Ample time and attention is being focused on the forthcoming Jason Giambi meeting with George Mitchell. Will he name names? (That really doesn't look as good in print as it does in your head or when said, as in "The Race" episode of <i> Seinfeld </i>.) We already know what Tom Hicks had to say about the issue. The story continues to simmer as we rapidly approach the mid-summer classic in San Francisco and Barry Bonds' pursuit of history continues.

I still don't understand how this becomes an issue some decade and change later. Should we go after Hollywood directors and studios for the use of body doubles and stunt men, claiming that they entertained us for years under false pretences?

Do I agree with the use of banned substances? No, absolutely not. Rules are now in place and should be adhered to, and certainly there's a larger danger as the performance-enhancing substances find their way into the hands of teenagers. The latter part of the sentence is the important part of the argument to me. If this investigation were truly launched to ferret out distribution channels and aid future generations, then I'm all for it. But, as the great Satchel Paige said, "Don't look back. Something may be gaining on you."

Notice that I put the word "now" in the third sentence of that previous paragraph. Those rules weren't on the books when much of this was happening. Yes, steroids were illegal, so that's a whole other issue, but this was another of the famous "unwritten" rules on the baseball logs until recent memory. The stories about bowls of "greenies" and the consumption of gallons of coffee are commonplace.

How can the baseball powers that be try to put on a straight face about the serious nature of this issue after looking the other way during the homer-happy late-90s? And, if they're looking to put an asterisk on the accomplishments of Barry Bonds and other sluggers during this period, are we going to put them in the standings for each year and on the managerial records. Jose Canseco's talked openly about his use of the juice while in Oakland, so does that suddenly wipe a boatload of wins from Tony LaRussa's record?

Say what you will about the nature of sport and competition. I'm as die-hard a fan of my home teams as anybody, screaming at the television with each play gone awry, errant pass or gopher ball served up by my team's starters. But, even though I make my living by watching as much footage as I can while trying to unearth trends and the next diamond in the rough, I sometimes have to step back and remind myself that this multi-billion endeavor is, after all, just a game.

And we all were entertained during this period, weren't we?

Grant a presidential pardon for the period, admit the mistakes and move on. Let's worry about the future of the game and keeping fans interested. Living in the past isn't going to do it.