Centerfield

Anyone else have any opinion's on MLB's new steroid policy? My view is that anything less than a 1-year suspension for a first offense is an embarassment. It's cheating, it hurts the integrity of the game as much as Pete Rose's gambling, and players know its wrong, so there's no excuse for doing it.

So why is the penalty for it commensurate with spitting on an umpire or having a fight?

Sports fans around here are psyched for the Indy-NE game, and expect a real dogfight. IMO, this game is a true toss-up. I know Steelers fans have been talking brave, but no matter who wins this game, Steelers fans should be very afraid if they are smart. Either team will present Pittsburgh a real test.

Steelers fans are great football fans, and lord knows they suffered though Kordell Stewart, so they deserve a keeper like Big Ben. But honest Steelers fans know that they scraped by winning ugly down the stretch, and got outplayed by the Jaguars even though they got the W. It happens, the Patriots have done it 3 or 4 times over the last couple seasons.

I give the Jets and the Vikings a solid shot if the Steelers or Eagles make a bad mistake or two. I think the Rams are far and away the crappiest team left, but the Falcons aren't that good. If I had to bet, I'd go with all the home teams, with Indy getting the closest look for going the other way.

Check out this article by Pat Buchanan

I think it is a well written article and have discussed it on my site

Love to hear your thoughts

I think a 1 year suspension for steroids is harsh. The NFL suspends for 4 games, or 25% of the regular season. In the NFL steroid use could cause bodily harm to OTHERS, so to me the punishment there should be more severe. I would say 25% of the season or anywhere in the 35 games range.

The steroid policy is a start. What will make it stronger: a drop in attendance next year and a less than enthusiastic reception to Barry Bonds pursuit of Hank Aaron's record.

On an unrelated sport topic (and as an Arizona sports fan) haven't the run and gun Phoenix Suns put the fun back in watching basketball!

Man...;
Read the Buchanan article. I'm not a Buchanan fan and I often take his comments with a block of salt. Having said that, I'll say what I've said before: there is a strong isolationist tradition with conservatives. We shouldn't be surprised when conservatives revert to these old ways.... But I don't think that will make the left any happier.

Buchanan is xenophobic. As a result, he has a psychological insight into Iraqis resent Americans even when Americans are there to help them.

Well, I guess the Iraqi's do understand how democracy works.

"Allawi group slips cash to journalists"

Dang! The link didn't require me to register when I first clicked it.

Here is the BBC version.
"Allawi group slips cash to journalists"

This is a great Friday story.

The official policy of the U.S. military regarding homosexuals is "don't ask, don't tell." But at about the same time that policy was put in place, the Pentagon was working on the development of a chemical weapon that would be dropped on enemy troops and would make them gay. Really, the story is here.

After a horrible playoff weekend and another mediocre season by my beloved Seattle Sehawks, I have two words... GO PATRIOTS!!!

I mean isn't it just right that this team, that personifies the word with brilliant coaching and a bunch of second string humble athletes, win the the Super Bowl! I think it is, and I wouldn't mind seeing my boy, former University of Washington star, Corey Dillion win a Super Bowl ring. I am pulling for Brady and the boys all of the way.

I can't believe that Randy Moss' stunts and Red McCombs call for Joe Buck to recuse himself from the Vikes-Eagles game have not helped to create a bandwagon of national support for the Vikes. What is there not to love about a team that loses 7 of its last 10 regular season games but backs into the playoffs anyways?

I had no clue how good Dillon actually was until he came to the Patriots. He seems to enjoy contact and running over guys, ge gets the really hard yards, the extra yards, turning 2 into 5, 3 into 7 and so on.

The most amazing thing to me has been his incredible stiff arm technique, I've never seen a guy who is better at this. On one play earlier this season, I saw him run right at and a defensive lineman ans then he actually DROPPED him with a straightarm and bounced outside for a 10 or 15 yeard gain.

We've been truly blessed here in MA with what we got from the Patriots and the Red Sox, so while I hope we win, I don't begrudge Pitt, Philly, or Indy a piece of the pie if they can take it. Philly has knocked on the door for years, and they have tremendous fans. And if Indy wins it all by beating the Patriots, and Steelers on the road, and then the Eagles, I think that would be a simply tremendous feat deserving universal props.

Steelers fans have suffered loyally through years of mediocrity punctuated by Neil O'Donnell and Kordell Stewart 's fool's gold. So maybe they have suffered enough, although I don't know how much suffering it would take to give them actual grace. They were pretty obnoxious about the expected outcome prior to 2001 AFC championship game. But thats the fans. The team itself is extremely solid, well-balanced, and hard-hitting, and will be tough to beat. But just like all the other top teams, I don't think they are good enough that they will still win if they make a couple more mistakes than the other team.

Todd, I am with you and the Vikes. I could not disagree more with the Joe Buck-led universal sanctimony of the national sports establishment. In fact, all the fist-pounding righteousness of guys like Sean Salisbury and Mike Ditka has led me to consider whether the sports blabberocracy does not simply function like the WWE, with a script, and designated bad guys. Probably not, as we don't need a conspiracy theory to explain such idiocy. Bottom line, the word to Buck, Ditka,and the rest of these guys whose panties are all in a bunch: lighten up. this is entertainment, and Moss was having some fun at the expense of some Green Bay fans who probably deserved it.

I guess these guys need a boogeyman like Randy Moss to spew their sanctimony upon, because they are too far in the pocket of the major sports leagues to put it where it belongs, like on MLB to get a salary cap and a legitimate steroids policy. I couldn't believe that MLB was getting universal acclaim from the sports media at the same time that fans polls were showing that they acknowledge that it's at best a small positive step, and likely an inadequate one that won't get strenghthened any time soon unless the outrage is sustained. My guess is MLB gets away with this policy with only minor upward tweaks over the next few generations.

