Okay...maybe I was a little hard on Barry in my last post. It was late, I was in one of those moods, I don't like the Giants...yeah, all the above. Truth is, I don't have any proof Barry has taken any illegal substances in an attempt to boost his performance on the field and he's innocent until proven guilty(my lawyers said I should say that).That being said, I'd be interested in hearing other sports fans views on the use of steroids in sports. Baseball, football, the Olympics, the Tour de France...people are juicing to get ahead all the time. I heard one sports analyst describe the Tour de France as the greatest drug testing program in the world.
Cyclists are tested well before the race several times, during the race, and after. Samples of urine are taken along with spare samples. What does that say about the sport of cycling when more is spent on drug testing (that's a lot of doctors) than on the purse for the winner?
And why do we as fans tolerate it? Do we really want our teams to win so badly that we're willing to pretend it's not an issue? I can remember as a kid my mom would tell me to drink my Ovaltine so I would grow up to be like Joe DiMaggio (yeah...I'm that old). It didn't work. Maybe she should have pushed The Clear, The Cream, or some Deca-Durabolin instead. Silly mom.
What should the penalty be for those who get caught cheating? Pete Rose has a little gambling issue and we ban him from baseball for life and won't let him into the Hall of Fame. Shouldn't someone who taints the game and the record books through the use of illegal substance get the same?
Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Benito Santiago, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi...they've all either admitted using steroids or have been implicated (and the list is much longer). Should we really support them continuing in the sport and possible induction to the Hall of Fame? And what's the lesson for our children?
Me personally...I think players who test positive for any illegal substance should be banned from the game for life. After all, we - the fans - pay these guys millions of dollars to play a game. We should demand they play it within the boundaries of the rules. But...that's just me.
2 comments:
I have to agree with you on the permanent ban idea. That kind of punishment might serve as a deterrent.
I noticed you left Canseco off of your "implicated" list. As a loyal Giants fan, I have to point out that that's at least 3 A's cheaters vs. only 1 Giants cheater.
Yeah...it's a mighty long list, Steve. And, truthfully, even if it's a player from one of my teams, I vote 'em off the island.
I think the only way to really rid the sports we love of juicing is to crack down hard. I'd even penalize teams that allow it to go on.
Things that make me wonder: Pac Man Jones has trouble off the field, and he's suspended for a season (something I agree with, by the way). Shawne Merriman gets caught juicing on the field, and he gets a four-game suspension.
Am I missing something? Love ya, bro!
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