Just wondering if David Ortiz has gotten to the bottom of anything yet. While Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez were front page news for weeks because of their involvement with PEDs, Ortiz, after the initial news cycle, seems to be getting a pass. Are people just fed-up with it all? What gives?
More than Ortiz, I want to know why George Mitchell isn't getting raked over the coals more than he is
David Ortiz = Rodney Harrison. Or any other NFL player, really.
Let us note, too, that many in the traditional media hated (and continue to hate) Bonds and, to a lesser degree, Clemens and A-Rod, for a variety of reasons. I cannot think of a single traditional journalist I've ever heard say similar things about Ortiz. He's a great quote and everyone loves him to pieces because he's such a smiley, happy dude.
Remember when A-Rod said almost nothing at the start of his saga? How many articles were written decrying that? Anyone have a Lexis account and want to check for us?
I'd also like to know why this hasn't been all over the news.
As much as I would love to be able to point to some vast Red Sox Nation media conspiracy to sweep all this under the rug, I really think that people are just fed up with the whole thing.
Even with A-Rod, after all the initial furor he went off and had his surgery...rehabbed...came back...and life kinda just went on. He hasn't really been booed anymore this year than any other year, by the time the season started the story had pretty much faded away.
I think a large part of it is due to fans having enough of the media's moral superiority about the whole thing. It wasn't enough to report that A-Rod (or anyone else really) had used PED's, they had to be called a "bum" or a "liar" or "a cheater" or a "disgrace" at every turn...it just got exhausting after a while.
[1] Former Senator, Red Sox part owner, close personal friend of Bud Selig, his age - take your pick.
[4] I always found the former Senator part the most hilarious. When Bud essentially told us that Mitchell was beyond criticism and there would be no conflict of interest and that everything would be on the level because George Mitchell was a [i] politician,[/i] I spit out my drink.
i think the combination of all of it. red sox bias, mitchell bullshit, people fed up, etc. also, Fat Fuki is NOT nearly the all-around player that any of these other guys are. i hope he resorts to Big Pop-up this weekend in the Bronx.
realistically, i'd like to go 4-2 this weekend. lose to Doc, lose only once to the Shit Sox.
Aren't they clearly the PED Sox now? I mean, which championship team of the last twenty years had two users so clearly tied to their ultimate success and on a day-to-day basis?
[3] You're right, but the point is: "the initial furor" with A-Rod lasted what, a week? Maybe two? So far I've seen a day, maybe a day and a half of half-hearted "furor" over Ortiz. I understand people being burned out, I tired of the moralizing long ago - but boy it sure seems funny nonetheless.
[5] If Bud knows how to do anything particularly well, its pander to the people who might come down on him (ie Congress).
[7] PED Sox - that's awesome! : )
Sort of like OJ looking for the real killers, except PED usage is basically a victimless crime, but the obfuscation of others makes Alex's candor extremely refreshing.
I think a player's likability plays into this also. Most people like Not As Big As He Used To Be Papi and actually seem to feel sorry for him. Manny has shown to not be affected and people didn't even try to call him out. Manny is the only one to be proven a PED user in 2003 AND 2009. I also like how the Red Sox refer to him as "David" when talking about PEDs, but as Big Papi when he is deflating Yankee fans every series.
Like others have said, as long as Mo, Jetes, and Bernie don't show up on a list, I can't imagine PEDs tainting any of the Yankees championships.
He's hoping the media storm will go away. Like his shrivled testicles. And his buddy, Manny.
[2] That story was pretty much swept under the rug. The most interesting part about it is that the two staffers were fired just before the Red Sox decided to take a hard line stance. That's curious to me. I wonder if they learned something about Manny's use of PEDs and simply wanted to get rid of him asap. If so, maybe it really wasn't Manny who forced his way out of town, but the Red Sox who provoked Manny into making their already made decision easy?
Personally, I could really care less about the whole steroid issue, and I suspect most people feel the same. This has really been a media-driven crusade, but as time goes by, even they realize it is a story with diminishing marginal gain. Arod and Manny gave the story a boost because so many in the media already had an agenda against them. With Papi, however, that doesn't exist, so there is really nothing to fuel the dying fire.
[11] and David's not even his real name! oh wait, yes it is. wasn't he David Arias when he first came up, or something like that? i can't remember for certain...
i hope Tino wasn't on there, either...
Canseco said MLB is gonna flip out when they learn there's a Hall of Famer who was on the stuff. i REALLY hope it's not Rickey...
Yankee Baseball is back! Hinske gets a start in favor of Swish...
YANKEES (63-42)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Hinske RF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.51).
the timing on much of this is curious.
[13] i have long thought the red sox "instigated" things with manny last year to get rid of him.
geroge mitchell should return every cent of money he got for that charade of a report.
in addition to the media never liking bonds, arod, and clemens and somewhat manny, they are some of the greatest players of all times. when all is said and done papi will basically be a irrelevant. part of the media's framing of this is the destroyed records, meaningless numbers, and so on. papi's not in this conversation - he's a dh who had a few really nice seasons/postseasons. throw-in the other bs that people here have pointed out and you get damn near a non-issue.
(14) Canseco confirmed that it wasn't Rickey he was talking about and then he back pedaled even more when the interviewer was trying to get more details.
[16] I agree with the notion that the Sox cranked up the tension with Manny before running him out of town on a rail. The press coverage here went from "Manny Being Manny" to vilifying the guy overnight. Hearing the news that someone close to him had been fired due to steroid possession just as that was heating up was like finding the last piece to a jigsaw puzzle. Manny was choking the elderly and throwing them to the ground around that time as well... A little " 'roid rage" episode maybe?
[17] If Canseco was talking about Ripken, the news would be as big as he was suggesting. After Rickey, that was the first guy that came to mind.
[17] oh, good!
[18] holy crap, yeah - that'd be HUGE if it's Ripken. wow...
Wonder if it was the PED's the made Ortiz "clutch"?
[16] geroge mitchell should return every cent of money he got for that charade of a report.
Including his income from the RS?
I actually think Mitchell is a fine man, but he erred in accepting this assignment.