Have Orioles Fans Let Aubrey Huff Off the Hook?

Imagine if Alex Rodriguez was on a radio show and said "I'll just be real. New York is the sh*ttiest town in the world. Seriously." Implosion? Mass rioting? Perhaps the media outlets in New York would abandon what little journalistic integrity remains and let loose on that "Gay-Rod" headline they've been keeping on the backburner for so long. Whatever the case, it wouldn't be accepted. Not in New York, not in any reputable sports town. But it appears that the Baltimore Orioles magic of .500 baseball has O's fans in a forgiving mood for Aubrey Huff, the man who called the city horsesh*t because he can't go get liquored up after home games. Let the Baltimore Sun tell it, 17 home runs and .281 at the plate will earn you that. I call horsesh*t on that. Not on Huff. On Orioles fans. I'm certain there are some that will boo him to no end every time he steps into a batters box. But there has to be a concerted effort from Orioles faithful not to look like pussies on this issue. Aside from Huff and steroids, about the only thing Baltimore baseball is famous for this season is the fact that Red Sox Nation commandeered Camden Yards for Manny Ramirez' 500th home run. But letting Aubrey Huff off easy for his comments rings wrong in so many ways. It indicates that Orioles fans are willing to trade pride for production. That Orioles Magic comes in other forms besides hard play and even harder faith. Giving him a pass on his comments means that the state of the team is so bad, nothing should disrupt even the hint of extended success. Even if it's barely above .500. But maybe that's what Baltimore fans do. Maybe the Colts running out of town has left them with a sense of apathy towards sports figures; so much that it doesn't matter when they are being insulted in their own living room, by their own players. If it's true that you don't mess with Texas, maybe the saying for Charm City should be, ".500 Ball Means Donkey Punches All Around."