Reason Writers in the Cosmopolitan City

I'll be hopping a train tomorrow to New York City, where I'll be debating George "Sports Machine" Michael, ex-Braves slugger Dale Murphy, and testing guru Dick Pound on the issue of sports and performance-enhancing drugs. I'll be defending what you might call the "Steve Howe position."

I'm a last-minute replacement for ex-Olympic gold medalist Ben Johnson (no joke). I had to run a sub-10 100 to earn my train ticket (that's a joke).

An abridged version of the event will be broadcast on your local NPR affiliate later this week. We'll post audio and video here once it's available.

Comments

Kwix | January 14, 2008, 6:29pm | #

Radley,
You sir are no Ben Johnson.

But I can't wait to hear the audio.

paleo | January 14, 2008, 6:29pm | #

Don't spill cocaine in your macbook Radley.

Fluffy | January 14, 2008, 6:46pm | #

Damn you godless cosmopolitans and your pretty boy city issues!

| January 14, 2008, 6:54pm | #

So "cosmopolitan" means "startlingly segregated."

Good to know.

Crusader Rabbit | January 14, 2008, 6:55pm | #

Ben's got some stuff to help you beat your time.

NoStar | January 14, 2008, 7:03pm | #

Good thing you clarified which George Michael you were meating, uh, meeting up with.

And I'm not going to comment on Dick Pound.

Ska | January 14, 2008, 7:03pm | #

The only thing funnier than this lineup is that Dick Pound is a "testing guru" and not a gay porn star/web site.

I'm at work, so I won't be googling "dick pound" for confirmation.

Ska | January 14, 2008, 7:04pm | #

grrr....foiled again

Brandybuck | January 14, 2008, 7:06pm | #

New York: The Cosmopolitan City
Giuliani: The Cosmopolitan Candidate

Gimme Back My DOg | January 14, 2008, 7:11pm | #

In a better world, Dale Murphy would be in the Hall of Fame.

Christopher Monnier | January 14, 2008, 7:19pm | #

Is the train (from Washington to New York, I assume) really a better deal than driving or flying? I like trains, but I was always under the impression that, at least under Amtrak, they weren't feasible without a subsidy. I guess with the subsidy maybe it's a better deal?

Nash | January 14, 2008, 7:22pm | #

Make sure you explain to Dale that the people who have biggest vested interest in banning this stuff from sports are the players themselves and the players union should probably be enforcing it, not necessarily MLB or congress.

Dog's New Clothes | January 14, 2008, 7:23pm | #

What does Yes have to do with Baseball?

Spy Barbie | January 14, 2008, 7:24pm | #

Threadjack:

Mike Reagan's Ron Paul Hour

If there are any brilliant reasonoids still supporting Paul, please, in the name of all things good a decent, call Mike Reagan's show now, and stop the insanity.

7pm EASTERN/4pm PACIFIC
800-468-6453

ClubMedSux | January 14, 2008, 7:27pm | #

And I'm not going to comment on Dick Pound.

Would you rather they had gotten Dick Pole to sit on the panel?

J sub D | January 14, 2008, 7:27pm | #

In a better world, Dale Murphy would be in the Hall of Fame.

He was a better than average player. Hall of Fame? His lifetime batting average was a mere .265. That doesn't do it for outfielders.

NoStar | January 14, 2008, 7:38pm | #

Dick Trickle would have been an interesting choice.

Brian | January 14, 2008, 7:50pm | #

Any over/under bets on how long into the debate before someone breaks out a Balko/BALCO joke?

J sub D | January 14, 2008, 8:03pm | #

< 68 seconds.

Mr. Nice Guy | January 14, 2008, 8:21pm | #

I'd like to enhance my performance with that Rational Responders chick on the side of the screen...Wow, she makes the anti-abortion ho look like a total bore...

Nash | January 14, 2008, 8:22pm | #

"He was a better than average player. Hall of Fame? His lifetime batting average was a mere .265. That doesn't do it for outfielders."

He's pretty close. His lifetime OPS was .815 and he ran well. Arguably the best all around player in the league from 83-87.

