“Sports” is all about the rules.I remember as a child when we would go across to the ball park and play a game, you first had to establish the house rules.Without rules it would be chaos, but as long as there has been a competition athletes have been trying to skirt the rules in order to gain an edge.Is this right?Of course not, but it is a natural part of the game.Scuffing balls by pitchers, using corked bats, steroids, and who knows what else maybe illegal in the near future.Where is the line drawn between enhancement of performance and what is cheating.We all know about the steroids which are banned, although many still consider the fact that they were not banned until 2003 and were not even tested for until 2004 irrelevant, I am going to focus on external enhancements in this post.
There is a player by the name of Brian Roberts who up until last year had a career .255 average.He had hit as low as .227 and as high as .273 and then last year he magically jumped to .314.What was the secret to his hitting success?Roberts is one of the first to use a new type of contact lens designed by Bausch and Lomb and marketed by Nike to aid a batter by helping him to see the seams on a fastball sooner.(Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Timlin, and Danny Almonte also used them.) The lenses are red and when on your eyes make you look a bit like a demon, but they filter out certain shades to allow you to see the seams on a fastball. The idea is that if a batter can pick up the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand he will be able to follow it sooner and react to it more quickly than he otherwise would be able to do.Does it work?Well of the players who used them, they all agree they can see the ball sooner and they had improved batting averages.These lenses are not only for baseball players but Bausch and Lomb are making them for golfers too so that they can read greens better.Justin Leonard says he can now see every blade of grass on the greens.Is this a fair enhancement for batters?What if these are outlawed in the near future?Would that mean you have to throw out Brian Roberts accomplishments from the record books?Would his stats be tainted?Where do we draw the line on personal enhancement tools? Are nightvision goggles soon to be allowed.?
How about batting armor?I have to say that I think all the padding that players are allowed to wear gives these batters a mental edge when they step up into the plate.The old school pitchers would throw in very close to move batters off the plate.This was their defense.Today with the array of pads some batters choose to wear, i.e. Barry Bonds, pitchers have lost that advantage.This brings me to another point, the mental advantage!
A large part of any game is mental.Many physicists have written papers to prove a corked bat does very little to enhance the swing speed of a bat.So how does it help?The consensus is that it gives them a boost in confidence while they are at the plate.Confidence can do strange things to a player.When I was in HS and I was confident, I could drain long range basket after long range basket, (There was no three point line when I played and I am still bitter about that!)PGA golfers who have confidence say the cup looks like a huge hole in the ground when they putt.So how does this apply to enhancements?What about the sports psychologists that many pitchers bring to the games to help them perform?You say you don’t believe that is relevant.Ask the players that employ these guys. Players are by and large a very superstitious lot.They go through the same routines before games, wear hats that have not been washed in years and even dirty socks that are lucky.The mind is a powerful tool and learning to harness its positive vibes gives players an advantage.
Lastly, I can not end this post without mentioning my personal favorite, cortisone shots. Cortisone is a steroid that is derived from cortisol which is produced in the adrenal glands during moments of high stress. It aids in the healing process and is used in pain injections for athletes. Who can forget Curt Schillings performance during the World Series? There is no way he could pitch without a performance enhancing shot into his ankle. Should this be legal? In my book it is a performance enhancing injection and should not be allowed.
Just some thoughts about where is the line drawn.We all know about the lines in taking banned substances, although new substances are added all the time as we develop new enhancements.I still think Raffy tested positive because of all the Viagra in his system, and rumor has it that it did help his BAT.
Great point and I wondered the same thing many times myself as Roberts was ripping it up last year. It really isn't natural but is it cheating? It certainly gives him an unfair advantage compared to hitters who don't have the lenses. As long as it's legal you can expect other guys to go out and get a pair. Also, as you alluded, the mental edge can never be dismissed. Success in sports is greatly affected by confidence.
Very interesting about the contacts. I'd like to try on a pair for a day just to freak people out. Do you consider lasik surgery cheating since, like the contacts, it helps people see better? As for cortisone injections, cortisone is found in poison ivy creams, etc, so players could probably claim they had a rash if testing were conducted. Either way, it's nothing but a temporary anti-inflamatory agent (like ice packs and ibuprofen- though I will grant you it is much stronger). Believe me, it's nothing you would want to put in your body for an extended period of time- unless you like losing muscle tissue. The difference between cortisol and say, dianabol, is that dianabol is an anabolic (builds muscle) steroid, while the other is catabolic (destroys muscle). I think that's why the powers that be don't put it on the banned substances list. But llike you said, where do you draw the line?
