Thursday, December 13, 2007

No asterisk needed*


Now that the Mitchell Report is finally out about steroid use in baseball, we will finally get to see what a bunch of hypocrites A-merry-can sports writers are. Remember how every one and their mama vilified Barry Bonds, and when they weren't doing that they were making fun of him? And remember how only Dick Cheney was less popular last summer as Bonds went after baseball's most hallowed record?



They said it was because he cheated; he didn't play by the rules like everyone else; he had an unfair advantage. Well now that we know that a bunch of other people were cheating too, including A-merry-ca's baseball darling, "The Rocket", I wonder if we will hear the same outcry from here on out?




Of course we won't. All we will hear and read about is a bunch of sports writers bemoaning the fact that this report had to come out in the first place. They will make all kinds of excuses for their darlings like Roger Clemens who got caught, but you won't hear about or read anyone saying that maybe, just maybe, Barry Bonds was doing what everyone else was; including all star pitchers. Hey, I am from Philly, and you would have a hard time convincing me that damn near everyone on that 1993 Philies team wasn't juiced up. But instead A-merry-ca picked on Bonds. Why? Because he was the surly non smiling, angry black man, that's why. If he could only have laughed and smiled like Sammy.



So they next few days should be fun. I will enjoy watching these guys moon walk away from this one like Michael Jackson before all the nose jobs. And here is one field Negro who hopes there is no asterisk beside all those Barry Bonds records. Because given all that was going on around him; those records were broken fair and square.

35 comments:

rikyrah said...

I have to admit that I smiled when Clemons and Petit names were said over the tv. Oh, both of them, Mr. Holier-than-thous.

Yeah, let's see how fast the sportswriters want to get AWAY from this subject.

Uh huh.

Uh huh.


Where's the charge to take away their Cy Youngs?

Where's the call to put an asterisk next to their names?

Uh huh

Uh huh

baatin. said...

it's not at all that crazy, huh? i've been thinking about this idea lately: starting a site that responds to all the racism that appears on espn writing. and whit-fuck over on fox, too. what do you all think? clemens will never catch as much shit as barry has. the guy is gold to them. that's all there is to it. but they'll HAVE to say somethiing about this. somewhere, barry is throwing a fucking party, and i wish i was invited.

Anonymous said...

Good post.

Field,

Let's get on the real and break it down like the kids did it back in the day on a Harlem street corner as James Brown shouted through a boom box on the steps: "Say it Loud/I'm black and proud!"

* I'm saying not only are sports writers going to moderate their comments on Clemens but on Bonds as well. Clemens symbolizes a well-know but rarely discussed fact: That it wasn't just the hitters who got juiced to hit the fastball out of the park, but pictchers got juiced up to throw the fastball past them. But what they won't say, and what Clemens represents, is the fact that pitchers used steroids much more than the either commisiioner, Sen. Mitchell or the owners dare admit. This is because steroids are very good in helping a pitcher's arms recover after an outing. This is true for relievers as well as starting pitchers. And many of the well-known and popular pitchers are white.

* I'm saying this fact alone will allow sports reporters to get the logic. "Lemme see: If it wasn't just Bonds juiced up to hit the fastball, but pitchers juiced up to throw the fastball by him, then how can I, even a racist sportswriter, continue to scapegoat Bonds for an entire era?"

* I'm saying it's the owners, not just that stupid commissioner Selig,who, ultimately, will put an end to all talk about steroids. Why? Because any serious discussion about steroids will inevitably come back to the owners: Because they knew ballplayers were taking steroids but didn't give a fuck. Why? Because the turnstills kept turning, and they made money like Las Vegas mobs; because everyone wanted to see how far McGuire, Sosa, Bonds or their favorite player on the hometown team could knock the mother out of the park.

* I'm saying racist white America will willingly go along with the notion of ending all talk about steroids, not just because Clemens has been called out, not just because Bonds can no longer be used as a scapegoat for the entire steroid era, but because the entire saga something sordid, something rather sad about us that we don't want to touch: That, Americans, we're all like Bonds and Clemens really; we're all out here in America looking to get an edge.

