Steroids

A big topic in the world of sports is, of course, steroids.

In recent months George Mitchell and his committee have released their report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, which has created a media frenzy around those accused, but I'm still not sure what kind of impact the Mitchell Report (read the whole thing at your own risk) will have on baseball because very few players have been punished.

While admitting to my Red Sox fan bias, I don't understand how New York Yankees can continue to admit their guilt and receive an immediate pardon for their actions.

Jason Giambi should be the spokesperson for Human Growth Hormones and appear on the bottles or boxes full of syringes, because he is so frighteningly steroid-built. His opponents have admitted to being concerned by his appearance and persistent sweating on cool afternoons. So it was no shock when he admitted to using steroids and apologized, but why was he allowed to keep playing with no repercussions?

Yesterday Andy Pettitte arrived at spring training, where he held a press conference to deliver what appeared to be a heartfelt statement about his admitted use of HGH after being named in the report. He is, however, at training camp and ready to take the mound in 2008.



Admitted steroid users get away without punishment because they claim to have used before it was illegal in baseball, but how can we know if that's true? Pettitte claims he gained no advantage, because he was only trying to help rebuild tissue in his elbow, but how isn't that an advantage over other pitchers whose tissue grows on its on?

There is something to be said for these players admitting their guilt and attempting to explain their situations, as opposed to the waste of money and time that is the Roger Clemens show. Is there truly nothing more important for our nations' politicians to be doing than hearing Clemens' pointless he said/she said trial?

It's also important to recognize baseball's effort to clean up the game by requesting the Mitchell Report and increasing the rules in recent years, but there needs to be a better system that doesn't tolerate this behavior and can prove allegations definitively, like track and field and cycling can.

Even if you can't suspend or ban players who have admitted to using in the past, why shouldn't their awards be taken away? Olympic athletes caught using performance enhancing drugs, like Marion Jones, are stripped of their medals. So in my opinion Jason Giambi should be stripped of his 2000 MVP award and if Clemens ever gives up this ridiculous charade and admits his guilt, his Cy Young awards should go to their rightful owners, the runners up. I think the Hall of Fame should also be out of the question for such users.

If those in charge really have the kids to whom players are role models in mind, there needs to be a better system and more consequences.

Giambi photo © The Sports Hernia Blog