Greedy Selfish Stupid

December 14, 2007 @ 10:44

The release of the Mitchell report yesterday revealing the wide spread use of steroids and human growth hormone in Major League Baseball was shocking to say the least.

Already there are those trying to downplay it, and after listening to baseball Commissioner Bud Selig it’s obvious not much will be done about it, but that doesn’t lesson the exposed stupidity and greed by those involved.

Ideally, Major League Baseball should have had a new drug policy in place yesterday.

Going forward they should give the impression they’re going to get serious about this problem and get it under control. From this day forward, a life time ban from baseball would be a fitting penalty for pumping junk, but it will never come to that.

The players union will continue to deny everything and fight more intensive testing while the league will hope this exposure will embarrass the players into going clean on their own and the problem will just go away.

On the surface its easy to blame Major League Baseball’s ongoing indifference for this problem, but it goes beyond that for me. Yes, the league should have cracked down long ago, but to me it all comes back to the stupid bloody players.

Take Roger Clemens for instance. When he allegedly started taking steroids in 1997, he had already made more money that he’d need in five or six lifetimes, but that wasn’t enough.

Roger wanted to uphold his reputation as the “big man” and go on to make tens of millions of dollars more. In process, he was sacrificing his health and his future with little or no regard for his family.

Think about it. Not one baseball player who ever took steroids knew for sure that they weren’t harmless; in fact it was the other way. They knew of the risks involved but chose to do it anyway, because they’re greedy and stupid.

Some might argue that they were forced into because of the competitive edge, but I don’t buy that either. The majority of players in the Major League Baseball “don’t” take steroids and that’s because somewhere along the line they made the decision not to.

They were still makings tons of money and they decided they’d put their health and their future ahead of the all-mighty dollar. They might have a few less million in the bank and maybe their careers ended long before the juiced up cheaters, but today they have nothing to be ashamed of.

Meanwhile the greed and stupidity of someone like Roger Clemens leaves you shaking your head.

This was the family guy, the clean guy, the all-American hero who was often seen at the Skydome with his children.

I wonder what his family thinks today. The shame of it all and the worry involved. His wife and kids will now have to worry about his long term health and life expectancy.

Why wouldn’t they? Steroid use never leads to anything good except a few more dollars.

Of course Clemens has alreaedy come out publicly and denied everything, but that just makes it more pathetic. On top of the greed and the stupidity, now the winner of seven Cy Young Awards is a liar.

I don’t mean to pick on Roger Clemens specifically because everything I’ve said in this column applies to all players who’ve ever used performance enhancing drugs.

Clemens just makes a good poster boy for the issue because his well constructed image would have made such allegations against him unbelievable without proof.

Well now there’s proof and the man is an idiot. Like Barry Bonds is an idiot, Andy Pettite’s an idiot and Canadian Eric Gagne is an idiot.

You can blame Major League Baseball for being slow to react, you can blame the pressure of professional sport or you can blame the little old lady who lives down the lane – but at the end of the day – it’s the athlete himself who decides to let that needle enter his body.

Greedy. Selfish. Stupid.

Category: Sports

28 Responses to "Greedy Selfish Stupid"

Argie
December 14, 2007 / 11:34

I would never wish harm on anyone but if one of these greedy wanks were to have health problems in the near future, I wouldn’t have much sympathy. Ya roll the dice, ya takes your chances.

Bob McCowan
December 14, 2007 / 12:05

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?
You're wrong...again.
Bob Cat

Argie
December 14, 2007 / 13:09

Hey Bob: It’s great you took time out form your busy schedule to comment on Fred’s blog. The only problem is that you spelled your name wrong. Oh well we all make mistakes.

Murph
December 14, 2007 / 13:25

All professional sports should implement a lifetime ban, and every player should be tested monthly. IT will never happen but that is the resolve needed to fix the problem.

Geo
December 14, 2007 / 13:52

I read this blog once in a while and there is something which I can now comment on;

I believe "Argie" is Freddy P. It all make sense now. Go back and re-read some of "Argie's" comments -

Way to stir the pot Freddy!!!

Toronto Mike
December 14, 2007 / 14:23

Geo's comment piqued my interest. Could Fred be Argie?

I'm in a unique position in that I can actually learn the IP address Argie comments from. Then, I can do a reverse DNS lookup and find out for certain if Fred is Argie.

I now know where Argie works (I won't publish that fact, I'm like a priest - but it's in the Investment and Financial Management Solutions realm) and I can definitively state that Fred is not Argie and Argie is not Fred.

Frank the Tank
December 14, 2007 / 14:39

Everything is so crystal clear as to why Argie makes the arguments he does.

Bill G.
December 14, 2007 / 14:40

Very interesting....

Toronto Mike; Are you sure of your facts? Where and/or what field do I work?

Argie
December 14, 2007 / 14:42

Frank: Why do you say that?

Orsen
December 14, 2007 / 14:53

Please do more fart jokes.

Jilly
December 14, 2007 / 14:55

Fred: please tell me that it's not true!! I had this hunch a while back also.

Andrew
December 14, 2007 / 15:21

Argie likes Bush.

Fred doesn't.

Fred does not equal Argie.

Freddie P.
December 14, 2007 / 15:40

Toronto Mike is proof. I am not Argie.

I post my comments on the front page and then leave the rest to my readers.

That's all there is to it - sorry George.

