April Fools

"It's Going, Going... Did You See Where It Went?" (New York Times, April 1, 2009) is one of the best examples of an April Fool's joke I have seen in a very long time. I love the trick photography that makes it appear that some seats in the new Yankee Stadium give one a perfectly clear view of about HALF of the field. The picture, and the underlying quotes, almost had me fooled into thinking that there were idiots masquerading as architects in the design of this 21st century state of the art, mecca of the sporting world, home of our beloved Bombers.

The City approved $129 million in borrowing from the taxpayers in 2006, representing the cost to replace the 22 acres of parkland the city gave the Yankees and to build the sewers and roads to support the Stadium. By early 2009, that cost was estimated to be $325 million ('Yankee Stadium's a money pit', Daily News , January 14, 2009 and "A New Yankee Stadium, the Same Old Politics", New York Times, January 13, 2009). We knew that we would have to bear much collateral expense in regard to this project in addition to providing about a billion dollars of tax exempt financing to the Yankees to have the field of our dreams. Yet no money was too much for our vision to become reality before our eyes.

If I were a cynic, I would think that today's article was not a joke, and was rather a shocking slap in the face. However, while we live in cynical times, I choose not to go down that path. I thank the newspaper for brightening up my day with one of the most innovative gags in journalistic history. You almost got me.Thank you for the laugh.