As a baseball fans how do you feel about him coming clean? I've never been a bigger fan of baseball than I was when McGuire and Sosa were lighting things up. Being at Fenway Park for All-star weekend is one of my fondest baseball memories. Sitting along the first base line and watching McGuire launch rockets out over the Green Monster with ease was absolutely amazing. I didn't know anything about steroids back then and certainly wouldn't think a "hero" like McGuire would touch them. While I'm happy he finally came forward and admitted his wrong the timing of the whole thing stinks. The Cardinals likely held the job over his head to obtain the confession and now it will be a dead issue by the time they start spring training.
I'd be more willing to support him if he'd done it years ago when he was sitting in front of Congress. Murmurings indicate that he's only doing it now to help his chances at the HOF, and if that's the case, he can go pound sand. If that's not true, then whatever, good for him, I guess. It's not like he's told anyone anything they didn't already know. Tag him with an asterisk and let's get back to baseball.
[/quote] I'd be more willing to support him if he'd done it years ago when he was sitting in front of Congress. Murmurings indicate that he's only doing it now to help his chances at the HOF, and if that's the case, he can go pound sand. If that's not true, then whatever, good for him, I guess. It's not like he's told anyone anything they didn't already know. Tag him with an asterisk and let's get back to baseball.[/quote] While it may be difficult to believe the truth of a statement from McGwire, he did address why he did what he did in Congress. Essentially he said that they would not give him immunity from prosecution for what he said before Congress, and so his lawyers essentially said to say what amounted to nothing. He says he did it to protect his family, though I'm sure there was plenty of self-preservation mixed in there. Personally, I'm a life-long Cardinals fan, and while I knew this day was coming, it makes me sad that its here. I had lost some interest in baseball due to growing up a Bulls fan and being more interested in their success during the 90s, as well as being pissed about the strike. McGwire and those Cardinals teams reignited my love for baseball, and at the time I just never imagined steroids would enter the equation. After a few years, and the countless steroid reports that have emerged for a ridiculous number of baseball players since then, I realized that McGwire was steroid assisted. I don't know how I feel about him getting into the Hall of Fame. I don't like McGwire being held out if other players, like Bonds or Clemens, get in. But if Pete Rose is kept out, I have no problem with every steroid associated player being kept out as well.
We all knew he declined to comment before Congress to save his ass. Like I said, he hasn't told anyone anything they didn't already know. While I completely understand why he chose not to come clean 5 years ago, it doesn't exonerate him, just like it doesn't exonerate Clemens, or Rodriguez, or Pettite, or any of my beloved Yankees who 'fessed up or will inevitably 'fess up in the years to come (God forbid Jeter is ever implicated. Goodbye, baseball. Forever.) It saddens me deeply to say it, but they should all be kept out. They did what they did, and they should have to own it.
In general I'm pretty ambivelant to it. I've already accepted that a ton of guys were on the stuff during that time, but one aspect of his confession does annoys me. It seems to me that he tried to play it off that he used 'roids for health reasons. I have no doubt that he probably started using them to come back from an injury quicker. He admitted to being on them in the year he broke the record, and I don't remember him being injured that year. It just seems that he is trying to admit to using them without conceding the main point. That he did it to improve his numbers.
I'm meh on it. I was a kid, I couldn't have given a fuck back then and neither could anyone else. On steroids overall I'm the same way. Mac had one of those swings, like Manny, that you just can't teach. It's simply a thing of beauty to watch his routine whaling on that lil' round piece of cowhide. I do have to admit, however, that he was a freakishly muscular dude, and and not in a good way. [irrelevant]One of the few things that's ever legitimately scared me was McGwire on the cover of SIKids way back when.[/irrelevant] I don't care so much about him now as the greatest display of power hitting ever (10.6 AB/HR leads Ryan Howard by nearly a full AB, etc.) When Josh Hamilton A-bombed the HR Derby record in '07, it was fun as HELL to watch, but with me it raises the same concerns. That shit just doesn't happen on its own.
In other news Phillies number four pitcher Joe Blanton asked for 10.25 million after getting offered 7.25. Cliff Lee would have only cost 9 million. Other pitchers in arbitration asking for over 10 mill are Tim Lincecum, King Felix, and K-Rod to name a few. Why Joe Blanton fits right in with them right???? I'm pretty sure phillies fans will burn down the city if he wins and get's 10 million. Not to be redundant but Cliff Lee would have cost 9 million.
WCCO reports the Twins and Joe Mauer have come to a 10 year contract extension. So far in Minny this rumor has everyone bonkers. We're so used to big names leaving that this would be huge for the entire state. On the bus now... post more when I get home.
it'll be interesting to see what happens here. Mark rosen has a good rep around here and is probably the biggest sports guy in town. Don't think he would come out early like this with a chance to ruin his rep. He's not trying to build a name. That being said I trust buster.