This is my third time commenting on your blog today. Nice, thought provoking posts this weekend!
P.S. funny comment about Palmeiro and Viagra!
Last edited by The_Sports_Intellectual on February 26th at 1:10 PM.
Thanks for the comments SI and no I have no problem with Lasiks, I have had it done but Maxsight is not the same thing. It not only corrects vision as normal contacts do, but it has special filters built in to help with seeing specific tasks such as hitting and putting.
As to anabolic vs catabolic I am aware of the differences, but the point is without the cortisol shots the player could not perform, hence performance enhancing.
Last edited by socalsportsfan on February 26th at 1:18 PM.
Interesting blog my friend.First i'll comment on the armor. Unfortunately, baseball has allowed the proliferation of these products to protect the batter.And once a batter has used the product and sees he cannot be hurt-i agree he has an unfair advantage.I was hit on the elbow with a fastball and i still got a tweak when i touched the area 2 years later-of course we had no such inhancements-much like the 3 point line,armor didn't exist in those days.As a sidebar i will be 54 in July and am still playing competitive hardball in a north jersey league.
The first batting protection was the helmet and a very worthy product,first worn by the pirates in 1953,as many a ballplayer has been the beneficiary of this type of protection.
Unfortunately Tony conigliaro's career was cut short because the ball failed to hit the helmet, causing him severe injury and double vision.I think shortly after the ear flap was developed which enhanced cranial protection.If i am not mistaken the athletic support cup was around longer than the helmet but was used as part of the tools of ignorance only -besides not too many players were hit in the nuts.Then came the shin guard which offered protection to the batters lower leg and the planter surface of the foot.If you ever fouled a ball off your foot you understand why players wear this device.Batting gloves were the next rage and at first they were used for batting practice to reduce te sting and blisters-then somebody said hey why not wear them in a game--i have no date but i recall that batting gloves were not available in the 60's or 70's-so
So then came elbow armor-when a player was allowed to go to the plate with that on-the first i remember was Mo Vaughen--well he then owned the inside part of home plate and pitchers were at a disadvantage.When you can't be hurt you show no fear--expecting the pitches will be at the level of the strike zone since head hunting and chin music all but disappeared from MLB.I suggest that a player be allowed to wear elbow armor for a period of 45 days from the last at bat where he had to be removed from the game for being plunked on the arm.This way the armor is there to accelerate healing and not give the batter cart blanche to cover the inside part of the plate.
Next i will address the steroid issue--to be continued
Maybe there is a physician blogger out there who can better explain--cortisone is a glucocorticoid
this is a type of steroid however it has a specific use.Glucocorticoids have potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. This is particularly evident when they administered at pharmacologic doses, but also is
important in normal immune responses. As a consequence, glucocorticoids are widely used as drugs to treat inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.Translated when administered by a physician usually in a joint area-such as a shoulder ,knee or wrist--it acts as an anti inflammatory--allowing a player to play through discomfort.
Then there are the anabolic steroids.Human-made substances related to male sex hormones. Abuse of anabolic steroids can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure,tumors,
shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness,heart attacks,cancer,fluid retention in joints and acne.
As i said earlier they are laboratory derived -namely chemical substitues for testosterone the male hormone. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones.
“Anabolic” refers to muscle-building, and “androgenic” refers to increased masculine characteristics. “Steroids” refers to the class of drugs. These drugs are available legally only by prescription, to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence.So here's the crux of the problem---athetes obtain the drugs illegal
athetes obtain the drugs illegally and self administer their doses.They see some immediate
results and then futher abuse them thinking more is better.These steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred to as “cycling”), rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as “stacking”). there is no control and no medical
professional prescribing dosage or duration which can prove fatal to the athlete- Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur.So ultimately the steroids are obtained and administered illegally.That being said the only place to draw the line is NO SUSPENSIONS-OUTRIGHT BAN THE ATHLETE IF HE HAS STEROIDS IN HIM OR ON HIM.THERE WILL BE 3 MAYBE 5 or more sacrificial lambs but eventually
the rest will come around--they won't want to risk such obscene paydays by using non prescribed substances. Additionally these illegal steroids aren't usually made by the drug companies--its someones basement laboratory,further adding to the instability of the product.
