Thursday, June 3, 2010

Let's Put The * In Sports Pt. 1

      It's commonly heard in reference to a star professional athlete who has tainted their name in some way shape or form. Like Pete Rose, who bet on baseball (not to mention his own team). Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens who used performance enhancing drugs (we've got to be past the "allegedly" stage). Guys like O.J. Simpson, Pac-man Jones, Ben Roethlisberger and Tiger Woods may have gone against the traditional ways of society, did not cheat....let me finish... their sport or its system in any way.
      The burning question remains for guys like Rose and Bonds; will they ever get in the Hall of Fame? One frequently tossed-around approach to Bonds and other "dopers" has been putting an *Astrix* by their name in history. Well, steroids or not, Barry Bonds hit more home runs than any player ever did in a single season and a whole career. It can't be erased, yet it will never be fully acknowledged as legit, so why not? I say *'s be used whenever necessary. If the only way a guy who had two of the most statistically unimaginable seasons ever, is the only player ever to reach the 500 home run 500 steal plateau, and not to mention holds arguably the most cherished record in all of sports, can get those achievements displayed in history is by putting a * by his name, so be it with me. That way everybody wins. He gets the acknowledgements that his statistics are worthy of, and those opposed can still hang on to the mark that diminishes his credibility.
       It's more of a discredit to the integrity of the game to forget the moments these players brought than it is to take steroids. Sorry. Bond's case is just one example of many. The McGwire, Sosa & Griffey chase in '98 was one of the most followed baseball summers ever. And Rose should never be forgiven of what he did, but nor should his accolades be erased and forgotten either.
       These are more controversial examples for the implementation, but in light of yesterday's blown call, blown perfect game fiasco,a more substantial and reasonable example for the need of *'s prevails. All the talk I'm hearing is that the majority say commissioner Bud Selig should over-rule the call and set the record straight. Umpire Jim Joyce made a honest, yet crucial mistake, and was devastated after the game in his apology. I for one can't envision the anger and frustration Armando Galaraga is going through, but if Selig were to take some form of action in correcting the situation, that my friends, is an **Astrix** Which leads me in to Pt. 2 (see above)

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