  Nevertheless, the act of bringing together two estranged countries that have a common passion for the game of baseball can hopefully transcend politics and help build strong relations for the future.  There is no doubt that athletics could be a major step towards helping our two countries reconcile our differences and bring about positive changes.  Just in preparation for these two exhibition games, the doors for diplomacy have been opened as the topic of financial proceeds from the games are under discussion.   However, using sports as a medium to help further diplomatic goals is not limited to just baseball.  There are many other ways to increase contact between Cubans and Americans in an exhibition game format.  One possible solution is to play a series of exhibition games with amateur teams from the United States and their counterparts from Cuba.  “Using collegiate teams in the exhibition games instead of professional teams would give more purity to the game and offer students the opportunity to take part in a historic event.”  Since Stanford University is well-known for producing the future leaders of the world, and is well-regarded for its prominent student-athletes, we propose that the Stanford Men’s Basketball team play the Cuban National team in a two part exhibition game format. 

            Since the inception of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, commonly referred to as the Helms-Burton Act, the United States government has provided a “rallying point for the Cuban people against the U.S.”.  The justification for the embargo that Cuba’s communist government represents a threat to our national security is an outdated excuse for continuing its implementation.  The fact remains that Cuba and China are the two prominent countries in the world that practice communism today, yet there is no such embargo against China.  It is time for a change in policy from the United States standpoint and the Clinton administration is taking the right steps forward, by increasing people-to people contact through the medium of athletics.  My high school Spanish teacher, John Donahue, who has lived in many third-world Spanish-speaking countries including Cuba, suggests that

“the only way to truly reform Cuba is to send a bunch of tourists from America over there, and generally over time we will begin to influence the people of Cuba by introducing them to our values and ideals of freedom, democracy, and all that other [stuff].  With a large influx of American tourism, the businesses and hotels of Cuba will be quick to accommodate them because they are in need of money.” (Donahue)

Donahue’s philosophy in dealing with Cuba may be in stark contrast with the current embargo, but the fact still remains that for all intents and purposes the policies regarding Cuba for the past 40 years have not accomplished the main goal of removing Fidel Castro from power.  Now the time is right for change.

            With the recent visit to Cuba of Pope John Paul II, Cuba began to open its eyes to the realities of economic, social, religious, and political freedom.  The Pope also opened the eyes of some Americans when he condemned the current embargo against Cuba by calling it “ethically unacceptable” and “deplorable”.  The Pope’s comments made it easier for Cubans to become aware of their liberties and encouraged them to examine the social-economic challenges that face them.  One such problem that faces the people of Cuba is a lack of sufficient medical supplies.  The United States refusal to provide appropriate medical aid to Cuba is shameful.  In a time when we send medical aid and food supplies thousands of miles away to countries like Bosnia, Somalia, and Ethiopia; we do not even help a country in need that is 90 miles from our coast.  In fact, “Alicia Torres of the Cuban American Committee Research and Education Fund explain[s] that at a time when the international community has excluded medicines and foods from the [previous] embargo of Iraq, a country who we have been to war with, the U.S. maintains a medical and food embargo of Cuba, a country we are not at war with.”  The only thing that the embargo has accomplished is help “solidify [Castro’s] grip on power because it enables him to blame all the islands economic difficulties on the embargo, instead of on the shortcomings of his own policies”.  The International community does not support the United States policy towards Cuba citing that “isolation is a myopic strategy which is fruitless and does not help solve problems”.  In order to end our conflict with Cuba we must change our policies and perceptions.  Recently, as of January 4th, the President issued this statement in response to changes in policy towards Cuba:

“I am today authorizing these additional steps to reach out to the Cuban people:

 —Expansion of remittances by allowing any U.S. resident (not only those with families in Cuba) to send limited funds to individual Cuban families as well as to organizations independent of the government.

—Expansion of people-to-people contact through two-way exchanges among academics, athletes, scientists, and others, including streamlining the approval process for such visits.

           —Authorization of the sale of food and agricultural inputs to independent

non-governmental entities, including religious groups and Cuba’s emerging private sector, such as family restaurants and private farmers.

--At the same time, we are taking steps to increase the flow of information  to the Cuban people and others around the world, by strengthening Radio and TV Marti and launching new public diplomacy programs in Latin America and Europe to keep international attention focused on the need

           for change in Cuba.” (Clinton)

By allowing the exhibition games to take place, despite strong opposition from Congress, and by changing its policies towards Cuba, the Clinton administration has initiated a series of incremental steps towards normal relations with Cuba.

