Troy Glaus finally spoke to reporters today only to say that he had no comment on the current situation.  His name has been linked along with Rick Ankiel's in the HGH buying scandal from an internet pharmacy in Florida.  Glaus says he understands that reporters have a job to do, but hopes they will respect his position at this time.  Maybe Troy is being confused with the ancient Grecian Hero.  Certainly he was trying to look like him.

In other words, what Glaus is really saying is that he took HGH along with other steroids ordered from this pharmacy.  The news report says he appears shaken.  Once again, this can only mean he is upset because he is guilty.  If he were innocent, he would come right out and say it isn't so.  Unlike Barry Bonds, he is not under a sitting grand jury nor is he being prosecuted by a federal investigator.  This whole story is the result of the feds attempting to shut down internet pharmacies which prescribe HGH and other steroids without as much as an office visit.

It is a quandry that all sports are in and as the truth unfolds we are going to see many more names surface.  Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and many more could all find themselves staring at allegations of using performance enhancers.  What will MLB do then?  My solution is to set up stringent testing now, lable this era with an asterisk, and move on.  The players union and MLB will have to agree to blood testing so they can pick up HGH because it is not detectable yet in urine tests which is the only test that is being used in MLB.  Cyclists have to submit to blood tests, so why not baseball players.  Of course I think HGH is an even bigger problem in the NBA, but no one wants to admit it.  How many high school kids are taking HGH right now to grow an extra couple of inches.  It is the perfect time for them because their bone plates are still not fused and they can grow taller without the fear of acromegly, or caveman head syndrome as I like to call it. 

Of MLB is not the only sport with steroid problems.  One look at the NFL and WWE and one can realize that steroids have always been an issue.  From Lyle Alzado to Chris Benoit, steroids will always be used where athletes are looking for an edge.  Bodybuilders have been using them for decades and no one tried to clean up those sports.  It was only a matter of time before they infiltrated every other league.  One has to wonder if Bud Selig has been taking them as well.  After all, it appears he has no balls to do anything about them.  Maybe it's because his have shriveled up from taking all that Rogaine.

Troy Glaus can bemoan his situation all he  wants, but one thing is for sure;  when you come out with no comment you've said a mouthful.

SoCalSportsFan

Wow, it has been a very busy August.  I can't remember a busier school opening, and this is why I have been absent of late.  I may not be on here as much this semester, but I can always stay active in Fox Sports through my fantasy teams.  One in which I always enjoy is the Fox Pro Football Pick'em.  I created a league for us at Fox Sports.  Join up and let's all match our wits each week and play for bragging rights.

Team ID:  53100

Password: Foxsports

On to my rants:

Michael Vick:  He is guilty.  He will serve time, and he will return to football.  Someone will pick him up and I doubt Goodell will suspend him permanently from the NFL.  I also believe he should be allowed back in one day, but if I were an owner I would not pick him up.  Lucky for Vick, there is a God, or better yet an Al Davis.

Eric Gagne:  Suddenly this move doesn't look so brilliant.  The Red Sox do have a good closing staff without Gagne, but if the Yankees make it in as the Wild Card it's all over for Boston.  A-Rod may get his ring this year.

NFL:  Is anyone else ready for some football?  Preseason is too long.  I'm ready for the real action where the stars play.  LT sits out in San Diego every year and I am ready to see how the Chargers will do this year.  They have the talent to win the whole thing, but they have one little problem; it's called their head coach.  Norv Turner has never won anything in his life, except the privilege of being a head football coach.  That privilege should have been revoked after his horrible stints in Washington and Dallas, but alas the Chargers fire a guy who went 14-2 to hire Norv.  The stars must have been aligned when Norv was born because no one inherits a team with such talent with a record like his.  Good luck Norv!

Michelle Wie:  Another season comes and goes and we here less and less about Wie.  It's too bad she could have been really good.

Tiger Woods:  Another major and another great season.  I still do not think Woods will surpass Nicklaus in major wins, but has anyone ever played in fewer events each season and still wins 40% of those they enter?  Fatherhood, marriage, and a new coach haven't slowed him down, so maybe he will pass Jack up.  If he does, how far will he go?

Barry Bonds:  Now that Aaron's record is in the rear view mirror, all the sports reporters have seemed to stop covering Barry.  Meanwhile, he just keeps on hitting home runs.  He may get to 770 this year, and if he does, I think he will play one more season to try and reach 800.  Still no indictment in the foreseable future, so the only thing that can stop him is if he refuses to play.  I sure hope he lands in a Yankees uniform next year and gets a ring before he retires. 

