Steroids or Bust

The topic of steroids has been in the forefront for 5 years now. When is it going to end? At this point, does anyone really care? Steroids are prevalent in all sports. The major sport leagues who are having problems (baseball,football) have no one to blame but themselves. Baseball is the worst. Until recently, it wasn't even against their rules! It was against the law to use steroids, but not illegal in baseball. They had kind of a "don't know, don't tell" policy. Managers looked the other way and trainers provided the juice. Once reports started coming out about the use, only then did MLB react. But once again, they reacted poorly. They decided that they would adopt a tougher testing policy. But was it the toughest it could be? No. How are we supposed to think they are serious when they don't do all they can do? Enter Barry Bonds. The perfect fall guy. The closer he got to the coveted home run record, the harder people pushed. Only when he started getting close did MLB take notice. Through the last decade, you could literally see Bonds grow in epic proportions. "Don't know, don't tell". Then Congress got involved. The Mitchell report? The best comedy ever written. It named less than 100 offenders. You can't say cheaters because, remember, it wasn't against the rules. The ones who know, the players, won't talk other than to say that the abuse is much wider than anyone wants to believe. The Mitchell Report wasn't even close. The best thing MLB could have done was to admit they messed up, install the absolute toughest testing known to the world, and move forward. No matter how badly you want to change the past, you can't. Stop trying. We will never know who, what, when, how long or how it changed outcomes. Accept that and move on. Roger Clemens is the latest fall guy. Did he or didn't he? Does it matter? If it is proven one way or another, does it change anything? At this point, does anybody care? Stop the madness! Move on. The game needs closure. Let's celebrate the future, not dwell on the past.

The Sun WILL Rise in Phoenix

It seems the whole world is talking about the Suns and the trade they made for "The Big Cactus", Shaquille O'Neal. Let's take a look: What we gave up (or unloaded): Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion. Banks was an experiment that never panned out. He was supposed to back up Steve Nash but didn't fit. So he and his contract are now in Miami. That was a good move. Marion made it clear in the preseason he wanted out of Phoenix. I say good riddance! Every new season brought more complaints and whines that he wasn't "appreciated". I don't deny that Marion was a great talent. He was in the perfect system. But he didn't want to be here. He would have left as soon as his contract was up. I think it is sweet justice that he went to the worst team in the league. What we got: The Big Cactus! (Shaq himself proclaimed this nickname). The biggest weaknesses the Suns had was the inability to guard the big man and rebounding. Their defense was better than they got credit for. Shaq will give them the presence in the middle they desperately need. Everyone is worried that Shaq will slow the Suns down. When is the last time you saw a 5 man fast break? Never. More times than not, Shaq will be the one to start the fast break. The Suns have plenty of players to finish it. As far as rebounding goes, the Suns won't give up as many offensive rebounds with Shaq on the court. This will translate into a tougher defensive team. Having a true center will allow Amare to play his natural position as a power forward. Having Shaq on the court will make Amare better and even more unstoppable. Shaq wasn't brought in to score points or to be the star of this team. With this trade, the Suns are a much stronger team. It will take time for the players to adjust to each other. Come playoff time the Suns will be the team to beat. The SUN will rise and set in Phoenix! Now, if we can just get The Big Cactus to make a free throw!

Say it isn't so Matt !

