I was recently at a hockey game with my family when a fight broke out. Two tough guys were duking it out on the ice much to the enjoyment of the throngs of fans. I heard the voice of a concerned mother coming from the row behind me. “This is the last hockey game we are coming to. Look at them!” Was she right, I wondered? Is the sport just too inappropriate for children to be viewing? Maybe I should be taking my son to a more docile sport, like baseball. But then are Tejada, McGuire, Clemens, Bonds, Canseco, Giambi, Palmero, Pettite, Knobloch, Caminiti, Santiago, Rocker, Segui… why bother listing the rest of the over 100 baseball players who have either admitting to using, been implicating in the use of, or have tested positive for the use of performance enhancing drugs (and I don’t mean Viagra).
Call me crazy, but what parent would prefer to shell out their hard earned cash to buy tickets that wind up paying to feed someone’s drug habit? And, make no mistake about it, using hGH and steroids to give you an edge is as much a drug habit as any substance abuse problem Daryl Strawberry has ever had. And, so, the latest to fall is Alex Rodriguez, whose blood test actually proved that he used steroids back in 2003. But, not to worry. Rodriguez claims that he only used steroids during that short period of time during which major league baseball tested him – not before and not after. A-Rod, if you expect someone to believe that, I’ve got a stadium to sell ‘em. After all, you did categorically deny using any performance enhancing substance back then, too. In fact, you went so far as to tell Katie Couric that you’ve never even been tempted. That’s where I draw the line, Sir. Don’t ever make a liar out of a TV journalist! That is something that each reporter needs to learn how to do for himself.
So, I say to the mother sitting behind me at the hockey game, where are you going to bring your kid instead? Not to see the Yankees play, I hope. Or the Braves. Or the… it’s not even worth it. And with the big shots juicin’, you can be sure that the minor leaguers are finding their ways to the proverbial back alleys behind the stadiums. Because, it would seem that no matter how new a ball park is, how fancy its scoreboard, how many people it seats, and how much money some company is willing to fork over to get their name stuck to the side of the building, there are always dark, dingy, seedy back alleys in which kids can get the stuff they need to compete with their idols. As of mid-January of this year, the names of two minor leaguers who have tested positive for performance-enhancing substances were released. Last year, eight minor league ball players names popped up as positive (plus one who took a suspension rather than be tested). The year before – 15. This problem is not going away anytime soon and, to tell you the truth, I’m getting a little bit tired of these fraud’s getting credit for breaking records set by the likes of Babe Ruth and Willie Mays.
So, what now? What is there that can possibly be done to combat the overwhelming problem of steroids in baseball? Major League Baseball, under the watchful eye of Commissioner Bud Selig (under whom the steroid problem grew to McGuire-home run record-sized proportions), has handed down suspensions to several players in the past few years. Some have served suspensions of up to 10 or even 15 games. In a 162-game season, 10 games amounts to little more than a slap on the pinky. Don’t tell Madonna, but A-Rod should be banned from Major League Baseball. This is not a suspension; this is an all-out ban, the likes of which would make Pete Rose shudder. If the player’s union doesn’t like it, find new players. Because, the fact remains that this type of swift, no nonsense action is the only thing that will clean up baseball again, making it safe for little leaguers to dream, and providing a safe haven for that mom who just didn’t want her kid cheering on two athletes who are so intent on giving each other a concussion, that they actually took off their helmets before coming to fisticuffs on the slippery ice.
Maybe it’s just me…
Call me crazy, but what parent would prefer to shell out their hard earned cash to buy tickets that wind up paying to feed someone’s drug habit? And, make no mistake about it, using hGH and steroids to give you an edge is as much a drug habit as any substance abuse problem Daryl Strawberry has ever had. And, so, the latest to fall is Alex Rodriguez, whose blood test actually proved that he used steroids back in 2003. But, not to worry. Rodriguez claims that he only used steroids during that short period of time during which major league baseball tested him – not before and not after. A-Rod, if you expect someone to believe that, I’ve got a stadium to sell ‘em. After all, you did categorically deny using any performance enhancing substance back then, too. In fact, you went so far as to tell Katie Couric that you’ve never even been tempted. That’s where I draw the line, Sir. Don’t ever make a liar out of a TV journalist! That is something that each reporter needs to learn how to do for himself.
So, I say to the mother sitting behind me at the hockey game, where are you going to bring your kid instead? Not to see the Yankees play, I hope. Or the Braves. Or the… it’s not even worth it. And with the big shots juicin’, you can be sure that the minor leaguers are finding their ways to the proverbial back alleys behind the stadiums. Because, it would seem that no matter how new a ball park is, how fancy its scoreboard, how many people it seats, and how much money some company is willing to fork over to get their name stuck to the side of the building, there are always dark, dingy, seedy back alleys in which kids can get the stuff they need to compete with their idols. As of mid-January of this year, the names of two minor leaguers who have tested positive for performance-enhancing substances were released. Last year, eight minor league ball players names popped up as positive (plus one who took a suspension rather than be tested). The year before – 15. This problem is not going away anytime soon and, to tell you the truth, I’m getting a little bit tired of these fraud’s getting credit for breaking records set by the likes of Babe Ruth and Willie Mays.
So, what now? What is there that can possibly be done to combat the overwhelming problem of steroids in baseball? Major League Baseball, under the watchful eye of Commissioner Bud Selig (under whom the steroid problem grew to McGuire-home run record-sized proportions), has handed down suspensions to several players in the past few years. Some have served suspensions of up to 10 or even 15 games. In a 162-game season, 10 games amounts to little more than a slap on the pinky. Don’t tell Madonna, but A-Rod should be banned from Major League Baseball. This is not a suspension; this is an all-out ban, the likes of which would make Pete Rose shudder. If the player’s union doesn’t like it, find new players. Because, the fact remains that this type of swift, no nonsense action is the only thing that will clean up baseball again, making it safe for little leaguers to dream, and providing a safe haven for that mom who just didn’t want her kid cheering on two athletes who are so intent on giving each other a concussion, that they actually took off their helmets before coming to fisticuffs on the slippery ice.
Maybe it’s just me…
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Written by Hubby
Oh boy. THere are no words.
ReplyDeleteLike Angie, I really don't even know what to say.
ReplyDeleteFor me...I love baseball. If you consider ALL the players in major league, and the cost of the upkeep of the stadium and the other "TRUE honest players"...I'd prefer my ticket money to go there instead of hockey. But then again, I don't know hockey...I've been watching baseball since back when Babe Ruth was still playing. LOL
ReplyDeleteMy W W is about a family movie I just watched again, and found something in it that I'd never seen before...can you see what I saw? Come on over for a visit...happy Wednesday wishes to you.
That's about right:-) Cute picture!
ReplyDeleteyou made some good points. something should be done.
ReplyDeleteI love the Yankees, but baseball is seriously tarnished for me. My whole life my dad told me they were juicing, but the last few years have shown the Player's Association has been in on a lot of it. This kind of corruption should not stand.
ReplyDelete