No, I’m not. I’ve stated my personal feelings regarding steroids. What I find mindboggling is how heavy handed most people are regarding steroids. When I point to other infractions its to establish a sort of societal baseline for how professional athletes are treated who engage in illicit behavior. IMO, your not wanting to ever sign a PED user to another contract is a bit heavy handed when society seems to be so forgiving in many other respects. What is it about PEDs that makes everyone go ballistic about them?

“Steroids usage in baseball should be judged on its own without reference to what other sports do and without regard to how other infractions in baseball are dealt with. Why is it so hard for some of you to make such a judgment?”

Why are you so adamant about judging steroids in a vacuum? Generally, when deciding how to deal/punish an offense and set policy you look to other forums and how it is handled there, and how other offenses within your own jurisdiction are handled. Thus, the MLB drug policy and steroid policies of other leagues are relevant to the discussion.

Granted, steroids is more damaging to the game of baseball than doing smack or a DUI, but the punishment should be proportional to the crime.

Ok, one more thing I wanted to address.

“Incorrect. In terms of formal penalties, Selig has already punished players for violating the steroids policy without them having failed a drug test. It’s infrequent but he’s done it.”

Just because Selig did this it doesn’t make it right. MLB cannot and should not punish players for using PED unless they test positive for it, or unless there is extensive evidence implicating their use.

What you don’t seem to understand is that punishing/exposing someone as using PED is extremely damaging to a player’s career/life and should be treated as such. You need to be almost certain that the player used PEDs before you expose him because we’re talking about someone’s livelihood here. It doesn’t matter that they’re millionaires playing a game, they still deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt and not have to defend themselves in “the court of public opinion” which is subject to the whims of the common man.

That is why I have a problem with the way this whole steroid debacle went down. Just because it was accurate doesn’t make it right. It sets a dangerous precedent. Personally, I feel like if even one player was wrongly implicated then that would been one too many.

Media outlets don’t assign beat reporters to investigate things like steroids usage and distribution. And, indeed, over the last decade or so, the reporters who have been most active in investigating steroids in baseball have not been beat reporters. So that is not a valid issue.

Rising attendance is generally tied to past performance and not current performance. So baseball is reaping the benefits from the excitement generated by the steroid season to this day.

Nonsense. That’s simply ludicrous. Bumps in attendance do follow successful seasons but MLB hasn’t had a steroids-induced HR-derby year since at least 2004. Most people agree that the recent rise in revenues and attendance has more to do with the wildcard and a more even playing field due to revenue sharing and luxury taxes than anything else. If you look at recent articles about the profits, they all say that. I don’t think you’ll find a single person who thinks it has to do with a HR bump dating back more than 4-5 years ago.

I’m going to have to go ahead and guess it has to do with baseball being a 162 game season with football only being 16 games.

Obviously. My point being people shell out much more collectively in out-of-pocket expenses every year for baseball than they do for football.

You haven’t stated how you would punish those who use PEDs so I don’t know what your exact policy would be, however it sounds like it would be pretty harsh.

There are two issues here – formal penalties imposed upon those testing positive and informal punishment imposed by fans, teams and writes in the form of withholding jobs, contracts, and special honors.

In terms of formal penalties, I would have a minimum 90 day suspension for the first offense. Second offense you’re out of baseball for life.

For the most serious cheaters – like Bonds and Clemens – I don’t think they deserve baseball jobs, contracts or any HOF honors.

There is no way you can ever punish someone for using PED unless they fail a test or there is some big time evidence against them.

Incorrect. In terms of formal penalties, Selig has already punished players for violating the steroids policy without them having failed a drug test. It’s infrequent but he’s done it.

In terms of how fans, teams, and writers react, they certainly don’t need any positive test to withhold jobs and honors. You’ll never see McGwuire or Palmeiro in the HOF even though neither has failed a drug test. I doubt Clemens will make it either, even though he may not have ever failed a drug test. I also predict no one will give Bonds a job this year. While he has failed a drug test, I’m not sure many are aware of that yet. So, you see, they can be punished in many ways even though they’ve never failed a test.

How would you like it if your job all of a sudden changed rules they’ve had in place for years?

Apples and oranges. As I mentioned to you many posts ago, MLB did have rules against using steroids when Bonds and Clemens cheated.

They are part of a union that protects their interests.

