February 10, 2009

Let's Clear Up Some Misconceptions...Shall We?

Can I even get excited about the upcoming season without the same stories about PED's and lying to congressional committees? Without getting too sucked in I would like to know why Congress really cares and how it's so strange that politicians invite people into the den of sin and expect them to play by different rules than they play every day. I know that congress threatened to clean up baseball if the MLB didn't, but are we really winning anything here? They know it was rampant, they now have testing that has brought results and punishments in place. Maybe if our fine outstanding politicians can learn to pay their taxes they will be granted the right to put someone under a binding oath and expect them to incriminate themselves.

I keep reading the latest stories and ridiculous statements that other "bloggers" are making and I want to clear up some talking points that have been run into the ground.

First off, I highly doubt you would get fired from your desk job if you were taking a PED that would increase your productivity by leaps, have you miss less days at work and bring in success and millions of dollars to your company. So don't keep spewing trash on how the MLB is protecting these idiots and no other corportation in the "real world" would. Talk to me when they come and take away the coffee machine. Do you ever wonder why many companies provide it for free?

Pete Rose ACCEPTED a lifetime ban from baseball. Sure he thought it would probably be reversed in a couple of years, but he took the deal to stop them from further investigating him. He gambled on baseball games at the least, they would have found many more things if they continued the investigation. He knew that and that's why he agreed to the ban. So let him lay in the bed that he made. He took his deal and it doesn't matter which is worse in the battle of steroids vs. gambling. My personal opinion is to let him in the hall after he has passed away, that way he can't directly profit from it.

Mark McGwire is retired and doesn't owe you the truth. I respect him more for not blowing smoke up my ass and instead saying that he would rather focus on stopping future players from making the same mistake. He answered the questions in a way to keep him from having to give further testimony and others should have learned from him instead of proclaiming false innocence. There are plenty of stories showing the down side of steroids out there, Big Mac's record breaking home run season isn't what you want to use to scare players away. His use of other performance enhancers were very well documented and so are his countless lingering injuries.

And finally, I don't care if Phelps smoked pot. I know he's not a baseball player but enough is enough. If you think pot can provide a performance boost, look no further than me in my college days. I was barely able to lift the pizza from the box to my mouth on most days. LET IT GO. If swimming thinks they don't need him, think again. I've seen more ping-pong on ESPN than swimming. I don't think I would feel comfortable benching my only commodity for the next three months. He won 8 gold medals for our country, he made a mistake and had the balls to admit it without having to be dragged to Congress. He could have just have easily said that the bong was a new training tool for breath control and I would have never thought anything different.

2 comments:

The Ghost of Jack Buck said...

Ivy, Very well said! While I don't want my son to use PED's, or anyone elses children for that matter, I don't feel that players who have tested positive for PED's should be thrown under the bus.(unless they have tested positive since the new testing program was put in place) McGwire and Sosa saved the game of baseball in 1998! McGwire played his entire career during a time when there was no testing, no banned or illegal performance enhancers, and apparently, EVERYONE was either using, assisting someone who was using, or at least aware of who was using. You are absolutely right... McGwire is guilty of nothing more than being smarter than all of the other guys who have testified in front of Congress!
As for Pete Rose, there is nobody who has ever played the game of baseball, past or present, who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame (HOF) more than he does. I don't like Pete Rose! I never have! I think he is an arogant, cocky, loud mouthed prick... but he IS a HOF'er!!! The greatest hitter to play the game, regardless of what he did off the field, he deserves to be inducted. I have never liked the man, but I have ALWAYS respected his talent.
Finally, Michael Phelps and pot... all I can say is... at least you were able to get the pizza ordered and delivered to the correct address! Big props to you!!! You were WAY ahead of me!!! I can't tell you how many times I ended up eating plain hot dog buns dipped in whatever I could find in the refrigerator. (Ever eaten bread dipped in spoiled cottage cheese?) I have!

Hon Don Gerard said...

Have you noticed in the past couple of years that stretch of I-70 named after McGuire has been reduced to, like, a lane and a half.

Sad.