LuLuLemon
December 14, 2007 / 15:41

Maybe Fred does this to create controversy?

Max Taffey
December 14, 2007 / 16:09

Geez, Freddie. I remember from listening to you on MOJO that you have a particular distaste for baseball players, but it seems to me this "report" is largely based on two sources. The word of two guys is all it takes to smear all of the players mentioned, and is enough for you to jump all over them?

I dunno - even assuming it's all true, does it matter? The media is in a frenzy over it, but I'm not sure the they're entertained.

Rennie
December 14, 2007 / 16:43

Now say the last part in English Max.

Trish
December 14, 2007 / 16:52

Your comments on Clemens are bang on, freddiep. Remember when that wuss Mark McQuire took the home run title from Roger Maris, and proudly paraded his son to the adoring crowd? He lied to that boy. And yet these guys - whether they get nailed for steroids or for bashing a player's head into the ice - are the first ones to blubber "I just want my son to be proud of me!" during the hastily called press conference. Who knows if these baseball cheaters will be prosecuted, but they'll always have an asterisk next to their names in the record books.

Pam
December 14, 2007 / 17:00

Why weren't Sosa or Bonds named?

James Edgar
December 14, 2007 / 19:10

Bonds was Sosa was not. That may just mean they had no info.And just as likly means that sosa is clean.

This is an issue for me simply beacuse I don't like cheaters. Of any kind. So no more baseball for me until I see action that makes me think the players are all clean Like regular testing and seroius penalties. It won't ever be perfect but it can be MUCH better.

jim
December 16, 2007 / 15:19

Who cares if they use drugs
if it helps them perform better.That makes it more entertaining for the fan. The more happy fans ,the more money for the owner that means more money for the players\agents
they are only hurting them selves
and personally I don't give a shit
remove them or don't there will always be a another way for these guys to cheat

Graham
December 17, 2007 / 10:56

Atta boy Jim. I totaly agree with you. And Trish, steroids were NOT against the rules when Mark McGwire (check your spelling) broke the 61 home run record. Also, Fred, steroids aren't all bad. If you did some research before just spouting off, you would have found out that there are plenty of safe ways to take them and HGH without putting your health at risk and still gaining amazing results to your body.

Frank the Tank
December 17, 2007 / 11:28

What happened to the days when all the baseball greats took performance de-enchancing drugs and were still great. Babe Ruth he smoked, drank and ate like a slob and was a hero. Most of the greats from days gone by were raging alcoholics, and couldn't have run full pelt for more than 20 metres without huffing and puffing from their tar filled lungs. I don't find any pleasure in watching jacked steroid monkeys running around knowing they took the easy route. I found pleasure in learning and watching whatever clips from the past that I could about these players over coming the adversity of their self inflicted physical health problems. Fred has it right it's all about greed, and it's dispicable to see the roid monkeys parade their kids around as if they should be someone looked up to.
Hey Jimmy I was great at baseball, but I took the easy road and cheated to become the greatest.

Argie
December 17, 2007 / 11:53

Frank: I couldn’t agree with you more. I can’t believe it.

I remember when John Kruk was playing for the Phillies. Now that’s what a baseball player should look like!

Brian
December 17, 2007 / 14:32

I don't think people have any real idea how rampant performance enhancing drugs really are. Guys are getting them in High School (yes even Canadian High Schools and Universities) so if it's happening at that level it's certainly happening in the pro's. I don't have an overall problem with performance enhancers (after all, where do you draw the line, pain pills, ephedrine, caffeine, HGH, injectable sterioids, designer steroids, blood doping, etc. No reliable test exists for half this stuff anyway, so maybe they should just try to make the performance enhancing drugs 'better' ie. try to eliminate the long term associated health risks and have a giant HGH party for everyone. After all, it's all about entertaining Me!

Mike from Lowville
December 18, 2007 / 15:42

Argie? You said "I would never wish harm on anyone but if......"

Hmmmm..........

"And yes, they should bring in Harris to â€˜mediate' this occupation. It would be over pretty soon. One dead Indian or five."

Graham
December 18, 2007 / 18:26

Argie, do you honestly think that John Kruk did NOT take any performance enhancing drugs??? Come on!! And Frank the Tank,uppers were rampant in baseball as far back as the 50's. Hockey players have been taking ephedrine since it was invented! Now everyone is drinking Red Bull. Where is the line drawn? I beleive that this is on T.V. for OUR entertainment. Well, I am entertained by watching someone hit a 480' homerun or breaking the 9second mark in the 100m or knocking a quarterback out of his shoes. I say let them do any drugs they want and dance monkey dance!!!!

Frank the Tank
December 19, 2007 / 09:04

Hey Graham... There is a difference between taking a red bull or ephedrine before a game and injecting steroids and taking HGH. Redbull and ephedrine does not genetically alter your body like HGH and steroids do, their effects are immediate, but not prolonged. As for Redbull being your argument there is no difference to a cup of coffee it's just trendy right now that's all.

Graham
December 20, 2007 / 10:35

Frank the Tank, I am aware of the effects of Redbull and Ephedrine having had them both. That was not my argument. I was making a point that they are all performance enhancing substances. I was pointing out that back in the old days, the players took other things to enhance thier performance before the use of steroids. So do we take all awards away from anyone who used something to make themselves better, faster, stronger?

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28 Responses to "Greedy Selfish Stupid"