Right. But baseball is allowed to operate in the way it does due to the anti-trust exemption from Congress. Therefore, Congress has the right to impose rules that supercede the rights of the baseball players. If they don’t like it, they can walk away.

Again, let’s leave “teaching lessons” to parents and after school specials. I would rather have Congress focus their time on legislating.

As I said, it’s not just for the kids, it’s for adults and the other players as well. A deterrent to both cheating and lying. I would rather have Congress make a point with the Mitchell report than not. We will just have to agree to disagree here.

They’re freaking Congress, they set their own agenda, not Roger Clemens and his lawyer.

Of course, Congress could have said no to Clemens. But it was Congress who initiated these hearings and if Clemens and his lawyers insist on going through with them because they felt that was only fair, then in the interest of justice, I can see where Waxman and David acceded to their wishes

**Sure you can, because of the precedent set in New York Times v. Sullivan: …”

My original statement still stands. As I said, you can’t write stories based on whispers unless you want to fight a lot of laswsuits. Regardless of their chances of winning, a media outlet does not want to embroil itself in needless lawsuits, tying up and wasting resources. Which is why the reputable ones that have beat reporters covering baseball teams won’t print stories based on whispers. Apart from the legal issues, it’s also called journalistic integrity. These are professionals after all, not National Enquirer hacks.

That is why you don’t see any stories based on just “whispers.”

Not baseball’s moneymaker… their own. If reporters spearheaded the uncovering of the steroid issue players would stop talking to them. If players don’t talk to them, they don’t have jobs.

“Baseball is making more money than ever now, yet we’re many years past the hyper inflated power stats.”

When the Mets were playing awesome in ‘06 their attendance rose, but it rose even more in ‘07, despite the team not playing as well because there was now a winning perception of the team. That’s why the ARod argument that attendance rose while he was there is bull. Rising attendance is generally tied to past performance and not current performance. So baseball is reaping the benefits from the excitement generated by the steroid season to this day. Plus, it helped to smooth over ill feelings from the strike.

“Every year, don’t more people attend baseball games than attend football games?”

I’m going to have to go ahead and guess it has to do with baseball being a 162 game season with football only being 16 games.

“It’s just that within the game of baseball cheating is considered more of a crime. DUIs and cocaine are considered personal tragedies/frailties/problems.”

That’s a fair argument. However, I just disagree with you. You haven’t stated how you would punish those who use PEDs so I don’t know what your exact policy would be, however it sounds like it would be pretty harsh. I believe ballplayers should be given a second chance. By bringing up the DUI and drug situations I am pointing to other instances where players have used behaved contrary to MLB policy and have been welcomed back after they were punished. Why shouldn’t PED users have an opportunity at redemption after serving their punishment?

“Again, a failed test is not the only way to know someone took PEDs.”

Right, but good luck setting a “he said, she said” testing policy. There is no way you can ever punish someone for using PED unless they fail a test or there is some big time evidence against them.

“Players’ rights? They have always had every right to walk away from the millions they get if they don’t like the rules of MLB.”

This is a bogus argument from your end. Of course the players have rights. How would you like it if your job all of a sudden changed rules they’ve had in place for years? Of course they have rights, just like anyone else.

“No one is forcing them to play for millions.”

This can’t be a serious comment. Ballplayers have unique skills that owners are willing to pay a lot of cash for. They are part of a union that protects their interests. Just like how any other union protects the interests of its members.

“As I’ve been saying, it was a lesson for those in the audience—kids, other athletes, adults— as much as anything.”

Again, let’s leave “teaching lessons” to parents and after school specials. I would rather have Congress focus their time on legislating.

“Again, Waxman tried to cancel that. Clemens & Hardin wanted it to go ahead.”

Right, because Roger Clemens and his lawyer just burst into the Capitol and said “WE ARE HAVING THIS HEARING, I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU WANT!!!” And Congress responded with a meek “ok.” They’re freaking Congress, they set their own agenda, not Roger Clemens and his lawyer.

“And you can’t write stories based on whispers. Unless you want to fight a lot of lawsuits.”

Sure you can, because of the precedent set in New York Times v. Sullivan: “The actual malice standard requires that the plaintiff in a defamation or libel case prove that the publisher of the statement in question knew that the statement was false or acted in reckless disregard of its truth or falsity. Because of the extremely high burden of proof on the plaintiff, and the difficulty in proving essentially what is inside a person’s head, such cases — when they involve public figures — rarely prevail.”

