Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Saturday, December 22, 2007

WashPost: Wise: Unmasking the Real Faces of Steroids (RR)

A week after George J. Mitchell outed a league of synthetic chemists, violins still play for America’s disgraced uberhumans. It’s sad to see people—sycophant fans and media alike—showing sympathy for Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and other publicly embarrassed stars linked to steroids….

Peter Gammons, that guardian of the game, actually called Kirk Radomski and Brian McNamee “sewer rats” on television for essentially flipping on their clients, as if this were a mob movie with morals.

No, Mitchell’s two main informants were drug mules for millionaires. Nothing more. Radomski’s most despicable moment wasn’t snitching to the feds so he could avoid a possible 30-year prison sentence; it came while waiting outside hospitals, offering AIDS patients cash for their human growth hormone so he could resell it to baseball players bargaining with the devil. Greg Anderson, who did 14 months for Bonds out of some warped code of loyalty, did the same, according to the report.

“Anderson said that he obtained the human growth hormone from AIDS patients in San Francisco. . . . Kirk Radomski also obtained human growth hormone that he resold to major league players by purchasing “kits” of the substance from AIDS patients.”....

The people who compare this to a witch hunt—the learned cynics and baseball apologists—should just go away. Enough with the Rocket and Bonds, black and white. Race. Civil liberties. Enough.

The steroid epidemic is about class warfare. It’s about the wealthy, elite athlete who can afford a reputable “trainer” (a.k.a. dealer), the best health care and a lawyer; and the teenager who has to make a ‘roid run to Guadalajara so he can pick up some veterinary-grade drugs used to improve the muscularity of beef cattle….

 

 

The Post’s “other” columnist opens both barrels on the “willing buyers and the willing sellers”....

Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot Posted: December 22, 2007 at 01:51 PM | 12 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: steroids

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

   1. Mark Shirk (jsch) Posted: December 22, 2007 at 02:34 PM (#2652112)
You know what is funny? I would have considered the new media and fans who can't wait to deride Clemens, Bonds, et al as the sycophants.

And I could be wrong but from the passage above, wouldn't those running say, Cocaine, into the United States from South or Central America be onsidered merely drug mules for the upper middle class addicts? Those damned users!
   2. PatrickInTheWoods, Apostate Posted: December 22, 2007 at 04:41 PM (#2652140)
Isn't that why the War on (Some) Drugs is futile? That it's really a demand side problem?
   3. Gambling Rent Czar Posted: December 22, 2007 at 09:31 PM (#2652335)
couple of things here ..

* Obviously he has no idea where Guadalajara is. It would take you at least a two drive into deep Mexico

* Those Aids patients were selling their kits to bodybuilders. They had no idea where they were going. They were getting $1000.00 a pop for something the government gave them for free. If there was no HGH in baseball, they would still be selling their kits to gym rats.

* as a typical white reporter, his argument into the race debate is to tell everybody to sweep it under the rug, or in typical fashion, just shut up. figures.

* He keeps mentioning the rich taking advantage of the poor, which leads me to believe he never even read the report, or worse, never even looked at the list of names that came out.

in conclusion.
the dude is an idiot.
   4. Sam Hutcheson is the Rickey Henderson of... Posted: December 23, 2007 at 12:34 AM (#2652420)
I'm pretty sure anyone who writes "The people who compare this to a witch hunt—the learned cynics and baseball apologists—should just go away. Enough with the Rocket and Bonds, black and white. Race. Civil liberties. Enough," can be discarded as an idiot. I mean, I know the "can't we just make civil liberties go away" notion is really popular in DC these days, but that doesn't make the proponents of that position any less stupid. Or dangerous.
   5. Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot Posted: December 23, 2007 at 01:28 AM (#2652438)
Watch out, Sam. Mike already knows who you are, and you're next. The Stalinist takeover is just about complete.
   6. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: December 23, 2007 at 02:18 AM (#2652462)
'No, no!' said the Queen. 'Sentence first - verdict afterwards.'

'Stuff and nonsense!' said Alice loudly. 'The idea of having the sentence first!'

'Hold your tongue!' said the Queen, turning purple.
   7. Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot Posted: December 23, 2007 at 02:55 AM (#2652476)
First they came for the juicers, but I did not protest, for I was not a juicer.

Then they came for the pill poppers, but I did not protest, for I was not a pill popper.

Then they came for the cokeheads, but I did not protest, for they bore me.

Then they came for the cigarette smokers, but I did not protest, even though some of my best friends were cigarette smokers. It was a close call, though, and I sincerely wish them well in their extended vacations.

Then they came for the Bud Lite drinkers, and I merely yawned and asked, "What's new in Uzbekistan?"

Then they came for the libertarians, and I said "it's about f*ck*ng time! Fingerprint em all, and don't miss the one hiding behind that 'Who Is John Galt?' sign!"