Socalsportsfan

Okay, I have finally come to the conclusion that Barry Bonds used steroids.  It's time to strip him of all of his accomplishments.  He is a cheater and as such should not be rewarded with the all-time HR record.  With that said, I have one question for those of you who are so happy to see me condemn Barry.

 

What are you going to do with Roger Clemens when he is finally "outed" as a steroid user?  Curt Schilling, an authority on everything, has already said that many pitchers are using steroids and appearing in September as fresh as April pitchers.  Today, a judge has decided not to reveal the names on the Jason Grimsley affidavit, but the Los Angeles Times has already reported that Clemens, Pettitte, Tejada, and Gibbons' names are blacked out on that officially sealed document. 

 

So if we assume this sealed grand jury document is as accurate as the one used to condemn Barry Bonds, what do we do with the Rocket?  Should we just strip him of his Cy Young Awards that he won in 1997, 1998, 2001, and 2004?  Or should we take away all seven?  Fair is fair, and I think we should just take them all away.  Who knows what else he was taking back in 1991!   After all Clemens was 18-10 in 1991, but then he went 11-14 in 1993, 9-7 in 1994, 10-5 in 1995, and 10-13 in 1996.  Then suddenly in 1997 he goes 21-7.  That is some spike in performance!  Of course it is all circumstantial, but how else does an old guy go 20-3 in 2001 and continued to dominate for three more  years.  It's just not natural if you ask me.  How can anyone in their 40's get better and better or stay the same.  Just tell me what each of you Bond's haters wants to do with Clemens after we bury Barry.  I'm all in!

SoCalSportsFan

Like Barry Bonds, my birthday is this week.  Each year my family goes through this ritual complaining because they say that they don’t know what dad wants for his birthday.  No matter how many times I tell them, “I like fishing rods, power tools, and camping equipment,” my wife insists that she has no clue about what I like.  In fact, every year she waits until the last day before she goes out and buys me clothes or some other thing that I have to smile and pretend to like.  I suppose I am like most dads and it really doesn’t matter what they get me because in the end I can always go out and buy my own rod, but if my wife would really just listen she could have bought the right gift weeks ago.  That got me to thinking about what Barry really wants for his birthday.  Here are just a few suggestions I would give to the important people in Barry’s life.

Kimberly Bell:  An autographed copy of her Playboy.  It’s not like Bell hasn’t already given Bonds enough trouble.  After she broke up his first marriage, she continued to be his mistress throughout his second marriage, only to turn against him once she was spurned.   In it she could say, “Thanks for the hooters, they really have come in handy lately!”

Gary Sheffield:  Former friend and work out partner of Bonds should continue to say stupid things to the press in order to deflect any criticism Barry may get.  Funny how Sheffield trained with Bonds and was also a Balco client, but steroid allegations with him just sort of waft away like a puff of smoke.  Yet, I can’t help but feel sorry for Gary because he appears to be one of the most bitter athletes I have ever seen play the game.  No one has ever treated him right.  Not the Dodger, the Braves, the Yankkees, and in a year or two the Tigers.  He never has anything good to say about anyone.  Maybe the best gift Barry can receive from Gary is to just not say anything.

 

MLB Writers:  Enough votes to get into the HOF.  After all, the HOF has other known cheats in it.  ####lord Perry immediately comes to mind.  He routinely used Vaseline to throw his famous pitch and even bragged about it often, yet he is still in those hallowed halls.

 

Roger Clemens:  He could test positive for steroids thereby further proving that pitchers take steroids just as much as hitters.  It would also show the double standard when Clemens would immediately be ignored while Barry is still persecuted. 

 

Hank Aaron:  Aaron should try to be in attendance for the big game.  He alone could go along way in helping people to accept the new record.  After all, Aaron had some help when he started taking “greenies” in a down HR year.

 

Bud Selig:  An admission to being at least partly culpable in the whole steroids debacle.  It was on Selig’s watch that baseball players ballooned over night, but as long as they were hitting the long ball and brought fans back to the game, Bud turned a blind eye.  Now he wants Barry to take all the blame.  It would be such a nice present if Bud just accepted part of the blame. (Selig, pictured at right,  doing his best imitation of Homer Simpson)

 

There you have it.  Just a few of the gifts that would make Barry smile on his 43rd birthday.  For me, turning 44, I would just enjoy that fishing rod and a chance to use it with my two boys. 