For the secretary, it may be getting the boss that second cup of "coffee"-- perhaps giving him a rise so she can for sure the next evaluation. For the new lawyer at the firm, it may be working til to get that brief ready for the head honcho of the firm. And for House negroes, it may be rushing to denigrate a brother (Sean Taylor) who has just been murdered without an ounce of credible evidence (I'm talikng about you, Whitlock!) I'm saying trying to get an edge by any means necessary is as American as apple pie.

If we're all trying to get an edge, can we sanctimoniously place ourselves above Bonds and criticize them and other ballplayers without seeing a little bit of them in us. i.e. Are we really that different?

Anonymous said...

"somewhere, barry is throwing a fucking party, and i wish i was invited." baatin
---------------

Me too. Bet he's got some of that expensive vodka that I can't afford.

Anonymous said...

Oh, the whole white sports world are together now. It is 4 a.m. and already ESPN has the excuses lined up for Clemens. Here are excertps from the lines of bullsh*t I've just heard,

From one white-haired older white commetator,

"these accusations against Clemons are just that, accusations by a man trying to avoid prison. . . . We must be cautious about accepting the truth of these statements. How reckless of Mitchell to name names;"

From the greasy-haired fat former player commentator,

"I'm surprised. While there have been rumors of Clemons juicing, Clemens physically resembles a juicer, and enjoyed the tell-tail performance enhancements after age 40, I don't believe that Clemens would so strongly deny the report if the report was all true. We've known him for years. He deserves our belief in him."

From another former player commentator,

"I'm surprised. . . . I'm surprised that Clemens would allow such proof to remain out there."

From the dark haired Sports Center host,

"Clemens, while mentioned multiple times in the report--and expressly featured over 8 pages, wasn't mentioned as many times as Barry--103 times--in the report;"

From the African American never-before-seen (by me) so-called ESPN legal expert trotted out, I'm sure, to give racial cover to the white supremacist spin,

"the report should have been sealed because it won't amount to anything (I guess because criminal charges won't come of it--except, of course, against Barry.)"

As I count them, 10 of the 89 named are African Americans--depending on how you count David Justice. Isn't he biracial?

However, you count, it is true here as it is elsewhere, Blacks use drugs in proportion to their population. Blacks represent about 10% of major baseball players, They are about that of steroid users--although, I suspect, it is even less given how whites are able to find deep cover more easily.

Also, interesting to me, is that the commentators aren't parsing the proof between Barry and Clemons. Barry's supposed drug dealers and smugglers have all categorically denied supplying and injecting Barry--even suffering jail for their refusals--and probably foregoing huge book deals.

But Clemons accusers/pushers etc. have all apparently admitted their involvement.

The two shouldn't be equated.

Finally, if only Blacks could defend their own to the degree whites will always.

Hathor said...

It is just a game. Grown men have the right to screw with their bodies. Congress should have had better things to do with its time. Someone mentioned that I should be concerned about the high school athletes, I think that concerned should be directed at the coaches.

It always bothered me when an athlete is made a hero or a role model for children, based on just playing the game. This is why real heroes get ignored quite often and most children do not know that extraordinary acts of courage, compassion or ethical behavior are heroic.

Unknown said...

Yes Baseball is Just a Game , but isn't it amazing how they can use just about anything to say Blacks are not as good as they are. They cheated for 100 years without Blacks in MLB, and if I am not mistaken isn't (Josh Gibson) the real home run record holder, but his didn't count.They don't like Barry cause he don't Kiss their asses. He is like 7up never have and never will.Dope or no Dope his numbers were still better then all them White Boys.

Anonymous said...

Well, what do you expect from a country whose capitol's professional football team is called the Redskins?

Fans demand so much from their heroes through whom they can sublimate. But they never expect their heroes to actually be human.

Zat make any sense?

Christopher said...

Wasn't it obvious Roger Clemons and Barry Bonds used steroids?

