Lisa Guerrero: Time to end this monkey business?

All in all it’s been a rough few days for the monkeys.

On Friday night, the Angels’ Rally Monkey let down the home crowd in Anaheim. Although the team triumphed Sunday night in Boston, you can’t credit the monkey unless he sneaked into Jared Weaver’s suitcase.

On Saturday, John McCain’s rally monkey, Sarah Palin, popped up in Carson. Fresh off of her victory over herself at the debate, her campaign let Palin out of the cage to rev up the fan base.

Only problem was that, according to an Associated Press analysis, the lady maverick made some “racially tinged” remarks about Barack Obama. Someone might want to inform Sarah that although comments like that may play well in Wasilla, here in Southern California we celebrate diversity along with divisional championships.

Now back to the other primate.

It pains me to write this because I’m a fan of the Angels. Having grown up in San Diego, then Huntington Beach, and finally settling in Los Angeles, I root for every SoCal team. I also love the Rally Monkey.

Through the years I have purchased several of them. The current one smells like stale beer, has cotton candy stuck in his fur and lives in my closet standing vigil over my shoe rack.

But it may be time to put the Rally Monkey out to pasture. (Or Rain forest? Zoo? Jungle Cruise at Disneyland?) He’s just not performing well in the postseason anymore. Since 2000 he’s done an admirable job overall and has a higher approval rating during this same span than that other monkey in the White House.

There’s no denying that he was once a part of some historic, come-from-behind-victories at the Big A (yes, I still call it that and the Angels will always be the California Angels to me).

Last month, my husband and I had dinner in New York with Johnny Damon and his wife, Michelle. The subject of the Rally Monkey came up –- don’t ask me why –- and he said that the Yankees “fear him.”

Derek Jeter told Johnny that while in the dugout during the 2002 ALCS, several members of the team were watching the scoreboard in Anaheim during a Rally Monkey video. Derek stepped in front of them and warned his teammates to avert their eyes. “Don’t look at the monkey, whatever you do, don’t look at the monkey.” They laughed him off, watched the video anyway and the Angels defeated the Yankees three games to one and the rest was history.

Johnny told us that he believes in the power of the primate.

But has Rally lost his monkey mojo? And why? Is it his age (what’s 8 in monkey years?)? Could it be a woman? A lack of focus? Global warming? I guess for ol’ times sake, if the Halos can pull off another stunner in Beantown, we should give Rally one more chance. So, for now, I’ll get off the monkey’s back and if we’re lucky, he’ll get off Vlad’s.

Lisa Guerrero has covered Super Bowls, NBA championships and the World Series, along with the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. As an actress, she has appeared on "Frasier," "The George Lopez Show," and as Billy Baldwin's long-suffering wife in the family film "A Plumm Summer," which she executive produced.

Photos: Top: Rally Monkeys were on hand during an April 16 game at Angel Stadium. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Associated Press. Insert: Lisa Guerrero.

Comments

[Shripathi Kamath]

*This* is why you cannot be taken seriously as a reporter, Lisa. An inane anecdote about a mascot, accompanied with some distracted blather about Palin. It'd seem that the two of you share about the same amount of intellectual curiosity.

"But has Rally lost his monkey mojo?" is the best you can do.

And no, I was not asking a question.

From Jim Murray to Lisa Guerrero, how the mighty have fallen!

[brian s.]

racially tinged? are you really kidding me? if Obama didn't do it, then it wouldn't be fair game. but he did. meanwhile the Annointed One has played the race card repeatedly to get where he is (just ask Bill Clinton)

what's more, I thought this article was about the Angels. go figure, Lisa Guerrero thinks she has to be TJ Simers. sad

[Joe]

Is the Times so hard up for bloggers, that they'll resort to hiring this sports bimbo.

[WC]

Well, Lisa, it looks like you can add two more groups to you offended demographics -- humorless Republicans and collectors of stuffed animals. Having read all of your articles I understand that you are trying to elicit a chuckle here, and a smile there. We sports fans sometimes take ourselves far too seriously, and we identify ourselves way too much with our teams. And now, with a nasty political season, home foreclosures, the price of filling up our V-8 SUV's, fear of losing our jobs and calculating the personal cost of helping to bail out Wall Street, its not always easy to smile. Thanks for the "pick-me-ups" that are written with style. You don't take yourself that seriously in your pieces, but some just don't get it. Keep it comin'.

[brian s.]

I'm also sorry you can't take better care of your Rally Monkey. you're not the first one to suggest it might be time to move on, but the real one is here to stay as far as we Angels fans are concerned.

