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Blog*Spot ArchivesContactRichard Ceccarelli Josh Mandir |
Saturday, April 30, 2005Lifetime bans for steroid abusers?Bud Selig has introduced yet another new testing plan for steroids:
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig asked players to agree to a 50-game suspension for first-time steroid offenders and a lifetime ban for a third violation under what he called a "three strikes and you are out approach" to doping.I'm all for dropping the hammer on these guys. Ten games and the humiliation of being fingered in the media - the current going-rate for first time offenders - is hardly a punishment at all. And while 50 and 100 game bans probably wouldn't represent much more of a disincentive, the knowledge that the league does not have infinite patience for these shenanigans could have an effect. Though, if I were Donald Fehr, Selig's vacillating demands on this issue would be starting to wear on my last good nerve. Bud may have a fight on his hands this time. UPDATE: Interesting quotes from Tom Glavine (same link as above): "I don't know if Bud's trying to get out in front and make us the good guys or the bad guys."Well, I'd say he's trying to make the steroid users the bad guys Tom. Unless that is the "us" you were referring to.... "I happen to be able to believe that our program is a good one and if we leave it alone, it's going to do what we want it to do."You "happen to be able to believe" in the system? Is that the same as true belief, or are can you be persuaded to lie to yourself if the situation called for it? THE TROUBLE WITH CO-BLOGGING: Josh's comments on the subject, posted between the time I started typing and hit "publish": The new proposal would require a mandatory suspension of 50 games (just under one third of a season) for the first offense, 100 games for the second offense and a permanent ban for the third offense. He is also calling for a ban of amphetamines, which are seen by some as a bigger problem than steroids right now. The players union is looking at the proposal and will probably strong arm the players into not agreeing (much like they tried to do with the last proposal). However, it would be in the players' best interests to agree to a proposal like this. It would completely remove people's perceptions that the players are cheating and would only harm the ones that are using these drugs. |
