Friday, March 18, 2005
My Two Cents...
Seems like just about everybody in The Bullpen is chiming in, so let me make a pair of points...
The players who testified were damned if they did and damned if they didn't. If you were suspected of steroid use, there was nothing you could say that would clear you in the court of public opinion. McGwire for all intents took the fifth, and he's now being slayed in the press. Dick Pound, who is a major player in the anti-doping world, more or less claimed that McGwire has in effect admitted to steroid use. Meanwhile, Sosa denied using 'roids and the general reaction has been "can you believe the nerve of him - telling all of those lies under oath." We are about two steps away from trial by dunking.
I'll also note that after watching years of Bud Selig testifying about the economic state of baseball, you can perjure yourself in front of Congress with no penalty.
I'd like to see Congress have hearings on plastic surgery in Hollywood. Unlike baseball, where some small percentage is doing 'roids, just about every actor has had surgery. Nothing like mutilating your body and risking your long-term health for a better shot at a big-money contract in the entertainment industry. We talk about role models and such, but if we compare the number of teenagers on steroids to the number of teenagers with eating disorders, it isn't even close.
posted by David 4:25 PM
