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salb918 Dave,
That was a well-written and thoughtful reflection on baseball. There's not much more I can say other than, "Thanks for saying that."
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philly I don't often leave comments, but I will today because I wanted to make sure that you don't take the lack of comments here as a lack of appreciation. That was one of the best pieces on steroids that I've read. -
stevet Terrific piece, Studes. Thoughtful, nuanced, and highly intelligent. (Imagine that!)
I don't agree with your conclusion that baseball is special, but certainly it's pieces like this that move us forward. It's sad that they are so rare amid the din of frothing noise.
Thank you.
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studes Thanks, everyone. I'm sure ready to move onto other baseball subjects. -
GuyM Yes, a really nice piece. Consequently, it will be ignored by both sides of the steroids wars. Sigh.
At this point I'm kinda hoping Cal Ripken comes forward to acknowledge PED use, so everyone is forced to admit we just need to move on....
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Jack Marshall Well, I've been waiting for this, and you post it when I'm without a computer---I almost missed it.
Great job, Dave; my quibbles with some of your assertions are irrelevant. And Boy, do I wish I had woven those componants into my writings on this subject. You did it better than I could have, though.
Regarding the "popularity" of various sports: I frequently encounter Washingtonians who tell me that they "live and die" with the Redskins, and I ask them to name the starting offensive team. Almost none of them can, or even care.(By the way, a similar exercise is asking someone who says they've seen Les Miz three times when the story takes place or what all those students were rioting about. ) I think comparing the popularity of the NFL, NBA and MLB is a tricky excercise, because, as you suggest, serious baseball fans tend to be more emotionally invested, and, I would argue, more serious than than the typical fans of the other sports. I think that's why this steroid scandal hurts baseball so badly.
If Cal turns up dirty, by the way (or Dustin Pedroia, or Greg Maddux, or Jeter, or Junior, or Papi ) I'm out.
Is Steroids Double Standard Justified?
The Yankee Universe —
... Whatever the reason, it seems clear that baseball players are held to higher standard of duty to the fans and the sport. In football, the players sit out for a few games and seemingly instantly shed the moral opprobrium associated with cheating. Baseball players retain the stigma forever. While this seems unfair, Dave Studeman of THT suggests that there are reasons that baseball should in fact be faced with a greater social burden. While I do not agree with all of his points, one is fairly compelling: ...
