Numb to the Needle

So Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids… why am I not surprised?

No, it’s not because Jose Canseco wrote about it in his second book. But seriously, how great does he look now?

I think I have become numb to baseball players using steroids. At this point, it’s almost a surprise to find out that someone didn’t juice.

My feelings are kind of unique though. I understand why these guys used performance enhancing drugs. Look at it this way, there were no rules against steroids in baseball until 2005. They didn’t even test until 2003. Now put yourself in their shoes. There’s something that will make you better and there are no penalties for doing it. I’ll admit it, I would have done it too. It’s the same thing as the teacher giving you the answers for an exam; yes it’s cheating, but there’s no chance you’ll get in trouble at the moment.

From what people have told me though, the feelings are mixed. Some people say that any and all records of roiders should be erased. Some say that should ban you from Cooperstown. Some even told me they want a lifetime ban.

The problem with that, once again, is that it wasn’t illegal in baseball at the time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

That’s right. Don’t punish the players for using steroids. For their entire lives, athletes are taught to be the best and do anything to reach that. How are steroids any different? MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and MLBPA President Donald Fehr are the two that should be punished.

While Selig has no real power over Fehr, an entire drug ring happened under his watch. And Fehr was no different than a drug lord. He let it all happen and even fought for a player’s right to use drugs. Both of these men should be in jail.

Whenever I say this to people the typical response I get is “But Brooks, players were doing illegal things!” Well peons, it’s not illegal until you get caught. And of those of you who responded to my questions, how many of you can honestly say that you’ve never done something illegal and gotten away with it before? Underage drinking? Smoking weed? Urinating in public? Hell, even speeding on the road! ALL OF THEM ARE ILLEGAL, TOO!

Now, I do think it was at least a little admirable that A-Rod admitted he used steroids. He could have gone down the same road Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds have and denied it repeatedly, even after they have been proved wrong. And yes, he did lie about it before, but at the same time he did at least admit it and while he is still playing.

And he probably will get into the Hall of Fame. Look at Pete Rose, for example. When he got caught betting on baseball there was an outcry for him to be banned and never let into the Hall. But now, decades later, people want the all-time hits leader enshrined as a player.

Just remember, Rodriguez probably has five to 10 years left in his career. That’s enough time to play “clean” and put juicing behind him. Hopefully by then, we will be moving out of the steroid era and start the forgive and forget process.

Not Too Shabby

Okay, so I really hate to sound like a local guy (because I'm really not), but the Cincinnati Reds could make a run this year at the NL Central.

Ask anyone that knows me; I'm a diehard Indians' fan, but I'm sitting at my internship right now, looking up news stories and I see a post that Homer Bailey is fighting for the fifth spot in the Reds' roation. While Bailey has gone from promising prospect to bud of many jokes among vendors, the rest of the rotation looks pretty strong.

Edinson Volquez was a 17 game winner last year and the starter for the NL in the All-Star Game. Johnny Cueto may have finished the season with 14 losses and an ERA over 4.80 but early in the season she showed a lot of promise. If he can stay consistent he can be dangerous at the back end.

Then there's the older guys, starting with Bronson Arroyo. His hair makes him look like the goofiest dude in the world (thank god he still doesn't have the cornrows like in 04). But Arroyo has been a solid starter before. I remember going to games at the beginning of the season and yelling to remind him that no sponsor likes a loser. I mean he looked absolutely horrible. Maybe Time-Warner Cable called and threatened to cancel his contract, but he finished the season with 15 wins and 200 innings pitched.

The real question is can Aaron Harang bounce back? In 06' and 07' he had well over 200 strikeouts and 16 wins. I have no idea what the hell was wrong with him last year but if he can put that nightmare of a 6-17 record behind him, the ace could keep this team in contention.

Of course, all of this is based on some big "ifs." IF Cueto can play to his potential. IF Arroyo can be consistent. IF Harang has a short memory. IF Volquez isn't a one year wonder. And don't forget... IF the young hitters can give the team enough offense.

Then again, these are the Reds. If/then is usually the same story every year.

The Saga Continues...

Brett Favre retired, again.

Okay, the title isn’t flashy but why is it hard to believe? Maybe it’s because we’ve seen this before. Maybe it’s because he told Peter King that he thinks he’ll have the urge to play again.

