There's a trend that has been picking up steam ever since the release of Jose Canseco's book Juiced. The trend that I am referring to is the trend of Congress sticking it's nose in both professional and collegiate sports...both places it doesn't belong.
Since Congress has developed this interest in sports, it has wasted millions of dollars and weeks of time looking into sports and trying to find ways to "fix" them. The problem with this is that Congress has achieved nothing in its failed attempts at cleaning up the various sports.
For example, Major League Baseball has a steroids problem. That has been quite obvious from the massive increase in batting statistics over the past five to ten years. While MLB did nothing to correct this issue (and rightfully so..."Chicks dig the long ball"), Congress made a futile attempt at cleaning up the game (at Bud Selig's request). All that came of that attempt was a mile long list of names that may or may not have used steroids. Those names were mostly provided by a man who was facing thirty years of prison if he didn't cooperate with the investigators. Not exactly the most reliable of sources.
And what has happened to baseball as a result of Congress' time and money? Absolutely nothing. Attendance numbers are right on par with (if not exceeding) previous attendance numbers.
Way to go Congress.
How about college football? Three representatives from the House want Congress to take a look at the bowl system and are pushing for a playoff. Nevermind the fact that these three representatives are from the states of Hawaii, Georgia, and Idaho...the home states of the three schools that feel they were jilted by the BCS. This is a big deal for these guys. They think that a college football playoff is the biggest issue in our country right now.
But even if Congress is swayed enough to waste time on such a moronic topic (compared to the other issues our country is facing), nothing will come of it. Nothing.
Congress needs to take a hint, or several, and start focusing on the real issues. How about we focus on getting our soldiers out of Iraq and Afghanistan. How about we focus on our fledgeling healthcare system, or the incredibly high gas prices. These are the issues that Congress needs to take a look at. Not sports.
If they were private businesses, Congress wouldn't get involved. They are monopolies. Congress is in charge of oversight. Otherwise there would have to be multiple professional leagues for each sport.
We need a national sports czar. Sports mimics society at large. We see so much corruption around that we have become desensitized to it. So when it occurs in sports we think it's just part of life in general. But it's not.
Personally, I have lost faith in the integrity of the games. Crooked referees, professional athletes injecting and ingesting themselves with performance enhancing drugs, felons in professional sports; so who cares if the Pats cheated? They fit in with the sports culture of our times.
What we need is a national sports czar; one, who will restore integrity in sports. Baseball appointed Judge Landis after the "Black Sox" scandal and he quickly suspended 8 players for "life". This included "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, who despite playing great baseball was suspended. As Landis noted, even a player who gives his best but has knowledge of bribes and games being thrown but who does not come forward to reveal it is guilty. Landis cleaned up the sport and retored its integrity. Now it's time for Congress to take the bull by the horns and appoint a national sports czar who will do the same.
I don't neccesarily have a problem with Congress/Goverment getting involved in sports. Sports is a multi Billion dollar industry. And if nobody watches over it, they can do as they please. This ultimately would compromise the integrity of sports as what we all know what it truely is in this day an age: A Business.
Ultimately, its the effectiveness that Congress has had on the current problems in sports. They have tied up a lot of time and money, and have yielded very little positive results. That is the key issue.
The reason congress feels the right to stick its nose into the NFL is because the NFL was granted a sort of anti-trust immunity. Not too unlike a mother-in-law that wants to buy the newlyweds a new sofa but feels the right to pick the color.
Listen, this country currently has way too many problems to be concerned with than to have congress or the federal government sticking their busy noses in about current things in sports. Yeah, I know that steroids is a problem but it's not costing me $3.98 a gallon at my local gas station. I could care less if some football team video taped another team's defensive signals in a game, it has no affect on why my health care costs are eating away at my paycheck each week. I don't need congress to find a way to make a college football playoff system more fair, I would rather have them find a way to bring the troops home safely. You read too much into this big business thing all of the time. America was founded on free enterprise, let Capitalism work through its own problems. Government for the people and by the peole, not for their own entertainemnt. Sen. Spector needs to work on improving the current job markets and gas prices, not "SPYGATE".
Congress should stick to the real problems at hand and leave the sports world to the greedy owners, agents, and players. The players have a union to protect them and the owners can stick it to the fans with higher ticket prices. Lets keep Congress working on real issues and not Sports business.
Last edited by gilborocks on May 14th at 10:02 AM.
Thanks Glad2BeAPatsFan. I am so sick of watching ESPN to see sports scores and having to listen to Spector or some other congressman talk about something that doesn't really matter to this country.
Last edited by gilborocks on May 14th at 10:05 AM.
Yeah, I think they need to regulate steroids and punish those who used them while playing professional sports, but I am more concerned with the dam local gas station posting 87 octane gasoline at 4.00 a gallon tomorrow. I am also more concerned that one of my nephews might get shot while on a tour of duty in Iraq. Congress needs to focus its efforts on the things that matter most, and not spend time on things that are so trivial in the big picture of things.
