Steroids: Move On Dot Org

Is it me or do we need to finally stop talking about steroids? I get that when we talk about sports 24 hours a day on tv, radio, print, and the internet we need to find something to fill the headlines… And, I also get that our in-your-face society loves to see a person’s career and life ruined by allegations and press coverage, but I think it is finally time to stop talking about steroids in sports (especially baseball) and move on!

ALL PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES USED STEROIDS!! And by all, I mean around 60%… I would, with no real evidence, guess. Yes, I believe over half of all professional baseball players have at one time or are currently (while trying very hard not to get caught) using some form of performance enhancing substance. College athletes are pressured by coaches and agents to get bigger so they can be drafted, high school athletes are pressured by coaches (and parents?) to bulk up in order to win scholarships. I must say that I do not like the idea, nor do I condone it at all, but I certainly don’t think it is newsworthy anymore. I avoided using drugs to help myself when I was playing high school and college ball because I did not want to go down an illegal and unhealthy path; granted, I was never going to make it anywhere… but I knew it existed.

I would favor any and all strengthening of drug testing policies but it is laughable to beat two or three athletes to death while ignoring the bigger issue. Barry Bonds is the perfect example. I like Barry Bonds, and I was excited to see him go on that home run record chase. It is my understanding that he has never failed a drug test right? We don’t like his attitude off the field and can’t explain how one man’s body could change shape so drastically over the course of 5 or 6 years. I don’t care whether he used steroids or not, my point is he was outsmarting pitchers who used steroids, hitting through middle infielders and speedy outfielders using steroids, and stealing bases off catchers who used steroids. He was still the better athlete (even if we’re only looking at a juiced-up sample). Bonds broke Aaron’s record… none of the other 2 or 3 hundred professional steroid users did it… he is obviously better than them…

Again, I know it is not fair and not the way the sport is supposed to be played. I hope some day all the players are clean and I’m glad the commissioner continues to support expanded testing. We can’t simply put an asterisk on the stats of the players we don’t like, or the ones that are big stars. It quite literally has become the steroid era, if anything we have to put an asterisk on the era as a whole and when talking about stats from this time simply remember, “Oh yeah, that was when everyone was juiced… they were the best then… damn, glad we cleaned that up.” This cycle of secret names, scandals, wondering if the players are lying or not, tears, forgiveness, and tell-all books has to end.

And while talking about forgiveness: why is it that we so soon forget that players had broken the law, were bad team players, and put their health at risk once they apologize? It’s like saying “I’m sorry” is some sort of panacea and the public loves them again. Roger Clemens (I had a poster of him in as a Red Sock in my room as a kid), we all hate him, he cheats on his players, he cheats on his wife. He’s such an asshole. Andy Petite, close friend and teammate of Clemens, shed a few tears, said he was sorry, now we can’t wait for him to get back on his feet. Alex Rodriguez, what a chump, did drugs to live up to his $250 million dollar price tag, not a nice guy anyway, tried to explain himself, not good enough. Jason Giambi, teammate of Clemens and Rodriguez (maybe we just put an asterisk on the Yankees organization…) said he was sorry, grew a mustache, let’s give him an MVP award…. Are we really just looking for the apology?

Steroids are bad and I hope they are gone from athletics soon. But let’s not create these long lists of names, let’s throw out the  decade, or put an asterisk on the whole thing, and move on!

Finally… a Good Decision for UK Athletics

Yes, it’s confirmed! Even Mitch Barnhardt can’t mess this up now. John Calipari is on his way to the Bluegrass. And I think we can all agree, this is a perfect fit for everyone… I had the privilege of watching Calipari in action when his Tigers came down to Orlando to tackle the Golden Knights of the University of Central Florida (a game he only won by two or three points–leading me to ignorantly overrate Memphis for the rest of the season). While I am excited about the comparisons to Rick Pitino, I also think we have moved passed him. Calipari is energetic, young, talented, and public savvy enough to take on the hype and pressure of becoming the figurehead for the Wildcats. We don’t need someone like Pitino. Let Calipari be his own man.

It’s true, UK fans have short tempers and grant very little slack. I loved Tubby Smith and was sad to see him leave but it seemed as if he was booed out of the city and he certainly didn’t deserve that. I was willing to give Billy G. a chance at the beginning of the season and after we recouped after the VMI loss I defended the Cats and the turn-around I saw coming right around the corner. But after failing to compete with a less-than-average non-conference schedule and lackluster at best SEC, it seemed Billy G had just given up. Calipari is the big name that we have desperately needed since Tubby’s withdraw and I have confidence in saying he will not disappoint. You can almost relate it to Torre going to the Dodgers or Nick Saban going to Alabama; sometimes it’s time for a change and it’s almost fate when the perfect coach is available.

Even better news is the great press UK has received over the last week and a half. (I am surprised how frequently people have used the words “crumbling… failing… broken” etc to describe our program. It’s not like we’re the Indiana Hoosiers and completely off the radar, we did almost win 20 games this year…) But now we have gone from being made fun of and rejected as a legitimate contender to hisorically the greatest. It’s almost funny how quickly commentators can change their negativity to more accurately reflect the prestige of the University of Kentucky. There is absolutely no question that the Wildcats were the best team of the 20th century in college basketball (if you look at the entire century) and now we have a chance to take that back from UCONN, UNC, and Duke. [Yes, UCLA has all those championships but one decade a century does not make. UK was over in the better NIT at the time anyway.]

