'Roid Rage

Matt Welch | January 14, 2005

To the near-universal acclaim of editorial boards and harrumphing sportswriters, Major League Baseball has announced a new, stricter anti-steroids policy that includes much more urine testing and harsher punishments. Proving once again that few things will cause a private-sector labor union to change its mind quicker than open-ended Grand Jury smear-jobs coupled with a presidential threat of impending government action. Still, urinalysis enthusiast John McCain, like many sportswriters, isn't quite sated:

Major League Baseball's proposed agreement in principle on steroids appears to be a significant step in the right direction. Though at this time I do not believe legislative action is necessary, there remains room for improvement.

For a refreshingly contrarian view, I recommend former Players Union chief Marvin Miller, the man who helped rip up baseball's odious Reserve Clause back in the 1970s:

"You've got a lot of players who say, 'I never used [steroids], never touched them. I don't want to be put in the same category with those who did,'" Miller said. "I understand that. What I don't understand, though, is having players come forward, like some prominent players have done, and talk about how they want the testing because they want to maintain their dignity.

"That really throws me. They think it maintains the dignity of a player to be told, on command, when to urinate into a container with witnesses? If that enhances their dignity, I don't understand the word dignity." [...]

Miller remembers when the use of another drug ran unchecked through major league clubhouses in the 1970s.

"In most locker rooms, most clubhouses, amphetamines -- red ones, green ones, etc., were lying out there in the open, in a bowl, as if they were jellybeans," he said. "They were not put there by the players, so of course there was no pressure to test. They were being distributed by ownership."

Comments

|1.14.05 @ 2:49PM|#

AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN

Sir:

Shut the hell up.

Thank you.

-JW

MP|1.14.05 @ 2:57PM|#

If they were so concerned about maintaining their dignity, why didn't they volunteer to be tested?

And you can add my name to the open letter to that blowhard.

|1.14.05 @ 3:37PM|#

Yes, more 'integrity of the game' bullshit.

And McCain...isn't he supposed to be a Republican, and aren't Republicans supposed to be economically liberal? As in, stay out of private business affairs?

And I'm sure everyone's rant about steroids at least once, so I won't repeat it there.

|1.14.05 @ 3:49PM|#

Lowdog

Have you noticed how popular McCain is among Democrats?

|1.14.05 @ 5:10PM|#

McCain is "The Manchurian (Republican) Candidate"
His controllers in Hanoi are waiting for 2008.

Perhaps he can get retired Admiral James Stockdale to be his running mate.

|1.14.05 @ 5:15PM|#

I hereby attach my name to the open letter to John McCain. BTW, McCain is only popular with Dem's when he's making life difficult for Bush.

|1.14.05 @ 6:14PM|#

I live in AZ, but I don't notice him doing much for us. He's more worried about corruption in boxing, ultimate fighting, and steroids than doing anything meaningful.

I prefer my politicians not do anything so they can't ask for more money. But if they must do something, at least do something important. As to what I consider important, see the above sentence about doing nothing (ie leaving me and eveyone else alone), but I'm sure others have there own ideas. (I'm sure joe would love the light rail boondoggle we've got to deal with down here.)

|1.15.05 @ 8:48AM|#

Isn't McCain opposed to ultimate fighting because a lot of those guys are trained in Muay Thai and San Shou? I guess during his...sabbatical...in Veitnam he got roughed up a few too many times.....

|1.15.05 @ 9:37PM|#

Ah, grow up! Leagues have as responsibility to prevent cheating, and government has a responsibility to supress fraud.