8.01.2005
Say It Ain't So, Raffy
It must be the 8 year old Little Leaguer inside of me, but the fact that Rafael Palmeiro got busted for steriods is really saddening. I always considered Raffy one of the most underrated players in the game, and loved his sweet swing. His career now has a black cloud over it, just like Canseco, McGwire, Pudge, and Sosa. I knew that Canseco was telling the truth because at the highest levels of competition, it is too tempting to get an edge however possible. It took a buffoon to get the truth out there, and the truth hurts.
# posted by Juanson : 1:52 PM
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Well put Juanson. Our entire generation of ballplayers will be called into question as a result of this kind of thing. Sadly, it seems as if the steroids may have provided not only physical, but also psychological benefits. Witness the resurgence of Jason Giambi, which begs the question of whether it is good to see him rediscover the great ballplayer that he was, or whether he never should have needed the drugs in the first place. Whatever the case, I wish Sammy Sosa would "rediscover" his swing ASAP.
# posted by 
: 5:53 PM
: 5:53 PM
although i understand the disappointment surrounding the steroid controversy in baseball, i feel that it is a tad misguided. we are quick to forget the season in which mcguire and sosa slugged it out for the homerun record: that season saved baseball. period.
it's difficult to condone performance-enhancing drugs, but it is easy for me to understand why athletes use them. there are enormous pressures on athletes to push the envelope and continually break records, not to speak of the friends/advisors/doctors who i'm sure told these athletes that using steroids was ok.
keep in mind that it's easy to condemn our heroes, because we want them to be unreasonably perfect. it's tough to have it both ways though...if we want to limit the use of performance-enhancing drugs (and just where would be draw the line without being completely arbitrary about it? is it ok for a quarterback to use ritalin? what about other supplements?), we may have to lower our herculean expectations of professional athletes.
it's difficult to condone performance-enhancing drugs, but it is easy for me to understand why athletes use them. there are enormous pressures on athletes to push the envelope and continually break records, not to speak of the friends/advisors/doctors who i'm sure told these athletes that using steroids was ok.
keep in mind that it's easy to condemn our heroes, because we want them to be unreasonably perfect. it's tough to have it both ways though...if we want to limit the use of performance-enhancing drugs (and just where would be draw the line without being completely arbitrary about it? is it ok for a quarterback to use ritalin? what about other supplements?), we may have to lower our herculean expectations of professional athletes.
# posted by : 8:58 PM
: 8:58 PM
Gopal,
I agree with your point. Generally, I am an advocate of drug legalization with government regulation. However, under the rules of the game that had been established (no pun intended), Palmeiro, Sosa, McGuire, et al cheated. I don't consider it a moral issue. If Jose Canseco wants to shoot himself up with anabolic steriods and human growth hormone or estrogen, that is his perogative and I am not to judge. However, when millions of dollars are involved, those who cheat should be punished, just like white collar criminals in jail.
Now, you make another good point about performance enhancing drugs, and it's a slippery slope when you start drawing lines in the sand regarding what consitutes cheating and what does not. But in competition that is rewarded by compensation, cheating has to be punished. As fans, if we want our atheltes to be enhanced human beings, with the help of drugs, that is what we are paying money to see. I would rather watch a jacked Sammy Sosa hit bombs out of Wrigley on a Sunday afternoon than a skinny has-been hitting weak grounders to second base. But once steriods are out of the game, then fans will adjust to more moderate expectations, which I think is better for the game of baseball in the long term.
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I agree with your point. Generally, I am an advocate of drug legalization with government regulation. However, under the rules of the game that had been established (no pun intended), Palmeiro, Sosa, McGuire, et al cheated. I don't consider it a moral issue. If Jose Canseco wants to shoot himself up with anabolic steriods and human growth hormone or estrogen, that is his perogative and I am not to judge. However, when millions of dollars are involved, those who cheat should be punished, just like white collar criminals in jail.
Now, you make another good point about performance enhancing drugs, and it's a slippery slope when you start drawing lines in the sand regarding what consitutes cheating and what does not. But in competition that is rewarded by compensation, cheating has to be punished. As fans, if we want our atheltes to be enhanced human beings, with the help of drugs, that is what we are paying money to see. I would rather watch a jacked Sammy Sosa hit bombs out of Wrigley on a Sunday afternoon than a skinny has-been hitting weak grounders to second base. But once steriods are out of the game, then fans will adjust to more moderate expectations, which I think is better for the game of baseball in the long term.
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