On a slightly different note, Dick Vitale believes that committed freshman should not be allowed to transfer their intent to the school that their coach has transferred to and I completely disagree. I’m not intimately  familiar with big time college athletic recruiting but I would imagine 70%, if not more, of the kid’s decision is based on the relationship he/she has established with their soon-to-be coach. If that coach is then not there when they show up in August it is as if they have been locked into a warped shadow of the dream they thought they would be living. For an area always so concerned with the students, and their success/happiness, I find it completely counter-intuitive to not allow them to follow the coach.

This is a great time for UK fans and central Kentucky in general. We deserve it and it’s time to be a national condender once again. Now, if Mitch Barnhardt could only find Tommy Tuberville’s numer… I’ll even take Chris Petersen….

Swimming and Gymnastics… they’re great… but why?

The opening weekend of the Olympics has not disappointed. American women swept the medal count in the Saber competition, Michael Phelps is three for three on his chase, and the men’s gymnastic team brought home a bronze for their country.

My question is who decided that America wanted to watch gymnastics and swimming so much? I think most of us can agree that the Olympics is comprised of mostly sports not widely followed in this country: archery, rowing, and weight-lifting, for example. But I would not put swimming or gymnastics in the top 15 “most popular sports” in the United States.

Who (and why?) decided that those two sports (and I guess Track and Field in a week or so) would get all the prime time attention? There are plenty of sports out there, I want to experience them all! It can’t simply be because they’re team sports right? The average person knows no more about swimming than they do about the rules of water polo; no more about gymnastics than hand ball. It couldn’t simply be the human interest stories; all Olympic athletes, regardless of sport, have overcome some type of obstacle that would “entertain” a prime time audience. The swimmers and gymnasts aren’t more attractive than some other athletes, so I don’t even think it’s sex appeal. These sports aren’t even purely “American” the way we can view basketball and baseball… I have no idea what makes them different.

I think we would find anything they presented in an entertaining, sexy way, during prime time interesting. We would quickly learn the rules and critique which moves, shots, forms, and executions were the best. We watch it because that’s what they show. It seems a viscous cycle. I love watching those big three too, but I enjoy all forms of Olympic games. I don’t want to have to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to watch some fun fencing or badminton. NBC, be a little more fair with your prime time distribution please.

Bret Favre: I love you but enough’s enough

Let me begin by saying I believe Bret Favre is the best football player to ever throw the pig skin and I bet history will look at him the same way; unless he messes up his legacy by making a fool of himself in the coming weeks.

I was sad when he announced his retirement in March. He seemed sad as well. He cried at his own press conference (who could blame him after he gave everything he could to the game he loved.) People questioned his motivations but he answered with “I don’t want to play anymore.” He knew he could, but he walked away.

Bret, no one said stepping down from the game you dominated for over a decade was going to be easy. Usually it takes players half a season at least to regret retirement, but you only took 3 months. The Packers have moved on and are trying to spend training camp allowing Aaron Rodgers the time he needs to lead his team. You are great but the NFL cannot wait around for you to make a solid decision.

Don’t let the next few weeks tarnish your passion for the game. You made the decision to go out on top, the good one in my opinion. But, if you want to come back, be straight forward and open with the media, the Packers, the rest of the NFL, and your fans. I’d love to see you come back but be a team player.

American League wins again…

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstargame

So the American League has now won the MLB All-Star game for a decade. Why can the National League not hold on to their early leads? Or better yet, why is one league so dominate? People tell me that these things come in cycles, that the NL won it for a really long time and it is now just the AL’s time to be on top. Of course, since I have been paying attention it has been nothing but the AL and I really don’t know why.

It seems like the only noticeable difference between the two leagues is the designated hitter right? And yet, that translates into higher team averages, more runs (and home runs) a game, and a better winning percentage in inner-league play… Maybe they have it right. Maybe that is the way the game should be played this day and age. Why are all those “baseball purists” holding on to that relic of baseball past?

I will admit I did want to be a fan of the pitcher batting but now I really only want to watch the American League on TV. I would much rather watch a team stacked with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez than Tom Glaven and Greg Maddux throwing down a few more sac bunts. I have also become the guy I said I wouldn’t be by only watching the PGA if Tiger Woods is involved.

So why the disparity in the All-Star game? Let me first say that I am actually against playing the game for real. It is an exhibition to show off and congratulate players on a job well done in the first half of the season. There is no need to take it seriously or to “make it mean something.” I don’t like that it decides home field advantage in the World Series, especially if we are going to have big swings like this. It is one thing to win an exhibition years in a row, it is completely differently if that translates into World Series rings.

Let’s please not take it so seriously. Let’s see everyone in the line up be able to play; let’s see players from both leagues messing around with each other. (Like Barry Bonds picking up Tori Hunter at second base after he robbed Bonds of a Home Run); let’s see them have fun. Not everything has to mean something.

Now if the National League could just hang on to a lead…….