What is the connection between the two? I see no reason as to why Congress feels they need to get involved with professional sports. Why does it need to get involved with baseball's steroid problem or the NFL's spygate issue. These old Congressman need to butt out of sports and let the sport itself handle the problem. Why do they think they have authority to attempt to help the problem?
Well my first thought, "Yanks Fan", is you're just mad cause Roger cheated and his legacy is screwed.
But seriously, I would imagine it's because of the drastic increase over the past decade or so of kids using steroids and HGH. And it's not just stupid people, the temptation is hard to resist when using the drugs can enhance your athletic performance, and seemingly help earn you a shcolarship, or maybe help provide a better future for you and your family.
Those are just some of the thought processes they might go through, and THEN when they see their athletic idols doing it, with little to no repercussions in terms of health and breaking the law, they go for it.
Then they end up an addict, and freak out hurting themselves and/or others, leading to suicides, murders, destroyed lives and families.
I don't even have a strong feeling as to whether or not i think congress should be involved, but for the sake of debate i think that is kinda how they look at it.
Pit, I'll overlook your first comment lol. Just kidding, I laughed at it.
But what you said makes sense for the steroid part of the issue and thats the only thing that makes any kind of sense as to why they would be involved. But, I must say I (personally) disagree with that. I feel it is the job of the coaches, trainers, and parents to control what their kids/players do. I see no reason for why Congress feels they need to address the MLB and "take care" of their problem.
As for the SpyGate issue, I see no reason they are involved in that. I can't even think of a half way decent reason.
No offense to anyone, but I see two different types of people: 1. People who favor sports over politics and 2. People who favor politics over sports. In my mind, I don't see any reason as to why Congress should be involved in anything related to professional sports.
The reason the government is now involved is for two reasons. One, MLB has proven more than once that they are unable to properly investigate their internal issues let alone find a suitable punishment. And two, taking or possessing anabolic steroids is a federal crime as of 1990.
And it's not just the Congress now either, Senator Arlen Specter is nosing around in stuff too, looking over the spygate tapes and doing interviews. But what he is really trying to do here has nothing to do with federal law or even a crime at all -- he is trying to find unfair practices so he can move to abolish the anti-trust exemption. There is a fine line in the law about spying/taping certain things and they are working that angle to be allowed to get involved.
Congress has their hands full screwing up the "political" side of our country. They are the absolute LAST entity I would want to shed any sense of integrity to pro sports. They don't even possess it themselves. Why would anyone think they should or could make a difference?
The games are about the ppl. The ones who follow and love the sport. The ones who stay up late to watch the extra innings/overtimes and also the ones who purchase the tickets.
If you get our government involved in this, they would only ask themselves how to apply yet another tax to it.
If the government is trying to prevent kids from using steroids, I don't know if these proceedings would help. Because it's being given so much attention, and the big names involved, it might actually make a promising athlete think that maybe that's the edge he needs, just don't get caught. Could be a reverse effect. It's funny but back in the 60s, LSD use increased when the government put out a warning saying that you could die from using it.
Agreed. Sometimes when I want my kids to do something or raise their interest in something I tell them to look the other way or not to do it. It just rings a bell inside.
And as pro athletes' salaries increases so is the need to stay competitive with your peers. Some will argue that they only love the game and that they want to excel. BS! The ones who love the game are the ones doing it for free in backyards and sandlots. DRUG FREE.
In any sport or occupation you will find the need to be creative and excel in order to survive. With the pot at the end of the rainbow always getting bigger all todays' youth sees is everyone scrambling to get it, any way they can.
And the government couldn't give a hoot about our health. The taxes generated from all the sales of tobacco and alcohol are far too important. Now if they could find a way to regulate and tax steroids.......
I say let them use steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. I wanna see the limits of the type of abuse the human body can take.
But there is one catch they should all have in their contract. "If they die in the course of their career due to the direct or indirect use of performance enhancing drugs, NO ONE is liable"
