The Juice and the Senate

Earlier this week Major League Baseball was brought before a government committee on Capitol Hill in order to address the issue of steroids in baseball. What the hell the government has to do with professional baseball’s interests I had no idea, but the government justified their meddling of baseball’s business by saying that the examples set forth by Major Leaguers are detrimental to our children and our society. It’s good to know that even though Republicans and Democrats can’t decide on whether or not to drop bombs on defenseless nations or impeach perverted adulterating presidents, they can agree that baseball players ought to be positive role models for America’s children.

What bothers me even more than the fact the government has absolutely no right to tell baseball what to do, is the fact that baseball gets a bad rap for all of it’s problems while other sports are not even acknowledged to have drug problems.

People have bashed Barry Bonds for taking steroids for years and certainly there are many reasons to be suspicious of baseball players taking steroids, but what about the NFL? NFL players are even bigger than baseball players, they get busted for drugs like baseball players and players like Lawrence Taylor have admitted to taking illegal drugs such as cocaine while in the league. Heck, Jamal Lewis, arguably the best running back in the NFL, was arrested just this off-season by the FBI for dealing cocaine. Now call me fascist, but I believe that players who take cocaine are far worse influence on our kids than those who take steroids.

It’s true drug testing is a major issue for Major League Baseball, but its time for people to give baseball a break. Since the strike of ’94 press on baseball has been relentlessly negative. A few years ago the league was perceived to be unfair with no chance for smaller market teams. Well after World Series wins by Arizona, Anaheim, and Florida, there are now six competitive divisions with tons of interesting story lines. And for all of the negative bullshit the league has had to deal with, baseball once again has as good a product of any sport in the world including the NFL.

Baseball has dealt with scandal and controversy throughout its history. Whether it’s economic problems, gambling, the black sox scandal, or Marge Schott’s dog Schottzie, baseball has persevered. And regardless of government intervention eventually a solid drug-testing program will be implemented. It’s funny though, the government could really do something good for baseball if it wanted to. That of course, by putting sanctions on the global corporation that is the New York Yankees.