Me and my friends were having a discussion about which athlete we would like to trade lives with. Who do you guys think has the best life?
My top two are Tony Romo and Tony Parker. Tony Parker makes a strong case for himself because he is a key player on the defending NBA Champions and is married to Eva Longoria.
I think I lean towars Tony Romo because he is the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Football is America's favorite sport and quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is about as big as it gets. Tony is the quarterback of America's team, in a relationship with Jessica Simpson, and attempting to qualify for the U.S Open. Not a bad life in my opinion.
Commisioner Bud Selig decided not to punish Jason Giambi for his use of steroids. He said that Giambi cooperated with baseball's investigation into steroids and is doing community service and will not recieve further punishment. While some think that this sets a bad precendent for baseball because they think people will just admit to steroids and do community serivce to get off the hook. I on the other hand think that this is a great move for MLB and here's why.
What Giambi did prior to steroid testing in baseball is somewhat irrelevant at this point in time. Going back and suspending him for what happened will not get baseball any closer to unraveling this mystery. By not punishing Giambi it encourages others to come forward and talk about what went on and what goes on. If Giambi had been punished noone would want to say anything for fear of suspension. Seeing that this precendent has been set others may want to talk to baseball officials and help the situation.
Although it is highly unlikely that players will be flocking to the commisioner to talk about thier use of steroids and what they may have seen, Giambi's actions along with Bud Selig's can only help the game.
As we have all heard by now NBA referee Tim Donaghy has pleaded guilty to two felony charges in the NBA betting scandal. However, I am not going to talk about the NBA because we have all heard this story and it is geting old along with Bonds and Vick. Although this may have been a basketball related issue, this news did not only effect the NBA.
As a result of the NBA scandal MLB decided it needed to do something about its umpires to make sure games were fair. Major League Baseball wants to do background checks but the umpires union called this a, "misguided witch hunt."
Baseball has not investigated umpires durig the last 30 years because they feel thier guys are of the highest ethical standing. However, we can no longer be positive.
These umpires say that plan on maintaining the integrity and honor of thier sport, yet they won't consent to background checks. Why not? If they truly are men of the highest ethical standing what are they hiding? Are the afraid that Bud Selig will find something?
Umpires should be required to submit to background checks. The trust system in sports was only good for so long and it has reached its limit. When we have referees betting on thier own games in professional sports we have a problem.
Something needs to be done. Just because there has not been a umpiring scandal before, does not mean that it doesn't happen. We saw how easily Donaghy beat the system as he bet on games for at least two seasons. If someone was able to possibly rig games for two seasons there needs to be a system in place.
If they truly care about the integrity of the game Major League Baseball Umpires should BLEEP thier pride and allow a background check. If they are honestly of the highest ethical standards they should not be worried as they know nothing will be found.
If they are truly innocent a search can do nothing, but help umpires. A negative search will confirm to everyone that has doubt that baseball is clean and the umpires are legitimate.
By refusing to search the umpires are raising even more questions, as they make it appear as if there is something to hide.
As he has finally passed Hank Aaron lets put the Barry Bonds soap opera behind us and let the legal matters involving steroids and perjury, play themselves out. We can sit and wait on those results, but put him in the past for now as I am tired of talking and hearing about Bonds, steroids, and home runs. While we were focusing on the many negatives this year in baseball there have been just as many great stories that we may have missed while following Bonds. Although there have been many more I only have time to write about three; Rick Ankiel, Jack Cust, and Jon Lester.
Rick Ankiel was a second round pick for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1997. The flame throwing-lefty cruised through the minor leagues and made his major league debut in 2000 at the age of 20. He won 11 games pitched 175 innings and had 194 strikeouts and posted a 4.64 era. However, in the first game of the playoffs he set a major league record throwing 9 wild pitches in just 4 innings. He began the 2001 season right where he left off in the playoffs. In 34 innings he walked 26, hit 5 batters, and threw 6 wild pitches. He was nowhere near consistent and it appeared as if the young superstar’s career was slipping away as he missed 2002 and most of the next two seasons with arm injuries.
Cardinals General Manager Walt Jocketty suggested that Rick try to become an outfielder. Rick worked on his game and hit .274 with 30 home runs this season in the minor leagues. Last week the Cardinals called up Rick and the newfound slugger hit a home run in his first game back. After 3 games he is hitting .417 with 3 home runs and 6 rbi's.
Jon Lester is a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. On August 27th of 2006 he missed his start against the Athletics with a sore back and was placed on the disabled list. He was sent back to Boston to see doctors and further testing. On September 1st, doctors confirmed that Lester had a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma or more simply put he had cancer. The cancer was treatable and Lester started the 2007 season in single A. In late April he was already promoted to AAA. ON July 23 he was called up and made his first start since being diagnosed with cancer. He pitched 6 innings and gave up 2 runs while picking up the win.
Jack Cust was a career minor league baseball player. He has bounced around throughout many organizations before landing in Oakland. He is the definition of Billy Beane’s “Moneyball.” Jack hits for power, but shows discipline and takes his walks. Although having over 200 career home runs in the minors Jack was never able to make the adjustment to the big leagues as he never played in more than 35 games and never hit more than 4 homers.
After a career of ups and downs it looks as if Jack has finally found a home in Oakland. Since being called up earlier in the year he has played in 79 games. He is hitting .265, but has an on base percentage of .402. He has 18 home runs and 59 rbi’s.