This is why you don’t see celebrities suing US Weekly left and right.

If we are trying to teach the kids that cheating is bad, shouldn’t people (fans, Congress and the media) be making just as big a deal about steroid use in football as they are about steroid use in baseball? And, if they aren’t, why is that?

Again, Waxman tried to cancel that. Clemens & Hardin wanted it to go ahead. Maybe you should rant about them.

I would prefer that our government officials spend their time more productively than “teaching Roger Clemens a lesson.”

As I’ve been saying, it was a lesson for those in the audience—kids, other athletes, adults— as much as anything.

Is this a fact?

It’s a prediction based on fact—precedent. Up to now, Fehr and Selig only moved to stricter policies after congressional pressure. MLB has made great strides but only after being prodded by Congress. That IS a fact.

Players’ rights? They have always had every right to walk away from the millions they get if they don’t like the rules of MLB. No one is forcing them to play for millions.

The CBA has always been a roadblock to reform when it came to PEDs. That’s exactly why Congress was/is needed. Because the union was willing to make changes outside of the CBA only when pressured by Congress.

Again, did these guys fail any tests?

Again, a failed test is not the only way to know someone took PEDs.

How come Steve Howe was given 9 chances, but Bonds and Clemens should be excommunicated because they took steroids?

Because cocaine is not considered a PED in the way steroids and HGH are. Because cocaine does not distort the playing field the way PEDs do. One is a blatant attempt to cheat, the other is not. One impacts the integrity of the game, the other does not. And why must you always make a judgement about PEDs in relation to other infractions? That’s the red herring argument.

People don’t “go silent” on DUIs or cocaine. It’s just that within the game of baseball cheating is considered more of a crime. DUIs and cocaine are considered personal tragedies/frailties/problems.

Try again. Football is more popular than baseball

Every year, don’t more people attend baseball games than attend football games? Collectively, I think their out-of-pocket costs are higher than that for those who attend football games.

At any rate, I am not much of a football fan. I care about baseball. Again, why you must frame your own judgment on steroids around how football fans react is beyond me and terribly week.

But they didn’t, and why is that? Because no one kills their moneymaker.

Why? Because fewer players were talking then. Because the media was simply behind the curve on the story. I doubt the media cared about killing baseball’s “moneymaker” which ended up to not really be the biggest moneymaker at all. Baseball is making more money than ever now, yet we’re many years past the hyper inflated power stats.

And you can’t write stories based on whispers. Unless you want to fight a lot of lawsuits. Big time.

First of all this is totally inappropriate. I played sports in HS, and I was raised the right way. I wouldn’t take steroids or HGH.

“So now you’re complaining how MLB spends its money?”

Not complaining. Just stating my opinion that it was a waste of time and money.

“And at exactly what point are you saying the Congressional hearings became a waste of time? ”

The first congressional hearings that included McGuire, Sosa, Palmeiro, etc., were understandable. It got the ball rolling and I didn’t have a problem with it. I didn’t see the point of the Clemens hearing.

“Personally, I don’t think the Clemens testimony was a waste of time. It was a good object lesson about lying to congress and unbridled arrogance and where that will get you.”

Uh, yeah, I would prefer that our government officials spend their time more productively than “teaching Roger Clemens a lesson.”

“Even now, a sronger policy won’t come about without continued Congressional scrutiny and pressure.”

Is this a fact? I would say this is opinion. Rome wasn’t built in a day. MLB has made great strides in this area. How about players’ rights? These issues take time in collective bargaining. Congress got the ball rolling, and baseball is going through the negotiating process.

“The issue was one of whether or not you give the egregious cheaters jobs, contracts and honors like HOF membership. That is the punishment I’ve been talking about and advocating.”

Again, did these guys fail any tests? Do they not deserve a second chance if they did in fact test positive? How come Steve Howe was given 9 chances, but Bonds and Clemens should be excommunicated because they took steroids? Should they not have an opportunity to come back and prove their clean, similar to how Josh Hamilton came back from drug abuse? These guys should just be thrown out of MLB for one failed test? I’m sorry, but I just feel that’s incredibly heavy handed.

I am not lenient on steroids. I believe if you test positive it should be a half year ban. 2nd time gets you a year. 3rd time your out. I feel that this would be a strong enough policy. And I also feel the testing should be completely random. The players should not know when they will be tested.

