Gun shop owner denied right to sponsor team in son's little league

A Babe Ruth League team has decided to pass on one particular parent's sponsorship. It's not often a recreational team would look the other way from a voluntary donation, but this donor was in business with something parents feared - guns.

Matt Carmel of Maplewood, NJ is the owner and operator of Constitution Arms. He was turned down in his request to sponsor a little league team. His own 10-year old son participates in the league, and Carmel came with open wallet to fund the local sports group. However, the South Orange-Maplewood Baseball Committee voted 8-1 against the motion of a little league team to be sponsored by a gun dealership. Secretary of the Committee Craig Gruber explains his vote:

""I voted against it. Personally ... given the nature of that business, I’m certain there’d be quite a bit of contention. We don’t need the headache. ... We have our hands full with deciding whether infield fly rules should be in effect for 9-year-olds.""

He might be acting a bit dismissive in that statement, but it's reflective of a larger concern. Is it OK for a gun seller to sponsor a little league team even when there are no guns brought in the vicinity of gameplay?

It's tough to say. But Carmel brings up a good counterpoint. He says league has already allowed sponsorship from outlets that sell liquor and tobacco products, as well as 'Cluck-U-Chicken,' a raunchy food chain. Their suggestive tag line reads: "Large Breasts, Juicy Thighs. Luscious Legs." Not exactly family fair.

This story comes an at interesting time. The MLB just released a statement on their new initiative banning guns and explosives from their clubhouses. So far they have managed to avoid incidents that flamed some other sports - Gilbert Arenas of the NBA to name a recent blow-up. It makes sense that the majors are also looking out for the impact such an event would have on their leagues staying family friendly.

Personally, I am not a member of the NRA and I've never lived in a home that housed guns (nor a workplace). But if the guns aren't allowed near the little league clubhouse and they couple it will parents being honest and responsible educators, what's the worst that could happen? There are guns in this world, and the child will have to make their own choice when they turn 18. That being said, there is no excuse for "adults" like Arenas bringing weapons into the locker room - in the nation's capitol no less. Maybe someone should have taken him aside in his youth league and explained just how much of a "joke" that is.

Guns and baseball...and kids: Americans draw lines