Roger Clemons stats tanked by the 1990's. The mystery trainer hired by Toronto pumped his ass full of magic juice and suddenly he was back pitching better than ever. He goes over to the Yankees and his stats tanked again. The Yankees hire the very same trainer who pumps him full of "the juice" and he pitches like a 22 year old.

Same with Barry Bonds. He looked like Jimmy "JJ" Walker and then overnight, with the help of steroids, Bonds started looking like the Michelin Man and hitting like there was no tomorrow.

I was disappointed to see Andy Pettitte's name on the list. But I was glad Jorge Posada's name is nowhere to be seen. I like Posada.

Also, one common thread that links all these MLB druggies is the number of injuries they have had and the amount of time spent on the "DL." That's disabled list and not down low.

I read where upwards of 1 million teenage boys are using and abusing steroids nowadays in Murika, and 250 of then die as a result. Young men who don't see anything wrong with it cuz' their heros on the SF Giants and NY Yankess do it.

That's a shame. A regular shame.

The Christian Progressive Liberal said...

Field:

Jose Canseco was vindicated. The first hypocracy of MLB - they banned him from attending the Mitchell press conference.

Dude represented during the Congressional hearings back in 2005, though. I still remember Rafael Palmeiro looking like he wanted to kick Canseco's ass for implicating him in the steroid scandal - only to have Reffy fail a drug test a year later (testing positive for steroids).

ESPN slung Clemens under the bus last night. To Tim Kurkjian's credit he said until MLB could prove Bonds and Clemens were juicing, he's voting for both of them to go to the HOF.

Mark McGwire was eligible to get in last year. The steroid taint (not to mention his lying to Congress when asked about steroid use) probably ensured he'll never get into the HOF.

As for the Giambi brothers, as an A's fan, I always suspected they were juicing, because Jason Giambi arrived in Oakland back in the 90s looking like a runt. Then, he started hanging out with McGwire and Canseco before they were traded, and since he was heir apparent to McGwire, he came into spring training the year after McGwire was sent to St. Louis, blown up like the Godfather.

I'm sorry I don't share your sentiment about Bonds - even thought I agree with you that the media will do their best to justify Clemens until one of the brothas in the media play the race card (Screamin A. Smith, perhaps?). I watched Bonds the whole time he was in the Bay Area; I watched how he blew off kids wanting an autograph out at the ball park - he was a team's nightmare with all his demands, and trust me, the Giants are probably glad he's gone. He was just a class-A jerk, and the fact he kept a mistress while married just adds to that.

If you know people don't like you, but you're good at what you do, you don't hand them ammunition to take you out. Bonds did that several times over.

But, I'll be the first to say that if Clemens gets into the HOF, no matter how much I personally dislike Bonds, I will howl if he doesn't get in the HOF, too, especially if it's behind his steroid use.

Anonymous said...

Had Barry not lied to a grand jury, he could have faded to black when this list was made to the public.

David Sullivan said...

Dude, I called this one a few years ago. I disagree with the villification factor. Clemens and Pettit will be in the same category as Bonds. No more and no less. Everyone knew that all kinds of players were using the stuff, but Bonds, unlike Giambi, dissed the grand jury, thus bore the brunt of the "steriod scandal". If he didn't perjure himself he would not be under indictment. You are a lawyer, you know that! The players union in baseball is the strongest union in the US of A. There is no way that Donald Fehr would allow Bonds to have anynmore of a severe penalty than Giambi, or anyone else.

The court of public opinion is another story. Maybe Barry should just talk to the grand jury truthfully. Thats his crime, not the steriods.

Christopher Chambers said...

Amen amen and amen. Baseball and the networks, etc all cashed in on this. It's still more popular than ever! Mitchell understands the hypocrisy dpsite being employed by Selig & crew--he said don't punish these guys because it will open an even bigger can of worms. Not so much for Barry (who comes out looking not so bad) but because of the legion of regular, no name players who have used. As I said, it was a matter of survival. Get juiced or don't feed our kids, not get juiced or make $10million instead of $20million. This scenario humanizes this stuff and makes the "culprits" (I put it in quotes because the true culprits are we hype-zombified escapist entertainment fans) the owners, sponsors, TV networks.

