So, another day, another major league ballplayer caught trying to circumvent the rules and cheat the league, his team and the fans (re: Manny Rameriez banned by MLB for 50 games for violating the banned substances rules).
I for one and getting sick and tired of this reoccurring theme in baseball. No, I am not talking about the continuing trend of players getting caught using banned substances...even years after the league cleaned house (yeah....right). Rather I am referring to the people who steward the game always making excuses for these cheaters-violators...and allowing the cheating to go on with a wink, a nod and a hand slap!
Watching the ESPN report on the story last night, we got to hear the L.A. Dodgers GM say Manny had just made a mistake; team manager, Joe Torre, say we all stand behind Manny and forgive him; and "The Donald" (head of the MLB players union...Donald Fehr) once again state this infraction is nothing larger than someone purchasing a supplement from GNC by accident. ARRRGGG!!!
Can't someone just come out and say it? He cheated and he got caught. It is something that will not be tolerated in our game. End of story! But naturally they can't/won't do that because it could affect the game, affect Dodgers attendance and mostly...it might make Manny angry that he's being thrown under the bus (though in reality he snuck under there himself).
Going to the store and buying whole milk when you were suppose to get 2%, is a mistake. Taking a female hormone, designed to restart testosterone production after you stop taking steroids is no "accident", it's cheating.
When an employee is convicted of breaking the law while carrying out his duties for a company, he is fired and distanced from the organization. He is not supported by the company, nor publicly forgiven...that would give the appearance of endorsement of his illegal behavior.
Every team in MLB has physicians on staff that are there to clear all supplements and meds. the players take just to make sure they don't contain any banned substances. Players have been directed (for a few years now) to not take anything without their seal of approval. So to do so is either totally irresponsible, just plain stupid or being done in an attempt to circumvent the rules. So no...in this day and age players just don't go to the local vitamin store and load up on supplements.
Manny's defense was he was given this by "his personal physician" to treat some mystery condition and he'll take all responsibility. But responsibility for what? For not using or at least consulting with team physicians? For allowing a doctor to convince him that taking a female hormone would be okay? Or...because he rolled the dice and got caught and now has let his team, his team-mates and his fans down.
This scenario is like a broken record that is played over and over again, each time another big name star goes down. No one has deliberately used banned substances and if they did it was just once...long ago, in a Galaxy far, far away...or wait for it....by accident! Here's what happened: I was sitting around the gym the other day and I accidentally let someone shoot an hypodermic needle full of female hormone into my butt. Quite ridiculous, isn't it?
Until pro. sports refuses to play these games anymore and declare a lifetime ban for any offense, you'll keep seeing people attempt to cheat...'cause after all, look at the upside if Manny didn't get caught...a $25 million dollar payday signed this last summer...which is now about $7 million dollars less!
R.J. Luedke
http://www.headpress.info/
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