Is this correct?

Steroids are outlawed from the game a few years ago so writers start looking back at players who used (or were linked to) steroids before they were outlawed and decide that they should be punished too. Amphetamines are outlawed a couple of years after steroids but the writers don’t look back and punish players who used them before they were outlawed.

What I’d like to know from these writers is if they think Hank Aaron should be villified because he admitted to taking amphetamines, even if it was only once:
“Actually, the 1968 season wasn’t the best time to present my case. It was the first time since my rookie year that I didn’t drive in or score 100 runs. I was so frustrated that at one point I tried using a pep pill—a greenie—that one of my teammates gave me. When that thing took hold, I thought I was having a heart attack. It was a stupid thing to do…”

It’s a nice double standard that is far more hypocritical than anything McGwire is guilty of.

Jim Bouton, author of Ball Four and someone who should know better, is disappointingly, amongst this crowd. The reference is here.

Players took greenies to overcome the effects of hangovers. They were performance enablers, not performance enhancers. But both are dangerous and should be banned for that reason.

Shit like this makes me want to flog some sports writer with overcooked fettuccine.

A-Rod’s too smart for that. So he caved. (Forgetting Pete Rose, by the way. Smart as he and Boras are, they forgot about Rose) Because, after you apologize, after you come clean; we will parse every note sounded, every word you say, every blink, movement and tear, and decide whether you have come clean enough. Whether you have apologized enough. Whether you are honest enough. Whether you have faced us and answered all of our questions, exactly as we expect you to.

It’s called moving the cheese, people. An elusive, ever changing demand that can, in actuality, never be met, because meeting the demand is never the real goal. The real goal is that you, the person in the spotlight, do what we require you to do. Public humiliation, mea culpa’s, and all of the requisite hand-wringing, declarations of children saving, honor of the game being defended, be wrought large, on the main stage.

Because in the end, these are just sportswriters, you see. They write about games. Let’s not forget that. These aren’t important writers, writing important things. These are mostly men who weren’t good enough to play a game now believing that it is up to them to protect that game from the guys who were good enough to play it. And only in times like these, when superstars show human, do they get to seem important.

I am important, says Mike Lupica. You must apologize to me, or I will spend my days ruining your life. I am important, says Tom Verducci. I broke the Steroids in Baseball scandal, and my life’s work is now to “clean up THE GAME” as opposed to writing about a game. That’s why these players have to do it in front of the microphone, in front of the camera. That’s why they have to cry, grovel, “stay for every single question,” play it BIG!

I am important, says George Vescey. You have to do it this way.

I’d be laughing if it wasn’t so damn depressing.”

That’s what you wrote about ARod’s apology, John. The second I started read this post that’s the first thing I thought of. I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything so spot on. I don’t even need to give an opinion – this sums it up so clearly. Through all your writing over the years, John, I don’t know if anyone else out there can match the amount of truth, the list of the hypocrisy and bullshit baseball and it’s allies try to sell us, that you’ve compiled over the years. Thanks for your hard work – it’s appreciated.

As for McGwire, one of my friends said it best – he should have confessed, but not apologized. Instead, he should have demanded a thank you from all the people he put his own health at risk (if he even did that, it seems the science behind that is unclear) to entertain, especially since we WERE entertained. He should demand a thank you from Selig for saving baseball, which is exactly what he did. He should demand an apology from the press for the way they’ve treated him over the years. He should tell the world he’s not sorry, and given the opportunity, he would probably do it again if he didn’t think he’d get caught. He should tell people he’s only sorry because he got caught, because for most people, that’s probably the truth. Like you said, John, meeting the demand isn’t the real goal, and it’s something he’ll never be able to do, because they won’t let him. So he should tell them to fuck off for being the little shit hypocrites they are instead.

Unfortunately….we had to witness a shameful performance in its place. I lost all my respect for McGwire upon seeing the video of that. Just truly awful and pathetic. And to Bob Costas of all people? Fuck that. Here’s to Bonds having the balls to never apologize to the shitbags for something he isn’t sorry for.