Jayson Stark is a joke.

[HoustonGM]

No, it was players doing whatever they can TO GET PAID. LEt's not try and make this about anything bigger than the simple fact that bigger numbers equal bigger paycheques.

Don't bigger numbers also equal more wins?

(Assuming, of course, steroids definitely are a net positive for on-field performance, which I'm not sold on.)

[Wassit3]

Rob Neyer and Keith Law are the only ESPN writers truly worth their salt.

I used to think Stark was tolerable, and he still is on most non-A-Rod issues, but he's completely blown a good chunk of his credibility to me thanks to his ridiculous A-Rod nonsense. Olney's a guy who I can't stand EXCEPT for one of his stances, and that being that the powers that be in the MLB (both the league and the Player's Association) need to take partial responsibility for the "Steroid Era."

The reaction to the A-Rod press conference just goes to show just how much of a no-win situation players are in once they're accused/outed as steroid users. The media clamors for some sort of response. A-Rod does it with the Gammons interview and admits to use. That's not enough. The media clamors to know what he used, how he used, why he used, and where he got it from. So, A-Rod gives them that. But that's STILL not enough. No, now they think everything he says is a lie and he still has to tell them more. Jeez, give it the **** up already. It was 6 years ago. Yeah, it sucks, but seriously, move the hell on.

I agree, whitlock had this to say about that:

"As a journalist, I'm embarrassed by the way the media have attacked this issue. I'm not surprised though. The Worldwide Leader is in bed with ownership. ESPN has no interest in holding Bud Selig and his cronies accountable for the steroid era.

Scott Van Pelt accurately pointed out that Selig pimped A-Rod, Bonds, Mark McGwire and all the rest for years, landed a commissioner's contract of $18.5 million a year and now wants to act like he's appalled by the steroid era. ESPN suspended Van Pelt for telling the truth on Iceberg Selig.

This is comedy, an immoral comedy. Iceberg Selig allegedly is considering suspending A-Rod and removing Bonds as the Home Run King. That would be the equivalent of George Bush court-martialing our Iraq foot soldiers for failing to find weapons of mass destruction."

[haveacigar]

This is comedy, an immoral comedy. Iceberg Selig allegedly is considering suspending A-Rod and removing Bonds as the Home Run King. That would be the equivalent of George Bush court-martialing our Iraq foot soldiers for failing to find weapons of mass destruction."

I hope Selig does try to remove Bonds as the home run king or punish A-rod. It would be such a flagrant violation of any collective bargaining agreement, it'd be amusing to see how fast the MLBPA went on strike. I don't want to see another baseball strike, but I would like to see Selig called on his **** for once.

[Arctic Blast]

Don't bigger numbers also equal more wins?

(Assuming, of course, steroids definitely are a net positive for on-field performance, which I'm not sold on.)

Yep...but in no way do I believe the majority of athletes in ANY sport care more about the team winning than more numbers in their bank account.

[boomboom]

Claiming that this is the worst scandal in the history of sports is stupid. It's not only stupid. It's monumentally stupid. Hell, simply claiming that players taking steroids is worse than players taking money to lose on purpose is monumentally stupid all by itself.

I would say that anything that effects the outcome of the world series is worst beyond anything.

The 3 biggest scandals/black marks on the sport, IMHO.

1. Blacksox scandal- it will be hard to top this one, in any sport.
2. Granted this is also apart of the Culture back then, but not having a person of color let into the game till 1947 is embarrassing.
3. 1994 Strike, which canceled the World Series.

Cheating has always been part of the game. But the thing is both Pitchers and hitters, did steroids... heck the two biggest players, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds both are reported to have done steriods (reported as not tested positive).

Saying that the Steroid era is the worst thing since the black sox scandal is untrue. The media has cooked this up and eating it because it sells. Really Steroids doesn't help you hit a ball, or throw a ball. You have to work out to have the steroids help you. Shoot, if Bonds had kept his workout regime(without any steroid help) , he probably would have hit 70 home runs in 2001. Mark McGwire hit 49 in his rookie season....these players later broke the home run record isn't surprising. Bonds has the best eye that the game has ever seen. He can be selective at the plate. He will make sure the pitcher pays for any mistake. You can not hit 762 without ability.

ESPN and all of the Sports Media are jokes, and as much as a joke as A-fraud. Arod isn't a joke because he did steroids, it is because of his character flaws.

[HoustonGM]

Yep...but in no way do I believe the majority of athletes in ANY sport care more about the team winning than more numbers in their bank account.

Thankfully, those things are intertwined, because the way to get more money is to play better, and playing better leads to more wins.

[Arctic Blast]

Thankfully, those things are intertwined, because the way to get more money is to play better, and playing better leads to more wins.

Generally speaking, yes. There ARE exceptions to that rule, though...such as the point guard in basketball who looks for his own shot above the smart play (Hello, reason Stephon Marbury doesn't have a gig).

[HoustonGM]

Well, I know little about the other games, so I'm speaking purely about baseball here. There's very few instances in baseball where personal betterment isn't also for the betterment of the team.

[Wassit3]

[QUOTE=HoustonGM;1256487]Thankfully, those things are intertwined, because the way to get more money is to play better, /QUOTE]

Barry Zito got more money to suck more than he did before...