Steroids are the Pandora's box of baseball

Sunday, January 9, 2005

Really, what took them so long?

I can't recall the first time I more or less accused Barry Bonds of using steroids. All you have to do is take a look at the guy and it becomes apparent that his bulk doesn't look remotely natural. Yet, it was shushed up until Jason Giambi admitted to using the illegal drugs and opened what has become baseball's Pandora's box. He cracked the box before a grand jury and the whole ugly mess came oozing up like in the old movie, "The Blob."

The use of steroids to my way of thinking, is every bit as bad as the gambling habit that cost Pete Rose to a degree beyond belief. I have seen what steroids can do to people. I used to have a good friend who had used steroids while playing football in college. Sure, they helped bulk him up and he got a whole lot stronger. They also messed with his mind to the point that he got violent off the field. He stopped using them before it was too late. And don't forget that steroids have been the culprit when couples have gone to doctors in order to determine why they couldn't conceive.

Steroids are dangerous and hardly something you'd want children to emulate. In these days, high school football players are out there getting steroids in street corner deals.

Maybe steroids are the reason Bonds is so rude and arrogant acting. As far as I'm concerned, let those caught continue to play but make them get off the juice and at this point institute a rule whereby if you use steroids, you are gone. Remember what happened to the Kansas City Royals who used cocaine and got caught? They paid, dearly.

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While the Missouri Tigers continue to be a disappointment, I wonder if the real changes that need to be made are those who did the hiring of the coaches in the first place. I can't help but think Missouri is a bit short when it comes to judgment. Remember when they hired Quin Snyder as their basketball coach? Remember who they chose him in lieu of? Try Bill Self. It just gets more and more curious.

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If football coaches aren't the most stubborn people in the world I'd like to know who can beat them out. Just how long and how much did he have to show before Larry Johnson finally got his well-deserved start. I got so mad when the Chiefs got close to the goal line against the Titans and were blasted when they tried two others before losing the ball on a fumble. They inserted Johnson as they had in the previous game and he lit it up. I think the only person yelling to put him in the game louder than me was Len Dawson on the radio. Yes folks, I never listen to the TV commentators when the Chiefs are on. The sound goes on mute and the radio is turned up where you can find announcers who know of what they speak rather than to just prattle on.

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We found out how much loyalty to the Boston Red Sox Pedro Martinez had. You know, the fellow who posted a less than stellar 3.90 ERA last year and was offered $30 million by the Bosox. Guess he couldn't live on that. Poor baby.

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