Imrem: Could Dennis Rodman be peace's last chance?
Current events render nonsense more sensible than common sense.
Which, of course, gets us to former Chicago Bulls eccentric Dennis Rodman's latest trip to North Korea.
(That's to say Rodman is a former Bull, not a former eccentric.)
The world both inside and outside of sports is upside down and inside out.
The springtime heat is summerlike, but the Chicago Bears are practicing football in Lake Forest.
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon is employing slugger Anthony Rizzo as his leadoff hitter.
My goodness, Mets mascot Mr. Met made an obscene gesture toward fans, so what's next? Clark the Cub peddling autographed Ian Happ rookie cards on the black market?
Inside the box is out and outside the box is in.
The only certainty is that we're living in a different time than ever before … one that's wackier than even the one inside the wacky “Worm” Rodman's wacky head.
More seriously, consider the rude-awakening at the bottom of the TV screen first thing Wednesday morning.
“House majority whip Steve Scalise hit by gunshot,” the message on CNBC read.
If that weren't stunning enough, this came next: “Shooting at congressional baseball practice field.”
Sort of makes the Cubs' desperate search for a leadoff hitter little more than a laughing matter.
Scalise, of Louisiana, was working out with Republican colleagues for an upcoming charity game against Democrats.
A baseball practice … gunshots … a wounded high-ranking member of congress …
The film “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World” was released in 1963. Fifty-four years later “It's a Madder, Madder, Madder World,” only not so funny.
Many say sports should stay out of politics. Others say politics should stay out of sports. The truth is there's no separating anything from anything anymore.
So a former frightening basketball player is in North Korea to meet with one of the world's most frightening leaders.
Rodman used to go ballistic on the basketball court. Kim Jong Un launches ballistic missile tests. There's a symmetry in that.
Dennis Rodman was scary in sneakers, terribly unpredictable, a menace to opponents and occasionally to teammates. In this perverse world, maybe that's exactly the type of crisis negotiator required to go one-on-one with Kim.
A few years ago, you'd say Rodman should go get another tattoo, smoke a joint and leave global politics to the professionals.
Now, what the heck, nobody else has had any luck dealing with Kim Jong Un, so why not give the Worm a shot?
Some of the savviest diplomats have failed to get through to the Kim regime. Dennis Rodman has had his ear during multiple visits to North Korea and just might be peace's last chance.
Perhaps these two crazy kids speak the same language, something like Wormean or simply Basketballese.
Yes, this is meant to be facetious, but only partially in the context of the world as we know it.
Comedians Kathy Griffin and Bill Maher make reprehensible sociopolitical statements … London is a killing field … a congressman is shot on a baseball field.
Considering all that, why couldn't the decidedly undiplomatic Dennis Rodman be the perfect diplomat to deal with North Korea.
In a “Madder, Madder, Madder World,” maybe nonsense really does make the most sense.
mimrem@dailyherald.com