Clovers In The Atmosphere

I think it has all to do with baseball being the all American pastime. If this happened in the NBA? I think everyone who even thought about the juice would have been thrown out. Usually I'd assume it was a racially biased decision to turn the blind eye, but Barry Bonds (an arrogant black athlete) complicates that argument. I guess people just love their baseball...
 

while I always welcome comments, I think dismissing this as racial issue for baseball is wrong. The balco scandal broke independantly. It actually centered on track and field. That trial is what forced baseball to acknowledge its steroid use. Before that, Baseball was turning a blind eye FOR barry. even a posteriori, baseball still nearly required congressional intervention to fully acknowledge the issue and begin testing. this isn't about barry and it isn't about race.
 

The problem is that we revere winning by any means through honest competition within the rules ... which means that the rules have to be precisely defined, since we advocate taking all measures short of the line of illegality. If that line is in any way fuzzy, then we can't complain as a society if our athletes venture into the gray. And the gray is far wider and murkier than you might think since common supplements often leave signatures of steroids or other banned substances; and thus our children of sports may be tempting fate by doing what we as good parents taught them -- do what it takes within the limits of the law to succeed and win. Drink Gator-Ade, take megadoses of vitamins, take that protein shake. Mikee tried something and he got better -- well, junior, you should try that too. And these are the kids of good parents. I have watched my child grow up on the competitive tennis scene in California, and I know that the parents of "successful" junior often condone mistaken calls if that allows junior to reach the next round. So the standard appears to be when in doubt, out -- especially if no one of authority is watching and that call will be a step toward success. Let's be clear, many parents live vicariously through their kids since, by having children, they give up their ability to personally achieve and so have little to brag about besides what their kids achieve. So some parents don't set fixed limits even when the morals are somewhat clear -- and when it comes to supplements, that line is not always so bright. The bottom line is that members of our society are reluctant to condemn practices that might ever ensnare junior, especially if arguably by some mistake. My guess is that if Barry were a Sumo wrestler, he'd be toast.
 

It's sort of analogous to Enron isn't it?

(btw, I know it's not about race!)
 

having reread your first comment, you are right. you did know it wasn't about race. I ran around bashing a straw man rather than your argument. sorry.