You know, this whole Andy Pettitte/Roger Clemens/Brian McNamee situation has been bothering me.
I know I am not the first to write this or say it but the fact that Congress saw fit — in the midst of many far more pressing issues facing our nation today — to hold these hearings (with Arlen Specter apparently itching to hold more hearings with the NFL over Spygate) seems to me to be political grandstanding at its worst. It’s troubling; this is purely a matter for the Justice Department and even then, it should enter cautiously.
The fact that the Republicans seemed hell-bent on turning McNamee into a piece of raw sewage and the Democrats the same to Clemens is interesting but I don’t read anything into it. Maybe I am naive but I think the fact that McNamee has had a problem with the truth in the past IS an issue and Clemens’ apparent arrogance — and bungling of the English language! — as well as Pettitte’s testimony is, too.
I know that I have written before about the Steroids Era and the cheating that many baseball players — and I don’t have my head in the sand regarding football and basketball players, either — did with impunity for years. Let’s face it, you nor I had that luxury of hiding behind “it wasn’t illegal …” if we had been caught doing this stuff.
I just do not want Congress involved in what is primarily a private business. Members must feel that because Congress granted Major League Baseball anti-trust immunity many moons ago, that gives them much more leeway with regard to this whole thing.
Here is my way of thinking: let’s see if MLB’s drug policy has any real teeth; let’s see if Bud Selig has the guts to actually get tough on those that have broken the rules since 2002 and will push to implement the Mitchell Report; and let’s see if the players and powers-that-be are truly interested in cleaning up the National Pastime.
The problem is — and I realize this — is that we are putting our faith in a bunch of grown-ups (players and administrators) who totally ignored this problem and put their heads in the sand when it was clearly apparent something stunk in Denmark. They fought and fought to get anything until they were literally forced to, then when something was done, certain segments refused to put their money where their mouths’ were.
Come to think of it, maybe I just put together a good argument for Congress TO get involved!!!
It has been a long, long time since Baseball has truly had a commissioner invested with protecting the integrity of the game. Selig puts his head in the sand when he can see something is awry with today’s players — but oh, by the deity, he’s gonna keep Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame because he ruined the integrity of the game. Yet he won’t keep Steve Howe — an umpteen-time cocaine (that WAS illegal, sir!!!) loser — Darryl Strawberry or Doc Gooden off the ballot.
Who knows, maybe the publicity of the Congressional hearings will jar some consciences and wake people up as to what’s really happening here. In all honesty, if I were a clean player, I would be embarrassed by the whole thing, go to Donald Fehr and tell — not ask — him to either cooperate and do what he has to do to clean it up or start looking for another job. I tell you this right now, EVERY player is under suspicion, big or small, clean or sullied.
Imagine what happens when A-Rod starts closing in on 700!
If players and owners are not willing to deal with this on their own, then I believe it is up to the fans to register their disapproval loud and clear. If fans refuse to stay away from the ballparks in droves consistently, then we are getting exactly what we deserve: rampant and rising cheating. We are encouraging players to cheat because we refuse to hold them accountable; we allow the owners to get away with it because we aren’t willing to hit them where it hurts and, after all, they don’t want to lose tons on money on these franchises.
Then we wonder why steroid/performance-enhancer use is reaching down into junior high!!
Kind of sounds like OUR politicians — not just everyone else’s — doesn’t it?
Mea culpa for not having my column in its usual spot Wednesday. As you could tell, I just ran out of space.