 

SoCalSportsFan

With the normal summertime lull in sports comes the blockbuster summer movies.  Just in time I might add, or I would be bored to tears.  Sunday night I managed to go out and watch the latest installment of Diehard with a few friends.  I actually enjoyed it up until the “jet” scene and then I realized this guy really is “Unbreakable.”  Of course the movie I can’t wait to see is Transformers because I can take my two sons to watch it with me.  If you have never heard of Transformers, it is a story about robots which can transform themselves into cars or other automated machinery that is complete with the weaponry of a naval warship.  Never mind that these are alien robots that just happen to transform into machines which one would find on this planet!  Anyway, this got me thinking about what I would transform into if I were one of these robots.  Better yet, what would some of our athletes transform into if they could?

 

Ricky Williams:  A marijuana pipe would keep Ricky close to his nearest and dearest friend, Mary Jane.

 

A-Rod:  A Stripper Pole, so at least I could be close to my new friend without anyone recognizing me.

 

Kobe:  Michael Jordan, because I always wanted to be like Mike. 

 

Barry Bonds:  The Incredible Hulk, because when he grows to epic proportions in his altered state, he always returns to normal size.  Right now, I am stuck with this big head and small……

 

Michelle Wie:  She would transform into a trophy.  Listen to her own words, “I want to be a winner…because, like, winning is so cool.  I’ve never won, but I am playing really, really well right now.  My game isn’t off too much, but I would be a winner if I could.”

 

Roger Clemens:  “An F-117 Stealth Fighter, because so far I have been able to avoid all of the steroid controversy even though I have continued to win well into my 40’s.  I am still as dominant as I always was and my head is getting even bigger with each win.”

 

Well there you have it for these athletes.  I am sure you can think of a few more to add to this list, so just leave those suggestions in the comment line. 

 

SoCalSportsFan

Jason Giambi is quoted as saying that MLB should apologize for the steroids era.  Giambi also goes on to say that he is the most tested guy in MLB.  Of course I don't believe that for even a New York second because Barry Bonds must be the most tested guy in baseball at this point.  That doesn't mean Jason is tested often, but the entire league would love to find Bonds juicing prior to breaking Aaron's record and then give him a suspension.  That is my opinion, but looking at the way people post on here and all the talk on the radio I hear, I believe it.  Now on to the part that people will skip.  Giambi also stated,

"Unfortunately, (the rumors) are going to be a part of it. But that's OK. I'm probably tested more than anybody else. I'm not hiding anything," he said. "That stuff didn't help me hit home runs. I don't care what people say, nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting a baseball."

Did you get that?  Giambi said that steroids do not help a person hit HR's.  Here is a man that used them, admitted to it, is now tested regularly, and he says they do not help a person with hitting HR.  He calls it a gift.  Hitting HR's is more about seeing the ball as it comes out of the pitcher's hand, being patient for the right pitch, and then timing your swing so it meets the ball on the sweet spot of the bat.  It is not sheer power or guys like Ichiro would never hit a HR.  For that matter neither would all the other skinny infielders that play MLB.

I think if anyone is in a position to speak about whether or not steroids help you hit HR's, it would be Jason Giambi.  The guy was/is a HR hitter and he used steroids.  He admitted it, unlike Barry Bonds.  He has nothing to hide and he is telling us it did not help him.  If anything it shortened his career with injuries.  Rivjo wrote an excellent post this week talking about how Bonds could have potentially broken the record if he had not used steroids.  Of course that is all speculation just like the notion he used.  At any rate, let's see how much play this portion of his statement is given today on the radio, ESPN, and the blogs.  I am betting people are ready to accept anything Giambi says until he states it never helped.  But then again, people believe every word of Jose Canseco's book too.

SoCalSportsFan

Remember last season when Johnny Damon said that he wanted to stay with the Red Sox?  Well we saw what happened when George Steinbrenner opened his pocket book and soon Damon was swayed.  Will the same thing happen to Curt SChilling?  He says no, but then again why should we believe him.  The Red Sox spent 50 million just to talk to the new Japanese pitcher and then signed him for another 50 million.  That is a 100 million for one pitcher.  Don't forget they also just signed J. D. Drew for 70 million and they still have Manny on the payroll for 17.5 million a year.  I really don't think they are going to pony up for Curt, but I bet George will.  So who thinks he will go to the Yankees?

