I log onto ESPN to read this headline: Dems want HGH testing, tobacco ban in baseball. I refuse to read the article until I calm down. Before anyone starts to think I'm enraged because the Dems want to do something, take a breath. I hate both sides of congress equally, they each to stupid things and they are equally to blame for the state of this country. I also firmly believe that they are both incapable of fixing anything, and they are certainly less than qualified to stick their already busy noses into a professional sport that seems to have things under control.
My rage and anger come from two different areas. First off is congress assuming they have either the legal right or the moral position to tell Major League Baseball that they need to enforce more drug testing. Our congress is as corrupt and self serving as any of the Tobacco companies or oil companies. The difference, of course, is that Congress pretends they have our best interest at heart and that they perform some useful service. Both are incorrect.
I know what people are going to say, I've heard it all before. I know I have an unpopular stance on the issue of performance enhancing drugs in sports. I'm not really for it, but I'm not against it. Remember that summer when McGuire and Sosa were racing for Roger Maris' home run record? How exciting was that?! Seriously, everybody in this country was watching baseball. I remember people that didn't even like the sport were talking about it and wanting to watch a game with those two guys. The Home Run Derby that year at the All Star Game? EPIC! Oh, and one small note about that.. The Andro that McGuire kept in his locker and took before each game? It wasn't a banned substance at the time. Its a pill that increases testosterone production in the body, ultimately producing a steroid like effect. At the time it wasn't even classified as a steroid. Of course now we villafy him, Sosa has bleached his skin white (easily one of the grossest and most terrifying things I've ever seen, by the way) and people forget how great a hitter they both were. People forget how exciting that summer was and how much that helped bring baseball back from the work stoppage and increase popularity in the sport. Baseball has adopted much tougher drug testing since congress got involved a few years ago and I suppose the players are safer for it. Thanks to the Cardinals and Rangers I'd even argue that the sport is as exciting as it's ever been, without drugs.
The fact that congress, in all their wisdom, continues to feel like they need to control our lives down to the last little detail makes the call for banning tobacco a logical next step. I don't understand how anyone can accept our government telling a group of grown men that they can't do something that is LEGAL in this country. Why, because kids see the big leaguers do it and they'll want to do it? How about you leave that issue to the parents. Oh, that's right, parents don't have the capacity to teach their kids right from wrong anymore. If the kids do something bad its never the parents fault anymore, the blame falls to everyone else. Being a parent of two boys I can say, with all honesty, that if either of my sons start chewing before they are 18 I will personally kick their ass. After their 18, well, they can make up their own mind. I can't control them forever and I wouldn't want to. Once they hit 18 I have to hope that what Ice taught them sticks and they make the correct choices in life. If they do decide to chew that still is preferable to them becoming rapists or murderers. I still don't need congress to do my parenting for me.
Can anyone give me an example of anything congress has done right lately? Iraq? Wall Street? The mortgage crash of a few years ago? Pay and hiring freezes for government employees? I'm sure the fact that we had to raise the debt ceiling to keep our country from defaulting on loans to other countries makes people feel good. I can find no reason for congress to do this unless they also plan to make chewing tobacco illegal. If they do that they might as well keep going to make caffeine, sugar, cigarettes and alcohol illegal as well. Why stop there? Fast food makes us fat and causes obesity. Fried foods at home will do the same. Better stop stores from selling oil too!
I realize Ice ranted off on a weird tangent. Basically I just don't see any way for congress, especially given their track record and excellent moral fiber, to make Major League Baseball better. NOTHING they touch turns to anything but bankrupt. I think I'll go back and read the article now, I feel a little better. Long live the sovereignty of major corporations and professional sports!
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