Kallman: George Carlin, RIP: “The Object Is to Go Home”

Before the de-evolution, he nailed the salient distinctions between baseball and football with such aplomb that none can possibly transcend it.

George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday night, after bringing himself to a hospital complaining of chest pains, was once an effective, genuinely edgy wit and mimic who could murder the fooleries of popular culture without sweat or condescension.

...And, then, one night, he isolated why baseball is superior to football (and any other sport, really), the sole regret having been that he did it before Casey Stengel, who would have understood, could have lived to hear it.

In baseball, the object is to go home, and be safe—”I hope I’ll be safe at home!”

...May the angels forgive Carlin his disbelief in their Master—and, forgive every one of his witless, carping HBO specials—enough to speed him a gentle escort to the Elysian Fields, safe at home, if only on grounds that he earned it by coming the closest of any humourist to throwing “Who’s on First” out at the plate, on one hop.

Plus...King Kaufman on Carlin.