I saw this link on Bill Simmon’s website and I had to post it here for the sheer amount of time I spent watching these videos last night. For NBA fans its a fun ride in preparation for this weekend.
Tags: All-Star Game, NBA, videos
I saw this link on Bill Simmon’s website and I had to post it here for the sheer amount of time I spent watching these videos last night. For NBA fans its a fun ride in preparation for this weekend.
Tags: All-Star Game, NBA, videos
February 13, 2008 at 1:21 pm |
Dude, you watching the hearing on espn? Incredibly interesting. Does not look good for Roidger. Petitte absolutely buried him. As did his nanny, notwithstanding his clumsy attempt at witness tampering. But the best evidence thus far were bluejay medical records from 98 confirming an absess on his ass consistent with a winstrol injection. Can’t imagine what he and his lawyers have been thinking. Should have taken the fifth and accused the congress of trying to set him up with a perjury trap to protect Sen. Mitchell. What hubris.
February 13, 2008 at 1:43 pm |
This entire process was about his legacy, which was screwed no matter what he said. This legal fight was a dumb one to engage in, as his reputation was already nailed. I think he’ll beat any legal rap, but his “greatest pitcher ever” days are done.
Some weird inconsistencies to note:
1) I think its funny that guys who play 16 games of football are juicing out of their minds, caught red-handed, and playing in the playoffs the same year (Merriman of the Chargers, Harrison of the Pats). Nobody objects to this? No grand jury, no Senate committee, no hearings at Congress?
2) I know its a tired drum to beat, but Congress has nothing better to be focusing on? I know that sports trials mean a bigger audience and more media coverage, but where are the real issues?
3) How is that Kirk Radomski can push an illegal controlled substance all over baseball and get probation for information that didn’t lead to any arrests or stem the tide of PED in baseball, yet the local guy selling a dime bag can do 5 years hard time? I know the schedules of drugs are different, and the Rockafeller laws are bogus, but seems a bit skewed no?
February 13, 2008 at 3:09 pm |
I absolutely agree with you about about football. The same guys in the media who were beating up on Bonds were voting for Merriman for MVP after he tested positive and missed four games for a suspension. It seems that baseball and its records are somehow more “sacred” than football. I don’t see the distinction. Cheating is cheating. Drug use is drug use.
But I don’t have a problem with Congress conducting hearings on this issue. Without delving too deeply into the anti-trust exemption, there is also a public health issue here. I see no problem with Congress making sure that a sport which enjoys the exemption is properly regulated and that its players do not encourage dangerous drug use by impresionable young athletes. There is ample time for Congress to perform many functions. Having these hearings should not interfere with their other work. And if it does, we are probably better off.
As for your last point, I have to disagree with your assertion that the Radomski deal did not do anything to stem the tide of PED use in baseball. That’s the best part about these hearings and the Mitchell report. Players must know now that even if they avoid a positive test, they could be dragged in front of congress at any time and put on the stand if their supplier gets busted and rats them out. Couldn’t imagine a better deterrent.
February 13, 2008 at 4:03 pm |
Congress is not seeking to address the public health problem of athletes using PED, they are wasting time worrying about one cheater.
Sure baseball is exempt from anti-trust laws and should be properly regulated. However, the idea that a Senator with myriad conflicts of interest and red flags as to his impartiality conducted a multi-million dollar investigation and turned up only the names and flimsy evidence it did is outrageous. This was supposed to root out the steroid problem in baseball? His evidence was mostly two guys (Radomski and McNamee) diming out the guys they dealt with, and Radomski’s main motivation now emerging as the sweetheart plea deal. “Rat some guys out and you won’t do any real time” Do you think the offer was even out of their mouth before he accepted?
None of these players ever endorsed using PED, or touted its benefits. If anything, Clemens and Pettite were reputed workout freaks, who until recently appeared to be the best examples of how hard work can keep you performing at a high level for years after your supposed prime. Now if Clemens get out of this, I think it does more damage to kids who will say “If Roger cheated and got away with it, why will they bother with minor league me? I will deal with my guy in Venezuela, or the Dominican, who can’t be forced to talk, and the tests still can’t detect the HGH. ”
I hate the political nonsense of “theres a war going on, and they are talking about baseball”, but I do think that Congress should not be involved on such a small level. If its the anti-trust/fair-regulation argument, have Congress take on MLB as a whole, or steroid manufacutrers. This reminds me of the example of the street-dealer getting 25-to-life. Yes he’s wrong, but to go after him and not the system that enables him, especially with US Representatives, is short-sighted.
