I am well aware that this has absolutely no relevance to the NBA whatsoever but I feel like I need to sound off on it anyway. Big Papi has been reported by the New York Times to be on the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003, along with teammate and friend Manny Ramirez.
In Boston Papi is a legend, but now after being linked to steroids writers all over Boston are calling him a fraud. And while you could make the argument that that's true, I won't.
David is linked to 104 players who also tested positive...104! If that many people are guilty than in my opinion it isn't cheating. Also, and this is an extremely important thing to know, steroids while illegal in the United States, were NOT punishable in Major League Baseball. Therefore anyone who tested positive before 2005 should be considered innocent because at the time they weren't breaking the rules.
Another very interesting note is something that Jose Canseco said on Thursday in an interview with an ESPN reporter; "If you were in the game in the last 20 years, there’s a 95 percent chance you were knowingly using something,’’ Canseco said. “I said 80 percent back then because that was the number of players that I knew were on. But that number was greater.’’ As much as he was hated when his book came out, all his revelations have proven true so far. He went on to say that the MLB will have their hands full when they find out that a Hall of Famer has used.
Taking into consideration what Canseco says I arrive at the conclusion that David Ortiz is just another player who was persuaded by his era. If it wasn't illegal then he should not be punished now. That's just like saying that because now, being intoxicated during a game is illegal, we should go and asterisk Babe Ruth's entire career.
ERA's change, it's that simple. If you want to talk about asterisks then let's talk about the receivers gloves in football. Those things are unbelievable, the players in the 1960's didn't have those. My point is that times change, in 20 years im sure athletes will have even more advantages over the guys now. That doesn't mean what they do is not valid.