Lastly,as for those contacts,since they are legal i'd run right out and be fitted for 5 sets an
Just re-reading your blog--and Raffy was a spokesperson for Viagra because he took steroids---i don't know any of my friends--mid fifties to forty that need the help of the little blue pill.Know why--they didn't take steroids--steroids are known to shrink the testicles and cause impotence--well viagra would be the perfect fit.
i see it now
"This is my BAT~~ this is my BAT on viagra"~~any Questions?
and is he still a pitchman-i think he was dropped like!~~~for want of a better expression "A HOT TAMALE" i never understood why he would come out about that except for big bucks--who wants to tell the world that your noodle don't work.
BASEBALL STRANGE GAME--MAN WALKS WITH 4 BALLS```in closing--Do you know how to make a hormone?--take away her credit cards.!!!
the only place to draw the line is NO SUSPENSIONS-OUTRIGHT BAN THE ATHLETE IF HE HAS STEROIDS IN HIM OR ON HIM
You're either going to have to draw a plethora of lines, mostly crossing over each other, or not draw a line at all and have an actual level playing field by allowing the athletes the choice of putting such substances in their body.
If you outlaw it, some athletes are still going to find a way to not just use them, but to mask them as well, keeping up with all the latest testing. If you don't outlaw it, everyone has the choice of whether to use them or not, and if a player chooses not to, that's of his doing.
If you outlaw steroids, you have to outlaw anything else that is performance enhancing: body armor, coffee, OTC drugs, protein shakes, weight rooms, scouting reports, etc. That's what I mean when you say "draw the line:" you can't just draw one straight line without becoming a hypocrite.
socal--i got my stats from the same place you got yours-goes to show you how 2 people can read the same article and take away different things.
I didn't see bafongu's blog but these aren't correct facts.First Yankee stadium did not open until 1923 and the left field line was 281-granted it jutted out to the 390's and left center was 460--the original centerfield was 490 then reduced to a still outrageous 461--thats when the monuments were still in play.Right field wasn't chopped liver either it was 295 down the line but right center was a reachable 429 again center was 490 then reduced to 461. revisit that yankee url---the stadium was built in 1922 and opened april 1923--it clearly states the leftfield line is 281 then it eventualy becomes 395---.
The Orioles need as many performance enhancers as they can get. I feel that contacts should be allowed because they have no negative effect on the body and it wouldn't be a problem if kids used them. I think that should be the standard: if some high school kid copied this, would he be okay? Steroids, batting armor--yes, steroids--clearly no. Cortizone? I don't know enough to say for sure, but if you're hurt enough to need it, especially at the high school level, you should probably just sit down and cheer for your teammates.
TSI, icinu: Thank you for stating the facts on not only Cortizone but normal differences b/w anabolic and acatabolic steroids. Some here commenting do not understand the difference and the ways in which they behave in the body. Cortizone like TSI said is used to decrease inflammation or pain, it does not increase muscle mass, but actually if used to often, it destroys all tissue in the region being used. At no one time by getting a Cortizone shot does the athlete have an ability greater than he ever would if he was perfectly healthy. What I mean by that is every player has a peak performance and a low performance. That is that individuals noraml physiological and physical range. Cortizone will not move that peak performance up over that high limit, b/c it does not have the same effects as say winstrol etc.
You can draw a very simple line right down the center and say if it is illegal Federally, than it is illegal in th MLB. Like icizu said these guys are obtaining this stuff South of the border or in secret labs, like Balco. The problem is you have managers, owners, and MLB heads, that want these guys to play b/c it brings in the money. That is why it is so hard to just draw a line, even though it would be pretty simple if all 3 of those types of people would look out for the best interest of their players health and their future players health. The padding is really not an issue b/c having all that padding does not make a hitter turn faster on an inside pitch, if anything it will take a millionith of a sec off his bat speed, due to the extra weight, which is very small also.
