Steroids In Professional Baseball
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The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
The ModFather Join Date: 2002-11-09 Member: 7956Members
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<div class="IPBDescription">Is pro baseball doing enough?</div> From USA Today,
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
<b>Because of steroids, baseball needs a change in leadership</b>
Years from now, baseball historians will view the current state of the game as the 'Roid Age.
There will be no precise way to determine when that period began, but its heyday will be 1998-2003 when offensive numbers, namely home runs, skyrocketed. The 'Roid Age ended in 2003 with the introduction of steroid testing.
There will be no accurate way to discern which players used and which didn't. Some players — Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti — are admitted users, and others were anonymously busted in mandatory steroids tests.
Baseball's popularity rose in part because of home runs after the damaging 1994 strike. We remember the commercial, "Chicks dig the long ball." But it's not just chicks. It's everybody.
Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds are credited with restoring America's faith in baseball.
Where does baseball go from here? For starters, the following sentence should be in the record books: Until 2003, there was no steroid testing in baseball.
No need for asterisks because players were not doing anything that violated baseball's oh-so-sacred rules even if they violated the spirit of honest competition and the letter of the law (obtaining steroids from anyone other than a doctor with a prescription is illegal).
What else can be done?
Baseball needs a regime change. It's time for the expulsion of commissioner Bud Selig and players' union chief Donald Fehr.
Leaders at the top need to be held accountable for a sullied game. It happens in other areas of business.
Enough of the willful ignorance. Enough of the blatant stonewalling.
Bring in people who have a big-picture idea of where the game is, where the game is headed and where the game should be headed. It is becoming clear Selig and Fehr do not possess the vision required to lead baseball.
It's not about the here and now. It's not about the long ball. It's not about protecting privacy rights. It's not about wonderful postseason TV ratings. It's not about million-dollar salaries.
It's about the future of the game and the integrity of the game's records. It's about the health of players. That's something both sides seemed unconcerned with while fans slobbered over home run records. Somewhere in this, baseball has a responsibility to be a leader.
Selig bungled the 2002 All-Star Game, has yet to resolve the Montreal Expos dilemma, stole the spotlight from a wonderful 2001 World Series by announcing plans for contraction days after the series. And there's the entire Milwaukee Brewers situation (from having his daughter run the team to the club getting a mostly publicly funded stadium built but refusing to spend money to field a decent team.)
He is the least proactive commissioner running a professional American sports league today.
In op-ed piece for the San Francisco Chronicle, Selig wrote: "There is only one solution to this problem. Major League Baseball must adopt zero tolerance as a policy, and I am firmly committed to making that a reality. However, while I would like to eliminate steroids and other illegal performance-enhancing substances today, Major League Baseball must operate in conformance with our collective bargaining relationship with the Major League Baseball Players Association and with federal law."
What a fine way to play both sides of the fence.
Selig also wrote: "During collective bargaining, progress on the issue of drug testing has been difficult."
That brings in the players' association. In the past, the players have allowed Fehr to dictate their stance on drug testing. Fehr, a smart man, is protecting the players and their bank accounts to the point of their detriment.
Baseball has come full circle since the '94 strike. Fans might not be as disenchanted with baseball today as they were almost 10 years ago. They'll still go to games this season, but distrust will hang in the air.
There is no denying the game is in a dark period once again. If the scope of this steroids scandal widens, fan discontent could return to its '94 state. How will fans feel if they were duped by the home run binges of the late '90s, early 2000s?
Fifty-six percent of USATODAY.com readers said they would be less interested in baseball if major league stars were identified as using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Some players, like John Smoltz, Kenny Rogers and Curt Schilling, want tougher steroid-testing policies. That's fine and dandy. The penalty for a positive steroid test amounts to nothing more than a nose-in-the-corner. No penalty for the first positive test and a 15-day suspension for the second infraction. A player needs to test positive five times before he is suspended for a season. Financial fines accompany each positive test after the first one, up to $100,000.
But I'm not sure what a tougher policy would do at this point. Now that baseball is testing for steroids, most players are smart enough to stop. Unless someone actually saw another player take steroids or players admit they did, it's going to be difficult to prove without a doubt who used steroids.
For the sake of argument, let's say it becomes public that Johnny Homerunhitter took steroids. As bad as it looks, Johnny Homerunhitter is going to say he didn't know he was using steroids, that a trainer told him they weren't steroids. He will say he was fooled.
There is always another predicament. The cheaters are always one step ahead of the enforcers. Once the enforcers catch up, the cheaters will devise another undetectable substance. The circuitous race never ends.
