Let's talk Sports
Specifically, Baseball and even more specifically, The Hall of Shame, uh, I mean Fame. (I will call it the Hall of Shame until Ron Santo is rightfully placed there)
In recent weeks there was a vote for induction into the Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire was a 1st time candidate for the Hall and SHOULD have been elected to it. Unfortunately, due to his taking the 5th ammendmant at the Congressional hearings on Steroids, he barely garnered enough votes to remain on the ballot in subsequent years, EVEN THOUGH Steroids was not a banned substance in Baseball during his playing days. Therefore, even if he did take Steroids, (and my suspicion is that he did) he was not cheating because it was allowed.
Now don't misunderstand me. I've not lost any sleep over the slight to Mr. McGwire. I've not decided to start a campaign to right the wrong or anything like that but I am bothered by the hypocrisy in Baseball and I will tell you why.
1. Hall of Fame voting: The voters for the Hall of Fame are Sports writers. There are some good ones but there are a whole bunch that couldn't hold down a job at a fast food restaurant if they hadn't lucked into the Sports writing job. Almost none of them are former players so why do they get to decide whose accomplishments are Hall of Fame worthy? It's a broken system. Fix it!
2. Congressional Hearings on Steroid abuse in Baseball: HELLO! Am I the only one that wonders why Congress would give a rip? Are there not enough worthwhile problems in this Country alone THAT CONGRESS SHOULD BE ADDRESSING. Your tax dollars hard at work once again.
3. Baseballs blatant hypocrisy: Mark McGwires rookie year, he hit 50 home runs. He as a skinny kid that obviously was not on Steroids although he was a big boy. I don't believe he hit over 50 again until the 1998 season, in which he hit 70, although I do believe that he was taking Steroids well before 98. My point. Steroids were not the reason why he hit 70 and Sammy Sosa hit 66. If it were then why didn't McGwire do it consistently while he was younger? The reason he hit 70 was because the Baseball was juiced. (wound purposely tight) The reason the ball was juiced was because baseball knew it needed a Home Run resurgence in order to save the game. So if McGwire and Sosa were cheating, so was Baseball, itself. Why did Baseball need saving? Because of the owners lockout in which they cheated this Country out of a full season of Baseball. Not only should McGwire be voted into the Hall, he should be personally thanked by every owner in the game.
Sports and I are in a love-hate relationship. I love the games. I love the concept of teamwork, the striving for a goal, the giftings of the Athletes. But I can't stand the over paid salaries for playing a game, the audacity of the prices that owners now charge because of a mess of their own making and the selfishness that now seems to be celebrated among elite Athletes.
Oh well, I guess I'm not as smart as those old sports writers but for some reason, I'm pretty thankful for that.
In recent weeks there was a vote for induction into the Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire was a 1st time candidate for the Hall and SHOULD have been elected to it. Unfortunately, due to his taking the 5th ammendmant at the Congressional hearings on Steroids, he barely garnered enough votes to remain on the ballot in subsequent years, EVEN THOUGH Steroids was not a banned substance in Baseball during his playing days. Therefore, even if he did take Steroids, (and my suspicion is that he did) he was not cheating because it was allowed.
Now don't misunderstand me. I've not lost any sleep over the slight to Mr. McGwire. I've not decided to start a campaign to right the wrong or anything like that but I am bothered by the hypocrisy in Baseball and I will tell you why.
1. Hall of Fame voting: The voters for the Hall of Fame are Sports writers. There are some good ones but there are a whole bunch that couldn't hold down a job at a fast food restaurant if they hadn't lucked into the Sports writing job. Almost none of them are former players so why do they get to decide whose accomplishments are Hall of Fame worthy? It's a broken system. Fix it!
2. Congressional Hearings on Steroid abuse in Baseball: HELLO! Am I the only one that wonders why Congress would give a rip? Are there not enough worthwhile problems in this Country alone THAT CONGRESS SHOULD BE ADDRESSING. Your tax dollars hard at work once again.
3. Baseballs blatant hypocrisy: Mark McGwires rookie year, he hit 50 home runs. He as a skinny kid that obviously was not on Steroids although he was a big boy. I don't believe he hit over 50 again until the 1998 season, in which he hit 70, although I do believe that he was taking Steroids well before 98. My point. Steroids were not the reason why he hit 70 and Sammy Sosa hit 66. If it were then why didn't McGwire do it consistently while he was younger? The reason he hit 70 was because the Baseball was juiced. (wound purposely tight) The reason the ball was juiced was because baseball knew it needed a Home Run resurgence in order to save the game. So if McGwire and Sosa were cheating, so was Baseball, itself. Why did Baseball need saving? Because of the owners lockout in which they cheated this Country out of a full season of Baseball. Not only should McGwire be voted into the Hall, he should be personally thanked by every owner in the game.
Sports and I are in a love-hate relationship. I love the games. I love the concept of teamwork, the striving for a goal, the giftings of the Athletes. But I can't stand the over paid salaries for playing a game, the audacity of the prices that owners now charge because of a mess of their own making and the selfishness that now seems to be celebrated among elite Athletes.
Oh well, I guess I'm not as smart as those old sports writers but for some reason, I'm pretty thankful for that.
posted by Ken at
Saturday, January 20, 2007
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