The baseball purists and nerds out there can kiss my ass.

Now let's move to the even worse sports/corporate hypocrisy (beyond retiring NFL players dying or being crippled): big time college sports. Let's junk affirmative action and minority scholarships, but hey, our campus is welcome to any illiterate bama or thug who can run that pigskin or rebound like a fiend...

Anonymous said...

"Baseball and the networks, etc all cashed in on this. It's still more popular than ever! Mitchell understands the hypocrisy dpsite being employed by Selig & crew--he said don't punish these guys because it will open an even bigger can of worms."
--------------------
I agree completely. Mitchell understands that, before leaving office, Commissioner Selig wants to leave a legacy of having done something about steroids in MLB, however late. But Mitchell is saying to Selig, "Enough already. This thing goes far beyond Bonds or Clemens. The use of steroids was more widespread than any of us thought. My God, man-- A lot of famous white guys are caught up in this thing! So, let's close the curtain on this thing and move on."

So when a famous black guy (Bonds) can be used to scapegoat an entire steroid era, let's keep looking into it until we get him into a prison cell (We couldn't get OJ, so let's get Barry). But when famous white guys like Clemens and Pettite get their butts caught in the druggy barrel, well, let's bring the whole thing to a close...

Kind of funny how racism works.

Unknown said...

Wow! I just assumed that baseball players were fat and out of shape...Come to find out its actually steroids and growth hormones that make them look bulky...this is intriguing

baatin. said...

hey everyone, straight outta frat row! ' "Like many fans, I've been troubled by the steroid allegations. I think it's best that we not jump to any conclusions on individual players," he said in the White House Rose Garden." ' way to call it, field.

Unknown said...

I posted this at Sports on my mind:

Michael Smith, Wilbon ect… need to start asking why Clemons was never pursued with the eagerness and fervor that Bonds was.

I think these organizations are a lot more cynical than people give them credit for. It’s been shown, time and time again what get’s ratings in this country: Cute animal stories, sad animal stories, white girl missin’, famous white girl trippin’, and black athlete dissin’. It’s right there in front of you people. There was just as much dirt on Clem-dog as there was on Bonds, probably more. But the MSM made the CHOICE to target Bonds. And make no mistake, he was actively targeted. Why do they keep doing this sh*t? Because their demographic demands it and they aren’t in the business of enlightenment or education.

The media, almost can't avoid looking like complete hypocritical tools after this.

The Christian Progressive Liberal said...

hey everyone, straight outta frat row! ' "Like many fans, I've been troubled by the steroid allegations. I think it's best that we not jump to any conclusions on individual players," he said in the White House Rose Garden."

Jose Canseco stated that he was juicing when he was a Texas Ranger, and that the Frat Boy knew about it, cause he was part owner of the team during the early 1990s.

Canseco's mamoth shots put butts in the seats in Arlington, so naturally, the Frat Boy didn't have shyt to say about it, either. When Canseco said "Bush knew I was juicing" during his Congressional Testamony back in 2005 - I thought the brotha had some cajones - that was real Field Negro stuff right there.

So anything the Frat Boy tries to add to this is just to take the heat off his ass because the lies, while stacking up, are starting to stink to the point that no matter how much the MSM tries to spin Bush, that shyt's flying and sticking everywhere, and stinking to high heaven. No one can ignore it without trying to look a bigger fool than they already are.

The Christian Progressive Liberal said...

Hey MacDaddy:

They got O.J. His dumb ass handed them a reason to keep coming after him. Getting Barry behind bars would have been a milienial "two-fer".

It's always the same thing - cast your net to get one guy, but forgetting that ditch you already dug while you fall into it. I remember when Reagan sicced the Feds on most Black members of Congress back in the 1980s - by trying to frame them on drug charges, or setting them up on bank fraud charges (see Ron Dellums and Harold Ford, Sr.).

