I was recently reminded of an error in my thinking about something. According to this blog entry, steroids and other controlled substances which could be classified as "performance enhancing" have been banned from baseball since 1991.
In the entry, there is a link to ESPN's article about the history of steroids and baseball which I have read. Basically, it's right and I was wrong, baseball did have a policy against illegal use of controlled substances. However, what the author of the blog blatantly overlooked is two facts: first, Androstenedione wasn't considered a controlled substance in 1998 (McGwire bought his at GNC) and, secondly, that Tetrahydrogestrinone (a.k.a., THG or the Clear) wasn't listed as a controlled substance until after the close 2003 World Series (October 28th, to be precise).
Why am I saying this? Well, it's because you might have heard recently that Bud Selig is not only considering disciplining Alex Rodriguez for using steroids but expunging Barry Bonds' name from the record book.
Now, if for no other reason than to get it out of my system, I want to say that if Selig tries to excise Bonds' achievements from the record books, he'll go down as the Nero of baseball -- a man who oversaw a great empire and then acted in a manner that had no other purpose than to destroy it. Stripping Bonds of his records will shatter the league's tenuous relationship with the players association and bring an abrupt end to the golden age that the sport has enjoyed for the past 12+ years.
On top of that, Selig has no justifiable grounds for doing this. Like him or not, Barry Bonds hasn't done anything that MLB can warrant this kind of unprecendented punishment on. Was he one of the 104 who tested positive in November of 2003? It doesn't matter. The league's agreement with the players association was very clear about the fact that no one who tested positive could be punished by the league for doing so. And without any indisputable evidence that proves Bonds was using controlled substances before November 2003 (because there was no testing), the decision cannot withstand a legal challenge.
Finally, because the federal government's charges against Bonds have basically been reduced to perjury (the legal word for lying), Selig has to understand that he cannot discipline players for legal infractions. That is something that has to be collectively bargained with the players association who will NEVER agree to it.
Sadly, Selig's comments are nothing but grandstanding to curry favor with the government and certain fans. Unfortunately, they're just empty threats because he can't do anything that won't ultimately be undone.
Hey, Bud, if this is to be the swan song to your term in office, it's turning out a lot more like a cacophony. Way to go, stupid.
13 February 2009
12 November 2008
More cranial noise...
Just some things that have been rattling around the inside of my skull...
Love watching the general response to Obama's election as President. Right-wingers are screaming that this guy is the anti-Christ, here to institute a socialist government that will run this country to ruin, while the left-wingers are dancing in the streets, convinced that he will bring about the Utopian society where no one needs money and we're all free to love and do as we please.
I think both are going to be proven wrong. What he definitely does seem to be about is change. Yeah, I know, that was about as easy a read as you'll get, but I really think that the man's plan involves changing the way things are done in this country and I don't think that's an entirely bad idea. We do need someone to take a fresh look at the way this country operates because, quite frankly, the empire that the bureaucrats have built in Washington, DC stifles change.
Now, there's always the chance that I'm dead wrong about this and that Obama's plan is merely to be the socialist redistributor of wealth. If that is, in fact, the case. So what? The man was elected on the strength of a swing vote that was decidedly anti-Republican. All people need to remember is that we re-elect Congress every two years. If Obama turns into the right-wing's worst case scenario, then his party will lose its majority in Congress in the midterm elections and he'll be forced to compromise on things just like Clinton did. As I recall, the last 6 years of the Clinton presidency were some pretty good times.
Now, for a personal notice.
It's been 6 months since I gave my notice at Fidelity. And, for 6 months, I haven't publicly skewered the worthless, duplicitous pieces of shit responsible for making the working conditions there miserable. And, in a move that seems totally out of character for me, I don't believe that I will.
I'm sure that those of you who know me well are stunned about this as it is totally of character for me. And before you think I've been medicated or that I'm posting from the seclusion of a lightly padded room with no sharp objects nearby, just know this: living well is the best revenge.
I have a great job at a small, but growing, company where we focus on results, not the process. I am no longer at a company which will be laying off hundred, nay, thousands of employees over the next few months. I don't have to make sure that I kiss the right ass to keep my name off a list. So, for now, I'll keep them out of the limelight.
Except for you Dausch. Fuck you.
- Chuck Lorre Productions, which is responsible for both Two and a Half Men and the Big Bang Theory, makes not only the funniest shows on TV, but he's also got the best sense of humor I've seen since Doug Adams died and Robert Aspirin sobered up. The vanity cards at the end of those shows are priceless. Fortunately, all are available on the web: http://www.chucklorre.com/
- Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay's full name is Jason Raymond Bay, which makes him Jay Ray Bay...
- At some point soon I will be creating a group on Facebook called "I have more than 50 friends on Facebook and not 1 that I went to high school with"
- While the show itself looks like crap, Jennifer Esposito from Samantha Who? is hot. Not too bad for a hockey player's daughter.
- I've started a search for Kenny Ames
- Just added some angel fish to the tank. I forgot why it is that I like cichlids so much, because they're both smarter and have more personality than live-bearers like platties and guppies.
- If you are watching Survivor: Gabon, you cannot be rooting against Matty. He's an underdog with a target on his back, but he's a really likable guy who does not quit.
Love watching the general response to Obama's election as President. Right-wingers are screaming that this guy is the anti-Christ, here to institute a socialist government that will run this country to ruin, while the left-wingers are dancing in the streets, convinced that he will bring about the Utopian society where no one needs money and we're all free to love and do as we please.
