Out at first

The steroids hearing should be out at first


Published March 17, 2005


It was said of one member of Congress that the most dangerous place in Washington was between him and a television camera. The same is true, though, of many of his colleagues, past and present. So anyone who values life and limb would not want to block the cameras' view of the House Government Reform Committee when it convenes a hearing today on Major League Baseball's steroid problem.

We're at war in Iraq, at war in Afghanistan, threatened by Al Qaeda, mired in budget deficits, faced with gargantuan liabilities in Social Security and Medicare, struggling to sustain the fighting capacity of our military forces--and what does this committee think warrants its urgent attention? Whether a handful of overpaid entertainers are taking forbidden pills to improve their performance.

The hearing rests on two well-worn premises that ought to offend the conservative sensibilities of Republicans, who control this committee and Congress. The first is that absolutely everything is a federal responsibility. The second is that the private sector needs incessant guidance from government.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who is no conservative, supports the committee's effort, which he likens to the congressional investigation of the quiz-show scandals of the 1950s. What's next? Subpoenas to Ashlee Simpson and Britney Spears to publicize the epidemic of lip-synching in pop music?

The quiz-show scandals at least surprised people. No baseball fan, or non-fan, would be surprised to find out that performance-enhancing substances contributed to the surge of offense in recent years.

Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) has his own explanation of why the biceps on cleanup hitters are a matter of congressional concern. "What we'd like baseball to do is admit they have a problem, show what they are doing to fix it, and make sure that we can set the record straight for young people," he says.

But Major League Baseball already admitted it has a problem by adopting a steroids testing program in 2003 and expanding it this season. League officials have explained it in considerable detail, going so far as to note that positive tests declined from 5 to 7 percent in 2003 to less than 2 percent last year.

Davis would have us think that he is shedding light on a matter that has gotten too little attention. But the steroid issue is more overexposed than Jude Law. The hearing looks more like an excuse for Congress to bully people.

Suppose Major League Baseball officials prefer not to be helpful in this so-called investigation? "They not only enjoy antitrust exemptions, they enjoy a lot of tax exemptions in terms of depreciation of players and so on," Davis notes, lest anyone forget that those exemptions could be repealed as punishment.

As for the players who have been subpoenaed but indicated they would not appear, Davis relishes his unchecked power of compulsion: "You know, they may fly in private planes and make millions of dollars and appear on baseball cards, but a subpoena is exactly what it says it is. They have to appear."

But having the power to stage a spectacle like this is not the same thing as having a good reason. To begin with, it's hard to see any pressing need for Congress to involve itself. There is no threat to public health or safety, beyond the danger of an idle pedestrian being struck by a 500-foot home run while strolling past a stadium. State and federal prosecutors are free to indict anyone guilty of breaking the law.

If the integrity of the game is in jeopardy, Major League Baseball is perfectly capable of deciding what level of monitoring is needed to protect itself. If it wants to go the way of professional wrestling, what business is that of politicians?

The committee makes much of the alarming number of teenagers who allegedly have tried steroids. But if it wants to discourage illegal drug use, it can attack the problem directly with more funds for enforcement and education, or with stiffer penalties for possession or sale of steroids.

Republicans are famous for trusting the free market to discipline self-destructive behavior, and it's more than adequate here. What if professional baseball declines to take effective action against steroids? Sports fans can abandon it for any number of entertainment alternatives. If consumers prefer steroid-free competition, baseball has ample incentive to accommodate them.

Those who favor this investigation insist it won't prevent Congress from taking action on other urgent national priorities. But it will prevent Congress from doing something that it needs to do a lot more of: nothing.

Steve Chapman a member of the Tribune's editorial board

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"Anything not under government control is, by definition, out of control." :swear:

Those who are still bitching about the hearings weren't there to see the "deer in the headlights" look of the MLB'ers, and its officials, or hear the defeated "my lawyer said I cannot answer that", from Mark McGwire, who would have otherwise lied flat-out - but then he realized he was under a Federal oath.

I listen to Sports Radio everyday in my car, and I was as against the hearings as some of the radio people were, but I'm not anymore, after hearing, and seeing the results.

After YEARS of talking down to the media and fans (Bud Selig was aware of the steroid issue back in 1993), they are finally in a forum where they not only have to talk UP to people, they are also in serious jeopardy of criminal charges, if they lie.

By the way, did you hear that Bud's new "drug policy" is nothing more than a sham? I doubt if anyone else but Congress could have compelled him to give up the 400-page document. He did so, VERY reluctantly.

Just a shame that of all the things Congress could delve into they chose to investigate steroid use amongst millionaires! What a waste.

Just a shame that of all the things Congress could delve into they chose to investigate steroid use amongst millionaires! What a waste.

WE'RE the ones that made them millionaires, and WE'RE the ones they've been bold-faced lying to this whole time.

I played baseball in Elementary and High School. My younger son plays T-ball for the local leagues, and my older one plays for his school. If ever they get a chance to somehow play in the big leagues, I want them to go into a pure game, and as much as I hate the government's intervention, it is clear that the only entity that can make MLB come clean is the only one they can't bully, or sweet-talk, or murk with hero-worship.

For the record, I'm all for the pure version of the game (and all sports, for that matter)

This brings up a thorny question: if performance enhancing drugs are made illegal for sports, should records attained while using the substance be removed from the records, or at least annotated as such?