“LOL, Keith, your excuses seem to change with every post.”

Get is straight. These are not excuses, arguments, or complaints. I am simply stating my personal opinion regarding the steroid issue. I feel that when it comes to the steroid issue, everyone likes to act holier than thou, however when it comes to issues like drug addiction or DUI people kind of get silent. Why is that? Probably because most people know someone who has a drug addiction or is an alcoholic. Most people have probably drank and drove before. However, and this is merely conjecture, I would guess most people have never dabbled in steroids or HGH. So people (and the media is part of the general “people”) tend to forgive other transgressions that they can relate to or have in fact done themselves.

And should I just keep repeating myself over and over again? There are a multitude of reasons as to why I have formed the opinion I have formed.

“Maybe the reason the media spends more time on PEDs in baseball than in other sports is because 1) the popularity of baseball relative to other sports”

Try again. Football is more popular than baseball and hardly any coverage was given to Merriman and Harrison. It was discussed for a day, maybe two, but that was it. Some even advocated for Merriman to win defensive player of the year.

“Actually, I wish they would have done more investigative reporting on PEDs in baseball earlier.”

But they didn’t, and why is that? Because no one kills their moneymaker. You mean to tell me these guys who spend so much time around the game didn’t hear whispers? I call shenanigans. And this is my larger point. You want to “punish” steroid users (who never tested positive, mind you), yet what happens to the owners and the beat writers who never spoke up or said anything, who allowed the problem to persist? Obviously the players should bear most of the responsibility here, but the owners, and to a lesser extent, the beat writers, also deserve to be held culpable as well.

So now you’re complaining how MLB spends its money?

And at exactly what point are you saying the Congressional hearings became a waste of time? Can you be precise so we don’t have a moving target here?

And yes, I watched Clemens lying to congress on national TV. Maybe if you think that particular hearing was a waste of money, you should vent against Clemens and his idiot defense lawyer, Hardin. Waxman wanted to cancel that portion of the hearings but Clemens and Hardin insisted on it. Since Clemens was the one whose reputation was most at stake, Waxman agreed to go ahead.

Personally, I don’t think the Clemens testimony was a waste of time. It was a good object lesson about lying to congress and unbridled arrogance and where that will get you.

The steroid era happened. It’s now been exposed. Institute a stronger policy against it, and let’s move on.

See, this is where I think you’re terribly naive. Even now, a sronger policy won’t come about without continued Congressional scrutiny and pressure. There are big holes in the current testing program as is.

We’re not saying they shouldn’t be punished.

Oh, you’re not? Then how come you said the Mets should sign Bonds? We both agree formal retroactive punishment is not the answer. The issue was one of whether or not you give the egregious cheaters jobs, contracts and honors like HOF membership. That is the punishment I’ve been talking about and advocating. Do you want it both ways? I would be curious to know what you feel is acceptable punishment.

It is simply stating that the media has spent an inordinate amount of time anguishing over the “Steroid Era.”

So now it’s the media’s fault? LOL, Keith, your excuses seem to change with every post. First you ranted against fans who seemed to care more about PEDs than DUI offenders. Now you say fans don’t really care about PEDs, but it’s the media who is too obsessed with steroids and HGH? Your position indeed has been a moving target.

Maybe the reason the media spends more time on PEDs in baseball than in other sports is because 1) the popularity of baseball relative to other sports and 2) the idea that records are more sacred in baseball than any other sport. I’m not really sure why, and that’s a question someone like John Delcos could better handle. But since baseball is my #1 sport, I’m certainly glad they’ve been giving it the coverage they have been. Actually, I wish they would have done more investigative reporting on PEDs in baseball earlier.

If you ask me, the more scrutiny the media gives PEDs in baseball, the cleaner the sport is likely to be. Because the pressure to clean up the sport also comes from the public embarrassment players and management like Fehr and Selig get from being called out in reports like the Mitchell Report and by Congress.

I noticed in another comment section you say you played a lot of sports. Have you tried steroids or HGH? Is that why you hold a lenient position?

The first Congressional hearings were fine. You’re right, they did not take up much time and they actually gave MLB a kick in the butt. But why go back to the well? Did you watch Clemens’ appearance? It was a waste of time and resources, regardless of how minute that may have been.

You obviously feel very strongly about this, so I’m not responding after this. But in my opinion, PED use in baseball is not worth all of this trouble.

