O/T If McGwire Doesn't Go Into Hall then Clemens ...

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The honest players who didn't use drugs shouldn't blame the sports writers or suspicious fans.
They should blame the players who used drugs then lied about it. They should blame the lockerroom
culture that prevented players from being honest (tell the truth and you're a snitch). They should
blame Don Fehr.

Do you know what Dusty Baker's problem with Jason Grimsley talking about the drugs he used and where he
got them? Grimsely was a 'snitch.' Do you know what Jeff Nelson's and Ozzie Guillen's issue with Grimsley
talking about steroids? Grimsley was a snitch. 'Snitch' is the word they used. Do you know why players
got mad at Ken Caminitti? Because he was candid about steroids. If he lied and denied like Rafael Palmiero,
players would have had no issue with Caminitti.

And non-using players blame the fans and sportswriters for doubting the honesty and candidness of players?
Even MLB managers see red when a player dares be candid about steroids.

My problem with the 'but it wasn't against the rules' argument, is that it was the players who voted for
the rules. The rules couldn't have existed without being okayed by the players. Players knew steroids was
cheating, and they and their union wrote the rules to allow steroid use. If rules are forced upon you, that's
one thing. If you are in the power and write or okay the rules, you can't later say "It's not our fault. It's
the rules' fault."

Say as a card player I wrote rules that intentionally allowed me to have an unfair advantage and
soon own my opponents' money. When the advantage is revealed, you can bet they players won't
accept the "Don't blame me, as I was just following the rules." It's likely they will expect to
receive their money back, via their physical force if needed. They will consider the act of
writing the unfair rules to be a form of cheating.

As I said once before, steroid using baseball players made a contract with the Devil. In a contract with
the Devil, you get something from the Devil and the Devil later returns to get something from you. And if
at payment time you complain that the contract terms aren't fair, the Devil says "I know."