Balco was never a secret lab. That is the reason they were scrutinized. They have been helping Olympic athletes for a long time. As to whether or not cortisol can help you play above your normal limits, I disagree. Your body produces cortisol in stressful situations to help you cope, so when you are given extra cortisol it helps you even more than the normal amt your body produces. Anyway, I am well aware of anabolic vs catabolic and the point is both can be illegal and both can be given with prescriptions from an MD. Testosterone is given to men who are older and their levels are below normal much the same way women are given estrogen in menopause. Testosterone is banned as well, but that does not mean it has disastrous results. If you ever watched the old episode of Coach, when Hayden Fox got the testosterone patch it was the funniest ever.
It's pretty simple, if it is illegal then test for it. The contacts and the batting armor are good for the game in my eyes. As for the cortisone, look at it this way. If these players are willing to put thier physical health at risk and they have a doctor thier to okay it. Let them do it, it'll just cut their career short as they grow old due to the abuse on their bodies. So really it should be up to them when it comes too the cortisone.
Great piece of writing socal.
By the way socal, GOT is riding pretty in purple. You gotta face it.
Nice post Socal. This is such a gray area, I honestly wonder what type of resolution can be found.
There are so many ways to "cheat the system" now that I don't think professional sports can keep up. Back inthe day, sports were sports and the men playing them used their God given talents. The biggest issue in baseball was the spitball. That was easily outlawed. Then came vasoline under the brim of the cap, then cork, then steroids, now pharmaceutical companies are getting into the act through not only cortizone, but contact lenses.
Personally, I feel for the fan. How will we ever know who is playing on the level? We can see the armor Bonds and Biggio wear - I agree on the mental edge - huge.
This is a very thought provoking piece. I could go on and on... But I won't take up any more space. Great debate post Socal, well thought out, backed and presented.
Cortezone should be illegal. it enhances your performance by allowing you to play when you shouldnt. A twisted ankle, a swollen knee, a sore shoulder - those thing should keep you out of the game. The shot, for a few hours, allows you to circumvent a natural part of sports: INJURY. You take a shot that allows you to ignor pain and hit a homer when you shouldnt be able to. I take a shot that allows me to bulk up and hit a homer when i shouldnt be able to. if the shot didnt enhance performance - no one would take it. its the same with lasik. people are mad at Bonds, but you cant grandfather him on the steroids issue. what he took was legal at the time. We've lost the moral high ground here. Everyone tries to beat the system. And while it might be morally questionable - its not illegal.
Sports Illustrated June 2,2002, has an in depth article on steroids, feature guy is Caminiti, who in it says he doesnot regret taking them, he is dead now. They talk about the advantages of using steroids throughly. You cannot justify using steroids b/c someone will just try and beat the system. That is no way a well thought out answer. Again Cortizone does not increase muscle mass in any way here. It is a pain, inflammation inhibitor, not an enhancer. Huge difference. You can say that it is an enhancer but that is the wrong definition of what an enhancer is. Cortizone destroys tissue if used to often. So how can it enhance muscle mass? How does it increase strength? How does it increase power? It doesnot do any of these, so it cannot be put under the same category. It may let a player play in a game injured, but that player is not going to operate beyond his normal capability. He will still be within his normal operating range.
my point is that he shouldnt be in the game at all if he's injured. Injury is a natuarl part of sports and the shot allows someone to circumvent it. maybe not by increasing muscle mass, but definately by increasing performance. It allows someone with a twisted ankle to run when - without the shot- they wouldnt have no chance of running. thats an enhancement on their playing ability at the time. without Andro, big Mac doesnt go yard 70 times. without The Shot, Shilling sits, and Boston never gets a ring. it may not enhance muscle mass, but it definately enhances performance.
Last edited by DaVaal on February 27th at 7:58 AM.
Again, it will not increase performance, he still has the injury, which if severe enough, will not matter b/c he wont be able to play anyways. You are under the assumption that all injuries can be cured by using Cortizone. So does Apirin or Advil increase performance to? No b/c it will not elevate the performance of the player beyond his normal capabilities. To say all these things are "enhancers" is not the correct definition, b/c then you have to lump everything into that category and that is not right. Cortizone and I will defend it to the death, is not considered an enhancer by any means b/c it will not do what actual enhancers are capable of. People are lumping pain meds in with enhancers which do not enhance anything beyond the norms. I think I will do a topic on Cortizone and then compare it to real enhancers so that this myth can be laid to rest once and for all.
