SFist: Bonds' Bombshell Bombshell

Ian

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 14:48:46 -0800

You make a valid argument about why players would TRY to cheat, which is of course correct; people have always tried to cheat in every sport. The point is that the sport still has a responsibility to catch and punish cheaters. One could also make arguments as to why the owners or players have neglected this duty in the past, or point out that they used "greenies" in the 60s or threw spitballs--but the fact is that baseball is facing a serious credibility crisis that can only be corrected by a serious effort to catch the cheaters and punish them.

Jon

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 14:21:46 -0800

One, keep in mind I'm playing devil's advocate here. Two, remember it's always good somebody does. Three, here comes the sports are a mirror of society card but, sports are a mirror of society. Everyone else is taking a short cut and being rewarded, why should we expect baseball players not to? From a story on the Canseco book on Salon: Canseco has a very good chapter called "Baseball Economics 101" in which he explains why it makes a lot of sense for someone like Tejada, who grew up in abject poverty, to become very interested in steroids. He asks you to picture yourself as a talented young player from a poor area of an impoverished country, "and let's say you realize that, if you can put together back-to-back good seasons with strong home-run totals, you can realistically set up your family and yourself for the rest of your life with a $40 or $50 million contract." "There's only one catch: To score that big paycheck ... you're going to need to guarantee that performance -- and the only way to ensure that is to make the most of the opportunity presented by steroids and growth hormone. Put it that way, and I don't see any young kid turning it down. Would you? Would you really?"

rita

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 13:02:40 -0800

right on.

Ian

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 12:32:04 -0800

Because baseball is a game, and steroids are cheating.

Jon

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 12:29:10 -0800

Ah, yes, you could look at it that way. But when some guy goes on ESPN and starts screaming that this whole thing is "the Watergate of the 21st Century" and, wait for it, "won't somebody think of the children?" it's nice to hear somebody not in full Mrs. Broslofski-mode about all this. Cause really, our entire culture these days is a celebration of fakeness- fake movie stars, fake pop stars, fake presidential campaigns. Why are baseball players the only one's to get nailed for it?

Ian

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 11:58:04 -0800

"Brings some perspective," and by "brings" you must mean "condones," and by "some" you must mean "steroid," and by "perspective," you must mean "abuse."

Jackson West

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 20:09:19 -0800

Barry + Drugs + Adultery + Gerlado = Mmmmmmbestest.