February 13, 2008 at 5:17 pm |
They’re wasting time with one cheater because that one cheater is the only cheater who openly challenged the findings of a report mandated by congress. Mitchell’s report was limited only because he was not provided subpoena power. The notion that he named so many yanks because he sits on the red sox’s board is just silly. Mitchell was one of the good guys in politics. I would not question his ethics or challenge his motives. A lot of Yanks were named because: (1) a NY dealer got busted and was offered up to Mitchell; and (2) the Yanks’ must win every year at any cost attitude led them to bring aboard some users (Giambi, Clemens and Sheffield for example). And what evidence was flimsy? The only “flimsy evidence” pertained to Brian Roberts, and I openly questioned to some friends why Roberts was included. But then Roberts, unlike Roidger, did the right thing and confessed.
As for the players not touting PED’s, that’s complete nonsense. Of course they didn’t do “got roids” commercials. But they implicitly touted the use of PED’s by succeeding at previously unattainable levels thru massive muscle mass. What message is being sent to young athletes who see ballplayers twice the size of the players from ten years earlier hitting 70 homers or throwing 98 mph at age 38 and making unbelievable sums of money for dioing it? Kids are thinking: I have gotta get big to make it. How do you get big? Take steroids. Don’t you remember the “chicks dig the long ball” campaign?
Back to Clemens, I just hope he gets the same treatment as Bonds — an indictment for perjury. And I hope that Congress orders MLB and the Players’ Union to relesase the names of the more than 100 players who tested positive during the first year of testing. The more you embaress and shame guys today, the more you deter guys from using tomorrow.
February 13, 2008 at 6:04 pm |
Any chance Selig suspends Petitte for 60 days on account of his admission that he took HGH in 04? Or will they Selig let him walk due to his cooperation?
February 13, 2008 at 6:39 pm |
I didnt say anything about Mitchell vis-a-vis his naming of Yankees, just his potential conflicts. He does sit on the board of a major league team and also was the former chairman at Disney (disney bone connected to the ESPN bone, ESPN bone connected to the MLB bone…etc). His report was flawed because he went public with heresay that could easily be kicked at trial for many of the guys mentioned. At his point what he did amounts to slander, because he published a report without hard evidence. If he is right about everyone, (and it would have to be every single person named) then his report is still flawed because he missed so many guys.
Clemens is not the only guy to deny the report, Jack Cust did so strongly as well, but he’s not a big name.
The Yankees did have some alleged steroid users, but they hardly picked them up when noone else was bidding. Many teams wanted all these guys. The A’s were doing moneyball and didn’t keep Giambi because he was coming off monumental seasons and they knew they couldn’t keep him at his asking price.
As for PED being touted by succeeding at previously unattainable levels thru massive muscle mass, the cart can’t preceed the horse. By your logic, we as fans and the young athletes must assume that all big players got that way from steroids, and that everyone who wants to get big needs to do steroids. What of Ortiz, Howard, Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Ryan Braun…etc? Did they get their size from roids?
Also, what about the little or (non-big)guys who are superstars? Do Reyes or Wright use roids? What about Santana or Wang? Your boy Jimmy Rollins or my buddy Matt Holliday?
Any kid who thinks he needs to use roids to excel in sports is like a kid who thinks he needs to do drugs to fit in. If you are that dumb, or that desperate, then Darwin is going to be calling you anyway. I agree that there is an emphasis on success through power, but steroids being illegal or bad is not news to anyone.
Also, what about amphetamies, also arguably PED. Used throughout baseball history, by many of the greats. Where’s the outrage? The recrimination?
February 13, 2008 at 6:53 pm |
Dude, no one wants Prince Fielder’s body. Not even me. And ampetamines are not in the same league as steroids. Just ask Lyle Alzado’s widow.
By the way, an admission against interest is a hearsay exception. That’s why the statement about Brian Roberts made the report — that statement turned out to be true.