These, brothas, including John Conyers and Charlie Rangel, all held powerful subcommitte chairs which could lock Reagan's ass up on things he wanted to do unless he appealed to Congress to get the money (back then, POTUS actually respected the rule of Checks and Balances). Unless Reagan justified what he wanted, he got nothing.

So, you know he decided to have those "uppity Negroes" removed from their Chairmanships by publicly disgracing them. When did it backfire?

When that investigation started outing a whole lot of white guys on the Hill indulging in blow, hookers and writing bad checks on the Congressional bank accounts. They had to resign their offices in disgrace, while the targeted CBC members were vindicated.

A marine Colonel by the name of Oliver North soon came along to garner the attention away from that Congressional mess, but not before he got caught with the hands in the cookie-jar during Iran-Contra.

History repeats itself - the only difference is that it's now MLB, as opposed to Congress 25 years ago.

baatin. said...

fuckin' christ! yahoo won't even bother to pretend that bonds wasn't their target all along.

field negro said...

Co sign with most of what mcdady said.

And stop the press, I actually agree with most of what raven said as well.

And I know Bonds was a jerk but so are half the players in MLB.

Woozie said...

Or maybe it was because Barry Bonds is an asshole and nobody really likes him.

Anonymous said...

About the perjury charge, it is bogus. Prosecutors are notorious for being able to secure whatever they want from a grand jury. The prosecutors in the Bonds case had to submit the case at least three times before they could convince a jury to INDICT (charge)--not convict--Bonds of perjury.

Even with that, perjury is a much easier case to CHARGE than it is to WIN. The state must not only prove that Bonds lied but that he knew he was lying. Bonds has always just claimed that he didn't KNOWINGLY take steroids--not that he didn't take steroids. That's a huge difference. The state, from the evidence, I've seen are going to have a struggle just proving that Barry took the drugs.

Remember, neither Mitchell or the state has a smoking gun pointed at Barry--no checks, no internet orders, no bad tests, no supplier-coach testimony. Mitchell has this against so many of the others: don't even have the testimony or claims of his supposed suppliers-like they do with Clemons, for example. They don't have a positive test even.

All the state has is the word of a dismissed ex-girlfriend who can't even claim to have seen Barry use.

Not only should not the perjury charge not been filed but the prosecutors should be charged themselves with malicious prosecution.

About sports and heroes, I think it is a white thing to consider sports stars as heroes. I've never heard a Black parent instruct a kid to adopt the character of a sports star just becasue the sportsperson is.

Anonymous said...

Before Roger "Bottle Rocket" Clemens:
"Barry Bonds is a cheater; he should not get into the Hall of Fame."

After Roger "Bottle Rocket" Clemens:
Well, it is just an allegation, and why don't we put the steroid thing behind us.

Anonymous said...

Baatin said "it's not at all that crazy, huh? i've been thinking about this idea lately: starting a site that responds to all the racism that appears on espn writing. and whit-fuck over on fox, too. what do you all think? clemens will never catch as much shit as barry has. the guy is gold to them. that's all there is to it. but they'll HAVE to say somethiing about this. somewhere, barry is throwing a fucking party, and i wish i was invited."

If you want to check out a blog that discusses sports journalism bias check out cosellout.com

kid said...

On his show Oreilly says he's not a lawyer. When Clement's record came up he said stuff that would make would make Johnnie Cockrane look dumb. We really got to stop Fox, so we can save A-Merry-ca.Contact every rapper that Bill hates . Tell them to make songs about how Fox disses the world. Let's make this bigger than Jena . Boycott all Fox movies , video games, and put the commercials in countries Bill has dogged out.Hey Field, find out what's going on about that "criminals gone wild " tape Frank Burns is trying to pass off as normal African American behavior.

Donald said...

I sure remember Barry Bonds being an asshole years ago, But that shouldn't negate his career stats. Just as juicing shouldn't lead to an asterisk ala Mark 'ASSHOLE' Ecko! Maybe footnote the entire era as under suspicion but if Mr. American Baseball fan1 will not put an asterisk on Clemens career then why Bonds?
Here's an idea, maybe a separate wing in the Hall can be for juiced players along with a history about doping in Baseball.

