[greymule]

It would seem to me that the player is exhibiting his constitutional right to free speech under the first amendment, but then I'm no lawyer either. I don't see how he is violating the constitution.

Of course you are right, DG. I began the thread with the post about the crackpot who wants some kind of redress because he feels "stressed" when a ballplayer points to the sky. I facetiously suggested that Fed will have to institute a new rule to suit the sensibilities of such people.

However, the fact that so many people took me seriously is an indication of how far America has sunk in efforts to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable or, rather, to accommodate every screwball who thinks the U.S. Constitution guarantees him the right not to feel "stressed." I see where a school district has banned witch costumes on Halloween because they don't want to permit, in the school board's words, "the Christian sexist demonization of pagan religious beliefs." (Oops, that was in Canada, but the same kind of thing goes on in the U.S., where kindergarten classrooms are forbidden to put decorative snowflakes on the windows or use red and green napkins at that unmentionable time of the year that centers on the 25th day of December.)

I wonder whether the crackpot who doesn't like to see players point to the sky knows what he is really saying when he bids someone "goodbye."