The Daily Beast has appointed itself the arbiter of rightthink and wrongthink. Today, it decided to focus its laser-like righteousness on now-Hall of Fame inductee Mariano Rivera, on the very day that he was admitted into baseball‘s most elite club.

Behold the clickbait that the Daily Beast decided to push out on this day.

This is such a flaming hot piece of journalistic garbage that I refuse to tweet the link itself. Do better, @thedailybeast. pic.twitter.com/Vw6H9q9HeU

— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) July 21, 2019

I read this crapfest so you don’t have to.

Mariano Rivera, the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history, will be formally enshrined in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. A throng of New York Yankee diehards will surely make the trek to Cooperstown, NY, to take in the proceedings and relive treasured memories. For countless fans, Rivera is baseball royalty—an idol, worshipped for his on-field dominance, deadly mastery of a cut fastball, and pinpoint control.”

And over the past three years, he’s also served at the pleasure of a racist president, taken part in thinly veiled propaganda on behalf of a far-right government in Israel, and gotten chummy with outright bigots and apocalyptic loons. None of this will be inscribed on his Hall of Fame plaque. It should, even if much of the sports world would very much like to pretend none of it exists.”

The proof? The Bad Orange Man likes Mariano Rivera. THE HORROR.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1087867453684834305
Apparently, Rivera is a openly professing Christian, has co-hosted a fundraiser with Donald Trump Jr., and has traveled to Israel and has spoken openly about his support of the country.

Received a visit today from the greatest pitcher of all time, both on and off the field. Welcome @MarianoRivera — you are a tremendous inspiration to all of us who value and support the US – Israel relationship. pic.twitter.com/WvBBvF3i5M

— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) August 3, 2018

I can almost hear the impotent rage of this sad writer – “Does Mariano Rivera not know that he is Hispanic??? Does he not know that he’s not supposed to support THOSE PEOPLE???”

I’m so embarrassed for you — and legitimately sad over the misery & smallness your piece reveals. And that doesn’t even begin to cover your tendentiousness, laziness and ignorance about Israel. Yikes.

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 21, 2019

I mean, God forbid that a famous baseball player have an opinion of his own that doesn’t fall in line with the “enlightened” writers of the Daily Beast.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Rivera explained how his faith led him to develop a deep connection to Israel.”

“As a Christian, I do believe that the Lord gave us the Bible,” he said. “The Bible speaks about Israel. Everything — from New Testament, Old Testament — it’s all about Israel and the relationship his people have. So as a Christian, I understand that the chosen people of God is Israel — Jewish Israel. The country was made by him. All the other countries were made by men. This country was built by him for his people.”

Rivera said his bond with Israel was forged on two trips he made there: one with his family and one last summer with his church and a group of friends who are rabbis.”

“Every time that I go to Israel, it blows my mind,” he said. “I wanted to see more, I wanted to understand more. I wanted to learn more. The Bible comes to life when you’re there.” He said he was particularly moved by visits to the Sea of Galilee and what is believed to be the site of the Sermon on the Mount.”

He later added, “Every time I go there, I just want to go more. I want to be there every day, because that’s how powerful it is to feel the presence of the Lord …To me, it is amazing.”

Today was the pinnacle of Mariano Rivera’s baseball career.

And the Daily Beast thought this was the perfect time to take a shit all over this man’s moment in order to EXPOSE HIS WRONGTHINK.

That Mariano Rivera hit is one of the more insulting pieces of clickbait I've read in quite some time. No, I'm not linking it.

— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) July 21, 2019

Thanks a lot, Daily Beast. You did something I never thought possible. You’re actually making me defend a Yankees player. (Only sort of kidding; I am watching the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies because of Edgar Martinez today.)

Featured image: Mariano Rivera during his speech at the induction ceremony at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, July 21, 2019 (screenshot via MLB on YouTube)