Yes- and asterisk ought to be attached to any record like that I think.

to me, they take away from the purity from the game.


but the biggest slap in the face I feel, is the fact that they are dishonoring all the previous sports pioneers that came before them, and opened the door, and made the sport what it is, and allowed them to live their dreams and play major league ball.

The way I see it, if the fans actually care, they'll stop watching baseball. Stop buying baseball cards. Stop buying jerseys and hats. Then MLB and the sports industry in general will be forced to do something.

It's ridiculous for the fans to start crying "mommy, MLB cheated. WAAAAH!" Cry me a friggin river. Are any of you actually surprised by any of this? I always thought this one of those things that everyone knew and just didn't care or didn't want to deal with it.

People are too damn lazy to take a stand for something. They spend all their time whining about how much politicians sucks, then the second something isn't to their liking, they're back to the politicians, groveling at their feet for help.

Baseball does have someone to answer to, and it's not the government. It's you and me. Money talks, bullshit walks.

And what makes you think the goverment is going to change anything for the better anyway? They've failed the War on Drugs miserably, why would baseball be any different? The war on drugs is going so well, around the world even, that cocaine can be found cheaper than a Latte in the UK. And people think the feds are suddenly going to clean up baseball? HA!

If someone has the dirt on an athlete using steroids, then take them to court and try to get them convicted. File some official charges. Otherwise, quit yer bitchin. Congress isn't the place to air dirty laundry.


Heh, I'm in a good mood today, can you tell? :rofl:

By the way, did you hear that Bud's new "drug policy" is nothing more than a sham? I doubt if anyone else but Congress could have compelled him to give up the 400-page document. He did so, VERY reluctantly.
Bud is a sham. He should have been gone a long time ago.


The way I see it, if the fans actually care, they'll stop watching baseball. Stop buying baseball cards. Stop buying jerseys and hats. Then MLB and the sports industry in general will be forced to do something.
Some will, I won't. The strike of '94 did quite a number on baseball. It's just now finally getting back to being loved again.....

Baseball does have someone to answer to, and it's not the government. It's you and me. Money talks, bullshit walks.
Exactly. All were' getting is bullshit.

I first though, wow McGuire seems like a good guy when he was "crying". Then I saw him in entirety and did that change. I plead the 5th is pretty much, in my opinion, the guilty plea. If you don't have anything to hide, why say you're "not gonna talk about the past" :rolleyes:

These guys have lost complete focus of what competition is and the whole reason they play baseball for in the first place. Baseball is all about tight plays, down to the wire finishes. Every single play can barely be an out or barely be safe. That's why I love baseball.

All sports are TEAMS! A lot of players seem to have lost this perception and seen the game as more of a "ME" game. Bond's and Canseco are prime examples of this.

The funniest part of the hearings....Palmero dissing Canseco.

Lastly, Caminiti brought up the steroids issues 2 or 3 years ago. It was kind of brushed off for the most part. Only heard the Houston radio stations talking about it, as well as Jim Rome, who had Caminiti on his show to discuss his estimate that 80% of players use juice.

Guess you have to put your info and a book, and sell out your fellow players. That's one thing Caminiti wouldn't do, that's why Canseco is getting all the attention on this.

The way I see it, if the fans actually care, they'll stop watching baseball. Stop buying baseball cards. Stop buying jerseys and hats. Then MLB and the sports industry in general will be forced to do something.

You're 100% right, but there are too many die hard fans that don't care that the game is being sullied by chemical enhancement, and of course all the little kids whose dads take them to the game don't yet understand their heroes are drug using hypocrites. (ok maybe drug using hypocrites is a little strong?) It's the principal.....some people have no principles, so will strongly defend or ignore the drug angle, all they care about is the excitement or taking their client to the games.

Put your money where your mouth is; if you think it is wrong, don't go/buy/watch.

This should never have gone before politicians, and MLB should never have been given the immunity to anti-monopoly protection and other benefits it has.


If someone has the dirt on an athlete using steroids, then take them to court and try to get them convicted. File some official charges. Otherwise, quit yer bitchin. Congress isn't the place to air dirty laundry.

The problem with that is that the people that are in a position to have some dirt usually are the ones that are interested in keeping the athlete drugged up -- "Win at any cost". They don't care that the NFL lineman will be dead at 48, as long as they can get 5-7 good years out of him and win some games.


Heh, I'm in a good mood today, can you tell? :rofl:

Sure. :lol2:

I first though, wow McGuire seems like a good guy when he was "crying". Then I saw him in entirety and did that change. I plead the 5th is pretty much, in my opinion, the guilty plea. If you don't have anything to hide, why say you're "not gonna talk about the past" :rolleyes:

Well that depends. What is the purpose of these hearings? Is it to punish guys who used steroids, or is it to solve a problem? If you want to solve the problem, talk about solutions. Nobody can better engineer solutions to a problem than the people who are a part of it. But it sounded like all they wanted to do was attack these guys. Congress isn't concerned about solving the problem, they just want to look busy so people will vote for them. Attack a couple druggy baseball players and you're a hero. It's "for the children." :rolleyes:

It's established that steroids etc were used. MLB should have the integrity to ban substances voluntarily.

Why congress had to get involved is beyond me, I'm all for enlightenment.....