Thursday, March 09, 2006

Why Would I Care About What Substances Barry Bonds Took?

I can’t seem to get worked up about the possibility that Barry Bonds used “performance enhancing drugs”. It’s not as if they endowed him with superpowers. He could have gotten much the same effect by working out for hours on end in the gym. That would have enhanced his performance just as much, but nobody seems concerned about athletes who work out or who use hypnosis or technological training aids. The drugs were just a shortcut.

What about a guy who practices more than usual? That would enhance his performance and give him an advantage over other players who did not practice so much. Maybe MLB should require all players to eschew practice, stretching, working out, eating healthy, or anything that might give them an edge. All players should have to come to the games equally out of shape, hung over, and out of practice. That would be fair. Then only the most naturally talented players would succeed.

In any event, I reckon it’s up to MLB whether they care about steroids and such. If Congress would stay out of the issue, it would get resolved just fine. If the fans really care, perhaps a competing all-natural league would emerge and succeed.

2 comments:

lemme howdt said...

why should we only allow athletic people to become baseball players. We should have some women, and some spazzez and some geeks. And old folks, they need to be represented on the field too. Oh - and make sure that ticket prices are nice and high so that we can fill that stadium with empty seats. Who knows - maybe somebody's relative will buy a ticket.

Barry Bonds is a very talented athlete who could easily take the Roger Clemens approach and play a few more years. I respect and admire a player that will tell the press to flip off when he feels his privacy has been violated. Being a public figure due to chosen profession is a choice, dealing with people who gravitate to fandome is not a part of the program. There are planty of athletes that want to talk, i wish they'd let Barry Bonds alone.

Steve Scott said...

My thoughts almost exactly. What about Curt Schilling's famous bloody sock on the mound, just days after an extreme form of surgery and a huge shot of cortisone. How many homers did Mickey Mantle hit after popping aspirin to relieve a hangover? Haven't we been told for 50 years that a bowl of Wheaties is a performance enhancing substance?