Explaining "trash talk" to the clueless. That means you, Mitt.

By Richard K. Barry

Wow. President Obama went into Boston and took a shot at the locals about baseball. (Is he crazy?) And they responded in kind with what sounded like booing. It may have been good natured, but it was still booing.

As The Hill reported, it went like this:

"I just want to say thank you for Youkilis," said Obama at the beginning of a fundraiser at Boston's Symphony Hall Monday night, of third baseman Kevin Youkilis's recent trade to the Chicago White Sox. "I'm just saying. He's going to have to change the color of his sox."

Boos were heard echoing throughout the audience after the president's remark.

"I didn't think I'd get any "boos" out of here, but I guess I shouldn't have -- I should not have brought up baseball. I understand. My mistake," Obama added, according to remarks released by the White House.

At some point someone in the crowd yelled, "We still love you," to laughter and applause. 

But here's the stupid part: Presumptive Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's campaign used the incident to criticize the president for "taunting" Red Sox fans in their own home town.

Are you kidding me? Not only is Mitt Romney clueless about the basics of American sports culture, but so is his campaign. That, you idiots, is what sports fans call trash talk. It's what people who love baseball do when they're in somebody else's home town. You rib, you kid, you rub in bad news, especially when it's good news for your team. Obama is from Chicago. Get it. It's part of the fun. It's got nothing to do with "taunting."

Maybe that's what NASCAR team owners and dressage enthusiasts call it, but not real sports fans.

Here's the clip. I love it.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)