MartiniCocoa said...

Thursday's revelations about Mr. Clemens and the incredible willingness to excuse him were just another day in good old America.

I can't even get mad anymore .... I just have to laugh and enjoy the mockery.

Anonymous said...

Did you catch the follow up piece in NYTimes, I believe? They asked various ones who actually gave testimony to the Mitchell Commission about their experience. Almost to the person, each was asked about Barry Bonds specifically--no one else. Just Barry Bonds. So, the whole commission was about hunting for Barry Bonds. And even with that, they could get no smoking gun. One of the high profile folks--an admitted juicer himself (name, I'm forgetting) essentially said, "Barry doesn't look like a juicer to me. Barry has a lot of fat. The one, I told them, who looks like a classic juicer was Clemens."

Before, I didn't care whether Barry had juiced or not. Now,I'm feeling like he didn't--or didn't know he did.

Mark said...

I recall the World Series between the Yankees and the Mets, when Clemens was pitching to Mike Piazza. That was classic 'roid rage behavior.

You're right on this one. The reaction in the media was, more or less, let's just ignore this and it will go away.

Anonymous said...

baseball was down,losing money. it needed help. like the nba it needed a white star to save its' idenity as america's game,not a exclusive black counry club. all the important records were held by black men and black players were raising the standards higher and higher. it was becoming a black game. just as in track and field the balco type companies came with a solution. steriods. give them to the white athletes and they could compete with the black athletes and regain some of the records and regain their high paying white fans. mcguire,clemons, giambi, etc. became stars and began to challenge for the records. problem was that once again somebody let the genie out of the bottle. black people got hold of the drugs. the playing field leveled and black people started to push the records again. time for an investigation. we got to clean this up. find a black man or woman, put the charges on them, vilify them in the press, severly punish them economically and personally, say the problem is solved and leave all the white criminals untouched. this is the common american practice. black people should know this by now. it is standard proceedure for covering up coruption. if we had a sports caster with "balls" they would ask america that according to the record books since the intergration of baseball did the white leagues join the negro leagues or did the negro leagues join the white leagues?
they will drag this out for a while until people get tired of it and it will just disappear from the news, sorta like a scooter libby pardon.

Unknown said...

The Bond's is an asshole arguement can probably be chalked up as a media creation also or at least overy emphasized as opposed to the mercenary Clemons. We all know that Bonds is a jerk to the media because he resents the treatment they gave his dad Bobby. And for every story about a private individual blowing off kids for autographs ther are stories about him donating massively to charities and demanding that he stay anonymous. In addition to that he has been with the same team for what, 15 years while Clemons always goes to the highest bidder and is even allowed to work half time for full pay. Yeah, the media definitely choose who they want to castigate and more often than not it is a black athlete. Even know they are spinning this Clemons shit three ways to sunday.

plez... said...

field,
look at it this way... clemens and bonds will BOTH get into the hall of fame on the first ballot! in five years, the baseball writers will realize that clemens has to be in the hall, but they can't vote him in without doing the same with bonds even though 10-15% of all of the big leaguers during the "steroid era" were juiced up.

get this, i heard a pinhead baseball writer on tv just yesterday saying, "i always said that i was going to vote yes on barry bonds getting into the hall of fame!" SAY WHAT?!?

the craziest thing in the mitchell report was who WASN'T in there... JOSE CANSECO! he wrote a damn book where he admitted using the stuff (among other teammates from around the league) and his own admission didn't get him a mention in the book... wassup with that?!?

The Christian Progressive Liberal said...

Plez:

For the Mitchell Report to mention Canseco or his book would be to admit that they only started the investigation because Canseco exposed the cheating, and worse than that, Canseco exposed the hypocrasy of MLB in terms of how they treat their white players versus players of color.

Everyone knows the true home run king was Josh Gibson (862 career home runs), and the original Cy Young was a brotha named Satchell Paige, who according to the Negro League records, had over 600 career pitching victories (as opposed to Cy Young's 511 career victories).

At least Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record fair and square and without enhancements...

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