Last March, when Favre announced his retirement, I believed him. To get so close to play in another Super Bowl and then throw the final interception which ultimately cost your team the game cannot be a good feeling. Like Michael Strahan, John Elway, and Jerome Bettis, I’m sure Favre wanted to retire with another Super Bowl win. Who wouldn’t?

The fact is that it probably wasn’t going to happen anyway. The only reason that the Giants beat the Patriots was because of a freak catch by David Tyree. Yeah, I know that we don’t know what the outcome would have been if the Packers were there, but I think Favre wanted to be the hero to stop the juggernaut.

And you can’t be angry at Packers’ GM Ted Thompson for not wanting Favre back. Not because he has been more of a liability in the clutch over the last few years and not because he didn’t want to deal with his contract. It’s because he had a young quarterback in waiting who’s contract with the team was quickly coming to an end. Thompson knew that if he didn’t hand the reigns over to Aaron Rodgers this year, he never would. And if Rodgers numbers are any indication, he ultimately made the right move for the team.

So why does Favre still want to play? Maybe it’s the same reason that Joe Paterno keeps coaching; he doesn’t want to be forgotten. Well Brett, after all the drama you’ve caused I don’t think we can anymore. We all remember that one kid in preschool who cried about everything (a little easier for me, I was that kid). Having the word “saga” asphyxiated to your name is not always a good thing.

Maybe he fears that his records will be gone in a few years if Payton Manning stays on pace. People don’t always remember number two or three on a list. Records are meant to be broken. Maybe he should have played baseball instead, where every record has become tainted.

Retirement is like marriage. You’re still going to see beautiful women and want to chase them, but you know you can’t and you shouldn’t. We all know Favre still wants to play, but the question is can he resist the urge and do what his body, his fans, and his numbers are telling him? RETIRE!

If he came back to the Jets, the team was saying that he would fully have to participate in training camp. Favre hasn’t done that in years. He hasn’t been criticized publicly by teammates like he was by Thomas Jones. Favre has always had his own, giant island in Green Bay and it looks like staying in New York would force him to swim to the mainland.

And one more thing. We know an NFL team is going to have an opening at some point this year. There’s always a major quarterback injury that will open the door for Favre. And when this happens you can bet that Favre will have a decision to make. Can the fat kid guard the cupcake? Let’s hope he can.

Greed and the Citi

We are paying $400 million for the new Mets stadium. Shit, I don’t even live in New York.

Here’s how I got to this conclusion. Last week, Representatives Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Ted Poe (R-Tex) called for Citigroup to withdraw its name from the new Mets stadium. Citi is paying $400 million to have their name on the stadium for 20 years. The government gave Citigroup $45 billion in federal bailout money. Ergo, I am paying for the Mets new stadium.

It’s no surprise Citigroup refuses to break their contract and ditch their deal. They’re a bank. They like money. They follow the moronic belief that having your name on a baseball stadium makes people want to support you. I’m from Cleveland, and when Progressive renamed the Jake I was more turned off by them than willing to switch my insurance.

I’m not mad at Citigroup. Not only are they under contract with the Mets but if you expected them to dip out you are stupid. I’ll say it again, they’re a bank. If I had my own language, bank would be another word for greed. That would be like standing in front of a bear and expecting it not to rip your arms off.

I’m pissed at the Mets.

Yes, $400 million is a lot of money to give up. But you’re the fucking Mets. You’re one of the most popular teams in the biggest market in the country. I’m sure you can find another sponsor. Maybe not for $400 million, but you’ll still make money.

I’m not a Mets fan. I have no interest in paying Francisco Rodriguez or Carlos Beltran. It makes no difference to me if they win they crumble at the end of the season again or win the World Series (unless they're playing the Indians).

I keep saying $400 million because it’s a shit-ton of money.

$400,000,000.00

Anyway, I am officially protesting the Mets. That really doesn’t entitle much considering I have never paid to watch them in any form.

Lock Him In

When the Arizona Cardinals got to their first Super Bowl the questions started swirling around Kurt Warner and whether he will be in Canton.

The guy has to be a Hall of Famer. There are more than a few reasons to let him in.

