In anticipation of another major league baseball season on the horizon, its time again for reporters to flock to warm weather climates to get back into the swing of things.  You know, see how the new managers are molding the team, check out how newly signed stars are fitting in with their new clubhouses, and attending press conferences for the latest New York Yankees player to admit to steroid use.  With the admissions and apologies from Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte in the past two seasons, superstar Alex Rodriguez had his turn in front of the throng of media to read his prepared statement on Tuesday afternoon in Tampa. 

            After being recently outed as one of 104 players that tested positive for steroids in 2003, Rodriguez felt the need to hold a press conference to address the media and answer their idiotic questions.  With queries ranging from “did it hurt?” to “did you immediately regret it?” many baseball fans watched the 3rd baseman attempt to give the thirsty mob the remorse they so desperately craved.  When several minutes of self deprecation didn’t work, and nearly 40 seconds of face wincing, nose wiggling, and thoughts of his dog dying didn’t produce a tear, he had to wonder what else he could do to calm the hungry crowds. 

            While watching this pointlessness, I finally realized why some members of Congress and news organizations continue to take the issue of steroid use in Major League Baseball as a huge story.  After watching these sports heroes do the unimaginable year in and year out, basic jealousy is the driving factor behind these public lynchings we see every other month.  Every guy that loves sports grew up with dreams of playing; being the guy that hit the last second shot as the buzzer sounded or hit the walk-off homerun to win the World Series.  As reality, lack of talent, and deficiencies in athletic ability set in, the majority of these guys dropped off sports teams and got as close to their beloved sports as they could in the form of reporters, owners, general managers, and commissioners.  The one thing they never lost was how envious they were of the guys that were fortunate enough to become the athletic heroes they always wanted to be.  One question never left their minds, “why did HE get to grow so big and have such talent and not ME?” 

            So when a name as big as Alex Rodriguez becomes synonymous with steroid use, nothing is more relieving to these haters than this fact.  Now they can sleep at night knowing that they didn’t make it past little league only because they didn’t cheat to get there.  The huge level of disdain they hurl toward professional athletes is simple therapy for their years of self esteem issues.  Until they get a tearful bootlicking, or a plea to have all his records absolutely wiped out, Alex Rodriguez will never be seen as worthy of their praise and favorable coverage. 

            In a sport that had no regulations against its players taking these now banned substances, there is no room for judgment on the few players that get busted for lying about their previous use.  With the level of cheating that was occurring, MLB should accept their responsibility in this “Era of Roids” and forget notions of adding asterisks to records, keeping players out of the Hall of Fame, or eliminating stats for specific years of use.  The hundreds of players that cheated and didn’t achieve the same level of success as Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens, and Jason Giambi aren’t being called to press conferences for the 4 or 5 saves they got in a season.  They’re not being persecuted for hitting 3 or 4 game-winning hits or homeruns.  Since these insignificant records and stats aren’t being analyzed, it would be unfair to punish the cheaters that achieved more success under the same loose rules of the league.  If anyone should be attempting to produce tears and sympathy at a press conference each year, it should be people like Commissioner Bud Selig, who neglected to regulate and stop the seemingly rampant steroid and HGH use. 

 

--JJJ

Add Comment