[Frank Antonelli]

I don't mean to be condescending to the six pack Joes who've commented before me, but perhaps if they read something other than the sports section they would know the difference betwen a sports column and a sports reporter.

Personally, I find her very funny and admire how she manages to tie in all the disparate topics. It's like a Seinfeld episode. But maybe Jerry shouldn't be taken seriously as a comedian either - too many anecdotes about nothing.

If Sri-Lanka wants sports scores he should have them sent to his phone. The rest of us have the intellectual capacity to enjoy the humor and the insight this blog offers.

[D Moi]

Less talk and more pictures of you. That goes for Lisa and Sarah

[Duke Davis]

"Now back to the other primate."

Uhhh... you probably could've picked a better segue than that one.

[benners]

Not to belabor the point here, but I would exercise a bit more caution when casually tossing around the words "monkey" and "monkey in the white house" after condemning Sarah Palin's possible racial innuendo in politics. Even if you're clearly stating your opposition to prejudice, I don't really think anyone in America wants to hear a common racial slur in connection with this year's election. I hate the rally monkey too, but jeez -- can't you just write a separate post?

[Liv]

This is an incredibly offensive post. What would the reaction be if someone referred to the all mighty Obama as a monkey? Get a real job, Lisa.

[Harold]

awesome post! I am sick of the rally monkey as well, and don't even get me started on Sarah Palin.

[Steve]

Love her! Lisa's blogs are not only funny, but get right to the heart of the matter as well as, apparently, under people's skin. Good for her!!

[Mary]

What the heck does your political rantings about Sarah Palin have to do with sports? Aren't you supposed to be talking sports?

Oh....and btw, the "racially tinged" baloney of the AP's story is just that!

Yikes! It's becoming increasingly hard to find media about ANY subject that doesn't feel the need to cram their politics down OUR throats!

[84rules]

Wow! I had no idea that the Dems were so hypocritical! Calling Governor Palin a "monkey?" That's sets the bar lower for the Dems than I have ever seen it set before.

Still, we should be thanking Lisa for conceding on this. Why do I use the word "conceding?" Because, when one side has to revert to name-calling, it means they have lost the argument on the real issues.

Lisa, thank you for conceding the issues on behalf of the Dems.

[Jon]

You manage to get paid for writing this claptrap?
It is a sad commentary on the state of our educational system that this passes for journalism. It is no wonder that newspapers across our land are laying people off and closing their doors.

[Steve Garvey]

Stick to sports; this was not clever or funny.

[Blaise]

How nice of you to insinuate that Palin made racist remarks without actually naming what the remarks were. Must be nice to accuse people in a vague manner without backing up anything you're saying.
Maybe like the time you made those "racially tinged" remarks about those black players on Monday Night Football?

[paulejb]

It still amazes me how vile liberal feminists can be towards a member of their gender who does not buy into the party line. I would imagine you would agree with Sarah Bernhardt who threatened Palin with " rape by her black brothers" if she showed up in New York. Since you are beyond shameless it is pointless to expect any better from you but I do wonder what your reaction would be if someone called Obama a monkey.

[LSUChris]

WOW! I thought that Keith Uberstupid only worked at MSNBC...about as bright as Keith, but much better looking.
Stick to sports darlin and you'll stand a better chance of being remembered in the long run...

[Scott Worden]

For people to even respond and start talking about politics after reading this garbage can of an article amazes me. From the rally monkey to Obama and Palin? Get real Lisa!!

[steve]

Lisa G's pushing the buttons of lots of insecure people. (Reminds me of the good old days when she stirred it up on Best Damn Sports Show) If you don't like what she writes, don't read it.

[James]

I, for one, am delighted with all the recent lay offs at the Los Angeles Times. It couldn't happen to a nicer group of people.

[WC]

Rally monkey fits perfectly. What else do you call someone picked out of obscurity to recite a lot of lies and inuendos? OK, "attack dog" may work, too. For McCain and Palin that strategy may well turn out to be another Bridge to Nowhere.

[Dave9]

There's nothing wrong with the occassional political jab. The problem with this is that it's not clever, thoughtful or sincere in the least. It makes the author sound really unintelligent.

[Sally J.]

And newspapers wonder why their circulation is dropping. It is because of employees like Lisa G. who fill the news reporting with one-sided, politically-opinionated nonsense rather than offering fair, balanced reporting. (And editors that don't cut the garbage out of the story and demand better writing.)
To LA Times management: next time you are cutting employees (again) put Lisa G. at the top of the list and her boss.