Thursday, February 19, 2009

All Jacked Up

Let's just get this out of the way,

Pitchers and catchers have reported, marking that time of year where some of us start scouring box scores, and scheming impossible trade ideas.

Yes, Baseball season is almost here.

So let's just get it out of the way and talk about steroids.


Sure, some of you may be wanting to talk about where Man-Ram (A Lattimer favorite) is going to go, or perhaps the gauntlet that is the AL East. Don't get me wrong, we'll get to that, but shit, this whole steroids thing is a big deal.

A-Rod is the latest casualty of this whole debacle, and naturally since he is supposedly the best hitter in baseball, he's getting the most grief. (Although yours truly and a certain statistician would disagree)

As of right now, I'd love to get all of the names out there and get it over with.

I really don't want to say I don't care, but I guess I'm now desensitized to the whole matter. I mean as soon as I found out Fernando f-ing Vina was implicated in the Mitchell report, I lost my innocence. Not because I like Vina, but because I was like Vina...are you serious?
(note-I could never stand Vina on the Cards...yes hit into a double play and then storm off the field...because that makes everything better)

I guess I was one of those guys who used to say: "Look at Roger Clemens, his head is huge...he's on something." (Turns out I was right) Vina represents the fact that even shitty players were juicing. And guess what, this isn't a holier than though type thing because I watched every Cards game during 1998 for the sole purpose of seeing Big Mac put one out of the park. Even after I heard about the Andro report, and I knew what it was and what it was used for, I still defended Big Red.

Still think steroid use is despicable, try accosting your local gym rat, or your neighbor for that matter.

Again, It's not that I don't care, because for every Clemens, A-Rod, and Bonds, we also have a Taylor Hooton, Efrain Marerro, and Chris Benoit.

And don't think this is just an indictment of MLB, every sport is dirty at some point. Furthermore, is it really cheating if everyone does it? (Bigger Stronger Faster)

From a player perspective, I can sympathize with Jeter's point. I wouldn't say I did things the "right" way, but I certainly didn't stick a needle in my ass...or take unmarked pills...or rub special lotion on my shoulder.

On the fan side I think this outrage comes from the fact that many fans still view players as larger than life figures. We all want them to be like our spiritual founder Roy Hobbs, The Natural, when in reality they are humans just like you and me.

I guess at the end of the day my opinion is similar to that of fighter pilots in the movie "Bigger Stronger Faster" (I've referenced it 50 times so why not 51?)

"In sports you should play fair, In war you shouldn't play fair at all"

3 comments:

  1. RE: A-Rod is the latest casualty of this whole debacle...

    A-Rod is no casualty. He brought this on himself.

    Now I have a bit of empathy for these users; If everyone is doing it and making kajillions of dollars in the process, and the League is willfully turning a blind eye.

    My biggest problem with the entire thing is the anonymity concerning the Club House Rule, which keeps everything in House.

    Were I player, I'd love this rule. But I'm not. Every player is under suspicion. Think of the best clean player in the game right now (subjective answers). Can you really say that you'd be surprised at this point were he to come out and say "I took this or that"?

    You wouldn't and that's the worst part. If the names get out, we can move on quickly. But the Union and honestly a bit of human decency won't let that happen, so it will be a long, more drawn out, more taxing process.

    But a welcome process, anyway.

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  2. Good points, and I'll add one more.

    This Steroid/HGH thing is just a generational problem. If we've learned anything from this it's the fact that the dopers are one step ahead of the testers. So who's to say that the next generation of players will be doing something that the leagues/unions will not be ready to test.

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  3. The term "performance enhancing" substances is way to general. The only reason steroids give an unfair advantage is because they are illegal and not everyone can get them or is willing to face the consequences of using. Aside from they make you freakishly big and strong. If it were legal across the board to use HGH/steroids then everyone would/could be on the same playing field.

    Here is my list of "performance enhancing substances

    Pot: Video Games, Ski, Snowboarding, Swimming, swimming with sharks, post sexy time smoothness (whip out a blunt after having sexy time...she'll do things....), curling, shuffle board

    Steroids/HGH: Blowout hair cuts, being a douche bag, beating your girlfriend, Football, Basketball, Baseball, most sports you see in main stream television

    coke: Professional Speed talking, speed texting, NASCAR

    Gatorade: Soccer, Baseball, basketball, football, little league, ski and snowboarding...every sport ever

    and the most NOTORIOUS performance enhancing drug....food...food is a proven gateway to other more serious substances and life threatening substances. There is also a clear distinction in performance between those who use "food", street name "grub" and "eats", and those who do not

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