In an era of baseball that has been so heavily tainted with the use of performance enhancing drugs, it is an unfortunate truth that we need to be skeptical of everyone and not only the superstars.
Many people have said that although Bonds' record is more than likely tarnished it does not matter because A-Rod will break that record soon enough. Although I believe that he is clean and I hope he is because I want him to hold the record, how do we know that Alex isn't juicing?
Jose Canseco recently said that in his upcoming book he has information regarding Alex Rodriguez. Although we do not know the extent of this information we have to be weary of our opinions on A-Rod. Many people are dismissing this statement because they don't trust Canseco. However, in his first book "Juiced" Canseco was right about the steroids that were used by Giambi, Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and others. He has been right before and it is possible to believe he will be right again.
It has been said that possibly as many as 85 percent of players are using or have used steroids. Although this may be an exaggeration it shows that many players are cheating the game. It saddens me to say that we must question all records, milestones, and breakout seasons that occur during this era.
Baseball's steroid testing policy is easily beaten and baseball records will continue to lose credibility until this is solved. Baseball needs to begin testing for human growth hormone (HGH) or else it will continue to be shadowed by steroids.
The passing of the torch from Hank Aaron to Barry Bonds was supposed to be celebrated and respected. Instead we got a night full of controversy and although everyone is talking about the new career home run leader, we are also talking about the shadows under which that record was broken. A night that was supposed to be truly historic and memorable will be memorable, but for entirely different reasons than planned. It will be remembered as the tainted record, the crown achievement in the steroid era.
Everything about last night seemed staged or even fake, from Hank Aaron’s message, to Bud Selig’s phone call to Bonds, and even the record itself based upon the numerous allegations.
Although I never felt that Bud Selig had to be there for the record I was disappointed that once he committed he gave up. I feel as if it is his personal choice to go or no to go and that he was not obligated to go just because he is the commissioner. The commissioner was not in attendance when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s all time record. I respect Bud for going to the games he did attend for the sake of Bonds and the public, but I feel as if once he started attending games he should have gone to all of them. He needed to continue what he started and complete his “Herculean effort.” I do not understand going to some, but not all of the games. Yes it is a lot of travel, but then again he traveling first class on private jets and watching baseball from luxury suites. That sounds pretty good to me. I am glad that Selig at least acknowledged Bonds by giving him the phone call afterwards. We all know Selig was torn between Bonds and Aaron, but he did at least make an effort even though it was weak.
Although it was a class act and it was necessary for him to withhold his legacy and avoid public scrutiny I did not like the video message from Hank Aaron. Yes, it was a nice touch and added a lot to an already remarkable moment. However, I have heard that Selig forced Aaron to record this message and Hank was against it, but went forward with it anyway. This is the part I have a problem with. Hank Aaron should not be forced to do anything that he does not want to do. The message was not heartfelt, but it was necessary. Aaron has said that he does not respect the way in which this record was broken and he is entitled to his opinion. It was good to see that he was able to BLEEP his pride for long enough to record the message, but I do not really see the point in saying something that is not meant, especially when Aaron has someone write the message for him. Hank just read a prepared statement in order to make everyone happy and in a way I guess it worked. I just feel that doing it in this way took away most of the meaning from the statement.
The record itself will always be debated, or at least until it is broken (hopefully A-Rod). Although Bonds was a great player before steroids and still possibly would have hit around 600 home runs you can not ignore the facts. Performance enhancing drugs were taken by Bonds and there should be something to reflect that in the history books. I understand that he is technically innocent until proven guilty. But we all know that he did take steroids and he is just able to get away with it for now.
You can also take the approach that Bonds was not the only one taking steroids. Okay somewhat valid point, but if you do not put an asterisk next to this record just because the pitchers were juicing too you take away from what Hank Aaron accomplished during his career. 756 and 756* are so vastly different. Without that asterisk it appears as if Barry Bonds honestly and legitimately passed Henry Aaron.
There will always be those who are ignorant enough to say there should not be an asterisk because Bonds has not been proven of anything. While the majority of us want an asterisk for the good of baseball and the legacy and the legend that is Hank Aaron, baseball’s home run king.
In terms of numbers yes, as far as baseball stature and lure it is not even close. Although he will finish his career with more home runs than Hank, Bonds will not be remembered and revered in nearly the same way as Aaron. Regardless of who hit more long balls in their day Hank Aaron is still Major League Baseball's Home Run King.
Society tends to look for the negative aspect in the majority of things we do and it is very easy to find a little bit of negative in everything. Maybe someone has a good fastball, but no change-up. Maybe they were a home-run hitter, but were fat and drank to much (Babe Ruth). Or maybe they are a good hitter, but they used steroids.
When people think of Barry Bonds and his 755 home runs we reflect on the steroids, the selfishness, and the egotistical jerk who loves to blame stuff on others and hates the media. This is remarkably different from the way people view Hank Aaron's achievement. Aaron is highly respected and his record will never be tarnished the way Bonds' is.
While Bonds has to deal with the pressure of being arguably one of the most hated men in sports. It is nothing compared to the death threats and racial remarks that Aaron dealt with.
As Bonds will be remembered as the poster boy of baseball steroid era, Aaron will continue to be remembered as the true Home Run King.
One final thought further supporting the legacy of Hank Aaron is that every year Major league baseball hands out the Hank Aaron Award to the top hitter in each league. I can not imagine that there will be a Barry Bonds Award ever.