First off, he was the best in the league, for a period of time. One of the arguments to let someone into the Hall is that they are the best player at their position for a few seasons. Well, from 1999 until 2001, Warner was the gold standard of NFL quarterbacks. He was seen like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning are today. He even won the MVP in ’99 and ’01. That’s proof on paper.

He’s also won a Super Bowl. In ’99 he filled in for the injured Trent Green and led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl win. It was the beginning of what coach Mike Martz coined as “the Greatest Show on Turf.” Rings are what can hold people out of the Hall, and Warner’s got one. Don’t forget that he won the Super Bowl MVP and has been to two more, where he has played pretty well.

Warner has some critiques on his resume though.

Some say he isn’t a shoe in because there were years when he struggled. In 2002, Warner only played in seven games while throwing three TDs and 11 picks. He sat most of the year because of a broken pinky on his throwing hand. The next year he only played in two games before being benched for Marc Bulger.

The next year he played for the Giants. He got benched in the middle of the year, but he was 5-4 as a starter and it was mainly because the fans wanted to see Eli Manning play. They only won one game the rest of the season.

When Warner struggled again in 2005 in Arizona, the Cards drafted Matt Leinart. However, when Leinart got hurt last year and Warner was named the full time starter, he has returned to play the way he did almost 10 years ago. The fact is that Warner didn’t have protection from the line for years. No quarterback can succeed with that. And he played hurt for a few years.

People also say that his numbers are ballooned because he has only succeeded in pass-first offenses. While he did have run support from Marshal Faulk in St. Louis, Edgerrin James hasn’t exactly been a solid back for him. Anyone who can win without a running game deserves some credit. The Cards had the lowest ranked ground attack coming into the playoffs, yet Warner still led them to the Super Bowl. Most teams today win using a balanced run-pass, but a guy who isn’t afraid to throw the ball 50 times a game should get some props.

Maybe he’s not a first ballot guy, but Warner has to get in at some point. He started his NFL career late because scouts didn’t notice him. It’s a shame they didn’t, because if he had played a full career we probably wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

God Hates Cleveland

What the hell does Cleveland have to do to win a championship?

At this point, it’s not even the fact that the city hasn’t won a professional sports championship since 1964. It’s not the fact that the teams underachieve. Right now, it’s the fact that out damn rivals win championships while we wallow and suffer that really pisses me off.

True, I’m writing this the night after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII. And for anyone who is saying the 27-23 win over the Cardinals the greatest Super Bowl in history, I say shut the hell up. It can’t be the best game if the Steelers win. Period.

Being a Cleveland fan is pretty hard and last night was just another reminder of that. It’s like every few years some divine being/s is/are reminding the fans that we are not in his/her/their favor.

Football is the worst of them all too. First off, the Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the past four years. I pray that’s not the foundation for a dynasty. To add insult to injury, they now have the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history. They’re probably the rival that Cleveland fans hate most. Not to mention the Browns haven’t beat them since 2003.

And if I’m talking about football, I can’t forget mentioning the Ravens. The worst thing about the Ravens is that they won a Super Bowl three years after relocating. They should have been the Browns. That could have been us.

You can’t talk about rivals winning without talking about the Chicago White Sox. In 2005, the Indians lost the division in the last three games to them. Then, they beat the Angels in the ALCS on one of the dumbest calls I have ever seen. If you signal strike, it’s a damn strike. If that’s not proof that someone hates us, I don’t know what is.

And of course, there’s the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls. Now I know that the Bulls haven’t had much success since Michael left, but their dominance in the 90’s always got to Cavs fans. I remember early in that decade when the Cavs had Mark Price, Larry Nance, and Brad Daugherty. All great players. Yet they still could never get past the Bulls.

I’m honestly not as fired up about the Pistons. Don’t get me wrong, I hate them. I was not really happy that they won the NBA Championship in 2004, even though they were playing the Lakers. It’s probably because they play in the same city as the Lions that puts a small smile on my face.

I’m not a religious person. Miracles and testaments do nothing for me. Oddly enough, it seems that every time I see a team I despise celebrate a championship that I start to think that someone is looking down at me, and every other Cleveland fan, reminding us that we aren’t supposed to win anything.