Disgusted Over Ortiz Story? Yes. But Not For The Reason You Think.
So I cruise on in to my local SBUX this morning for my grande bold, and happen to see a Boston Globe lying on one of the tables. I’m immediately arrested by the screaming headlines and massive above-the-fold image of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, circa 2003, both pointing skyward. Steroid Scandal Hits Home; Shaughnessy: Cheating Takes the Juice Out of Sox Turnaround; For Legions of Fans, a Magic Spell Is Broken.
Inside, there’s a Globe editorial (Say It Ain’t So, Papi) and a Bob Ryan column (Another Big Hit). The website has a slideshow of David’s career and a graphic of his stats. Nick Cafardo even suggests that a Roy Halladay blockbuster is what the team needs now to “move on” and change the media storyline.
Well, I’m sorry, but I find this all a little disgusting. Ortiz was using steroids? I’m shocked, shocked. Today’s Metro column is, hopefully, a breath of fresh air to those who find all the sturm und drang in the Globe a little ridiculous.
(For a more complete rundown of the media ululating, I suggest this roundup from Boston Media Sports Watch.)
July 31st, 2009 at 11:40 am
Globe? And who reads that rag. Orrtiz will give his story when he gets all the facts to make all the sharks happy
REPORT COMMENT
August 1st, 2009 at 2:24 am
how long do you think Shaughnessy had that article waiting in his files to publish? it literally came out an HOUR after the NY Times article surfaced. and he’s already burying him. I fucking hate that guy and wish Carl Everett had beaten the crap outta him before he kicked the “curly headed boyfriend” out of the clubhouse.
I wish these hyper sportswriters would gain some perspective that it was SIX YEARS AGO, before the league even had an organized way of dealing with this stuff. Andro didn’t even get banned until 2004. we don’t know what substance he tested positive for! some of these so-called “PEDs” were even available at GNC for a time before they were pulled off the shelves. I know I sound like I’m playing devils advocate here, but everyone’s acting like these guys killed Jesus or something. these old-school “purists” seem to have forgotten that players used to survive on amphetamines and Skoll during the season (and still do!). they also seem to have forgotten that professional sports are purely a venue for entertainment in our culture, not a place where we should be teaching moral values to our children or place these guys on any sort of pedestal on which to be role models in society. and THAT is the other group of hysterical people that I can’t stand: the “what about the children!” people. Listen – if Alex Rodriguez is the role model for your kid and you aren’t, you should take that a sign that you really suck as a parent. seriously. and if you feel the need to ‘explain’ why Big Papi is an evil monster and we should hate him now, you can say, “he’s a pro player and paid millions of dollars to entertain us with homeruns, and you have about a .00001 percent chance of becoming him. so get good grades and get a business degree”. and if your kid says “Ortiz did andro, so I will too, because I want to be the best HR hitter on my high school team”…well then congratulations you raised a complete fuckin retard.
honestly – I don’t care if a guy roids or not. if it helps him to the World Series or not, I don’t give a shit. in the end he’s just doing the damage to himself, and as long as he knows the risks – cancer, shrunken balls, rage, depression, lost hair, backne, etc – I’m fine with it.
there are all sorts of awful shitheads in society that get away with being horrible people, and on my spectrum of humanity, steroid abusers just do not even come close by any stretch of the imagination.
and that’s my steroid statement.
REPORT COMMENT
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:39 am
what? what the hell, I wrote a long comment manifesto on this last night and it’s mysteriously disappeared :-(
I do think the more interesting story is regarding Jared Remy, the security guard and avid steroid fan, who was fired last year after being outed by another guard as a supplier, and after being asked by the Red Sox if he’d ever supplied Manny Ramirez – 3 weeks before Manny was shipped to the Dodgers. and if this wasn’t obvious, he also happens to be Jerry Remy’s son. way to breed ‘em, Remy.
in the Globe today:
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/08/02/sox_fired_two_in_steroids_case/
REPORT COMMENT
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:48 am
uh oh… that’s not good Lindsay… sorry for the hiccup! bad umpbump! bad umpbump!
REPORT COMMENT
August 2nd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
It’s back! I have mad ninja skills! Actually, I just found it in the spam filter.
What bugs me is that for a lot of writers, the typical “steroid column” hasn’t changed at all since 2002 or thereabouts. It’s like they just do a global find-and-replace of one dude’s name with the next dude’s name. Yo, the story’s evolving, guys. Write something new.
REPORT COMMENT
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:53 am
I am actually dreading this upcoming series with the Yankees, because I have memories of us yelling “you do ste-roids!” at A-Rod in the spring and now Ortiz is really gonna get it from Yankees fans. that won’t be fun. dammit I was actually enjoying that we at least had that to hold over A-Rod and the Yankees all season, but now it makes the two teams even in the disgraceful scandaltormented by other team’s fans department!
we really need some more dirt digging on A-Rod – to find out that he’s got kiddie porn on his harddrive or a human trafficker or something. so that we can at least be like “yes, but at least WE don’t have a human trafficker on OUR team!”
REPORT COMMENT