A Sea Of Red

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 10:09 am**

Finally, can we just pose this question: Suppose a prominent and popular All-Star player on a two-time World Series champion were to get suspended for a quarter of a season because he got nabbed obtaining HGH. And suppose, at the same time, a coach on one of last year's World Series teams was also suspended for the same offense. How gigantic would the headlines be on every front page in America? How scathing would the columns be from all your favorite writers? Well, any time America is ready to kick up a similarly massive sense of outrage over the HGH suspensions of Rodney Harrison and Wade Wilson, we're ready to read every word of it.

- Jayson Stark

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 10:13 am**

EXACTLY...

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 10:34 am**

the difference for me is that the nfl has a better policy...or at least it had had a better policy for years...

in baseball, steroids is causing a problem with some records....thats the only reason its caused a ruckus in the first place....if barry wasn't chasing the record we'd of never payed this much attention to steroids....

no hallowed records are being broken in the nfl by suspected users....its just not that big of a deal....

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 12:34 pm**

Also steroids were with the NFL before, when some of those records were being written (70's 80's). It is a part of the NFL.

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 1:21 pm**

and NFL is "big brother." If a national outlet with an NFL contract came down on them...they'd get "Play-makered."

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 1:38 pm**

it's true. any if anybody liked baseball, they could pull the same shenanigans.

Posted: **September 7th, 2007, 4:25 pm**

Fumblerooskies wrote:and NFL is "big brother." If a national outlet with an NFL contract came down on them...they'd get "Play-makered."

another GREAT point

Posted: **September 9th, 2007, 10:55 am**

Ed Dantes wrote:
Finally, can we just pose this question: Suppose a prominent and popular All-Star player on a two-time World Series champion were to get suspended for a quarter of a season because he got nabbed obtaining HGH. And suppose, at the same time, a coach on one of last year's World Series teams was also suspended for the same offense. How gigantic would the headlines be on every front page in America? How scathing would the columns be from all your favorite writers? Well, any time America is ready to kick up a similarly massive sense of outrage over the HGH suspensions of Rodney Harrison and Wade Wilson, we're ready to read every word of it.

- Jayson Stark

Baseball records and statistics are "SACRED." No one cares about football statistics. End of Story.

Posted: **September 9th, 2007, 1:46 pm**

I think the "outrage" at steroids in baseball vs. football comes more from the fact that, if you get caught taking steroids in football, something is actually going to happen to you. If baseball's steroid policy had any kind of teeth to it, the "outrage" would be far less.

Posted: **September 9th, 2007, 2:07 pm**

RagingTireFire wrote:I think the "outrage" at steroids in baseball vs. football comes more from the fact that, if you get caught taking steroids in football, something is actually going to happen to you. If baseball's steroid policy had any kind of teeth to it, the "outrage" would be far less.

Yeah...miss 4 games...still make the Pro-Bowl...not much is said when the guy gets back on the roster. Yeah...real tough punishment, there.

Posted: **September 9th, 2007, 6:26 pm**

One more example of the hypocrisies...
...Nike football commercial that featured Shawn Merriman...anyone willing to bet they would drop a MLB guy at the first hint.

Posted: **September 9th, 2007, 6:41 pm**

football doesn't have guys lying while under oath...i think that just about put the nail in the coffin as far as baseball reputation goes...

there is a hypocrisy in a way...but baseball just doens't have the PR people the NFL has...plus everybody loves the NFL...but if people began lying while under oath it may change...it maybe not...

but that is the biggest difference of the two in my opinion

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 2:30 pm**

RubberMallet wrote:the difference for me is that the nfl has a better policy...or at least it had had a better policy for years...

in baseball, steroids is causing a problem with some records....thats the only reason its caused a ruckus in the first place....if barry wasn't chasing the record we'd of never payed this much attention to steroids....

no hallowed records are being broken in the nfl by suspected users....its just not that big of a deal....

Uhhh, so someone doping up before playing in the Super Bowl isn't that "hallowed"?

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 2:45 pm**

Schfourteenteen wrote:Also steroids were with the NFL before, when some of those records were being written (70's 80's). It is a part of the NFL.

Well, take gambling as an example.

Pete Rose gambles on games he doesn't play in. Receives lifetime ban.

Alex Karras & Paul Hornung gamble and have ties to organized crimes. One becomes the voice of football, the other gets inducted into the hall of fame.

Take race.

One has an explicit ban on african-americans playing the game, with one owner saying "we'll let negroes play when the harlem globetrotters let whites play".

The other one, while not much better, is the one castigated for having a racial problem.

(and if you really want to talk about hypocrisy, how about this one... Everyone complains about how light the MLB's steroids policy is. But in the NBA, you need to test positive for marijuana THREE TIMES before getting a five game suspension... and if you're caught a fourth time? another three game suspension.)

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 2:47 pm**

Ed Dantes wrote: Take race.

One has an explicit ban on african-americans playing the game, with one owner saying "we'll let negroes play when the harlem globetrotters let whites play".

The other one, while not much better, is the one castigated for having a racial problem.

Before anyone goes there -- both leagues were despicable in their actions. I'm not saying baseball dealt with the issue better, but my point is football gets a better P.R. on the issue.

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 2:50 pm**

Where is the pot stirring emoticon?

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 3:04 pm**

Ed makes a great point. Again...I think the media is afraid of the NFL.

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 3:59 pm**

The media is not afraid of the NFL. It just doesn't generate the traction with viewers/readers that merit continued coverage. The significance of numbers in baseball often supercedes championships in the minds of some baseball fans. Records generate not much more than shrugs in football. Its all about winning.

I made a comment about the Merryman being in that new Nike spot during the opening weekend and one of the guys working the broadcast with me told me to get off the guy's back. People know there is juicing in football (Anybody old enough to remember North Dallas Forty or Lyle Alzado?) they just don't care as much.

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 4:17 pm**

Well then...and I will be a succinct as possible...the media needs to...

...GET OFF FREAKING BASEBALL'S BACK, TOO!!!

Posted: **September 11th, 2007, 5:12 pm**

Now that Bonds finally has the record, you can expect the media interest in HGH & 'roids to dwindle as well.

Posted: **September 13th, 2007, 3:42 pm**

I think I can sum up why people feel free to critisize baseball related things as much as they do

yes, there is a regular season game in progress in that photo.

Posted: **September 13th, 2007, 4:30 pm**

400 people...which is probably generous....

Posted: **September 13th, 2007, 7:12 pm**

RubberMallet wrote:400 people...which is probably generous....

At an afternoon game in 100 degree heat that has gone 4+ hours between two pitiful teams, one of which has been told by the city "we're not going to help you" and the other had been told "yeah... but only if we get some nice kickbacks here".

Still, pitiful. And if it's the case that no one case about baseball, why is it front-page news when there's a scandal? I mean, I think there was something that happened in hockey last year, but darned if I can remember it because it wasn't drilled into everyone's skulls.

Posted: **September 14th, 2007, 12:10 pm**

The best thing for the Marlins to do is leave Miami.

Posted: **September 14th, 2007, 5:36 pm**

whmatthews wrote:The best thing for the Marlins to do is leave Miami.

Or actually play in Miami, with a retractable roof...Nobody likes driving an hour to get out to where the stadium is, not even knowing if they are going to play (or get delayed) every day due to the almost daily rainstorms in that part of the state...

A Sea Of Red

Football vs. Baseball hypocrisy

Football vs. Baseball hypocrisy

Re: Football vs. Baseball hypocrisy