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It’s not what we believe, but whom
I’m willing to believe David Ortiz because he seemed so sincere on Saturday afternoon when he said, sure, he took a lot of over-the-counter substances and vitamins “back in those days,” but never, not once, did he take steroids.
Based on what we hear on sports talk radio in the aftermath of Ortiz’s “I am on the list but I don’t know why I’m on the list” news conference, it appears a lot of people, particularly former players, are willing to believe the big palooka as well; which is fine, since I believe we’ve just all become so numb by the entire steroids era (plus, this whole list episode has been so horribly botched by the players union) that we’re suddenly willing to give such a likeable fellow the benefit of the doubt and move on.
Why, then, are most people so unwilling to believe Rafael Palmeiro, who seemed just as sincere, and frankly, much more emphatic, than Ortiz did in his denial, and, who, like Ortiz, did not read from a prepared statement in making his denial?
If I’m so willing to believe David Ortiz, I’m certainly just as willing to believe there is a chance Palmeiro had absolutely no idea he was being injected with steroids — in part because it would have made no sense for him to knowingly ’roid up, particularly, after the performance he gave on Capitol Hill, and in part because there were some pretty shady things going on in that Orioles clubhouse at the time, ey, Miggy?
Hey, you’re willing to believe Papi; why not Raffy?
JUST WONDERING how lawyers representing the Duke basketball program and ESPN will settle the trademark infringement case that will no doubt be filed against The Total Duke Network by Total Duke. Where does ESPN, or anybody for that matter, get off calling Friday night’s 15-inning 2-0 Yankees victory over the Red Sox “an instant classic” when not one single Blue Devil could be found flopping around the floor of Yankee Stadium trying to draw a charge?
It’s not right. It’s just not right I tell you. And I certainly wouldn’t want to be Dick Vitale the next time he goes over to wash Coach K’s car, would you?
PETE ROSE would keep turning up like the bad penny if he hadn’t bet it away on his Cincinnati Reds to win. But the guy just won’t go away, what with the great Hank Aaron’s suggestion he be reinstated to baseball by Weasel Bud, Hammerin’ Hank’s longtime pud boy, so Rose will be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Rose, of course, remains baseball’s all-time hit leader. He was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. With all he accomplished on the field, of course he should be in the Hall of Fame, but so, too, should Joe Jackson. If there were a way Rose could be voted into the Hall of Fame without being reinstated by baseball, who could argue? Nobody, that’s who.
That said, he bet on baseball, the cardinal sin in the sport — see Joe Jackson — so under no circumstances should he be reinstated to baseball.
If Rose really did just bet on his Reds team to win — which, if you believe, you’ve never placed a wager in your life, because that’s just not how it works — what would that be telling the bookmakers when he didn’t bet on his Reds to win?
I’m no Vinny Gambini, but couldn’t that be considered inside information?
Contact Mike Burke at mburke@times-news.com.
- Mike Burke - Sports
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A beautiful friendship, indeed
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