Sportswriter Overcome by Palin Derangement Syndrome

This guy has been putting snide political references into his columns for years, so this certainly comes as no surprise. Considering smarmy twerps such as Mike Lupica have long been in the tank for Democrats, it's no surprise. But really, Larry Brooks ought to stick to covering hockey or ask the Post for a spot on the editorial page.

Tomorrow night, when the Flyers play their home opener against the Rangers, Gov. Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck in what Snider's team is positioning as an homage to hockey moms.

This is how the participation of the Republican Party's nominee for vice president was portrayed in a press release late Wednesday afternoon. Odd that the release omitted reference to Snider's public support of the John McCain-Palin ticket, isn't it?

Snider was host for a Sept. 26 Palin campaign event at the Irish Pub in Center City in Philadelphia. According to records of the Federal Election Commission, Snider donated $50,000 to the Republican national campaign effort between June 24 and June 30, 2008.

Now he is donating the stage of an NHL pregame ceremony for use as a pep rally for McCain's presidential effort. Now he is intent on transforming a sports arena into the political arena. He is creating an environment in which partisan politics, not hockey rooting interest, might well create dangerous disruption in the stands.

If Philadelphia fans are so immature they can't control themselves over this, that's their problem. Everywhere we turn in the country we're inundated with Obama propaganda. Snider owns the teams and he can do whatever he wants with it.