Wilder's latest inexplicable hissy fit

Is there anyone out there who can explain Doug Wilder to me? (Doug Wilder need not apply. I would never understand his explanation.) Now it seems he has decided to pick his next fight with the Richmond Braves. Who, by the way, were scheduled to come here today to meet with city officials about plans for a new stadium but a death in the family of a top city official postponed the meeting. I repeat: This was not canceled by the Braves, but by the city. So Wilder picks right now to throw a hissy fit over the Braves allegedly reneging on their deal to stay in Richmond.

Say what? says Mike Plant, executive vice president for the Atlanta Braves. “I’m just blown away by these false representations. He said we misled the citizens of Richmond, and I don’t think we’ve done that.”

What the Braves have done -- understandably -- is not sign on the dotted line of a deal that so far is no deal at all. The Braves said they would not agree to anything until they got a few, you know, teeny, tiny, minor questions answered, such as -- what would the city do about road access to the Fulton Gas Works site; parking; the possibility of lingering toxic waste and oh, where the $45 million would come from. You know, nothing big. Sort of like the list of questions Wilder himself demanded be answered before he would consider the Shockoe Bottom location.

Read the whole story for yourself, but it is unbelievable that Wilder has picked this fight. Someone close to Wilder (is there anyone since Paul Goldman got the boot?) has to tell him that his outbursts do nothing to serve the people he was elected to serve.

Um, Mr. Emperor, sir? About your outfit …