And then on the seventh day I rested with the Sunday Times. Hey, ya see the Knicks dropped another two?
   8. Srul Itza Posted: December 23, 2007 at 04:40 AM (#2652506)
Hey, ya see the Knicks dropped another two?

What, they can't lose fast enough playing one game at a time, so now they're playing double-headers?
   9. Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot Posted: December 23, 2007 at 05:19 AM (#2652516)
Hey, ya see the Knicks dropped another two?

What, they can't lose fast enough playing one game at a time, so now they're playing double-headers?


Sorry, Srul, I guess the reference was before your time. But the old Doonesbury strip has always stuck in my mind:

B.D., the American soldier, and Phred, the VietCong guerrilla, are wandering around the South Vietnamese backcountry, when they're almost blown up by a U.S. Air Force bomb.

Phred shakes his fist at the bomber, shouting, "You heartless air pirates! I hope you can live with it! I hope you can live with all the destruction and carnage you've brought to my little country!!"

Up in the bomber cockpit, the pilot and copilot are talking:

"Didja hear the Knicks took two?"

"Heey! That's great!"


Of course since this is 2007 rather than ca. 1970, the "Knicks took two" line had to be updated. There has to be some connection to reality....
   10. Gambling Rent Czar Posted: December 23, 2007 at 06:03 AM (#2652529)
What, they can't lose fast enough playing one game at a time, so now they're playing double-headers?
You act like this is a bad thing.
Doesn't matter anyways.

Lakers are hanging another banner this year.
   11. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: December 23, 2007 at 06:04 AM (#2652530)
Of course since this is 2007 rather than ca. 1970, the "Knicks took two" line had to be updated.

"Didja hear the Knicks took dehydroehIarmethyItestosterone?"
   12. Gambling Rent Czar Posted: December 23, 2007 at 06:18 AM (#2652535)
"Didja hear the Knicks took dehydroehIarmethyItestosterone?"


is that the problem? tuff break. :)

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

 

<< Back to main

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
aleskel
for his generous support.

Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Hot Topics

Sox TherapyA Winning Ballclub?
(21 - 8:34am, May 26)
Last: Darren

NewsblogMaddon on Red Sox beaning Luke Scott: 'I think it's ridiculous, I think it's absurd, idiotic'
(8 - 8:33am, May 26)
Last: Der_K is feeling better now.

NewsblogYESNetwork: A look at five Yankees' cases for enshrinement in Monument Park
(2 - 8:14am, May 26)
Last: Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot

NewsblogHP: Baseball is leaving the human factor behind
(60 - 7:55am, May 26)
Last: Designated Sitter (GGC)

NewsblogWilmoth: Nate McLouth Designated For Assignment
(13 - 7:52am, May 26)
Last: Russ

NewsblogOT: NBA Monthly Thread, May 2012
(1835 - 7:45am, May 26)
Last: thok

NewsblogThe Hall of Very Good: Former Cards Slugger Critical of "LaRussa's Regime"
(6 - 7:16am, May 26)
Last: Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

NewsblogMatschulat: Did I Miss The "Paul Konerko Is So Overrated OMG" Bandwagon?
(30 - 7:15am, May 26)
Last: baudib

NewsblogCSN to host ‘Phillies at the Beach’ on Memorial Day
(19 - 7:11am, May 26)
Last: God

NewsblogT.R. Sullivan: Of Frank Robinson, Milt Pappas and Jim Palmer
(10 - 7:09am, May 26)
Last: God

NewsblogBud Selig -- No need for more MLB replay for now - ESPN
(88 - 6:12am, May 26)
Last: Lassus

NewsblogHimrich’s Top Ten Target Field Foods
(8 - 2:43am, May 26)
Last: Long John McCaine Mutiny on the Bounty (scott)

NewsblogBoston.com: Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios lays off all staff
(119 - 1:28am, May 26)
Last: Swedish Chef

Hall of MeritMost Meritorious Player: 1973 Discussion
(15 - 12:13am, May 26)
Last: DanG

Hall of MeritMost Meritorious Player: 1972 Ballot
(28 - 11:25pm, May 25)
Last: lieiam

Buy MLB playoff tickets, plus 2011 World Series, 2011 ALCS tickets and NLCS game tickets. We also have Texas Rangers playoff schedule, tickets to Red Sox games and Yankees game tickets. Plus, buy Phillies baseball tickets, Tigers playoff tickets and the biggies like ALDS baseball tickets and 2011 NLDS tickets.

Demarini, Easton and TPX Baseball Bats

 

 

 

AllianceTickets.com has cheap MLB Tickets. Get all your Colorado Rockies Tickets, Seattle Mariners Tickets, San Francisco Giants Tickets and all your favorite baseball tickets here. We also carry cheap Denver Broncos Tickets, Seattle Seahawks Tickets and Denver Nuggets Tickets.

Page rendered in 0.1802 seconds
55 querie(s) executed