Growing up as a kid, I loved to play baseball. I was in Little League for eight years. In the major league, my team, the Mets, coached by my Dad, won the championship! One of the best memories I have. I don't remember following a specific MLB team, mostly because there was no home team to root for. In high school, I stopped playing because my mom wanted me to play tennis. Tennis season was at the same time as baseball season. However, by then, I was a fan of the Cincinnati Reds. I'm sure I started rooting for them because my best friend liked the L.A. Dodgers. But I got to love the Reds and the "Big Red Machine". Guys like Pete Rose (yes, I believe he should be in the Hall of Fame), Johnny Bench (great catcher, not so good third baseman), Tom Seaver, Dave Concepcion, Ken Griffy (Sr., not Jr.), Cesar Cedeno, George Foster, and don' forget, the manager, Sparky Anderson. When my son was old enough, he played Little League as well. I really enjoyed watching him play. I think I was more nervous than him sometimes. Then in 1988, Arizona got baseball. The Arizona Diamondbacks played their first season. They lost a lot of games, but they were my team! Devon White, Jay Bell, Travis Lee, Karim Garcia, and my all time favorite Diamondbacks player, Matt Williams. He was old school. He played the game the way it was meant to be played. When he hit a home run, he dropped his bat, lowered his head, and ran (not trotted, ran). He once was seen in the dugout scolding another player for not running after hitting a home run. He had respect for other players and for the integrity for the game. He played for the love of the game. In turns out, Matty was a steroid user and possibly a dealer. In 2002, he bought a substantial amount of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and Steroids. He claims he bought it to help heal an ankle injury, and not to hit more home runs. He also says he only used it for a month, didn't like how he felt when using, and quit. I am willing to buy the ankle theory (I know, but it's Matty!). But he bought it from a dentist! In another state! A dentist that later lost his license because of that very thing. In 2005-2006, he bought a large amount again. He claims it was for health reasons! His wife put him up to it! Nobody can prove it, yet, but it sounds to me like he is, or was, dealing. Now, when he was a player, using HGH and steroids was not against the rules of baseball. But they were illegal in this country! The integrity of the game that he guarded with every fiber is gone. My heart broke when this story hit. My favorite player has lost all that he worked so hard to instill in others. He has cheated the game he so dearly loved. Everything he represented is lost. I can't believe it. Matty, say it isn't so!

Manny being Manny

This is what went wrong with professional sports. Sports markets now generate billions of dollars in revenue. The athletes that get paid millions to play a game have destroyed the fiber of competition and good will. It gets harder every year to watch. These days, you can't watch a sporting event without a player showboating or crying foul to the level that ruins the event. Shawn Marion? Used to be one of my favorite players. Now he needs to go. He publicly called out the Sun's Management and demanded a trade because he is tired of not being respected. Are you kidding me? Let's talk about his current contract. When he signed it (and he DID sign it), it was for the maximum number of years and at the maximum salary allowed by the league. There is your respect. Lets talk about trade rumors. Every year, Marion is the subject of trade rumors. But year after year, the Suns hold on to him. Teams line up to make offers. But is he traded? Nope. He is considered a premier player in this league. Teams offer their future for him. Do the Suns ever trade him? Nope. They realize that their isn't a trade good enough. There is your respect. The time has come. Trade him and his respect. There comes a time where it just isn't worth it. And that time was yesterday

Let's talk about Manny Ramirez. He get payed millions. He works 4 hours a day max and only seven months out of the year. Every year he demands to be traded to a team who will pay him what he is worth. Its just Manny being Manny. Are you kidding me? Yes, he is a valuable asset to the Red Sox. Yes, he is one of the best hitters in baseball right now. But the game he plays is a chore to him. Sad. He likes to celebrate when he hits a long ball by standing in the batters box, tossing his bat down and raising his hands straight up like he just won game seven of the World Series with a walk off home run (sadly, he might get that chance). So much for humility and sportsmanship. In a playoff game last week in a series that his team was losing, in a game they were losing, Manny came up to bat. David Ortiz was on first base. Now, if you ever have seen Ortiz, you understand that he is not exactly lightning in a bottle. A big guy, known for his power, not for his speed or ability to run the bases. Manny gets a hold of a pitch and hits it high and deep. With his team losing the game at the time and the series overall, you would think he would be doing everything he can to help his TEAM. Nope. He stands in the batters box, drops his bat, raises his arms in triumph, and watches the ball sail over, no not over the wall, into the wall. Meanwhile, Ortiz is running on contact, bad legs and all, slow as can be, manages to score all the way from first base. Manny? He records the longest single in baseball history. He doesn't even get to second. As a result, he never scores. This happens when his team is losing. Sadly, the Red Sox manage to win the game anyway. Manny being Manny, the announcers remark. Manny being Manny is the stupidest three words I have ever heard. Just another excuse. That is why every year it gets harder and harder to watch.