I do.  His denial was like a giant wake up slap in the face to George.  What Curt is really saying is, "George, if you open that pocket book up wide enough I will wear the pinstripes along side of Andy Pettite."  Do you think George was listening?  We shall see.

SoCalSportsFan

As the news of yesterday’s tragedy involving Cory Lidle began to flood the media, I was astonished at both the depth of coverage on the plane crash as well as the length of coverage on the major sports networks.  One could hear the news on the radio, read about it on the internet, or watch ESPN coverage which lasted for hours.

 

My heart is truly saddened for the Lidle family.  When you are a dad, you know how much your kids and your wife depend upon you to take care of them.  Not just to take care of physical needs, but the emotional needs that a young child and a wife grow used to having.  So what can we do as fans to help make this situation better?

 

While prayer is a mainstay for those that believe in God, one of the biggest things we can do to help in these situations is to stop being so enraptured with the death of a celebrity.  Since when does the death of any athlete demand twenty-four hours of news coverage.  It is a sad and tragic event, but people die daily around the world and it does not mean we must stop the "presses" and change all of the headlines.  Cory Lidle may have been a fine man, husband, father, and an athlete, but Jesus Christ he was not.  By the way, this applies to all athletes and celebrities not just Mr. Lidle.  I felt the same way about this as I did when Princess Diana died in that terrible car accident or more recently when Steve Irwin died in the bizarre stingray accident.

We, as human beings, have a morbid obsession with death.  The family of Cory Lidle does not need to see his name or the images of a burning high rise on TV all day, and yet, there it is plastered on every news source available to mankind.  Mind you, some reporter is scouring the neighborhood looking for video footage of the plane actually hitting the building.  Better yet, some guys is going to try and sell his homemade video of the accident to a major news agency or publication.  That just disgusts me!

 

When Steve Irwin died, there were those who wanted his best friend and cameraman to actually release the footage of Irwin getting stabbed by the sting ray.  How insensitive is that to his wife and kids?  How disturbed are those people?

 

I may not have all of the answers about how to mourn for a lost loved one.  For me and my family we seek comfort in prayer and in the belief that the Creator of this universe has a higher purpose for Cory Lidle.  For those who do not believe in a God, I don’t have an answer about the proper way to mourn.  But I can say that I believe the right thing to do is to let this family grieve in their own way without the intense scrutiny of the media.  

 

 

 

SoCalSportsFan

During the latest round of the San Francisco Witch Hunts or the BALCO Grand Jury, whichever name you prefer, Greg Anderson slipped in the name of the NFL Golden Boy Tom Brady.  Anderson is either a genius or just fell upon dumb luck.  Either way, Tom Brady is not so lucky.  Now Brady’s good name is being cast with the likes of Trevor Graham, Marion Jones, Victor Conte, Jason Giambi, and Barry Bonds.  Brady may have never used steroids, but he may be called to testify just because Greg Anderson mentioned his name. 

The report says that Brady called him looking for a place to train and that was the extent of their phone conversation.  The report also makes it look like Greg Anderson just slipped Brady’s name into the testimony, but my guess is that he was asked about the phone call.   Remember that the feds have the phone records and you can bet they have traced every one of those numbers.  Also, if you look at the testimony, the wording of the way Anderson responded looks like he is answering a question.

"I had only one brief conversation with Tom Brady regarding a potential future workout,"

 

Also, the reporters who broke this story said Brady’s name appeared on a list of athletes that might be subpoenaed to appear before the Grand Jury and that Anderson needs to be ready to testify about his relationship with all of them.

If Tom Brady wants to repair his image before it becomes permanently tied to this case, he needs to come forth and explain to the world the reasons why he missed the first two days of training camp.  Everyone was hush-hush about those two days.  If it was for medical reasons just come out and say so because the less we know the more we speculate.  Has anyone on the list tied to Victor Conte ever escaped without damage to their reputation?  I don’t think so.  Brady has some questions to answer and I hope he does so soon.  I for one believe him if he says he never used steroids, but then again Barry Bonds and Raffy Palmeiro said the same thing.