LSU you are wrong on this one. Cortisol can help you do things you would not normally do. Ever heard of anyone lifting a car under stress or other superhuman feats. Every see a crack head on PCP, neither of which are steroids or build muscle. The human body is amazing in what it can do when certain hormones are elevated and cortisol is one of them. You are relying on the junk icinu posted in one of my spots or misinformation. Having a masters in biochem I know what it can do or not do and it does enhance playing ability. A player can go out and swing so hard they can break a bone on that stuff and not even realize it.
As to whether it is legal, so was andro at the time Mark took it.
Also Caminiti did not die from Steroids but Cocaine abuse. He did do steroids, but his heart was ruined by the other drugs he used.
Last edited by socalsportsfan on February 27th at 8:57 AM.
Cortizone will not build muscle which is the arguement here. It destroys tissue when used on a regular basis. Lifting a car is outside the normal stresses of playing baseball. Adrenaline also plays a role in lifting that car.
true, Cortizone isnt an enhancer in the same sense that Steroids are. But the results are often the same: an athlete performs at a level he could not have without said chemical. i'm not suggesting that players shouldnt have access to pain meds. but cortizone's only purpose is to enhances a players ability to perform in game. athletes should be forced to perform at the top of their ability without chemical additives of any sort.
But it can help. Hormones and drugs do crazy things to the body. Ever seen a kid on PCP. A shot can help a player play above their normal level, not to mention the psychological advantage it gives. I know what that you are trying to differentiate between anabolic and catabolic, but at least you have to acknowledge that not every injection has to be anabolic to aid the hitter, pitcher or player and it can allow them to do things not possible before.
Jeez, LSU, these guys are spelling it out for you and you still don't get it.
Cortizone is as much a performance enhancer as steroids, regardless of the fact that it doesn't add muscle mass. By your logic, protein shakes should be illegalized because they add muscle mass just as steroids do.
If you want steroids outlawed, you have to be willing to also outlaw those sight-enhancing contacts as well as a plethora of other items, including body armor, protein shakes, etc. But I feel like I'm repeating myself. If only certain people weren't so thickheaded...
Roberts doesn't wear them all of the time, so don't credit his hot start solely to his high-tech eyewear. His amber set is of no use at night, when he plays most of his games. But none of the dozen or so players who had been fitted by last week has turned them back in.
Last edited by Metswon on February 27th at 7:34 PM.
Ultra I just don't have any words for you man. YOU CANNOT LUMP EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN AS A PERFORMANCE ENHANCER. I don't know how else to explain it to you. I just don't. Maybe you should read up on this stuff and see what the AMA and other Medical communities say about such things, but Cortizone WILL NOT CREATE A HIGHER LEVEL OF PLAY FOR ANY ATHLETE. Period. Yes, they can play after having the shot, but they will still be hampered by that injury while playing. You guys are assuming that b/c they get a shot they can do whatever they want. They can't. The injury is still there and still limits them to their normal everyday athletic ability. Steroids will elevate their playing ability to something greater than what can be achieved by natural, LEGAL ways. I highlight legal, b/c the steroids they are taking are ILLEGAL!!!! This is not difficult to grasp. If you want to call cortizone a performance enhancer for the simple pleasure to say you are right in an arguement go ahead but I guarantee you the medical community will prove you guys wrong.
If Cortizone is such a great performance enhancer, then why doesnot every player in the league get a shot, so that they can play? Got a pulled hamy, get a shot. Got a torn rotator cuff, get a shot. Why do I ask you say? Because Cortizone does not enhance the players ability beyond normal standards. And it never will, b/c of how it reacts in the body.
It doesn't matter if a Cortizone shot increases a player's skill. It still allows him to play on the field rather than riding the pine. That is a performance enhancer. It allows you to perform at a level that you could not reach had you not taken the shot. Performance. Enhancer.
Tell you what Ultra, you keep beleiving that and stay ignorant to what Cortizone does. Believe it to be a performacne enhancer if you want. I will stick by the MEdical communities policies on drugs and how they affect the body. According to you aspirin, tylenol, celestone, and every other thing has to be included as a performacnce enhancer. Even drugs that help people with diseases. Don't worry about the actual effect certain drugs have on the body at all. Just lump every single solitary beneficial ingredient or act out there as a performance enhancer. Then nobody can play the game at all b/c we can't have standards can we? I mean this is America and in America anything goes, according to what I have seen you write on other blogs, inlcuding my own.
Just lump every single solitary beneficial ingredient or act out there as a performance enhancer.