Last edited by gilborocks on May 14th at 10:09 AM.
WOW, thats an original idea....and who would help out in the event of a natural disaster and who would help repair the roads ( ok so they still suck at that) and who would make sure drugs were safe for consumption....getting rid of the government is way over simplified.....
Last edited by gilborocks on May 14th at 10:23 AM.
Have you ever wondered why the NFL won't just give up it's anti - trust exemption the federal goverment gives it? Having that exemption gives the goverment the right to stick it's nose in any time it wants to on anything it see's fit to investigate including the Patriots cheating and it was cheating folks pure and simple. Could it be that with out that exemption the NFL would lose revenue, face compitition and lose it's right to exclusively deal with TV networks....Hmmm follow the money after all this exemption has been pulling dollars out of fans pockets for years now. I say give them hell Arlen and why your at it get rid of the anti trust exemption.
Last edited by BlueandGold on May 14th at 10:27 AM.
MUDropOut
Being as how Congress has vested interest in sports that it enables them to operate the way that they do at their largesse. They'd want to get involved and foul things up even further.
If the powers that be within the various hierarchies of sports act all oblivious to the very issues > Who else is going to deal with the matter ? Hell they've pis*sed away any gooddwill they have amongst the fans and public general anyway ! So what else ought to be done ?
Nut jobs like Specter and Selig spineless morons !
Pork barrel spending in Congress has its merits......so says Sen Arlen Specter (R-Pa)
And it doesn't matter what side of the political aisle you're on they're all buffoons !
rampant' aka tophatal ........
Last edited by rampantfanatic on May 14th at 11:28 AM.
If the government is so worried about corruption, why don't they start with themselves. That should keep them busy for the unforseeable future. I think it is safe to say, that with all of the embarrassment the Patriots have suffered, that no other teamsn will be thinking about videotaping, so the issue has resolved itself, even if Spector is not happy about how it was investigated. I don't really care if he has the right to investigate it, as an american, it makes me crazy that he would spent one second on something like this, when this country has so many other pressing issues.
about time this was brought up. our goverment has way more important things to worry about . honestly i dont care if an athlete is on steriods, they get millions of dollars for their service,and if they wanna ruin their health then so be it. i want to see a 8 sec 100 yard dash, and taking steriods dose not make u hit any better, leave barry alone u jerks!!!
I am amazed at the endless blather, coming from people willing to spew forth drivle, about any topic. Who have no idea about the subjects on which they opine.
Congress is doing its job!
Political, racist, hater, mo'ron chat is down the street boys.
Try MSN chat, but I think you need to be 13 years of age to get in.
Stemics, perhaps I should clear something up. Congress, at least from a business standpoint, is trying to make it look like they're doing its job. But as cgrest pointed out, they are failing at it. I honestly would not have a problem with Congress getting involved if they were actually getting something done.....and if there weren't more pressing matters (which there most definitely are). The Mitchell Report was useless. The investigation into the New England Patriots accomplished nothing. And now Congress is looking into the BCS and will accomplish nothing.
Rather than look at sports, which I concede is large business and therefore within the realm of Congress' wraith, Congress should take a look at not only the points that I brought up (Armed forces, Healthcare, price of gas), but also look at the poverty rate in this country, or maybe the outrageous price of putting someone through college, or the pathetic housing market, etc.
There are many more important topics to focus on than sports.
I would just like to say, for as long as it took Congress to get involved in the steriods problem in baseball, they didn't get much done.
Also, perhaps they should work on tackling the more important issues BEFORE worring about who did or didn't take what...
Maybe we could figure out how to pay for the much needed textbooks in schools or what to do about healthcare or how to fix the huge forclosure problem sweeping this country.
Perhaps after they've finished all their chores, they could move on to fixing the problems with the entertainment portion of our lives...
I think Congress should remove ALL protections for professional sports (anti-trust exemptions, no requirement for exemption from worker's comp or fair pay lawsuits), make them fight it out in court and see how happy people are. I am sick of crooked owners/ oil companies and congress screwing up EVERYTHING in this country
They should worry about the economy and look into all the crooks that have anything to do with the price of fuel in this country. This country is in the worst shape its ever been in and they worry abot steroids and some team taping games. DO YOUR DAM JOB
Wrong...professional sports are NOT run the same way most private business are. As long as pro sports enjoy anti-trust exemption, tax breaks and public funding for new facilities the government should be involved.
Don't give me the lame "there are more important issues" argument.
The problem is not that the government is involved, it is their behavior during these hearings that is the issue. Investigating the use of steroids is a valid undertaking. But the ones leading the investigation made fools of themselves during the hearings. The Clemens hearing was a joke the way our elected officals kept fawning over him and refusing to believe that he lied. The entire Spygate thing is a non-issue. What law was broken by filming another team's practice?
I agree with people who suggest a National Sports Czar to oversee both professional and college sports.