His stats are comparable to Duke Snider who is also in the Hall of Fame. The problem is that guys like Tony Gwynn and Mike Schmidt have better numbers and played in the same era so I guess you gotta cut somewhere. If he would have gotten in he'd be at the bottom of the list.

Franklin Harris | January 14, 2008, 8:25pm | #

Dick Trickle would have been an interesting choice.

Beat me to it.

jj | January 14, 2008, 8:45pm | #

Your're all cosmopolitan libertarians! You closet cosmopolitans! I bite my little finger at you!

Guy Montag | January 14, 2008, 8:46pm | #

Can you pick up a sack of White Castle burgers after you get done kicking butt?

Thanks in advance!

joe | January 14, 2008, 9:07pm | #

Hey, boy. You got a foamy cup of coffee, a questionable commitment to local enforcement of voting rights, and mighty purdy mouth.

joe | January 14, 2008, 9:08pm | #

Dale Murphy?

Jim Rice, that's what!

Milo | January 14, 2008, 9:15pm | #

Dick pound is a pantload of the highest order. Loves to bloviate w/o a shred of, what do you call ém? Oh yeah . . . . FACTS
His parents named him appropriately, at least

laic | January 14, 2008, 9:37pm | #

The jewish cosmopolitan? or the drink?

Cesar | January 14, 2008, 10:29pm | #

New York is a nice place only if you're rich.

Cesar | January 14, 2008, 10:30pm | #

Should read "nice place to live". Its most certainly nice enough to visit, but I'd rather not have a shoebox apartment in the middle of a concrete maze.

sixstring | January 14, 2008, 10:32pm | #

Christopher Monnier:

Can't speak for the other service, but the Acela is the most civilized way to travel. No turning off of cell phone, leg room, a cafe car. Oh, and to board, just show them a ticket and you are on. Also, as far as I know, they've never canceled a trip because it was too windy. It takes a little longer, but it is a hassle-free way to travel. One last thing -- in most cases train stations are centrally located, putting you at the doorstep of where you need to be. Airports are usually at the outskirts of town.

naacp bigwig defends rep. paul | January 14, 2008, 11:11pm | #

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2svQNYS6kQ

Juan | January 14, 2008, 11:46pm | #

The thing with Murphy, is that he is Exhibit A for players who vanish into nothingness in their early 30s. A more "normal" career path and he'd be in.

Joe: Rice sucks :-P Now, David Concepcion... that's the ticket ;-)

PC | January 15, 2008, 12:00am | #

Joe give it a break.

I don't know exactly how much support is hurt, it sure as hell hurts future growth and enthusiasm, and the fact that Ron is highjacking the movement is disheartening. They never prepared a defense, even after the money bombs where it became obvious that they would have to answer to them and they stayed mum. What else is there that hasn't been reported? Can one trust Ron that this is it, when he has been dishonest from the start? Do you really think he does not know the potential authors? Many in the know have pointed to one, and the writing styles are rather similar. Don't fall for the propaganda, having Lew play Sargent Schultz and pretending to see nothing isn't going to help peoples' credibility. Once we start departing from using logic and reason, pardon the pun, we become like them, the Republicrats, and where does that slippery slope end?

And even if we were still to support Ron, what would you rather, lockstep denial or putting the pressure on HQ to deal with the issue truthfully and with full disclosure? What are we seeking not to become and what are we being?

Pig Mannix | January 15, 2008, 12:10am | #

I don't know exactly how much support is hurt, it sure as hell hurts future growth and enthusiasm, and the fact that Ron is highjacking the movement is disheartening.


So, Ron Paul and the Rothbardians are "hijacking" the movement?

Do I really need to point these people were publicly recognized as libertarians before most of the people who are crying about "hijacking" started to shave?

Let me straighten you out here: they are not interlopers on your movement. You are an interloper on their movement.

It's not the Paulistas that are misrepresenting libertarianism. You are.

Johncjackson3rd | January 15, 2008, 12:36am | #

You should tell Dale Murphy he should have used roids. It was his only shot at the Hall. I'm sure Canseco offered.

Johncjackson3rd | January 15, 2008, 12:38am | #

Hi joe Allen. I recognize you from Ronpaulforums.

