Thursday, July 30, 2009

David Ortiz Used Steroids Back in 2003: Come On, Are You Really Surprised?

Please -- PLEASE -- tell me that you're not shocked to find out that David Ortiz used PEDs back in 2003. (Obviously, to find out Manny was is hardly a shock at this point.)

I have never been much of a PED hysteric -- I'm more of a realist: Everyone was using PEDs in some way, either steroids or amphetamines, so it is what it is.

But you can bet that a hot meme will quickly become: "Well just how delegitimized is Boston's 2004 title now?" We're not taking the banner away, obviously. But it's certainly tainted.

And that's the point: Everything is tainted. Therefore: In a twisted way, nothing is tainted.

I think what should offend fans more than the cheating is Big Papi's lying. He has consistently denied using steroids. Which makes him a Hall of Fame hypocrite.

It's always the cover-up, never the actual crime. I don't blame Ortiz for the cheating; I blame him for lying about the cheating.

-- D.S.

UPDATE: Because I am more concerned about the lying than the cheating, can we please agree to have a one-day window where anyone who ever used PEDs can admit to it without punishment (aside from taint, I guess). After that, if it came out you used, we would know you were a liar and in the best interests of baseball, you'd be banned. So clean! And when we figure out that EVERYONE did it, it wouldn't be a big deal anymore.

3 comments:

Kivus said...

Dan,

Though I agree with you that Ortiz said players who test positive for steroids should be suspended for 100 games, it seems he's always made a distinction between the pre-2003 period and now.

You say he "consistently denied using steroids", but quick google searches for "ortiz never taken steroids" and "ortiz denies steroid use" don't come up with any references to quotes. I'm not saying he never made those denials, but if he did, they're not easy to find. Additionally, that makes it tough for me to agree that he has "consistently denied using steroids".

Did you have quotes from him that I'm missing?

- John Kivus

(I asked this in short form on Twitter, but I think it needed more explanation).

Unknown said...

Dan - Below was my Facebook status update from about 12:45 PM today, about as soon as I confirmed the story.
(Please don't take offense to the calling out of the media. I meant ESPN and the "Investigative Journalists" they employ. This list leaking is feeling a lot like a TMZ purchase lately... each name being dangled to those willing to bite, by some "anonymous" source, who, by the way, is breaking federal law each time they release a new name. The whole list should be out, or we should stop making each individual name a new story.)
And I've been making the "one day of amnesty" argument to my friends for about 3 years now, and more so since the 2003 MLB list starting breaking, so thank you for confirming my idea as solid and intelligent.

"Sam Teichman is officially over the whole "I'm shocked he did it" reaction, regarding steroids in baseball. Yawn. Can we please have one day of amnesty, for all these idiots, in all sports, to admit their guilt, and then move on. No one cares anymore but the sensationalist media, who carefully drip it out month by month. It's a non story already!"

Brendan Smith said...

I'm a life long Sox fan. However, when it comes to Papi taking steroids, to quote Fight Club; "I am Jack's complete lack of suprise."