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Melky Cabrera, Victor Conte and sports as we've come to accept it
Recently, Barry Bonds said he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. There was a time, not long ago, when people seemed overwhelmingly against it. Not so much any more.
Roger Clemens was acquitted in a sham that was passed off as a trial, so now it is like he did nothing wrong.
More and more, I'm hearing that he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
National League MVP Ryan Braun reportedly tested positive, but was let off the hook on what was essentially a technicality. It's like he never did it. Pure vindication is the message.
Are we such dupes?
San Francisco Melky Cabrera, who stats this season are far above his norm, was recently suspended for 50 games. In the aftermath, Victor Conte, whose BALCO lab was the state of the art until he was busted and did jail time, has come out and explained how easy it is to cheat the current system. It is as simple as rubbing magic cream into you body at the right time. He also discussed how easily the premier athletes were cheating at the just completed Olympic games, which he attended. The IOC? Bud Selig? They are too busy counting money to pay much attention to an alleged quack like Conte.
Count me among those who is disturbed by it, but I'm getting the message (and correct me if you think I'm wrong) that the general public is so tired of this, they don't care if their great athletes are doping or using performance enhancing substances. They want to view what they see as real, not moments that will snatched away from them at a later date.
There is no reason to give athletes "the benefit of the doubt." Actually, given the track record of sports over several decades, the microscope should be more magnified than ever. But I get the sense we are letting our guards down again.
And why?
I believe it is just a matter of throwing our collective hands in the air and giving up because the athletes didn't when it comes to cheating like this. There is too much money to be made. There are so many people who are easily fooled, or just, perhaps more accurately, just don't want to know, and now, it seems, even care one way or another.
It's kind of sad, isn't it?
Roger Clemens was acquitted in a sham that was passed off as a trial, so now it is like he did nothing wrong.
More and more, I'm hearing that he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
National League MVP Ryan Braun reportedly tested positive, but was let off the hook on what was essentially a technicality. It's like he never did it. Pure vindication is the message.
Are we such dupes?
San Francisco Melky Cabrera, who stats this season are far above his norm, was recently suspended for 50 games. In the aftermath, Victor Conte, whose BALCO lab was the state of the art until he was busted and did jail time, has come out and explained how easy it is to cheat the current system. It is as simple as rubbing magic cream into you body at the right time. He also discussed how easily the premier athletes were cheating at the just completed Olympic games, which he attended. The IOC? Bud Selig? They are too busy counting money to pay much attention to an alleged quack like Conte.Count me among those who is disturbed by it, but I'm getting the message (and correct me if you think I'm wrong) that the general public is so tired of this, they don't care if their great athletes are doping or using performance enhancing substances. They want to view what they see as real, not moments that will snatched away from them at a later date.
There is no reason to give athletes "the benefit of the doubt." Actually, given the track record of sports over several decades, the microscope should be more magnified than ever. But I get the sense we are letting our guards down again.
And why?
I believe it is just a matter of throwing our collective hands in the air and giving up because the athletes didn't when it comes to cheating like this. There is too much money to be made. There are so many people who are easily fooled, or just, perhaps more accurately, just don't want to know, and now, it seems, even care one way or another.
It's kind of sad, isn't it?
posted by Pat Caputo at
1:29 PM
3 Comments:
I think yourseeing the final days of this level of purity about athletes and PEDs.
Think I'm crazy or cynical?
This was the 100th anniversary of Jim Thorpe - remember him from history class - remember reading bbooks about him when we were kids Pat? Jim of couse had his medal stripped because he received something (I can't remember what it was now) that was seen as enough to consider no longer an amateur.
A hundred years later - almost like Jules Verne novel - and there is a runner from South Africa with those wild looking blades for legs (sorry I do not mean that ignorantly - and no they were not performance enhancing - the finals proved that!)
But all this is now so overwhelming - technology and drugs together - We are ending an era at the beginning of this century just as we ended the amatuer / pro debate era in the begining of the last century.
So Barry Bonds in the HOF - might as well - because 10 years from now Book - it just won't matter anymore.
I'm not turning my head, Pat, because the game of baseball has to have purity through history. I know, the distracted will claim there has been cheating for many years, loaded bats, amphetamines, etc for years. But these performance enhancing drugs are exactly that, they enhance performance. Although players die at age 60.
It was a sad decade in history when Selig and his minions turned their heads by wanting to crank up the HRs and offense to make baseball exciting when it was on a downturn.
For what it's worth, I suggest that you all do NOT vote these Bonds,etc into the HOF. Their records are just not legitimate. But you could reduce their output like 15% and maybe they are ok.
"I get the sense we are letting our guards down again." the most recent positive test result indicates, to me, that the system is working to a certain degree.
regardless of what testing system is in place, there will always be people who can figure a way to defeat the test...or at least think they can.
the games will have to police themselves. it will take the commissioner, owners, players, unions all agreeing that certain "legal" substances should not be used by participants due to the health risks that accompany any perceived or real performance benefits.
the main point of contention will be how far to go to ensure the game is "clean." offseason, short notice, random testing?
as a spectator, i do not have the illusion that the playing field is level. isn't that something we learn on the playground as kids?
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