Brandybuck | January 15, 2008, 12:42am | #

Ditto. The movement grew out of the anti-war Old Right. Nock, Hazlitt, Taft, Hoiles, etc. My hero was Leonard Read. Don't forget Patterson, Lane and Rand. And Rothbard (Mr. Libertarian). These paleos were around long before the cosmotarians cashed in on the libertarian cachet.

There is more to libertarianism than being a liberal who favors medical marijuana, or a conservative who happened to have read Hayek.

PC | January 15, 2008, 12:45am | #

By highjacking the movement I mean lying about the newsletter and getting supporters to defend the indefensible. If people let go of that it will continue to hurt us all. I don't mean the Rothbardians, just a couple of Libertarians, Paleocons, whatever you want to call them, that are business parters and advisers to Ron and that are pretending nothing happened. Now many of the supporters are pretending nothing happened too and looking rather foolish throughout the internets. As long as they stonewall on this story, the less credibility they have among many that have supported him and many people who didn't have an opinion of him before. Not to mention the fact that they could have come up with something between zero and twenty million dollars. Headquarters and Lew are acting irresponsible and that should be called out.

PC | January 15, 2008, 12:48am | #

I grew out of the Palecon strain as well but I can tell a liar, or two in this matter when I see them. They know who wrote this stuff, their lack of response shows it. I am no cosmopolitan by any means, I just would like to be on the right side of right and wrong.

sixstring | January 15, 2008, 12:57am | #

Ugh. Costas. Can't hardly wait for Beijing Olympics.

Shawn | January 15, 2008, 3:18am | #

Franklin Harris | January 14, 2008, 8:25pm | #

Dick Trickle would have been an interesting choice.

Beat me to it.

Uh, no thanks.

Russ 2000 | January 15, 2008, 9:19am | #

In a better world, Dale Murphy would be in the Hall of Fame.

Yuk. That guy is a nannyist asshole who only had 6 good seasons. The other 8 he played were below average. Ron Santo was a better player, and I don't even think he belongs in the HOF.

robc | January 15, 2008, 9:40am | #

Anyone know what Ron Paul's high school 100 yard time would be at 100 meters? I guess I can google this but what was the 100 yard/100 meter world record when he was running?

robc | January 15, 2008, 9:41am | #

Is it safe to assume Murphy is supporting Romney? Or is it wrong of me to pigeonhole people by religion?

joe | January 15, 2008, 9:49am | #

Joe: Rice sucks :-P Now, David Concepcion... that's the ticket ;-)

No, Juan. That's a mis-Concepcion.

robc | January 15, 2008, 9:52am | #

Answering part of my question - the 100 yard dash world from 1948-1962 was 9.3 seconds.

Wikipedia claims (heh) that Paul ran a 9.7. I thought I saw it at like 10.3 when I first heard about it. Either way, damn fast.

Anyway, my point is that he is more qualified than Balko to take Johnson's place. :)

robc | January 15, 2008, 9:54am | #

Dave Concepcion is my favorite player of all time. I drove up to Cincy for his number retirement ceremony last year, it was awesome. Even though I would love to see him in (and its up to the veterans now, this was his last year on the writers ballot) he isnt quite HoF level.

Davey is first ballot in the Hall of Very Damn Good.

New World Dan | January 15, 2008, 9:56am | #

robc,

If I know Mormons, and I've known a few, they'd support Romney. Not because he's a Mormon, but because he's the biggest square in the race. Personally, I'd rather write in Ken Jennings.

And for all the Dale Murphy fans out there, let me just say, in a better world, Bert Blyleven would have been in the hall 10 years ago.

NoStar | January 15, 2008, 12:46pm | #

Shoulda invited Dick Butkus.

J sub D | January 15, 2008, 12:54pm | #

Dale Murphy?

Jim Rice, that's what!

He should make it next year. He should have made it this year.

joe | January 15, 2008, 1:11pm | #

He should have made it years ago.

Here's hoping the players from the pre-steroids era get a fair shot.

Jim Walsh | January 15, 2008, 9:39pm | #

Should be interesting to hear what George Michael has to say. I remember him from his radio days in Philly/New York; talented guy, but he always gave me the impression of someone wound tighter than a three-day watch...