A-Rod's troubles
- Thread starter RAMA
- Start date
I'm also a Yankee fan, and I don't really care if A-Rod ever took steroids. Two things seem clear right now:
- He doesn't *still* take them
- He took them six years ago, when it wasn't yet a crime
So what's left to care about?
- He doesn't *still* take them
- He took them six years ago, when it wasn't yet a crime
So what's left to care about?
Last time I looked this morning it wasn't mentioned, I did post about it now, but I kind of thought that the best player in Baseball being tested positive would warrant its own thread.
RAMA
I was about to go looking for the topic myself. Since we have a separate thread it seems okay to use it instead.
This actually tends to discourage me, and not because I have any loyalty to A-Rod or the Yankees, or even to MLB itself. It's mostly because I was looking forward to a career homerun leader that was "clean". There is a great deal of "It's baseball, and it's always been that way" attitude, I think echoed by Tirico this afternoon. And I suppose that if A-Rod stays clean the rest of his career, most folks will have forgotten or forgive him. But what about the others that were test back in 2003? Should their names be released? I don't know. Makes you wonder now how Barry Bonds' legacy might change with each high profile player being exposed.
This actually tends to discourage me, and not because I have any loyalty to A-Rod or the Yankees, or even to MLB itself. It's mostly because I was looking forward to a career homerun leader that was "clean". There is a great deal of "It's baseball, and it's always been that way" attitude, I think echoed by Tirico this afternoon. And I suppose that if A-Rod stays clean the rest of his career, most folks will have forgotten or forgive him. But what about the others that were test back in 2003? Should their names be released? I don't know. Makes you wonder now how Barry Bonds' legacy might change with each high profile player being exposed.
It's not like he just did this yesterday. It was years ago. Ancient history. At the time, there was not yet a prohibition against 'roids. It's not retroactive. The only thing that matters is that A-Rod doesn't do this *now*. It is not relevant anymore. Can we move on now?
I guess we can't, though. It's A-Rod. People love to pick on him. He's an easy target. His haters will just use this as more ammunition. If it was anybody else, nobody would care as much. But since it's A-Rod, it's somehow world shattering events here.
As long as players don't take 'roids right now, then no, it's none of our business who took what. The only thing that matters is this: Do we get to see good games played by clean players? If the answer is yes, then I'm prepared to call it even.
I'm pretty sure that the possession of anabolic steroids without a doctor's note is a federal offense under the Controlled Substances Act, punishable by 7 years in prison, and has been since 1970 or so.
Yeah, now that we see that the man who slapped Johnny Damon's arm, cheated on his wife with both a stripper and Madonna, and admitted to cheating in baseball after getting caught really is a classy guy. That must be why everyone in the league loves him.
I don't think we can call it "even" given how baseball is so focused on its "legacy" perhaps more than any sport. And I'm pretty sure JKTim is right about the legal ramifications here.
The goofy part here is that weren't all of these test results supposed to be destroyed back when the testing was conducted?
The goofy part here is that weren't all of these test results supposed to be destroyed back when the testing was conducted?
More like 1991, but even so other suspected users in baseball haven't been arrested or tried.
RAMA
darkwing_duck1
Vice Admiral
So he says...of course he denied taking them then, IIRC...
Legal or not, it influenced his performance beyond his normal level of athleticism.
So what's left to care about?
The integrity of Big Sports (what little it has left, anyways)...
darkwing_duck1
Vice Admiral
They're ALL dirty one way or another...Big Sports is like all other Big Business in America today: corrupt to the core.
People instinctively know this, which is why the big
"seminal event" sports events like the Superbowl, World Series, Olympics, etc continue to lose viewership...
darkwing_duck1
Vice Admiral
EVERY SINGLE ONE of them should be outed, any awards earned stripped, and them BANNED for life.
That is IF you care about the integrity of the sport...
