Good piece on the PED hysteria

[JR Hart]

Why not?

It's been well established he used heavily -

So what. PED testing wasn't in the collective bargaining agreement when supposedly used. When there was testing, he passed. MLB never sanctioned him. What do you want to to him? His records stand.

In his federal case, he was only convicted of a minor charge. So there was a book written about him
? That makes him Hitler? I didn't know that "Game of Shadows" was legally binding.

 

[Liberal Icon]

Yeah, it's all about Barry Bonds. If anyone "intensely hates" Barry Bonds it's because he's an asshole.

Of course Bonds is hated because he is an asshole just like what the media fed us. Here is a better perspective of how hypocrites in the media were able to crucify Barry Bonds as a "jerk" and an asshole while giving a pass to Mark McGwire who, those of us who knew him from his "bash brothers" days in Oakland, also thumbed his nose at the media, was sullen and arrogant yet never received even one- quarter of the opprobrium Bonds got:

Sports Illustrated?s Curious COVERage of Barry Bonds | COSELLOUT

Here is what Jeff Pearlman, the author and serial Bonds Basher Jeff Pearlman offers insight:
"I'd actually interviewed Barry four or five times during my years at Sports Illustrated. During the 2000 season I even did a lengthy profile on him—the first time he talked to the magazine in seven years. We sat down for about an hour, and he was spectacular. Funny, charming, charismatic. In fact, when I handed in the piece my editor was very angry. His exact words, and I quote, were, "If you wanted to give Barry Bonds a blowjob, we could have flown him to New York."

We live in a country where journalists and media pundits have become tin gods that can whip public anger against any player who does not kowtow to them. They know the sycophantic fans will run away with it. They did the same to Ted Williams, one of the greatest hitters that ever lived because he thumped his nose to them thus robbing him of many well-deserved MVPs. The media never changes. And that is what is sad here.

 

[HammerDown]

By all accounts, Barry Bonds is universally liked by those around him. Mark McGwire is universally disliked and has major personality problems that involve him in nasty, bitter family disputes. There's even allegations that he smacked his nephew in front of his parents? Anyone remember that?

 

[Liberal Icon]

By all accounts, Barry Bonds is universally liked by those around him. Mark McGwire is universally disliked and has major personality problems that involve him in nasty, bitter family disputes. There's even allegations that he smacked his nephew in front of his parents? Anyone remember that?

Riiiight. We can still buy into the anti-Bonds hysteria propagandized by the holier than thou hypocrites in the media and some fans in their own hypocritical ways will throw syringes at Bonds while cheering madly for Miguel Tejada in San Diego and elsewhere and chuck that one to Bonds being a jerk or asshole. The typical circuitous hypocrisy that is the bane of some MLB fans. What is new? Ted Williams was treated the same; as arrogant jerk by the hypocrites in the media. The good news is father time erased all this hypocritical nonsense for Ted Williams as sunshine of truth finally fell on him. And that is what usually happens when the hypocrites are eventually exposed.

 

[Liberal Icon]

"All of the baseball people circled the wagons in defense of McGwire. The Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa, angrily charged that the Associated Press should be punished for violating McGwire’s privacy. The Cardinals organization issued a statement that supported McGwire’s use of androstenedione: Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commented: "I just can’t comment. I have no knowledge of it. The Cardinals are a disciplined organization, and I don’t think anything goes on there that shouldn’t." Five days later Selig and the head of the players union, Donald Fehr, issued a joint statement that attempted to dampen interest in the drug issue that might distract attention from McGwire’s home run quest: "In recent days there have been press reports concerning the use of certain nutritional supplements by major league players. The substances in question are available over the counter and are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In view of these facts, it seems inappropriate that such reports should overshadow the accomplishments of players such as Mark McGwire."
Major League players lined up in a phalanx to defend McGwire’s right to ingest anything he wanted. Joe Girardi, the Yankee catcher, said: "He’s not doing anything illegal. He’s just doing things to help his body. We all do things to help our bodies, take protein. It’s a health-conscious sport." Chad Curtis, his teammate in the outfield, added: "If a guy wants to improve his game and he feels he can get stronger, and a company comes up with a product that’s legal and they claim that’s going to help him get stronger if he uses it, how can you blame the player for just trying to improve his performance? If the substance is really a bad substance, don’t blame the player -- blame the company that’s putting it out. They’re the ones who should do the research on whether it’s good or bad. They’re claiming it’s a good product, and maybe Mark McGwire or Chad Curtis or whoever else isn’t educated enough to judge whether it’s good or bad." The Boston Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn spoke in the same vein: "Everybody sees that in today’s game, it’s a big man’s game. Strength is the key. But as long as we’re not doing illegal things, and I’m not doing anything illegal and I don’t know guys who are, then it shouldn’t be a problem." Vaughn pointed out that he himself uses a muscle-building product called PRO-hGH, which is improbably labeled a "food supplement," and is a paid spokeman for MET-Rx Engineered Nutrition, which markets androstenedione among other products.
The sportswriting establishment generally echoed these views. Jack McCallum’s column in Sports Illustrated pointed to the possible medical and role-modelling problems but emphasized McGwire’s blameless conduct: "McGwire is an adult who, as far as we know, is playing within the rules. If baseball were to ban androstenedione, then he could be faulted if he kept on using it. To hold McGwire to a higher standard than is sport does is unfair." (8) Tom Keegan of the New York Post wrote: "McGwire is no cheater, and any attempt to paint him as such is just another example of the build-them-up-so-we-can-tear-them-down mentality poisoning today’s society, especially as it relates to today’s sports heroes." Sure, he said, Major League Baseball should "research the devil out of andro" and try to determine why the NCAA, the NFL, and the IOC had banned it, but until those findings came in the whole controversy was really a nonissue. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe wrote of "a tabloid-driven controversy" that was misrepresenting McGwire as a cheater and equated "Andro" with aspirin." Source by John Hoberman
Professor of Germanic Studies
University of Texas at Austin


Wow. And this is for a player who thumbed his nose at the media and was sullen as he chased the single-season record. It was only when Sammy Sosa coaxed him out of his shell with his infectious smile before he opened himself slightly and even brought his son into the game. McGwire is indeed special.

 

[HammerDown]

If it's any consolation, I doubt many besides Bill Buckner live with a more bitter taste about their career than Mark McGwire. It's obvious he can't look anyone in the eye.

BTW, about five years ago, I was riding my motorcycle up in some remote hills in North San Diego County (or South Riverside County) and came upon a Mediterranean mansion. There are plenty of massive places up there but this one was something else. Rode up a long paved road to get closer to it and the UPS guy was delivering stuff to the front gate so I asked him who lived there.

Barry Bonds

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Call me what you want to, but I don't like Bonds. Just because it wasn't forbidden fruit didn't make ped use okay or moral and Bonds wasn't ethical. I don't like McGwire, Sosa or the others either for the same reason. As a fan of baseball - That's my right

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

Call me what you want to, but I don't like Bonds. Just because it wasn't forbidden fruit didn't make ped use okay or moral and Bonds wasn't ethical. I don't like McGwire, Sosa or the others either for the same reason. As a fan of baseball - That's my right

Why do you expect so much from professional athletes? Morality? Ethics? It's just entertainment. I highly doubt you care if your favorite musicians or actors are immoral.

I mean, it's nice when someone is a great player *and* a great person, but those guys are extremely rare and it shouldn't be expected.