I know I've posted on 'roids in baseball before, but I feel the need to explain why it bothers me so much. I hear many people asking why I care... I mean, power makes baseball more fun to watch, attracts more fans, blah, blah blah. I also hear people saying that people are juicing in the NFL, NHL, etc... why should baseball care so much?
Well, as a rabid baseball fan, this is why. Baseball is all about the numbers. It is ALL about statistics, records, batting averages, RBI totals, HR numbers, etc. No other team sport has such an emphasis on milestones and individual achievement.
In the NFL, no one knows how many passing yards the career passing leader has thrown for, what the single season TD rushing record is, or any of those records. People enjoy watching people smash each other and win Super Bowls. Let them juice in the NFL.
Athletes in the NBA have little incentive to juice. Brute strength and power do not benefit an NBA star as much as they do in the Bigs. Let them do it if they want.
In baseball, however, Hank Aaron's home run record was a hallowed number that was surpassed by a cheater- Bonds, and will be by another- A-Rod. Anyone that has knowingly done steroids in Major League Baseball has disrespected the sport and given real fans of the sport a one-finger salute.
The "steroid era" of baseball may have brought more fans to the game, but in its ugly wake it has left a legacy of disgrace, mistrust, and lies. No one is clean. Everyone is assumed guilty by association. The achievements of all have been cast into doubt by the dishonor of many. The real steroid legacy is that one of the most dominant pitchers ever- Clemens- will not be in the Hall of Fame. Nor will the man to break the single-season HR record- McGuire, or the all-time HR leader- Bonds... or the one that will eventually break his mark- A-Rod.
Cheaters have ruined records, stolen MVP awards, and tarnished the sport. This isn't pine tar or sand paper. This is the most serious breach of the sport's integrity ever. This is worse than the Black Sox, worse than Pete Rose, worse than John Rocker.
The solution is to have stricter penalties for doping. Test EVERYONE three to four times/year. One positive test and you're out for a year, and two... see ya. You're done for life. Let's bring back the game we love. Let's make this a game where we can teach our kids to look to for heroes again. Let's make this America's sport again.
