A sad story

Kind of have to write this, I am a little sad right now but I figure it helps to get it out, and it helps to remember someone who was a good kid. A football player at my alma mater died as a result of heat related injuries. This kind of hits home, because although I was a tennis player at the university, all my roommates were O-lineman and one was an assistant coach. This kid used to come over to our apartment when they grilled out for their team sessions and he seemed like a great guy. Its times like these when you realize that all these games we play can have human consequences at times. I guess it just helps me to get this out and put it into words. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

The problem with our sports media!

They just love to demonize our heroes. Take for example Rafael Palmeiro, whose face you can find on the front page of any sports web site for his recent steroid suspension. I think one reason a few sports writers are out to get these athletes or demonize their alleged "cheating" is because it makes them feel better. Jay Mariotti probably thinks that he could hit 66 homeruns like Sammy if he had only taken steroids when he was in little league. Bob Ryan probably thinks that he could have had 3000 hits and 500+ homeruns if he were only to have taken steroids. These guys have this mentality that they must bring these guys down to their level, but the problem is with or without steroids the accomplishments of these athletes are amazing. A lot of the writer's like to draw the comparisons to track and field, bicycling, and other endurance sports. The reason the drug testing in those sports is so strict and intrusive is because steroids and other performance enhancing drugs actually have a noticeable impact. Those sports do not take the kind of hand-eye coordination and athleticism that hitting a baseball does. Steroids do not help you hit a baseball, period end of story. Up next... a discussion of why sportswriters are only concerned about steroids? What about Curt Schilling and his painkiller usage in his "heroic performance" in the World Series? Also, a look back at cheating in past days, Hank Aaron's supposed amphetamine use, Babe Ruth's alleged use of cork, and the Spit ball or scuffed ball.