Everything acts as a performance enhancer in its own way. A player may not hit 45 homeruns after taking steroids, but perhaps putting on all that body armor gives him the confidence to attack inside pitches and he does see an increase in his HR total. To say that steroids improve your performance and Cortizone shots, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs don't, is just plain hypocritical.
Then nobody can play the game at all b/c we can't have standards can we?
Everybody can play the game if you don't test for every chemical out there. That's the point in legalizing the drugs -- everybody can play. It has nothing to do with standards because they differ for every person, as evidenced by you and me. Just because Selig and the general public don't like steroids is no reason to legislate that taste and become hypocrites in the process.
It is a criminal federal offense Ultra, that is the point...lol. Like I said include everything into the "performance enhancer" category, you can't really do that but somehow I guess you can.
Are helmets performance enhancing? I mean they are a type of head armor are they not?
Again your antedote to the whole drug policy is legalize everything. Great thought out process Ultra, absolutely brilliant. Maybe you should look at the numbers on who it is taking drugs and those who are not. Legalizing drugs won't solve a thing in this country. You will only make it more available to those who are already criminally inclinded to do criminal things.
It's funny how you say I can't lump all performance enhancers together, but you lump all drug users together and assume they're all hell-bent on robbing banks or stabbing someone. As I've said plenty of times before, the overwhelming majority of drug users are people just like you and me, who want nothing more than to relax with a joint or a crack pipe rather than a beer or a cigarette.
Legalizing drugs would give the police force time to focus on actual crimes, such as theft and murder. And, as I've also said countless times, the economy will boom if the government takes control of drug distribution the same way it does with prescription drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol.
At least with legalized drugs, people won't have to resort to buying from some of those criminal-minded drug dealers in dark alleys. Could you imagine if cigarettes were completely illegalized, how greatly the crime rate would go up?
People are going to get high, regardless of the laws or not. At least the government can let them get high in the safest way possible, and make a pretty penny in the process.
No you never addressed the helmet thing ages ago, you went around that question.
Again I am not like someone who does drugs, that is BREAKING THE LAW! I don't break the law. So they are not like me and I am not like them. Period. Again, your logic is to legalize criminal behavior b/c their might be a worse crime being committed. Again a well thought out process by you. Nice try with the back alley abortion type arguement, it doesn't fly. THE ECONOMY WILL NOT BOOM IF DRUGS ARE LEGALIZED< TAXES WILL NOT GO DOWN B/C OF LEGALIZATION EITHER! Have you not paid attention to Bush's taxcuts and how those can barely be accepted. Do you support Bush's taxcuts?
You think the government is the answer to regulation? Buddy I work for the government and I can tell you right now, the government can't even make point blank decisions about everyday SOP. Yet you expect them to regulate something like the drug trade? LMAO!
Arguing about whether or not something can be done effectively is mere semantics. I think it can happen; you don't. Arguing about that is a waste of time and energy.
And yes, I did address the helmet question, it's buried somewhere in the three pages of comments on Born69's blog about steroids. I don't feel like finding it, but you're free to dig through it. =)
Got ya Ultra. You don't support Bush's taxcuts at all do you? But you say we will get lower taxes by legalizing drugs. How can you support lower taxes for drugs that are legal but you don't support taxcuts from a President? That is called a double standard my friend.
Actually, I don't mind Bush's taxcuts. I realize they are somewhat disadvantageous to the less wealthy, but that's what happens with taxes. I don't believe that there's a way to implement a taxing program that can appease every income level out there.
I would sure let Ricky Williams smoke his weed, or Rick James his cocaine, if it meant lower taxes for me. It's a win-win situation.
Of course there is a tax plan for everyone that is fair. It is called the "flat" tax. Everyone gets taxed the same rate and now there are no loopholes for the wealthy. As it is now, the wealthy pay taxes, but they can always hide monies and find ways to avoid taxes compared to the middle income man. He always pays the most.
SEC fan, Colts fan, and Braves fan. Long time Lakers fan, but have to pull for Riley and the Heat along with Shaq. Moved to sunny San Diego from TN and love the weather. I write about everything except NHL. I enjoy watching just about every sport except "cricket" and "poker". Of course if they ever add cheerleaders to poker, I might re-evaluate my stance.
Where do we draw the line on personal enhancement tools? Are nightvision goggles soon to be allowed.?