            Major League Baseball plans to return to Cuba for the first time in 40 years with a pre-season exhibition game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban national team on March 28th in Havana, Cuba.  Team spokesman, for the Orioles, John Maroon says that the “intention of the Baltimore Orioles is not politics”; but rather, “[they] want to bring two people together that have a common passion for the game of baseball”.  Protesters of such a monumental event include some Cuban-American refugees and some members of the U.S. Congress who feel that playing a game in Cuba “is a sign of insensitivity  and a lack of respect for human rights”.  Huber Matos, a Cuban native who spent 20 years in prison on the island for opposing the Castro government, thinks that “it’s like taking part in the abuses that are going on there”. I feel that Matos and others like him are drawing abstract views that are not supported by fact.  Protesters need to put aside their fears of Castro, which I can understand is hard to do, but trust in a solution that encourages and harbors goodwill and open diplomacy, rather than the isolationism that produced an embargo that is detrimental to the people of Cuba.  However, some critics of the exhibition game do have a valid argument when they question if the Baltimore Orioles have an ulterior motive for traveling to Cuba.  Cuba is known for producing some of the best baseball players in the world, and the opportunity to scout potential players must have crossed the minds of the Orioles front office.  Since the major leagues offer a way for Cubans to earn money in the United States, “the Cuban government may be worried about the members of its team defect[ing] to the U.S. if a game is played in the U.S.”.  For this reason a single game in Cuba seems more appealing. 

In an attempt to improve upon this exhibition game format, and alleviate some of Cuba’s worries, I propose that two amateur teams play in a two game exhibition series.  Since the teams would consist of amateur players, their focus would not be on money; but rather, a genuine love for the game.  This adds to the pure goodwill of the event, which is what the games are for.  The Stanford Men’s Basketball team would be a perfect representative for the United States because we have competed against international teams before, we are consistently ranked in the top 10, our program is well-respected for having some of the best student-athletes in the nation, we are able to learn the subtle informal nuances of a foreign culture, and we would feel honored to represent our country in such a monumental event, as well as offer tough competition to Cuba.  Since this would be such a historic event, media coverage would be very large and very profitable.  If a major sponsor (such as ABC, NBC, or CBS) were to cover the games and cover the expenses of the traveling team, it could become very economically beneficial for everyone involved.  CBS Sports has done such events in the past.  In 1997, CBS went to the head coaches of Stanford University and the University of Connecticut in an attempt to play a two part series between the two schools.  CBS offered to pay money to each school to get the rights to the series.  In February of 1998, Stanford’s team traveled to Storrs, Connecticut, and then in February of 1999, Connecticut’s team traveled to Palo Alto, California to complete the series.  In the past, the Stanford Men’s Basketball program has had to pay the expenses for traveling overseas through private donations and fund-raisers.  According to the head assistant in the basketball office, Sandi Peregrina, “the average cost for such a trip is between $75,000-$80,000”.  This cost covers the hotel, travel, food, and incidentals for the coaches, players, managers, and trainers of the team.  There is no economic gain for Stanford when it travels overseas.   The main reason for traveling is to build team chemistry and educate the players about different countries and cultures. 

The first game would be played in Cuba, and have to be played during the summer as to conform to NCAA rules regarding traveling abroad and eligibility.  Since the United States government has to approve any such exhibition, it is imperative that they assist in the travel plans because of the logistics associated with travel to Cuba.  One major sticking point for our government is that the proceeds do not benefit the Cuban government in any fashion.  I suggest that the proceeds made from commercial advertisements go to the needy people of Cuba in the form of medical supplies, food, or any other products which in no way monetarily benefit the Cuban government.                 

            The second game would be played in Palo Alto, California, at Maples Pavilion.  Here, the Cuban National team could experience one of the best universities in the world and tour our campus and the world famous city of San Francisco.  According to assistant athletic director, Earl Koberlein, any visiting “exhibition team is granted $10,000 by the athletic department” for that team’s travel expenses.  Hopefully, the television sponsor could again pay the remaining travel expenses for the visiting team.  With the consistent growth of the Stanford Men’s basketball program, and the historic importance of such an exhibition game, Maples would sell-out and provide the University with a net profit of approximately $65,000.  This dollar amount comes from just the ticket sales.  Again, the advertisement proceeds would go to benefit the people of Cuba.

            The end goal for the United States should be to normalize relations with Cuba and encourage Castro to implement democracy as Cuba’s form of government in an attempt to help develop and ameliorate the plight of the poverty stricken people of Cuba.  The Clinton Administration is taking the right steps forward by using sports as a medium to begin discussion and open the doors of diplomacy for an end to the trade embargo that hinders both our countries.  Our proposal goes to further increase the involvement of people-to-people contact between the two countries, which will ultimately begin a mutual understanding of our distinct cultures, and will give us a way to share ideals that will hopefully encourage the growth of democracy in Cuba.