I picked this picture for the blog for one reason and one reason alone... And no it's not because I really enjoy a nice dance to "YMCA," it's because I'm asking why when you have everything in the world handed down to you, and you are in the spotlight, why do you have to screw everything you possibly can up??? It's not just him either, there's 104 other guys out there doing this too... And for what??? What advantage do you get by popping or injecting roids? You can hit a ball out of the park and your arms and torso can look freakishly different from the rest of your body, how cool are you? You don't see Olympic sports professionals doing this stuff, at least not on the level that these baseball players are doing it...When you look at the sport when Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth and Pete Rose and all of the players of America's past time that could go far too long to list, you see a passion, a love of the game, something that showed how much they really wanted to play... I recall an old "Saved By The Bell" episode (college years of course) when Zach meets some professional football player quarterback that makes a ton of money, and doesn't care much about football, but rather the money... Well, Mike (The R.A. of the dorm and former teammate to said jackass) makes a very valid point. He said "you know it's funny, he still gets to play a sport that he only cares about the money for, and I'd play just to play the game again..." Interesting analysis, even for a player from the 49er's... You think any of these guys in today's game would play for something like $45,000/year? Sorry to break it to you sweetheart, but I HIGHLY doubt it, but I think that would bring out the true talented players that play for the love of the game...
The thing that I love about today's players is that you're almost more likely to run into a juicer on every team than a non-juicer. Players like Ken Griffey Jr., sorry, but I just don't care about him... I wish he'd retire and stop wasting my time... My true opinion of him, HE SUCKS! He was the worst investment Cincinnati ever made, but oh well, we made it, spent a shit-ton of money, and now we're paying for it... Regardless of how I feel and now that I got that out, Ken Griffey Jr. is an example of a player that only plays for the money, but when you look at Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Sr. (all hometown players I know, better and easier for reference), you see a true passion for just the game... Those guys played just to play... I'm sure they'd be playing softball together still if they could (if they weren't in retirement homes/assisted living homes)...
My number one problem, to be completely honest with you, is that a player like Pete Rose that never threw a game for a bet, and never bet on his team (proven), but because he bet on the game of baseball, he'll never be allowed to be in the Hall of Fame, but players that are juicing and using performance enhancers are shew-in's! Garbage if you ask me! Although I have to admit that baseball is becoming more and more of a dirty game, and by that I mean, gloves, bat, pitches, steroids, etc... But if you're going to let these roid popping, incredible hulk like pansy's into the Hall of Fame, then put down the gate on the way in so that Pete Rose can join too, because they deserve it more than any player in the game today... We'll See Ya!
4,503 people aren't going to attend Opening Day until Pete Rose is in the Hall of Fame because of this blog...
2 comments:
Hoopes, while I normally enjoy your rants, there are a few things I feel I have to correct you on this time.
Olympic athletes DO use steroids and get busted all the time, especially track and field athletes. Marion Jones ring a bell? She went to prison for lying about taking steroids.
Don't hate players for the money they make. Hate free agency, hate capitalistic America, hate supply and demand, and hate the players union and agents, but don't hate the player. Are you telling me that is someone offered you 255 million to play baseball you wouldn't do it? Of course you and everyone else would, that is human nature. It might not be right that they get paid that much to play, but if someone is willing to dish out the money then congrats to them.
Griffey JR is not all about the money. He might have been lazy and relied too much on his natural ability instead of working out harder, especially when he got older, but he was not a money whore. He actually took a pay cut to come and play in Cincinnati, because he thought he was coming home. Too many injuries later and fans not loving him enough created apathy for Griffey and a bad situation for Cincy fans. It was good for him to go, for everyone, but he was not all about the money.
Juicers are NOT getting in the fall of fame, or at least not yet. Mark McGwire has been eligible for two years and his votes declined from year one to year two and is not projected to ever get in the hall of fame. Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, Palmario, all of these guys are not eligible yet and the only one that might have a look at it might be Bonds or Clemens, but who knows. As it stands I don't think that there are any alleged juicers in the hall yet. Now there might be someday and if so you are spot on about letting Pete in too.
Pete admitted to betting on Reds games, but he says that he always bet for them to win. Of course that doesn't really make it right, but it was proven that he DID bet on the Reds, by his own admission.
Don't you also have to look at the guys who did more than just use steroids? Ty Cobb was an overly aggressive player to the point that other players and even umpires wouldn't question plays that should have been.
There were also guys who were alcoholics and wife beaters who were inducted into the Hall. Is steroid use all we're concerned about?
Aren't these guys supposed to be men who children can look up to? Men who can be a role model to our kids? Do we want our kids to grow up saying, "I want to be like [insert name of famous person who uses drugs]?" I certainly wouldn't want my kid saying that. Those people may be great athletes or actors or music artists, but is the use of any drug really necessary? Are their multi-million dollar lives so difficult that they have to resort to drugs?
Let's not shine a light on any of these characters. Make examples of them. Do we want our kids to be money-hungry drug users?
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