Today a news network I watch from time to time...when there is no suitable test pattern to stare at...covered the Senate hearings on the Mitchell report and Mr. Roger Clements. Did he or did he not use steroids during his time as a professional baseball player?
Well folks, in the great scheme of things....I don't give a damn!
Now follow me here. Professional sports are no more than a segment of the Entertainment industry and for those of you who think it is all about the game, well I have some ocean front property in Missouri I will sell you. Now having said this, why are we so upset if Clements DID take the dang drugs? If we hold hearings in Washington on this subject, then by God we ought to hold similar hearings on other drug use by movie stars and singers....same thing. Some of those stars will even tell you that the drugs "help" their performance. Of course they are full of crap, but they do use that excuse sometimes.
Before you get all upset and yell about the example professional athletes are setting for our kids, think about the rest of the entertainment industry and the example they set every day for our kids...what's the difference.
As for as that goes, think about the example we as parents have set for our children. Why do we get so upset about athletes cheating when everyday we cheat on our taxes, cheat on our spouses, and cheat and take short cuts on OUR job to get ahead. What kind of damn example do WE set for our children.
Before we get up on our collective soapboxes and rail against pro athelets who try to cheat for an edge in their job, maybe we better look at ourselves. Personally I could care less if one of these guys want to cheat for better stats during their career. All they are really doing is ruining their health in later years. They are the ones who will pay the ultimate price for any fleeting popularity which their enhanced preformance brings them. I really hope you don't believe this is a new problem because ever since there have been pro sports, there have been people willing to cheat and get an edge and win no matter what the cost.
Finally, the thing that really bugs me is having Congress messed up in this silly, finger-pointing, affair. Having Congress judge Clements on whether or not he cheated is a lot like a group of foxes sitting in judgement of a skunk that got into a henhouse. They need to clean up their own house before sitting in judgement of anyone else.
As far as I am conserned, Pro sports is simply a mirror reflecting the attitudes of the rest of the American ethics so if you want to judge them, judge yourself first.
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3 comments:
Most of me agrees with you regarding Congress, Roger Clemens, and steroids. In addition to all your compelling points, I would add that with the mortgage crisis, the pharmaceutical industry monopoly, a looming recession, and a little dust-up we're still tied down in over in western Asia, the House Oversight Committee has its priorities misordered.
Maybe it was just an Oversight...
Part of me, though, the eight year old boy, wants his baseball pure as the ivory ball thrown out on Opening Day.
Echoing the comment above ... there are better things for Congress to think about than sports. It's just a sport, for pete's sake. So what? They need to get over themselves just like Hollywood. Yep. Agreeing again.
I certainly don't think we need a damn senate hearing to know guilty from guilty. Since when has sport become noteworthy enough to make up some committee to police them?
I rue the day when celebrities in sport or any other arena took the place of real, honest to goodness problems.
You think if we just ignore them all they'll go away?
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