Oh give it a rest! At one time probably 80% of them were taking them, its hardly "cheating" in that context. Plus you have to work hard both physically and with baseball skills to improve, you don't just take them and balloon up and became a home run hitter.
Personally, I feel steroids should be allowed in sports under supervised conditions, and that it should be used as a supplement. Under those circumstances steroids are far less dangerous than eating junk food every day. Tens of millions have died from food related conditions, how many have died from steroids in all of the world over time? Estimates I have seen put it at 100.
RAMA
Its the whole point of the thing. AROD was seen as the heir to the homerun title, currently tainted by Barry Bonds. Now, it will be no different, because A Rod is in the same boat as Bonds. Yes he admitted it, but it doesn't matter, he still did it, and that is the point.
Sad thing is, he did not need to take them. He was talented enough as it is.
Sad thing is, he did not need to take them. He was talented enough as it is.
This and the Barry Bonds affair have really emphasized two points to me.
First, the double-standard in the media between North American pro sports and other sports. If this was a cyclist who tested positive in the Tour de France, there would be articles (like this one) at ESPN and SI lamenting how dirty cycling is, speculating that major events will fold under the pressure of drug cheats, etc. (small articles given the small following of other sports here, but they come up like clockwork). Instead, with A-Rod we get articles blaming the players union for his predicament because they didn't get the test results destroyed! Seriously, "Union to blame for A-Rod scandal." Very little about how baseball is doomed because several of its biggest stars (Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Palmeiro, A-Rod, and so on) have cheated and taken drugs.
Second, it's apparent that North American pro sports don't actually care about getting rid of steroids. Look at the ridiculously lenient penalties in the NFL and the complete lack of punishment in MLB. Why not have reasonable punishments like in swimming, track/field, or cycling - 2 year ban for first offence, lifetime ban for the second? MLB and the NFL (and probably the other two major leagues) need to make up their mind whether to penalize doping or not, because their current strategies just breed controversy. How exactly does baseball maintain credibility when a drug cheat holds the home run record?
First, the double-standard in the media between North American pro sports and other sports. If this was a cyclist who tested positive in the Tour de France, there would be articles (like this one) at ESPN and SI lamenting how dirty cycling is, speculating that major events will fold under the pressure of drug cheats, etc. (small articles given the small following of other sports here, but they come up like clockwork). Instead, with A-Rod we get articles blaming the players union for his predicament because they didn't get the test results destroyed! Seriously, "Union to blame for A-Rod scandal." Very little about how baseball is doomed because several of its biggest stars (Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Palmeiro, A-Rod, and so on) have cheated and taken drugs.
Second, it's apparent that North American pro sports don't actually care about getting rid of steroids. Look at the ridiculously lenient penalties in the NFL and the complete lack of punishment in MLB. Why not have reasonable punishments like in swimming, track/field, or cycling - 2 year ban for first offence, lifetime ban for the second? MLB and the NFL (and probably the other two major leagues) need to make up their mind whether to penalize doping or not, because their current strategies just breed controversy. How exactly does baseball maintain credibility when a drug cheat holds the home run record?
At least he admitted it. America is a forgiving culture, especially the sports fan.
I can see the players being upset a confidential result has been outed six years later. On the other hand, while they may not have been breaking baseball's law, they were breaking the law.
As for the integrity of the sport argument, when you have Hall of Famers fmaous for cheating like Gaylord Perry, or racists like Ty Cobb Not to mention Babe Ruth's excesses), where do you draw the line?
Bottom line, you'll never know how much of those records were set under the influence of steroids. So any attempt to change history is not subjective in the least.
I can see the players being upset a confidential result has been outed six years later. On the other hand, while they may not have been breaking baseball's law, they were breaking the law.
As for the integrity of the sport argument, when you have Hall of Famers fmaous for cheating like Gaylord Perry, or racists like Ty Cobb Not to mention Babe Ruth's excesses), where do you draw the line?
Bottom line, you'll never know how much of those records were set under the influence of steroids. So any attempt to change history is not subjective in the least.
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