According to the Dreams Foundation of CA, all mammals dream.  Dreams are funny things.  So are nightmares which are just dreams that have less than desirable outcomes.  Let me give you a rather personal example of how one man’s dreams are another man’s nightmares.  For my son, a trip to Cold Stone is a wonderful dream.  As we approach the counter and decide which delicious concoction that our taste buds will encounter, we find out that the daily supplies did not arrive and therefore they are out of ice cream.  My son would leave the establishment in tears of sorrow while my wife would be in nirvana realizing that my ever expanding waistline was safe for another day.

Webster’s Dictionary has nine entries for the word dream.  The two that most of us think about would probably be:

1 : a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep  

4 a : a strongly desired goal or purpose <a dream of becoming president> b : something that fully satisfies a wish

I will not discuss the nature of my dreams which fit into the first definition, but as a child I had dreams of being a professional basketball player, but the fact that I am vertically challenged both in height and the ability to leap, all of which are genetically linked, I settled for coaching instead.  Maybe I could have pursued my dream to play in the NBA under the American for Disabilities Act much the same way that Casey Martin won an appeal to use a cart on the PGA, but somehow I did not see myself on the bench as the token ADA player.

In the sporting world, one man’s dreams may be another man’s nightmares is never more true.  Here is one dream that I would love to see come to pass but might just be your nightmare. 

My dream, your nightmare,  is that George Steinbrenner picks up the phone and calls Barry Bonds and makes him one of The Bosses’ patented “can’t say no” deals so that Barry decides to come to New York next year as a DH.  Can you imagine seeing Barry in Yankee pinstripes?  Some have argued that Bonds has already said that he would not DH but I would like to put forth some reasons I believe he may just shock everyone, except for me and George, and put on the Yankee ball cap next year if not sooner.

1. He could DH for two more years and easily pass Aaron for the all-time leader in HR’s.  Not having to play the outfield will ease the burden on his ancient frame and anyone who does not believe that Barry is competitive and wants that HR title does not know what it feels like to be a professional athlete.  In the fictional book, Game of Shadows, the authors tell us that one of the driving forces behind Bonds’ decision to take steroids was because he was jealous of Mark McGwire’s single season record.  If there is any truth to this tall tale, then the fires of competition that burn deep within Barry will not let him rest until the last ember is put out by finally passing Henry Aaron on the all time list.
2. Twenty million dollars is a lot of money for anyone to pass up.  For someone who may never work in baseball again, Barry needs to earn all that he can in the next few years.  The irony in all of this is that Babe Ruth so desperately wanted to manage the Yankees when he retired and yet he was so hated in his day that he was never allowed to work with the organization in any significant capacity.  If the treatment of Barry prior to retirement is any indicator of how he will be treated, Bonds will be no different than Ruth.  Barry needs to keep on bringing home a paycheck as long as he can swing a bat.
3. Age is not a factor.  Julio Franco is a prime example of a player who can continue to play even in the NL as a part time DH.  (For those who think a player can not put on muscle in their 40's just look at Julio's rookie card and then look at him today.  He is at least 40 lbs. heavier and all muscle. That is just a skinny kid in that rookie card, sort of reminds me of Barry as a rookie.) Barry is still in good health with the exception of his knee.  Rest and being a DH will take care of all that ails him.
4. The last reason he may continue to play is that as long as he is hitting HR’s it gives him a diversion from all of the perjury talk and those that insist he will go to jail.  Just three weeks ago everyone was claiming he was in serious trouble and going to be indicted for perjury, but alas it is not to be.  You see for perjury charges to be proven you need to prove intent which is almost never proven.  Bill Clinton stood and asked the world to define the word “is” and walked away without perjury charges and so will Barry.  That does not mean he did not lie just as Clinton surely lied to Hillary, Monica, and his other mistresses, but proving it is an entirely different thing.  As long as Barry plays, he has a reason to get up and prove the world wrong.  It is also interesting that some people have said that Barry has made statements saying he will never DH.  Those same individuals claim Barry is lying about steroids so what is to prevent him from lying about being a DH. 

In a perfect world, I would love to see it happen tomorrow so Bonds could pass Babe Ruth on the HR list as a Yankee.  I guess I can always dream or is that someone else's nightmare!

SoCalSportsFan

*For those who have still not figured out sarcasm, Game of Shadows is a book that is carried in the non-fiction aisle at Barne's and Nobles, but I tend to believe any book that bases its facts on hearsay as fiction.  Watch Hoodwinked and you will see how one person's perspective can be entirely wrong.Also check out the link to Bill and Monica for a funny picture.*