If we consider driving our cars a sport...the gov. should give us incentives to buy the "Smart Car" or alternative fuel cars..but NOOOOO....they allow the sleezebag car dealers to try to sell high interest rate auto-loans to young kids and rich people....
It is not lame to suggest that the government spend OUR tax dollars on more important issues. When americans are hurting, they really do not want to hear that politicians are spending time on investigating the breaking of a "league rule" Investigating steriods was stupid, but at least that was the breaking of a law. But even still, they want to put people in jail for doing steroids while the president pardons real criminals. Yeah, I can not wait to see who gets the "get out of jail free" card when Bush leaves office. Our government #### sucks!!!!
There is so much more important stuff going on in this country and our representatives in washington are concerning themselves with investigations into sports scandals? I wonder why? Could it be that these motherf***ers have something to gain? People please be careful who you elect to represent the people with your best interest at hand. Come on! An investigation into spygate? You have got to be kidding me!
Be careful to assume that the Congressional sub-committees think faults in sports are the biggest issues in the country. That is clearly, and obviously, not true. There are quite possibly hundreds of sub-committees, and each of them address various problems ranging from homelessness, to drug abuse, to global warming, to mental health issues in the military, to private businesses, which includes sports. They are paid to fix problems that the public has. They are just doing their job.
You want Socialism? Here it comes. Government telling you how to run your business. This is how it starts. They will control everything if you let them.
If the billionaire owners will give back their anti-trust exemptions, pay their fair share of taxes and stop asking the American Public to pay for their stadiums I will agree that Congress should leave them alone.
Of course when they do something you don't like you will be asking "why doesn't the government do something"?
I hope congress fixes football. They are the right people for the job. I mean look at the great job they have done with public schools, streets, welfare, the tax system, the energy grid, airlines, health care, the war on terror, homeland security...........
If congress is going to try to make the game fair lets start by making a real salary cap in MLB. Second maybe some college football changes. End of season tournament like every other sport with more than two team leagues.
amen gilblocks i'm deeply touched that certain politicians are so concerned about the issues in professional sports that they can feel free to blow off all of the trivial problems in America like health care costs, gas gouging by the big oil companies, the thousands of our soldiers who have died over seas and numerous other problems on this icberg of troubles that we're heading for. so please mr. congressman feel free, i won't complain anymore about the $4.00 a gallon for gas, or the antibiotics that my children need when they get sick, that i can't afford to get. but i'll sleep better tonight knowing that those pesty patriots won't be video taping anymore other teams practices. (you freaking jerk wads)
Any dolt can complain about everything, that is the new intellectualism. You dont really need to know anything or have any regard for the truth, or do anything to be part of the solutions. Just bit chbit chbit ch.
Two things, not a fan of government in business but we all know sports can't babysit themselves with any serious measure and second, if they're into sports, then at least they're doing something - finally!!!!
Every day, dozens of comittees and sub-comittees hold meetings. ESPN and Fox discuss the meetings if and when they are germane to sports. This isn't THE only thing the government did today.
are you people crazy??????FIRST OF ALL, THIS SPYGATE ISSUE IS NOT OVER AND IT WILL NEVER BE OVER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PATRIOTS FANS AND OTHER WANNA BE'S WANT IT TO BE, ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, MY FAN CLUB AND OTHERS WILL DO MY BEST TO NOT LET IT DIE. THE PATS CHEATED, (NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT) THE DETAILS WILL COME OUT FULLY(CHEATING QUE--) OH, IM SORRY FOOTBALL NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS PEOPLE, BUT YOU KNOW AS WELL AS ANYONE , YOUR FOOTBALL TEAM HAD TO CHEAT TO GET WHAT YOU GOT
The congressional hearings and attempted prosecutions of ballplayers is nothing but a “Red herring” to divert attention away from more important issues, in which just shows how incompetent this government really is. They should get back to what they are supposed to do, like maybe read the Constitution and learn what their real job entails instead of worrying if ballplayers are juiced and tell the truth, or have we forgot about the immoral conduct of certain politicians.
Thomas Jefferson (he was a smart dude) quote: Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law', because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.
Otherwise it is sports that should be setting the standards of the conduct of there players, not government. After all it was government that determined that it is “ok”to destroy life before the child is born, thus, government should get out and let the private sector set things right, that is a business decision that they should make and not government.
AMEN.
Congress is paid to run our Government. Sports are private enterprises that have no ties to our National Debt, the war, inflation, gas prices, housing, immigration etc...etc....etc.... They should apply themselves to our needs and stick to what they are paid to do. Should we have the NBA, NFL, and MLB look into all of their misdeeds?
I am extremely happy to know that the U.S. Congress has solved all the major problems in the United States. There can be no other reason they would get involved on sports unless they had nothing else to do. The only upside I can see to them getting involved, is this will keep them from finding new ways to tax us, over regulate us and destroy our freedoms.