That does NOT make me an apologist because I do think PED users should be punished, rather firmly at that. I just don’t feel it is necessary to anguish over events that are over and done with.

The steroid era happened. It’s now been exposed. Institute a stronger policy against it, and let’s move on. We do not need to have a line of players outside the Capitol.

The Bonds and Clemens situations are different, however. Bonds allegedly lied to a grand jury for an investigation into BALCO. Clemens allegedly lied while under oath in Congress. These are both big no-nos. Whether or not I felt Mr. Clemens visits Washington was worthwhile or not, the fact that he allegedly lied means he needs to face the music. Bonds and Clemens being investigated/prosecuted for perjury is different from their use of PEDs.

“That’s why the congress/resources excuse is the biggest red herring argument. With the DUI one being a close second.”

Lastly, you’re misinterpreting our position. We’re not apologizing for these guys. We’re not saying they shouldn’t be punished. We’re just saying that too much ink and blood is being spilled over this issue. From my, and many others’, perspectives, if Congress spends one second on this issue that could have been spent on a more worthy cause, well, that’s one second too long. So while the time and resources they devote to it may be “peanuts,” if those “peanuts” are being devoted to PED in pro sports instead of another more worthy cause (whatever that may be), well that’s too much IMO. Congress did a fine job the first time around, but enough is enough now.

The DUI “argument/excuse” is neither an argument nor an excuse. It is simply stating that the media has spent an inordinate amount of time anguishing over the “Steroid Era.” Meanwhile, players like Leonard Little kill people while DUI and are lucky if they get a headline. Or, a better example, Shawne Merriman gets busted for steroids in football, only to garner support in the media to be named Defensive Player of the year. Basically, I’m sick of hearing about the steroid era in baseball when the media really could give a crap about steroids, as evidenced by their ignoring it in other sports, namely, the NFL (Merriman, Rodney Harrison, Julius Peppers, etc.)

This either/or red herring argument put up by those tolerant of the PEDs abusers is the biggest canard. It’s totally naïve and disingenuous to make weak arguments like this, and it speaks of someone with no conception of reality.

And stop putting words into my mouth. I never said getting Clemens was one of the country’s high priorities. Again, another false argument on your part – a strawman argument that undermines your position. It is frankly insulting for you to say that I don’t care about this country’s social ills or more important issues.

But if you think locking up Clemens is going to end PEDs talk to the Olympics,

Locking up Clemens is not meant to eliminate PEDs totally from baseball. That will probably never happen. Locking up Clemens will act as a deterrent for anyone who wants to cheat in baseball or lie to the feds.

• … if you need Roger Clemens in jail to teach your kids right from wrong than I feel sorry for you, not them … **

  I want Roger Clemens in jail to help teach my kids, other people’s kids, other baseball players, and adults around the country that lying and cheating don’t pay. And I feel sorry for you for your failure to see this important lesson.

  Again, this idea that there is only room in one’s moral vocabulary for one outrage … or only time on the Congressional schedule to address just one type of issue … is the most illogical fraudulent excuse given by the Bonds-Clemens apologists.

This either/or red herring argument put up by those tolerant of the PEDs abusers is the biggest canard. It’s totally naïve and disingenuous to make weak arguments like this, and it speaks of someone with no conception of reality.

And stop putting words into my mouth. I never said getting Clemens was one of the country’s high priorities. Again, another false argument on your part – a strawman argument that undermines your position. It is frankly insulting for you to say that I don’t care about this country’s social ills or more important issues.

But if you think locking up Clemens is going to end PEDs talk to the Olympics,

Locking up Clemens is not meant to eliminate PEDs totally from baseball. That will probably never happen. Locking up Clemens will act as a deterrent for anyone who wants to cheat in baseball or lie to the feds.

• … if you need Roger Clemens in jail to teach your kids right from wrong than I feel sorry for you, not them … **

  I want Roger Clemens in jail to help teach my kids, other people’s kids, other baseball players, and adults around the country that lying and cheating don’t pay. And I feel sorry for you for your failure to see this important lesson.

  Again, this idea that there is only room in one’s moral vocabulary for one outrage … or only time on the Congressional schedule to address one type of issue … is the most illogical fraudulent excuse given by the Bonds-Clemens apologists.

Is it a burning issue of our day? Of course not. Are there more critical issues? Of course there are. This idea that the government can only focus on a narrow band of issues is wholly incoherent.

