This past St. Patrick's day, former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, sat in front of congress to discuss steroid use in major league baseball. When asked about his personal experience McGwire chose to essentially plead the 5th. The fact is McGwire didn't tell us the truth, but he also didn't lie to us. But the media and baseball fans everywhere threw McGwire under the bus. They said he wasn't "forthcoming". Reporters said they wouldn't vote him into the Hall of Fame. McGwire was disgraced.
At this same congressional hearing Baltimore Oriole first baseman Rafael Palmeiro defiantly told congress that he had never taken performance enhancing drugs "period". The same media and baseball fans pointed to Palmeiro's testimony as a shining example of what McGwire should have said. This past week Palmeiro was suspended when steriods were found in his system. I'm pretty sure that Palmeiro didn't come up with the idea to take steroids all of a sudden in the past month at the age of 40. It is likely that he lied to us in March. Big surprise.
I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Our culture is one that prefers and expects a good lie when cornered. My girlfriend always says it's basically the idea of "respect me enough to lie to me". This is wrong. If someone decides that to avoid lying, it's best to not speak at all, we should respect that decision.
I have no proof that Sammy Sosa, Curt Schilling, and Rafael Palmeiro didn't lie on that day in March, but I know for a fact that Mark McGwire didn't. While McGwire didn't deserve praise for what he did, at least he deserved our respect.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Well Stated Sir
Yes, apologies are owed to Mark McGrire, but a white man in sports in America will not get one. He did great things for the youth of St.Louis and around the country; we were all so proud and happy when he hit that homer and the young man who caught that ball gave it to Mark. Mark didn't lie, but he is the wrong race to get an apology. At this point, the Scottish are used to it.
Mark McGwire is a gentle,yet solid,honest man.who doesn't owe anybody any fairy tales ,such as some we have heard.Mark would of done with,or without steroidslook at this gent real close,home runs were know problem under any circumstancesFor the benefit of the idiots who must keep mixing up the shit,Get a life! I imagine your life is so pure,you can say crap like any other sap.If the shoe fits wear it.
Who is so perfect that he can throw stones at McGrire. I have no idea if he or anyone else took steroids, but I am sure that in a sense they killed my husband.He had emphysema and took the steriods that his doctor ordered, only to kill him in the end. He came down with pnumonia and the steriods robbed him of his immunity and he was unable to fight it off.
Anyone that takes it, knowing what the end results can and will be, is lacking in common sense.
I didn't say he didn't take steroids. He may have. Do you know for a fact that he did? No you don't - you have an opinion. I know that he didn't lie. I know that Palmiero did. Of the two - I'd throw Palmiero under the bus.
Again - I'm strange - I prefer not being lied to.
Mark McGwire did a great job through the years. And gave me great enjoyment watching those moon shots.
He was a grown man who was trying to improve his game with steroids and knew what he was doing. And if steroids helped him do it so be it.
Steroids may not be good for everybody, but we will never know with the stupid anti-science mentalities out there. When you think life expectance was 52 years in 1900 and what wonder drugs have made it possible to expect to live 90 years or more. I think we should all give a pause to think about all this. When you see Politicians jumping on the band wagon then you know there if something phony.
Baseball is a marvelous game, watch and enjoy. And stop trying to bring down talented people to your second, third----of 100th level.
Mark M is still Big Red for me.
NY Met's in 2005 Get well Cimarron we need you.
O Met fan of the Mounted
hey i reamber when mark came 2 boston and hit 3 homers against the red soxs that day, we all gave him a standing novation it was great he put a lot of smiles on people that day . what ever he does is his busness. as people should mind ther own doings and geat a life .
p raba
News Flash! McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Pudge Rodriguez, and several other MLB players have all mysteriously shrunk! Photos indicate that their once massive shoulders, chest, and thighs all now look like any other ballplayer! Equally puzzling is that many of these active players have seen their home run production plummet from recent years. Experts are dumbfounded as to the reasons behind the shrinkage. Seeing that all have either denied taking steriods or, as in McGuire's case, refused to address the issue, scientist and sports writers (not to mention more than a few head-in-the-sand fans) are unsure as to the genesis of this phenomenon. Film at 11!
morons.
you people don't understand the gist of this post. it is not whether mcgwire took steroids, it is about the fact that he did not lie.
it would have been easy for mcgwire to try to firm up his image by saying he did not use illegal steroids. by refusing to answer the question, mcgwire pretty much admitted he had.
now, palmeiro, he unequivocally stated he had never used steroids. he lied to us.
mcgwire got ridiculed for not admitting or denying steroid use. but of all the ballplayers questioned in those congressional hearings, it turns out he may be the only one who did NOT lie.
that is the point of the original post. palmeiro lied directly to congress, and to us as baseball fans. he is a piece of crap.
I may not like the truth. I can choose how I feel about "truth".
But do not lie to me.
Post a Comment