In baseball it's called hot-dogging.
A House committee headed by Tom Davis of Virginia, who hopes to someday succeed his benefactor John Warner in the Senate, issued subpoenas to past and present baseball stars on Wednesday. The House Government Reform Committee ordered Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Thomas, Sammy Sosa, Curt Schilling, and others to testify about steroids in baseball. This spectacle, generated by media whores in Congress, has nothing to do with government reform--save the value it serves in demonstrating the need for it, starting with this committee.
The star-power of the players will give committee members a publicity rub. The House demagogues will gain the appearance of having combatted a great evil, or at least one that gets a lot of media coverage. The players, even by having their names mixed up in the hearings, will be attainted. The legitimate federal investigation into Balco will be undermined by the congressional grandstanding as well. As Jayson Stark of ESPN.com asserts, "when the United States Congress stages an event in which guilty-until-proven-innocent will, essentially, be the central theme, it makes us a little uncomfortable."
Steroids has corrupted baseball. Now it has corrupted a House committee too.
More TV time for a House committee high on roids'...
I think that this will absolutely achieve nothing. I think if they're gonna subpoena anyone it should be Commissioner Bud Selig... He is being awfully quiet throughout all of this.
This is absurd on a number of levels. First, last time I checked Article I doesn't have any provisions concerning MLB oversight. Second, even granting that Congress has some legitimate authority here (which they do not), why has Bonds been excepted? You can't investigate steroid use in MLB without questioning Bonds. Third, who cares anyway? The PR damage has been done, and the League has already instituted a stronger drug policy. Was Canseco's book really that riveting?
This whole business is a sham.
How did all of this get started? Did Canseco just flat out rat on people? If he did that is pretty low. Was it just to sell a book? Or perhaps he was commissioned to do it by a higher authority, in attempts to continue the media diversion techniques?? That is, diverting from the important goings on of the world. That is, the oil war/genocide happening in Iraq etc...
Good info here, www.supportthetruth.com
Lots of multi-media
Let the MLB develop and enforce its own rules. This proposed show-hearing is, to put it bluntly, an unconstitutional waste of taxpayer dollars.
It’s a frickin’ kids game that a lot of grown men get paid way too much money to play. If they want to cheat and pollute their bodies in the process, it shouldn’t be considered a pressing national issue. Other than some hand wringing fans that don’t have much in their lives or sportstalk guys who get paid to discuss it over and over and over again: who cares! Our taxpayer funded employees need a reality check and should be putting their efforts to use solving more serious problems of national interest.
The simple fact that Bonds wasn't called puts the lie to this hearing being at all legitimate.
"Other than some hand wringing fans that don’t have much in their lives or sportstalk guys who get paid to discuss it over and over and over again: who cares!"--Dr. Evil
Fans don't have much in their lives you say? I disagree with you... I am a big fan of baseball. A kid's game that was at one point... America's great past time. I believe it still is.. For you to denounce something that was popular in the 30', 40', and 50's was as much a part of society then as it is today. Baseball is a reminder of what is good about America. Who cares? Lots of people care about this game. Lots of kids care about this game and they want to emulate their favorite players. It is sad for this scandal to taint baseball and bring a dark cloud overhead yet I must say... MANY care about the game maybe not you, Dr. Evil but MANY... I agree with you that its a waste of taxpayers money to hold these hearings however don't go demeaning the fans of the game who look to baseball as something they enjoy in their lives. Lives you state have no meaning or nothing for that matter.
Damn fine point Brian
I remember seeing another article on drug use in baseball - but not steroids. And what chance is there of this being brought up? ZILCH.
Selig is useless, even as commissioners go. He couldn't even figure out a way to properly end an All-Star Game. How's he going to fix doping in baseball? And if he shows up before the House, someone is sure to call him "Janet Reno."
So Brian, you are hinting at a conspiracy?? OMG, you said the bad word... lol
Spitfly: it’s people like you that blow all of this out of proportion and assign much more importance to all of this than it deserves. You sports ‘purists’ make me laugh and your dedication and nostalgia is immature at best.
Among many other sports, I too am a baseball fan. In fact, I am a very serious fan. But, not a ‘fan’atic. I don’t get up or down daily based on what any of these guys do. I don’t care if these guys eat or inject steroids for breakfast, lunch and dinner or what color they are or where they live or who they date or what kind of car they drive. My only interest in any sport is that it is entertaining. Period! If they wow me with their athletic prowess enough to give me a temporary escape, that’s good enough for me.