It is the responsibility of the players and owners to spur change. If that means the removal of Selig and Fehr, then make it so.
What next for baseball?
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is a 50 game suspension severe enough fro a 1st offense? Do the players deserve 3 chances before they're banned for life? Does Selig need to be replaced?
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
<b>Because of steroids, baseball needs a change in leadership</b>
Years from now, baseball historians will view the current state of the game as the 'Roid Age.
There will be no precise way to determine when that period began, but its heyday will be 1998-2003 when offensive numbers, namely home runs, skyrocketed. The 'Roid Age ended in 2003 with the introduction of steroid testing.
There will be no accurate way to discern which players used and which didn't. Some players — Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti — are admitted users, and others were anonymously busted in mandatory steroids tests.
Baseball's popularity rose in part because of home runs after the damaging 1994 strike. We remember the commercial, "Chicks dig the long ball." But it's not just chicks. It's everybody.
Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds are credited with restoring America's faith in baseball.
Where does baseball go from here? For starters, the following sentence should be in the record books: Until 2003, there was no steroid testing in baseball.
No need for asterisks because players were not doing anything that violated baseball's oh-so-sacred rules even if they violated the spirit of honest competition and the letter of the law (obtaining steroids from anyone other than a doctor with a prescription is illegal).
What else can be done?
Baseball needs a regime change. It's time for the expulsion of commissioner Bud Selig and players' union chief Donald Fehr.
Leaders at the top need to be held accountable for a sullied game. It happens in other areas of business.
Enough of the willful ignorance. Enough of the blatant stonewalling.
Bring in people who have a big-picture idea of where the game is, where the game is headed and where the game should be headed. It is becoming clear Selig and Fehr do not possess the vision required to lead baseball.
It's not about the here and now. It's not about the long ball. It's not about protecting privacy rights. It's not about wonderful postseason TV ratings. It's not about million-dollar salaries.
It's about the future of the game and the integrity of the game's records. It's about the health of players. That's something both sides seemed unconcerned with while fans slobbered over home run records. Somewhere in this, baseball has a responsibility to be a leader.
Selig bungled the 2002 All-Star Game, has yet to resolve the Montreal Expos dilemma, stole the spotlight from a wonderful 2001 World Series by announcing plans for contraction days after the series. And there's the entire Milwaukee Brewers situation (from having his daughter run the team to the club getting a mostly publicly funded stadium built but refusing to spend money to field a decent team.)
He is the least proactive commissioner running a professional American sports league today.
In op-ed piece for the San Francisco Chronicle, Selig wrote: "There is only one solution to this problem. Major League Baseball must adopt zero tolerance as a policy, and I am firmly committed to making that a reality. However, while I would like to eliminate steroids and other illegal performance-enhancing substances today, Major League Baseball must operate in conformance with our collective bargaining relationship with the Major League Baseball Players Association and with federal law."
What a fine way to play both sides of the fence.
Selig also wrote: "During collective bargaining, progress on the issue of drug testing has been difficult."
That brings in the players' association. In the past, the players have allowed Fehr to dictate their stance on drug testing. Fehr, a smart man, is protecting the players and their bank accounts to the point of their detriment.
Baseball has come full circle since the '94 strike. Fans might not be as disenchanted with baseball today as they were almost 10 years ago. They'll still go to games this season, but distrust will hang in the air.
There is no denying the game is in a dark period once again. If the scope of this steroids scandal widens, fan discontent could return to its '94 state. How will fans feel if they were duped by the home run binges of the late '90s, early 2000s?
Fifty-six percent of USATODAY.com readers said they would be less interested in baseball if major league stars were identified as using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
Some players, like John Smoltz, Kenny Rogers and Curt Schilling, want tougher steroid-testing policies. That's fine and dandy. The penalty for a positive steroid test amounts to nothing more than a nose-in-the-corner. No penalty for the first positive test and a 15-day suspension for the second infraction. A player needs to test positive five times before he is suspended for a season. Financial fines accompany each positive test after the first one, up to $100,000.
But I'm not sure what a tougher policy would do at this point. Now that baseball is testing for steroids, most players are smart enough to stop. Unless someone actually saw another player take steroids or players admit they did, it's going to be difficult to prove without a doubt who used steroids.
For the sake of argument, let's say it becomes public that Johnny Homerunhitter took steroids. As bad as it looks, Johnny Homerunhitter is going to say he didn't know he was using steroids, that a trainer told him they weren't steroids. He will say he was fooled.
There is always another predicament. The cheaters are always one step ahead of the enforcers. Once the enforcers catch up, the cheaters will devise another undetectable substance. The circuitous race never ends.
