Ok, this offseason, I've been pretty apathetic about RSL's goings on.  Right now I am so burned out with the team and the constant changes, I haven't really been paying attention.  Not to mention, I graduate tomorrow.  I will post pics as soon as I get a chance. 

I want to give my comments on the Mitchell report and baseball.  I am not a baseball fan, largely as a result of the strike they had a few years ago.  Same with hockey, but thankfully there are plenty of other leagues to follow outside of the NHL with that, especially the Staropramen Extraliga in the Czech Republic. 

I haven't read all 404 pages yet, but even then, I have yet to see anything said there that we didn't already know.  The list of players he names as being involved in steroids was no surprise.  Is there anyone who HONESTLY doubts that players like Roger Clements and Barry Bonds used steroids?  Does anyone doubt that there is a "drug culture" in baseball?  What did Mitchell do for 21 months and why did they pay him $20 million to come to these conclusions?  And what about amphetamines?  Mitchell says nothing about players taking speed.  There is not a single thing in what I have read so far that was in any way new information that was not available before the report, especially if you read the book Game of Shadows, which was excellent.  Mitchell's report is garbage, there is no new information, much of what is said is based on heresay and he doesn't even recommend punishing those he names.

The other thing I love is how the mainstream news outlets are talking about how this is going to affect high school kids like high school kids may be tempted to start using steroids because the pro ball players are using them.  Here's a clue, there are huge numbers of high school kids who are already using steroids.  Look no further than your local high school.  I know when I was in high school 10 years ago that a significant number of the varsity football teams were using steroids.  On my high school wrestling team, I know there were kids on steroids.  That was 11 years ago.  There were various reasons why the kids would use steroids, from parent pressure (yes, some parents cared more that their kid played on the varsity team than about their kid's health) to wanting to get a quick and easy edge.  Kids should start being tested for steroids not in high school, but junior high.  It is that big of a problem already. 

Also, with those who are caught, no slaps on the wrist.  Punishment should be swift and ruthless.  At minimum, a 1 year ban for a first offense.  Second offenses should be a lifetime ban.  For those who are retired, they should forfeit all their records, if they are in the hall of fame, they should be kicked out, and any retirement benefits they get from Major League Baseball should be lost.  There needs to be real teeth in the penalties.  There needs to be some examples made of these players.  Also, they need to test, and test often like every week, to stop it.  They won't stop all people from trying to cheat (even with all the cameras and security, people still try to cheat in Vegas), but it would help deter some and would at least make cheating harder. 

        

 

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