I think both are going to be proven wrong. What he definitely does seem to be about is change. Yeah, I know, that was about as easy a read as you'll get, but I really think that the man's plan involves changing the way things are done in this country and I don't think that's an entirely bad idea. We do need someone to take a fresh look at the way this country operates because, quite frankly, the empire that the bureaucrats have built in Washington, DC stifles change.
Now, there's always the chance that I'm dead wrong about this and that Obama's plan is merely to be the socialist redistributor of wealth. If that is, in fact, the case. So what? The man was elected on the strength of a swing vote that was decidedly anti-Republican. All people need to remember is that we re-elect Congress every two years. If Obama turns into the right-wing's worst case scenario, then his party will lose its majority in Congress in the midterm elections and he'll be forced to compromise on things just like Clinton did. As I recall, the last 6 years of the Clinton presidency were some pretty good times.
Now, for a personal notice.
It's been 6 months since I gave my notice at Fidelity. And, for 6 months, I haven't publicly skewered the worthless, duplicitous pieces of shit responsible for making the working conditions there miserable. And, in a move that seems totally out of character for me, I don't believe that I will.
I'm sure that those of you who know me well are stunned about this as it is totally of character for me. And before you think I've been medicated or that I'm posting from the seclusion of a lightly padded room with no sharp objects nearby, just know this: living well is the best revenge.
I have a great job at a small, but growing, company where we focus on results, not the process. I am no longer at a company which will be laying off hundred, nay, thousands of employees over the next few months. I don't have to make sure that I kiss the right ass to keep my name off a list. So, for now, I'll keep them out of the limelight.
Except for you Dausch. Fuck you.
31 October 2008
Easy on the"poor me"s
First, I'm going to begin by saying congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1 in the World Series and are Major League Baseball's 2008 champions. They outplayed the Rays and outlasted the rain and proved that age and treachery do beat youth, innocence, and a bad haircut.
That said, don't count me among those who feel the slightest amount of pity for Philadelphia's "long-suffering" fans who had to endure a 25-year wait between championships, because I don't want to hear it.
If you take a look at the major-league sports franchises in the “big four” sports (football, baseball, hockey, and basketball), you’ll see that there are 114 teams spread out across 40 metropolitan areas within the United States (I'm omitting Canada for a reason). Those metropolitan areas would be: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-New Jersey, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco Bay area, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Washington, DC.
Out of those 40 cities, 17 have won a championship in the last 10 years (this includes Philadelphia's World Series title this week). Here's how they break out:
Championship cities in the last 10 years:
Of course, if we look back further, let's say the last 25 years, the list gets considerably longer. Now the cities where a championship was celebrated grows from 17 to 25 and now includes: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco Bay area, Washington, DC.
Which means that the following cities have NOT won any sort of a championship in the last 25 years: Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Jacksonville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle.
The problem with that list is that we have a lot of cities which are either new to the whole major league sports scene (Columbus, Memphis, OKC to name a few) or have only one team (or both). So, let's remove the cities that only one team calls home and those whose teams have been in existence for less than 20 years, we see list become a lot smaller. Buffalo, Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle.
Hmm, that really draws a stark map of sporting futility, doesn't it.
Looking at it this way, it kind of makes that whole "haven't won a championships in 25 years" thing seem a little silly, doesn't it?
That said, don't count me among those who feel the slightest amount of pity for Philadelphia's "long-suffering" fans who had to endure a 25-year wait between championships, because I don't want to hear it.
If you take a look at the major-league sports franchises in the “big four” sports (football, baseball, hockey, and basketball), you’ll see that there are 114 teams spread out across 40 metropolitan areas within the United States (I'm omitting Canada for a reason). Those metropolitan areas would be: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-New Jersey, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco Bay area, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Washington, DC.
Out of those 40 cities, 17 have won a championship in the last 10 years (this includes Philadelphia's World Series title this week). Here's how they break out:
Championship cities in the last 10 years:
| Metro Area | Championships |
| Baltimore | 1 |
| Boston | 6 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Chicago | 1 |
| Dallas | 1 |
| Denver | 2 |
| Detroit | 3 |
| Indianapolis | 1 |
| Los Angeles | 5 |
| Miami | 2 |
| New York-New Jersey | 5 |
| Philadelphia | 1 |
| Phoenix | 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 1 |
| San Antonio | 4 |
| St. Louis | 2 |
| Tampa Bay | 2 |
Of course, if we look back further, let's say the last 25 years, the list gets considerably longer. Now the cities where a championship was celebrated grows from 17 to 25 and now includes: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco Bay area, Washington, DC.
Which means that the following cities have NOT won any sort of a championship in the last 25 years: Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Jacksonville, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle.
The problem with that list is that we have a lot of cities which are either new to the whole major league sports scene (Columbus, Memphis, OKC to name a few) or have only one team (or both). So, let's remove the cities that only one team calls home and those whose teams have been in existence for less than 20 years, we see list become a lot smaller. Buffalo, Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle.
Hmm, that really draws a stark map of sporting futility, doesn't it.
| Metro Area | Last Title | Mantle of Futility |
| Buffalo | 1965 | 4 straight Super Bowl losses |
| Cleveland | 1964 | how many losing seasons since? |
| Milwaukee | 1971 | |
| New Orleans | - | zero winning seasons in first 19 years |
| San Diego | - | |
| Seattle | 1979 | only franchise to actually win a championship left town |
Looking at it this way, it kind of makes that whole "haven't won a championships in 25 years" thing seem a little silly, doesn't it?
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