It is the responsibility of the players and owners to spur change. If that means the removal of Selig and Fehr, then make it so.
What next for baseball?
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is a 50 game suspension severe enough fro a 1st offense? Do the players deserve 3 chances before they're banned for life? Does Selig need to be replaced?
Comments
How about leaving the suspension decision to the team that currently holds the player. If they want him to continue to play for them thats ok. But every time he gets caught the team would lose that match. If both teams have a player who gets caught they will both count the game as a loss.
This way the teams themselfes would keep the players in check.
For the hardcore roid-heads it's not going to make a tremendous amount of difference because they are using stuff so advanced that modern tests can't find it.
But the real benefit of this, is it gives the US congress something to chew on, and should allow baseball to get out of their crosshairs..
The simple answer to "mistakes" is each player notfiies the team before he takes any substance that could potentially cause him issues.
These players main focus should be and generally is on their bodies and conditioning.. It's how they make thier living. They should be responsible enough to know what's going into them at all times and be able to record/report things like cough-syrups and supplements (which seem to be the 2 things that trigger the most false-positives)
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like that idea, but then I don't really like baseball that much. Considering I think it is more fun to watch golf... or NASCAR. (Side note: both of which I hate with a passion, waste of 4+ hours on television.)
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like that idea, but then I don't really like baseball that much. Considering I think it is more fun to watch golf... or NASCAR. (Side note: both of which I hate with a passion, waste of 4+ hours on television.) <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
How can you enjoy watching <b>BOTH</b> golf and NASCAR ?!?!?!? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Isn't that like, an oxymoron? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like that idea, but then I don't really like baseball that much. Considering I think it is more fun to watch golf... or NASCAR.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How can you enjoy watching <b>BOTH</b> golf and NASCAR ?!?!?!? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Isn't that like, an oxymoron? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hehe.. depot.. here let me quote myself for you.
<!--QuoteBegin-Cyndane+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cyndane)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
(Side note: Both of which(Golf and NASCAR) I hate with a passion, waste of 4+ hours on television.)
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't like any of the three sports.. silly <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like that idea, but then I don't really like baseball that much. Considering I think it is more fun to watch golf... or NASCAR.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How can you enjoy watching <b>BOTH</b> golf and NASCAR ?!?!?!? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Isn't that like, an oxymoron? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hehe.. depot.. here let me quote myself for you.
<!--QuoteBegin-Cyndane+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cyndane)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
(Side note: Both of which(Golf and NASCAR) I hate with a passion, waste of 4+ hours on television.)
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't like any of the three sports.. silly <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Cyndane+May 3 2005, 07:14 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cyndane @ May 3 2005, 07:14 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-Depot+May 3 2005, 03:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Depot @ May 3 2005, 03:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Cyndane+May 3 2005, 04:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cyndane @ May 3 2005, 04:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-USA Today+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (USA Today)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
It can always make steroids legal, prescribed by physicians. Players must reveal whether or not they use them. Baseball can have two sets of statistics — one for players who use and one for players who don't.
At least that way, we will know.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like that idea, but then I don't really like baseball that much. Considering I think it is more fun to watch golf... or NASCAR.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
How can you enjoy watching <b>BOTH</b> golf and NASCAR ?!?!?!?
Isn't that like, an oxymoron? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hehe.. depot.. here let me quote myself for you.
<!--QuoteBegin-Cyndane+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cyndane)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
(Side note: Both of which(Golf and NASCAR) I hate with a passion, waste of 4+ hours on television.)
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't like any of the three sports.. silly <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I saw that silly bear ... but went with the "Considering I think it is more fun to watch golf... or NASCAR".
I can't sit and watch an entire NASCAR race anymore, but used to go to Daytona twice a year some time ago (for the Firecracker 400 and Daytona 500). To hell with the race . . . it's one HELLUVA party!
Now golf . . . . . it's about as much fun watching on tv as it is watching paint dry.
How can you consider yourself a "gearhead" and not like fast cars ? <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
LOL TommyVercetti!
It'd be rather like WWF hey? <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
you get caught, you get kicked out. simple as that.
you get caught, you get kicked out. simple as that. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
agreed, as soon as you use roids you have cheated the game and your body and cannot take that back, and all these records made by "tainted" players should be looked at VERY closely ( i dunno exactly what i would do about it ).
I'd go alot harder on them, there is no excuse for using steroids, not one time, never.
BUT I think the reason they go easy on the players is for the fans. I know it's dumb but alot of fans would be ticked if their favorite player got kicked for using steroids.
Heh, I don't agree with it but I think they're trying to avoid a "Great Depression" of baseball.
~ DarkATi