An Atlanta-area small business advocacy group sued Major League Baseball this week over its decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game from Georgia to Colorado.
Job Creators Network demanded the immediate return of the All-Star Game to Atlanta or for the organization to pay $100 million in damages to local and state small businesses, according to a statement.
“MLB robbed the small businesses of Atlanta — many of them minority-owned — of $100 million, we want the game back where it belongs,” said Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network.
“This was a knee-jerk, hypocritical and illegal reaction to misinformation about Georgia’s new voting law which includes Voter-ID. Major League Baseball itself requests ID at will-call ticket windows at Yankee Stadium in New York, Busch Stadium in St. Louis and at ballparks all across the country.”
Ortiz also said in the statement, “Small businesses in this community had valid contracts relating to the All-Star Game and other events, the result of two years of planning and all that was ripped away by fear and misinformation spewed by political activists.”
“Many states, including Colorado where the game has been moved to, have similar or more restrictive election laws,” he added.
“This move essentially tells fans of teams in many other cities that they can never again host the All-Star Game; it’s hypocritical, illegal and we won’t stand for it.”
The lawsuit follows other efforts that have also pushed back against the moved All-Star Game. In April, Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Mike Lee of Utah sponsored a bill to eliminate Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption.
“What prompted this legislation being introduced was Major League Baseball’s decision to pull the All-Star Game out of Atlanta, Georgia,” Cruz said at an April news conference. He called the MLB’s decision one founded on “a pile of lies.”
Let’s hope the case gets a hearing. Woke organizations have gone unchallenged for too long, destroying good American business opportunities. Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp needed to do something to improve voting laws after the infamous #suitcasegate case in Fulton County.
Was Kemp supposed to let voting fraud go unchallenged?
But according to the left, stopping voter fraud is racist. It was called Jim Crow 2.0, referring to segregation laws that legally separated blacks and whites. There’s nothing racist about asking someone to show proof of identification to vote. The only problem with Kemp’s new law is that it didn’t come soon enough. The nation needs to do all it can to protect democracy. We don’t need to back down to corporate America’s demand. Big business is supposed to work for Americans and with Americans to make our nation better.
Excellent action to save jobs in Atlanta and remove falsehood of requiring ID for voting as racist.
Yes they should be sued a hundred million dollars is not enough really put the screws to him and double or triple the lawsuit
Charge Twice that amount no make it 5 times that amount = $500,000.000.00!!!
I agree damages should be pursued as a result of the knee jerk decision to intimidate and punish businesses because of voter ID legislation needed to address corruption.
Thank you, Mr. Ortiz and Job Creators Network, for suing the MLB for it’s betrayal of Georgia! And thank you, Senators Cruz, Hawley, and Lee, for sponsoring legislation to end MLB’s antitrust exemption. May the Living God guide your lawsuit and your legislation to victory. Amen.
Thank you for defending those people who lost revenue this year because of their stupid move due to their belief that having a Voter ID is racist! I think having a Voter ID card is a good thing that has been in need of being done for decades!
The amount owed, should be more than what you are demanding but three times that. These people lost a lot of revenue due to their move. They would show less of a profit now than they did two years ago.
Talk about hypocrisy! MLB moved the All Star Game from Atlanta – with 51% Blacks – to Denver with 9% Black population. All because Big Business prefers crooked elections?
I think having a Voter ID card is a good thing that has been in need of being done for decades!
There actions are immature , un-American , disloyal to all concern . Screw MLB a little league of imbeciles . Men who play with there balls . Your dead to me , buried and gone !
Good….pro-sports can rot as far as I’m concerned. Used to be an avid fan but their behavior since the 70’s was a big turn off. We survived before they got here and can do so now. First, they’re overpaid and cost fans millions for playing a game and second, continually whine about their treatment. Shut them down and really give them something to whine about. I remember great players like Clemente and Mays and Stargill and many others.
I agree, reform the American education system, teach reading, writing, and, arithmetic. Cancel common core, along with the indoctrination of Americas young minds and genders transformation information, that’s not for public schools. Ditch the teachers union and pay the teachers what they’re worth and get rid of the ones that don’t need to be in the schools. Pay law enforcement, they have such a hard job and risk their lives every day they leave their home and families. Stop paying people millions to play games and minimal funds to teach, protect and serve. It’s not right especially when these people that get paid so much to play for millions want to dictate and spread influence to the nation without a clue and they listen because they play sports, WHAT A JOKE!
Democracy’s in Europe require voter ID’s. Mexico requires Voter ID”s. Last time I went to a MLB game, at the “Will Call Window”, I was asked for an ID. The charges of “Voter Suppression” are patently false. Using Mail in Ballots makes it easier for the corrupt to send ballots to the dead, the ineligible, and anyone’s pets, then have those “ILLEGAL” ballots “Harvested”, filled out and delivered.
Well said.
Great lawsuit – pray it can find a legitimate judge. MLB’s action was also racist – Atlanta is a city with 51% black population and Denver has a 9% black population. Does the move show the good old rich white owners attitude of the hell with the blacks???
Looking forward to MLB joining NFL and NBA in their permanent move to China.
MLB pay up. When you act this Dumb, then you should pay.
As much as I sympathize with the small business owners’, I don’t think they’ll be successful. As a private organization, MLB has a right to go where they wish and even though it was a blatantly political action, to call it illegal is pretty much a stretch. The more logical recourse would be to boycott. in the long run, it’s that that will hurt them the most. Spend the money on advertising MLB’s reprehensible move and encourage others to join in the boycott. I hope the business owners’ prevail, but….
This really was the most knee jerk action by the MLB that didn’t give them an ounce of Goodwill. The honchos making that decision look like big fool akin the NBA. Hope the small businesses can get that $100 Million and a big apology from the MLB! Shame on them….
I no longer will have any hope for nba nfl or nlb nor will i follow any of these exsports if they have any guts run for office and see what we think.
Voting Identification is not racist it must be required
According to the law. Anywhere you go whatever you do you have to protect yourself having an identification.
Let’s eliminate the race word in the dictionary for each race itself is racist against each other. Wherever you came from let’s have peace. That’s all that matters due
To Covid-19 everyone must have faith that this Country
Will recover.
Corporations that pulled their support of Conservative politicians, MLB moving out of Atlanta, and other stupid corporative decisions that fawn all over the left (I stopped saying ‘liberals’) need to be hit where it hurts…at the cash register! They deserve to be boycotted for their simple minded actions.
They should get rid of the democratic politicians. They lied about the law now Atlanta has to pay the price.
thinking those of color are too stupid to figure out how to get a government ID (ie. driver’s license) is racist to the 9th degree…How degrading that only ‘white’s’ are smart enough to get ID’s….corporate leadership needs to understand ‘real’ issues rather than reading headlines developed by those with an agenda
Look for other ways to get back at the MKB as well as fining them.
Such law suits against Coca Cola and others – AND ANT PERSON OR PARTY WHO GAVE THEM FALSE REASONS(!) – are a plain necessity. Actually, such law suits should also follow by small business organisations and owners against BLM, Antifa, and DEMOCRAT PARTY.
America is not divided by race, color, gender, or sexual orientation
America is divided into wise people and fools
And fools divide themselves by race, color, gender, and sexual orientation.