...Steriods...

So as we all know, the MLB is littered with steroid issues. It is so crazy that the United States government had to get involved! It's so crazy, there is a 400+ page report that was released on Thursday. It's so crazy, that we are using Jose Canseco as an "expert". HA too funny! The main question circling around this is "what should be done?"

It is a good question. No one has a sound idea of what should be done. The commish, Bud Selig, probably wishes he was still acting commissioner. Needless to say, Bud has his hands full. He says there are prices to be paid. Suspensions? Fines? Kicked out of the league? Taken out of the Hall of Fame and record book? Who knows!

These men have made decisions to jeopardize their own health at the price of making millions of dollars. The people who support steroid use say if taken in moderation, can be helpful. Moderation? These guys are inking $275 MILLION contracts. Ok, so only one has inked two $250+ million contracts, but these contracts are in the neighborhood of $100 mil. That's a nice neighborhood to be living in. Moderation? 73 home runs in one season and 762 in a lifetime are not numbers to be taken in moderation. 45 years old and still throwing 90 M.P.H. is not an every day occurrence. My dad is 47 and he doesn't even drive 90 M.P.H. because he is afraid of what might happen. Of course i am talking about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens respectively, not respectfully.

These two men have highjacked baseball and have taken it to a whole other level. Some people do not understand what this has done to the sport of baseball, but also to the United States. When the price of an item rises, the cost is passed down to the consumer. We are the consumer and we have been paying for these cost increase since baseball went on strike in the summer of 1994. Remember back to 1994. Matt Williams had 43 homeruns when the strike occurred and was on pace to break the then homerun record of 52, set my Roger Maris. Tony Gwynn was batting 6 points shy of .400 and Dave Winfield was traded for what turned out to be dinner. Over 900 games were canceled including the entire 1994 playoffs and All-star game. Something had to be done to obtain the respect and love of the fans (which in baseball terms equals money). All of a sudden, numbers started to jump, including the one that captivates baseball to a 't': homeruns. In 1986, Jesse Barfield hit 40 homeruns; Ten years later, in 1996, Mark McGwire hit 52 (weird?); ten years later, in 2006, Ryan Howard hit 58. Eighteen more homeruns than in 1986, pre-strike. Attendence grew by an average of 10-15 million in the next few years. Think of how much money that is. 10-15 million times $10? My calculator does not go that high.

Since 1994, MLB parks have been growing like crazy. Why does a baseball park need a ferris wheel or a wave pool? I have no idea, but they are there. What happened to peantuts and cracker jacks? They've been replaced by sushi rolls and designer nachos. Bleacher seats were $2, now they're $8; box seats were $8, now they're $32. MLB contracts have been mimicking that of the parks; Signing bonuses that resemble third-world countries GDP's. And we the consumer line up to see these teams because we love and respect the sport of baseball. We get slapped right in the face with the Mitchell Report. All of a favorite players listed right there in black and white. Now, the denials come and the finger pointing begins. Where will it stop? Where ever it ends, I'm sure there will be no settlement in sight.