Chronicle columnist and noted parrothead C.W. Nevius used some column inches this weekend to defend this Summer's expensive (but maybe not as expensive) America's Cup. The event won't bring in nearly as much revenue for the city as originally planned, but as a break-even event it must be a good thing for the city because our shoreline will be on TV, basically.

Nevius steers clear of criticism by Supervisor John Avalos, who has pegged the sailboat races as spectacle for the rich pretty much from the start. The revenue we were promised won't be going to improve San Francisco's neighborhoods, but at least "the money won't be taken from the general fund," Nevius notes. As for accusations that workers, like those who were paid $27 an hour to assemble bleachers for last year's A-Cup events, weren't paid according to the city's prevailing wage (it should have been $64/hour) — those carpenters are being reimbursed for the difference.

So, Nevius dispatches any other criticism of the event the same way one might defend spending their weekends tailgating with boat drinks: "It all boils down to a single question," Nevius writes, "Would you rather have this event here or not? I'd say the overwhelming answer is yes."

As we get closer to the regatta this July, Nevius says we can expect "more sniping at the event - some reasonable, some pure political posturing, and some that is simply absurd." Absurd sniping — like that which invokes Jimmy Buffett — is, of course, the best kind of America's Cup sniping.

Anyhow, it's not like anyone expects this thing to get cancelled at this point. Not without an expensive lawsuit from event organizers. There's still an expected $900 million in economic activity and an estimated 6,500 new jobs coming our way, which no one will be complaining about, but since it will still be taking over our waterfront for weeks on end this Summer and Fall, the least organizers could do is book some better acts for the temporary waterfront music venue.

Previously: All America's Cup coverage on SFist