I'm looking forward to seeing which MLB players show up skinnier this spring. Giambi has already de-juiced. Bonds will be under the microscope along with Sosa, ARod, and Sheffield. I wonder which pitchers will show up mysteriously throwing a lot slower, and how many guys will continue to put up great numbers in their late 30s and early 40s. The only thing for sure is that there will be more doubting and wondering than knowing.

Todd;
Was this weapon secretly tested at a Tailhook convention some years ago?

Sorry about the thread-hogging, but Todd, here's the Sports Guy on Moss and Buck:

Best all-around performance: Randy Moss First, he gets all the uptight guys on the studio shows in a hilarious lather. Honestly, Boomer Esiason became so angry during his pregame tirade on Moss, it was like watching Hitler give those crazy speeches in the late-30's. (Not to compare Boomer to Hitler, but you know what I mean.) Then, Moss decides to wear Thelma's afro from "Good Times." Then he kills the Packers downfield, drops a few 12-letter swear words on camera while screaming at the Lambeau fans, and caps things off with a second TD and the fake moon, which drove the MAWSM (middle-aged white sports media) bonkers again. And then he took credit for the Minny win by claiming that he caused such a distraction leading up the game, everyone was focusing on him and not the annual Minnesota collapse -- which was actually sorta true.

(Moss' grade for the weekend: A-plus. You couldn't ask for much more.)

Funniest meltdown: Joe Buck
Seeing him gunning for an Emmy after Moss' moon had to be one of the funniest TiVo moments of all-time, right up there with the Jackson wardrobe malfunction and everything Stephen Jackson did during the Artest melee. Hey, remember the days when play-by-play guys were only there to provide play-by-play and set up the color guys? Then Bob Costas started doing baseball games ... within ten years, we had Buck unilaterally deciding the groundrules for moral decency during NFL games, starting a chain reaction that actually led to FOX and ESPN refuse to replay the clip that night. Since when did Buck turn into the Dad from Footloose? Isn't he like 35?

(One other question here: Wasn't Buck the same guy who beat those Babe Ruth pictures and angles into the ground over the past two years during Red Sox playoff games? So he's okay with torturing an entire fan base of young Red Sox fans to build up a media-related curse, but those same young kids need to be protected from seeing somebody pantomine mooning a crowd? How does this work again?)

Bill Simmons, spot on once again.

I disagree that steroid use is more of a threat to baseball's integrity than Rose's gambling. Gambling threatens the very core of sports, ie. that players are trying to win and the games are not scripted. Steroids doesn't do that. That's not to say steroid use isn't bad, but, let's face it, cheating to get an advantage has always been a part of sports. Now, I'm not comparing steroid use to corking a bat or throwing a spitball. I'm delighted to see the new policy.

As for why it's not stricter, that's pretty obvious. The player's union runs baseball and Don Fehr and Gene Orza didn't want it to be tougher. I'm no big fan of Bud Selig, but I think people are way off base blaming him for the lack of a tough drug policy or no salary cap. The union is enormously powerful.

Moreover, it's not clear that fans care that much anyway. There certainly wasn't a univeral outcry against steroids. Giants fans aren't condemning Barry Bonds. The fact is, I think it's a minor issue for most fans.

As for Moss, I sort of agree with BK that people overreacted. After all, he didn't actually take off his pants. On the other hand, I think Moss is one of the biggest jerks in sports (admittedly a long list). I keep hearing the players say that things like this are "entertainment." What's entertaining about it? My entertainment is to watch the game, not see some guy prance around after scoring a touchdown. It's got nothing to do with entertainment, it's pure self-indulgence.

Thread hogger... I mean Brian (just kidding),

What part of the fans in Philly are "tremendous?" I have been to Philly during football season and more than not feel the fans in Philly, and also in Pittsburgh while we are at it, feel they are entitled to something that quite frankly their teams have not earned... Outside of that, Philly is truly the city of brotherly love, and I don't understand anyone who doesn't like Bill Cowher and/or Big Ben. Personally, if the Colts beat the Patriots, and that is entirely possible, than they are my second choice... I make it a practice not to root for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Dallas Cowboys who have large fan bases, and if anybody in football, besides the Patriots, deserves a ring... It is Peyton Manning.

Actually, my entire comment about Moss was intended as sarcasm. McCombs is a gasbag and Moss has no class. I'm embarrassed by both of them.

This from yesterday:

Reporter: "Randy, are you upset about the fine?"

Moss: "No, cause it ain't [expletive]. Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me? Ain't [expletive] … Next time I might shake my [expletive]."

Taking the "thread-hog" handoff, one more thing about the Moss kerfuffle [never used that word before; hope I did so correctly] that people may or may not know. Tony Dungy, who is not exactly an apologist for inexcusable behavior from NFL players, said:.

"I will say one thing about Moss ... probably no one in the country can appreciate what is behind that," Dungy said. "What happens — and if you play in that division, which I did for a long time, you know — when you leave the parking lot in Green Bay that's kind of a tradition their fans have. They stand next to the fence as the buses go out and they moon the buses.

"Randy has had about six or seven years of those guys mooning him as he's left after a loss and I think that was his way of saying, 'OK, appreciate the fun, you guys had your fun, here's a little shout back at you.' That's what that was all about."

I see Indy winning outright. You can't tell me Randall Gay, Asante Samuel and Troy Brown (the CB not the WR) are going to stop Harrison, Wayne and Stokley. Belicheck is an official genius if the Pats win this one by 2 TDs.

It's too cold to hunt birds today. My dog is mad at me about it, as if it's my fault it's too cold. Sigh.

Belicheck is a genius.