Posted on 03/18/2005 4:45:13 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
The biggest news out of yesterday's congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball was the repeated refusal by Mark McGwire, the man who smashed Roger Maris' single-season home run record, to answer questions as to his past use of steroids.
But when Matt Lauer asked baseball Commissioner Bud Selig whether McWire's answer was "satisfactory," the wimpy Selig predictably wimped out. "Mark has to do what is best for him. He's retired, he lives in peace with wife and children."
Lauer asked whether all the allegations, and McGwire's refusal to state whether he used steroids to break the record, turned the 1998 season, during which McGwire famously battled Sammy Sosa for the record, into a sham.
"I don't think it was a sham. 1998 was an electrying year. No one has been convicted of anything." So Selig's standard apparently is, if no one's in the big house, it wasn't a sham, even if the player at the heart of the "electrifying season" won't say whether he was electrified by illegal drugs.
Lauer then mentioned that in response to a question as to whether using steroids is cheating, McGwire answered "that's not for me to determine."
Confronted as to whether that was an acceptable response, Selig, incredibly, said "every player [on the panel] said yes, and I said it was. No question it is." HUH? As you well know because you were in the room, and as you've been reminded by Lauer, McGwire did NOT say yes. He said it wasn't for him to determine.
Lauer then criticized the weakness of MLB's steroids policy, calling it "5 strikes and you're out."
Lauer: "You said that's best you could do with the union. But issn't this a case of the fox watching a multi-million dollar chicken coop?"
Lauer makes a very good point. Selig and the owners who hired him are pointing the finger at the union, the implication being that the owners and Selig would have wanted a much tougher steroid policy. Lauer's implication is that in fact the owners DON'T want a tough policy - they don't want to see their stars dragged through the mud, or worse yet suspended. They want the home runs to continue flying out of parks.
Lauer soldiered on: "Steroids are illegal. If a corporate executive wouldn't possibly be allowed to falsify accounts five times before being fired. If I took drugs five times I wouldn't have a job. Why do you allow five strikes?"
Selig offered up some pabulum about a "graduated policy" being "fair and reasonable."
The only strong thing Selig said was that he will suspend everyone, without equivocation, who tests positive for steroids and that all names will be made public.
During the second half-hour, respected sports reporter Mike Lupica came on, and blasted McGwire and baseball:
"A major purpose of the hearings was to find out what happened in the past, and for McGwire to claim that the past is irrelevant and that now he wants to become a big part of a future campaign against steroids is a joke. Everyone knows that any 12-step program begins with admitting the truth about what you've done. McGwire has badly damaged his credibility."
I've always liked McGwire, but I couldn't help lose a lot of respect for him yesterday, watching him hide beyond his lame prepared comments about not wanting to talk about the past and only wanting to be positive about the future.
As the father of the teenage boy who committed suicide after taking steroids said at the hearings, these players should stop hiding behind the skirts of their lawyers and the union, and come out like men and accept responsibility for their past actions.
Today is now running a segment on the second anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq, and naturally they are emphasizing the negative. Currently reading letters (with a musical background) from a woman soldier who was killed in Iraq.
Today Show ping.
I gave up on MLB years ago. Something about whiney millionaires on strike.....
I realized you needed good hand and eye coordination to hit the ball, but I also thought you needed a brain.
......... sounds like the Clintons.
Frankly, governs, while I admire your intestinal fortitude at being able to watch Today, from everything I have read/heard, most people seem to be put off by the Congressional hearings into baseball and steroids.
I'm not picking on you for posting the article, just taking the long way to get to my comment that if this is the most important thing Congress has to do with its time and my dime, they can stay home.
This segment on the anniversary of the Iraq war is really turning into the story of the day. The entire segment, at least so far, amounts to dramatic readings - by actors - of letters from soldiers killed in Iraq, along with heart-rending footage of the families left behind.
This would be fine if you sensed there was a patriotic message from Today behind it. But of course there is no such thing.
Katie ended the segment - never mentioning the positive things that have been accomplished - by saying that they salute the 1500 killed. Not their accomplishments, not the freedom won for others, but just them. This was nothing more than exploitation of those 1500 for the political purpose of condemning the war in which they died and the administration that sent them there. Disgusting.
McWire looked like hell. I think when the steroids wear off their body deflates like a balloon.
With ballplayers using illegal drugs, seems to me that some high-profile arrests and prosecutions would do more to rid baseball of steroids than this half-a$$ed attempt by MLB and Congress.
LOL!
The biggest news out of yesterday's congressional hearings on steroid use in baseball was the repeated refusal by Mark McGwire, the man who smashed Roger Maris' single-season home run record, to answer questions as to his past use of steroids.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
pardon me but McGwire said jose conseco is a lying snake, I think so too.
that says to me that he is denying the use of steroids
Just up and forgot the election, did she? Gee, go figure.
The problem will get increasing public awareness as Bonds nears Aaron's record..
Nevertheless, the 1919 Black Sox scandal threatened the credibility of baseball -- and the Commissioner at the time came down hard, and without mercy. He rescued the sport with tough love.
MLB today is digging an enormous hole. And people like Selig and very much part of the problem.
Canseco might have lied about many things, but there's no doubt he also told many truths. Even MLB is admitting that a couple years ago 7% of players tested positive for steroids. Calling Canseco a liar doesn't mean he was lying about whether McGwire used steroids.
McGwire was given multiple opportunities yesterday to deny using steroids, and took a pass. I'm assuming you watched the hearings. Listening to McGwire's responses to all the specific questions as to his own use, do you really believe he denied it?
As mentioned, I've always liked McGwire, but there's no denying he took the Fifth yesterday.
I couldn't figure out why they were doing it at all (apart from the usual government nosiness) until I realized it's a new "motherhood and apple pie" (not what they used to be since Planned Barrenhood and the nutrition police). They thought you couldn't alienate anyone -- base or center -- by being against steroids in professional sports, so they could bloviate to their hearts' content.
Amen to that. Why are we relying on a private entertainment organization to police illegal activity?
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