I'm not saying he should NEVER face ridicule because of this event. What I'm saying is that he shouldn't be ridiculed for things he does BECAUSE of the event. It was a Cuban themed dance contest. His shirt is part of that. I don't think he was just wearing it out that day and happened to have it on for the event. If Arod (who is probably one of my top 10 favorite players in baseball, outside the Sox) or Papelbon said something dumb at a charity event, by all means they should be made fun of. But if Arod was wearing a clown suit for a "Circus against AIDS" or something, then clearly he does not. By the way, I don't particularly like Papelbon. On the field I love him obviously, but off the field I think he's retarded. I did like the dancing thing only because I already was a big Dropkick Murphys fan long before they were associated with the Red Sox, but I honestly find him kind of annoying.
Oh wait... you just remembered that you really shouldn't talk about the playoffs? You know what? If A-Rod ever wears a clown suit, or something even remotely as fruity as the outfit that Papelbon wore, I'd say he should be made fun of, regardless of the cause. Or, at the very least, I'd fully expect ridicule directed at him. Yeah, baseball players, generally speaking, aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. Even so, Papelbon strikes me as a guy who would finish in the lower quartile of proballplayers. That's pure speculation, but from what I've heard from him, to say that he's not particularly bright would be generous.