Budgetary and domestic policy issues are for the most part vastly different types of issues than an oversight committee’s involvement into PEDs in sports. The reason we can’t solve and will never solve funding and domestic policy issues is because of partisan polictcs and disagreements on budget allocation. If the oversight committee spent ZERO time this winter on Clemens, I doubt we’d be any closer to ameliorating any other single problem in this country.

To show just how wrong your arguments are, you say that the report cost millions. But MLB paid for this report. Not Congress. In fact, ironically, it was probably the Yankees who paid for this report because of all the money they give to luxury taxes. You are just very misinformed on this point

The point is it shouldn’t take a Congressional hearing, a Report that cost millions, and all the analysis that is going on.

What exactly are you referring to when you say ‘it”?

You can not punish retroactively.

Are you not reading my posts? No one is advocating formal retroactive punishment. I’ve said this before, and it would save time if you didn’t continually repeat arguments that no one is making.

So going through this whole song and a dance is pointless. So institute a more stringent testing policy with year long suspensions going forward and call it a day.

No, it’s not pointless. I think you fail to realize that without involvement by the oversight committee starting a few years back, MLB would have virtually no testing policy in place right now. So unless you believe a testing program in baseball is useless, then congressional involvement has been absolutely essential.

There are people at my school who don’t follow sports at all. I know a girl who couldn’t tell Roger Clemens apart from Roger Rabbit.

And I know non-baseball fans who don’t know much about Clemens but feel he cheated and lied and should pay the price.

You’re the only one who doesn’t seem to understand that resources are limited, even those of the federal government.

Oh no, I understand that. I think the problem is your misunderstanding of the amount of resources they have spent up to now on PEDs in sports. It is peanuts. Again, if the oversight committee all of a sudden decided to stop paying attention to PEDs in sports, it’s not going to all of a sudden free up money in the budget for domestic causes or rid the gridlock in government of partisan politics that is at the real root of domestic problems.

The small amount of resources they spent on looking into PEDs in sports is totally appropriate.

That’s why the congress/resources excuse is the biggest red herring argument. With the DUI one being a close second.

As for positive tests, you don’t need one to know someone did PEDs. And, at any rate, Bonds did fail one. It will come out at his trial.

I’ll go back to the Katrina well. Our government’s response to the situation in NOLA was reprehensible. That community is STILL struggling to rebuild and were basically left to fend for themselves. Sure, there was a ton of aid that came in during the immediate weeks after Katrina hit, but those funds slowly stopped coming in.

Additionally, we’re fighting a war on terror in the Middle East, the dollar is dropping in value, there is the sub-prime mortgage crisis, more important social issues like gay marriage and abortion. Plus we have a very freaking important election coming up. The media and American public’s attention would be put to much better use if we paid less attention to this nonsense and more attention to the real issues right in front of our faces.

And this is not an “either/or” argument. No one is saying that nothing should be done about PEDs. The point is it shouldn’t take a Congressional hearing, a Report that cost millions, and all the analysis that is going on. You can not punish retroactively. You just can’t. So going through this whole song and a dance is pointless. So institute a more stringent testing policy with year long suspensions going forward and call it a day.

Lastly, I’m with Omar on this one. There are people at my school who don’t follow sports at all. I know a girl who couldn’t tell Roger Clemens apart from Roger Rabbit. Do you think she gives a crap about this? Not to mention sports fans like Omar and myself who feel that our limited resources would be put to better use if less time was spent on steroids and more time was spent on issues that affect the Americans public.

But you’re right JK, they do have to go after the perjurers now, that door has been opened, so they need to walk through it.

“Someone who thinks that NOT going after Clemens or Bonds is going to suddenly solve all our economic/drug/border issues is totally delusional.”

You really have a hard time getting the other side’s point, don’t you? No one is suggesting this. You’re the only one who doesn’t seem to understand that resources are limited, even those of the federal government. So it is NOT an “either/or” argument, and it is not a rationalization that not going after these guys will solve all of our problems. What it is about is prioritizing. And for a lot of Americans, eradicating PEDs from sports just isn’t a priority.

Lastly, as for your stance on not giving cheaters jobs or electing them to the Hall of Fame, well, that’s your stance, and I respect that. However, I do think it is quite bold to stitch the Scarlet “S” on these players’ sleeves when none of them ever tested positive.