Big Papi.....Big Phony ?

The company that brings you "all the news that's fit to print" has come out with a report that David Ortiz is on the list of 104 players that failed a drug test in 2003.
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Surprised? Nothing surprises me any more, at least not on this topic.


If Thursday's New York Times report is true, Big Papi, who earlier this year suggested anyone caught failing a drug test should be suspended for one year, will now be linked forever with A-Roid, Barry Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Manny-wood......and on and on the list goes and goes as it grows and grows.
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His initial reaction to the news was that he wanted to get some answers before commenting on the topic.
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Okay, I'll give you a pass for a day or so, give you time to circle the wagons and get the PR machine working. Don't wait too long though, the society - the judge and jury in this case -that is still waiting for O.J. to find the "real" killers won't wait forever.
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Here's some advice............if this is true, admit it, say you're sorry, apologize to your legion of fans and show some true remorse.
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This is a forgiving society to its athletes that can still entertain its fans. That is the reason Bonds and Clemens are forever doomed, they are at the end of their careers and this tag will dog them until the end of time.
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For Ortiz, the bomb has gone off. True or not, his name is stained forever. Come clean and come clean now, denial will only make things worse.
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How this news stains the 2004 and 2007 World Series titles for the Roid Sox is a discussion for another time.
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The sad thing about this is, for Major League Baseball, just when the steroid furor seems to die down, another big name comes from "the list" of those who failed a confidential drug test.
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Get the list out in the open, let the discussion go for a short time and move on with it. The longer the question is out there, the longer this ugly topic will remain in the forefront.
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If you've read my words before, you know that I subscribe to the notion that life isn't fair sometimes, but you have to deal with the reality of things.
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Big Papi has to deal with this reality, how he handles it will be his defining moment.

Confessions of a Juicer

First apology of the column - yes, I am aware it has been 26 days since my last post.
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I've been hesitant, but the time has come.
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I cannot live with this deep, dark secret any longer.

If my heroes, such as Jason Giambi, A-Roid, and Jose Canseco can admit it, so can I.

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Yes, I’m on the ‘roids. The Juice. Gym Candy.

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I'd like to apologize to my wife, my family, my friends, all my wonderful fans, and most of all, THE GAME that has given me so much in this life.

I know, you’re shocked. I was always pretty buff (see right)……… but even I had to turn to the dark side.

Be clear (pun intended), it isn’t a cream and my butt hasn’t been injected with anything……ever. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!).

I take juice the old fashioned way, in the form of a pill. Unlike A-Roid, I’m leaving my cousins out of this one. I got my “helpers” from a legit “doctor”, at least that is what I call him.

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Like Andy Pettitte and many others, I’m on the juice to help rehab from a physical ailment. Seriously.

The dreaded foot infection.

Sure, I’m now able to type 180 words a minute – error free, of course – and my accounting skills have never been better on the day job. Heck, I’ve already closed our first quarter of the year and we still have one month to go before the quarter ends.

The downsides to my new hobby? There are a few but I’m managing to deal with them.

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Roid Rage? No problem. I’m a menace on the roads anyway so what’s the difference ?

True, a coach tried avoiding a direct question after I did a hoop game the other night. I got in his face and got the answers I wanted. I call that “results”.

At the day job, I expend the extra anger the juice affords me by calling deadbeat clients who have a hard time putting the pen and the checkbook together.

Shriveled ‘Nads? Again, no problem. I’m old anyway. It was inevitable.

The lesson? Well, I feel better, almost cleansed in coming out of the 'Roid closet. Where is Peter Gammons? While I don't have a pretty blue sweater like A-Roid, I'd welcome an interview.

Memo to any ALLEGED 'roiders......Roger, and Barry, and you too Raffy and Big Mac among others....... come clean, you might just feel a wee bit better.

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For me, I only have three more days of magic left in my un-refillable bottle.

Wonder if A-Roid’s cousin is available for a phone call?

Is it A-Rod, or A-Roid ?

Is it A-Rod, or A-Roid?
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It appears as though there is an answer to that question as, according to Sports Illustrated, it appears that Alex Rodriguez failed a steroid test in 2003.
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And I thought there wouldn't be anything to talk about with the Super Bowl complete and March Madness being six weeks away.
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Yes, I must admit, ripping A-Rod is a favorite hobby of mine. I think he comes off as a phony and he seems to have a difficult time handling the adverstiy that comes with making more cash during than the entire Florida Marlins team.
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I enjoy his annual October failures more than most and I'm eagerly awaiting a statement on this report that has merit. His inital response of "You'll have to talk to the union" isn't good enough.
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In the court of public opinion, anything other than a denial is an admission of guilt. Since I'm a member of the court of public opinion, and this is my blog, I'm annoting myself as judge and jury, I'm going to believe the SI report that was verified by four sources.
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The other part of this is that I don't think Rodriguez has the intestinal fortitude to come out and admit it. He won't face jail time and the failed test was prior to Major League Baseball instituting its testing policy.
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Jason Giambi came clean, so did Andy Pettitte and others. Society is forgiving to those who show remorse. They have gone on with their careers.
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Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have been defiant, look where they are right now. Mark McGwire didn't want to talk about the past and Rafael Palmeiro lectured legislators before failing a test later that season.
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Chances are, none of those listed above will see the Hall of Fame. The early thought out there now is that neither will Rodriguez.
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It wasn't all that long ago that Jose Canseco came out and name A-Roid as a steroid user. Rodriguez denied the charge.

In his time since leaving the big leagues, Canseco has said many things. At the time, most were viewed as self-servent and as an outrageous attempt to peddle his books and make some coin.
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As time goes forward, Jose Canseco sounds more and more like the only guy with enough guts to tell the truth.
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Is It That Time Already????.

So, I'm at work the other day when the email arrives.........yes, it is time for the annual NASCAR pool at my place of employment, free of charge.

.Fifty-One weeks of fun with hard-driving cars making left turns, revved up engines and tons of chewing tobacco and motor oil.

I couldn't have deleted the offer quick enough.
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Instead of trying to figure out why this sport ---I'm not even sure this qualifies as a sport any more --- is so popular, I'm not going to bother showing an interest. I just don't care.
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In that spirit, I'm deciding where NASCAR fits in my viewing plans when going over options of sports that I'd prefer to view.
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NFL Football? Check.
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Baseball? Check
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Hockey? Check
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College Hoops? Check
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College Football? No Brainer
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Golf? Yep, like to watch that one also.
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Tennis? Don't really care but I'd put it over NASCAR....NFL Pro Bowl? I'm checking in on that along with watching an NBA game over the Daytona time trials so I guess those two items are higher.
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Curling? Yep....underrated and up and coming sport. Women's soccer? Yeah, but its close.

Okay, now we know where the line is. I'd rather watch NASCAR than men's soccer and WNBA.
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Check back next year motorheads, we'll see where your sport ranks then.