But A-Rod, who will be punished with a 211-game suspension, will not return to baseball until 2014, but the plan is to appeal the sentence. But, is there a message here about cheating? He mainly feels that he doesn’t believe he deserves a ban for more than the 50 games, like the others are receiving, since he has never previously been suspended, and suggested he deserves “less than Ryan Braun.” He’s referring to the Brewers star who agreed to a 65-game ban in his case.
The evidence is said to suggest Rodriguez bought or used steroids in 2010, ’11 and ’12, which is related to the Biogenesis case in Florida. The appeal is to be heard within a week through a hearing. The arbitrator, Fredric Horowitz, will then have 25 days to come up with a verdict. The timing of this will enable A-Rod to finish the season.
OK, what is the real problem here? Major League Baseball has to clean up the game—seriously, it does. Many are saying these stories have turned, or will turn into a circus. Realistically, it doesn’t seem to have hurt attendance. Baseball is still one of America’s favorite pasttimes. Some of the stories of PED usage with all time homerun hitters like Barry Bonds, as well as Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa, has given the sport a rebirth in the past couple decades.
I’m not getting something here. Where in the heck is the idea that we, especially young kids, revere our baseball heroes? Yes, they’re human and we know the rest of that scenario. Many of these guys are or have cheated by using PEDs. What makes that right? Not a darn thing. They fell into a trap for the need to perform beyond expectations, like supermen. Is it because they want to be heralded like the baseball legends of old? Hmmm, or is it because playing in MLB is like winning the lottery—it means millions of dollars to these guys.
Just think, A-Rod could lose over 34 million dollars if the 211 game suspension becomes official. And I play Powerball thinking and dreaming that my family and I could live like Royalty. Makes me wonder, if I used PEDs would it help me win the next Powerball drawing? I guess I really need to think about that.
In the past couple of decades, we have been rained on with cheaters in professional sports, politics and whatever else. As a kid, I wouldn’t think to cheat on a test because of what it would do to my credibility and my family. My mom and dad would have designed me a new butt.
Here’s a personal story: I can remember playing golf with a guy, years ago, and we finished a round at the Par 29 Golf Course at the SPA park. He dropped balls, moved them, threw them out from the rough, took free mulligans (usually a mulligan is rewarded by your opponent) and so forth. I didn’t think much about it, because I was just enjoying the game and the day, and I counted my score the way you’re supposed to. Here’s the clincher. At the end, he asked me my score for the nine holes. I can vaguely remember, but I think I shot around a 35 and he claimed to have beaten me by one stroke. Seriously? He had to shoot at least in the mid-forties. “Ha, I beat you.” is what he said. I smiled and said, “You sure did,” and that was that. Never played with him again.
What these guys in professional athletics are doing can be compared to a child who’s cheating on an exam in front of the teacher and class. There doesn’t seem to be any degree of guilt displayed or remorse for what they did. Basically what they are saying is, if you cheat it’s OK, even if you’re caught. As a teacher and coach, I always felt I had to lead by example. Because of the status of my profession, I needed to be a role model. Am I wrong in believing that these “professionals” are in the position to lead by example, too? Is the term professional an improper description or label for these players?
This is not only a problem for professional baseball. It has become a weekly story in the world we live in, like in our nation’s political structure. It was the deterioration of morals that partially contributed to the demise of the Roman Empire. Is this a fate that we are destined to experience as Americans by accepting the fact that cheating is a way to achieve success? The morals of our democratic environment have to be a concern for what’s right and what’s wrong.
I really feel we have a crisis going on in our country and I have a fear that our fate might be like that of what happened to the Romans. Something has to give. The hunger for money has replaced what is morally important. People who are in the roles of importance, in society, need to realize their influence as leaders and role models. The times are changing and people who have the power of influence need to know what kind of impact they can have on us all.
