Can I smoke now without someone taking my picture? --Hank Aaron
It's been about the homers for as long as I can remember. Since I was a boy, it was obvious that the best home run hitters got their pictures in the papers. Hammerin' Hank (who the Milwaukee natives called "Snowshoes" because of the way he ran as a rookie), Willie McCovey, Harmon Killebrew, all of them. If they could get the longball launched by 9:15 they'd be on the evening sportscast.
It was fun to watch them compete against each other, swinging large for the fences. It was abundantly clear that homers were the currency of the day. We should not be at all surprised that players would take every measure to maximize their proficiency at home runs. So, some players used seven herbs and spices, some used extra strength Tinactin, what's the difference? Babe Ruth did worse things to his body than 95% of today's ballplayers, and we don't judge him harshly for it.
When we begin to catalog the various drugs and salves that a player puts on, in, or around his body, we have certainly lost track of the sport. The sportsters are spending way too much time having the players pee into a cup, and not enough time figuring out how to keep the game interesting and relevant.
Look, the guy is going to hit the home runs, and that's what we wanted him to do. He cannot un-hit them, so it will be a record sure as we're sitting here. If we love the game, we should celebrate this achievement, and stop worrying if we have created a monster. Barry Bonds will be the all-time home run king.
4 comments:
Wizer’s Bonds Logic Applied to Capitalism:
[//Sarcasm On]It's been about making money for as long as I can remember. Since I was a boy, it was obvious that the best capitalists got their pictures in the papers.
JP Morgan, Joe Kennedy, Richard Cory, and C. Montgomery Burns all knew they could be powerful and famous if they made a lot of money.
We benefited from this competition. We enabled them by taking jobs working for them and purchasing their products. It was abundantly clear that currency was the currency we cared about.
So should be we surprised when Enron, Adelphia, and other officials bend the rules to accumulate more cash? John D. Rockefeller did much worse than 95% of today’s businessmen and we don’t judge him harshly for it.
Look, these guys are going to make money, and that's what we want them to do. They cannot un-earn it. If we love free-enterprise, we should celebrate these felons, and stop worrying if we have created a monster.
[//Sarcasm Off]
You missed me with that one: People are free to buy stock in Enron, or in Barry Bonds. That's the way it should be in both arenas.
These are some of your weaker arguements. I usually agree with your logic (and conclusions), but I think you swung and missed on this one. Maybe I missed something, but I read a couple of your points this way: 1. People like home runs so we shouldn't be bothered when players cheat to hit them? 2. Babe Ruth drank and smoked so we shouldn't be bothered when Bonds (and others) break the law to gain a competitive advantage?
Whether or not any actual laws (MLB or otherwise) were broken, I do not know. The points I am making: 1) We made Barry Bonds what he is today. 2) We should not think less of him or his accomplishment because he found a way to do it. 3) Regulating what people voluntarily eat, drink, smoke, or rub into their belly is futile (not to mention a violation of their constitutional rights).
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