Happy Thanksgiving to all…just a brief post this morning, combining my favorite issues: sports and politics. Looks like Carlos Delgado is going to sign with the cross-town rivals, the Mets. I’ve always liked Delgado–but not solely because of his baseball skills. Back when he was with the Blue Jays, when his team came to Yankee Stadium, he refused to leave the dug-out in the 7th inning to stand in full view when “God Bless America” was played. It was his way of protesting the Iraq war.

Unfortunately, Delgado is one of a very small number of athletes who are willing to say anything controversial that touches on anything outside of sports. Even though Curt Schilling is a Republican and campaigned for Bush in the last election, I don’t fault him for speaking his mind and getting involved. Too many athletes are much more concerned about protecting endorsements than using their considerable influence to shape opinions. I always wondered: if Tiger Woods, who makes a gazillion dollars from Nike, said, “Sweatshops are unacceptable,” you could guess there would be a lot more movement to upgrade working conditions in countries where sports wear is made.

Yes, Thanksgiving is a time for wishful thinking.