(no subject)
I took some time to watch the Mitchell Report press conference. I know pretty much everyone in the sports media is busy salivating over the list of players named in the report, but what really caught my attention was this:
The minority of players who used such substances were wrong. They violated federal law and baseball policy, and they distorted the fairness of competition by trying to gain an unfair advantage over the majority of players who followed the law and the rules. They -- the players who follow the law and the rules -- are faced with the painful choice of either being placed at a competitive disadvantage or becoming illegal users themselves. No one should have to make that choice.
Amen.
ETA: A few additional thoughts...
I don't want to get too deep into the politics of baseball, but the real problem is the Players Association. The players' union's primary responsibility is to protect its players; I am afraid to say that their actions throughout the steroid crisis have represented a failure to uphold this responsibility.
I will not speculate as to the Players Association's motives. What bothers me is their actions. From the beginning of the steroid controversy, the Players Association has repeatedly resisted every attempt to establish a reliable testing program. In the beginning they objected to any testing programs, citing concerns for players' "privacy." Now, they are resisting a measure that would subject baseball players to testing from an outside agency, rather than the corrupt internal agency that is currently conducting testing.
Here's what it comes down to. The MLBPA seems to think its responsibility is protecting steroid users. What they fail to realize is the only way to protect athletes is to completely eliminate steroid use from their sport. This is the only way to protect the health and reputation of their players. I agree with Senator Mitchell that no one should ever have to face the choice between being at a disadvantage or doing something potentially harmful to themselves.
The minority of players who used such substances were wrong. They violated federal law and baseball policy, and they distorted the fairness of competition by trying to gain an unfair advantage over the majority of players who followed the law and the rules. They -- the players who follow the law and the rules -- are faced with the painful choice of either being placed at a competitive disadvantage or becoming illegal users themselves. No one should have to make that choice.
Amen.
ETA: A few additional thoughts...
I don't want to get too deep into the politics of baseball, but the real problem is the Players Association. The players' union's primary responsibility is to protect its players; I am afraid to say that their actions throughout the steroid crisis have represented a failure to uphold this responsibility.
I will not speculate as to the Players Association's motives. What bothers me is their actions. From the beginning of the steroid controversy, the Players Association has repeatedly resisted every attempt to establish a reliable testing program. In the beginning they objected to any testing programs, citing concerns for players' "privacy." Now, they are resisting a measure that would subject baseball players to testing from an outside agency, rather than the corrupt internal agency that is currently conducting testing.
Here's what it comes down to. The MLBPA seems to think its responsibility is protecting steroid users. What they fail to realize is the only way to protect athletes is to completely eliminate steroid use from their sport. This is the only way to protect the health and reputation of their players. I agree with Senator Mitchell that no one should ever have to face the choice between being at a disadvantage or doing something potentially harmful to themselves.