I don’t understand the relationship between athletes and fans. Athletes (mainly baseball players in particular) can hit a million homeruns and still be the biggest steroid abuser on earth; the fans seem not to care, and are ready to forgive the athletes at the drop of a hat. Last time I checked it wasn’t right to lie to the people who adore you. Sure athletes don’t want to disappoint their fan base, but where is the line drawn?
Jason Giambi, a former American League Most Valuable Player before finally admitting that he knowingly took steroids, was once a touted power hitter who could hit over 30 homers a year and drive in over 100 runs. He was a forgotten man for the past year and half before resurrecting his career in 2005. He lied about taking steroids while playing for the A’s and became the incredible shrinking man with the Yankees. There was also a weird perception surrounding Giambi during the whole BALCO-steroid conspiracy by the Senate and baseball. He was diagnosed with an intestinal parasite and slowly slipped through the cracks as the higher powers of baseball probed him for the truth.
Now, in present day, Giambi is one of the major contributors who carried the New York Yankees to the postseason. Sure he’s the A.L. Comeback Player of the Year, but what did Giambi actually comeback from? I say it’s a comeback from taking a particular amount of steroids and is now being forgiven. Giambi opened the season to some cheers and many boo’s. What fans forget is what Giambi did a couple of years ago, which any other fragile athlete would do: lie.
Baseball fans either don’t have good memory or like to actually forgive. Just because Giambi fessed up to taking steroids and had a pretty solid year, does it make it right to lie in the first place? Yes, I know there are those who are sympathetic and will say “forgive and forget.” But is Giambi really deserving of that 2000 A.L. M.V.P? Was Giambi really juiced up during those years in Oakland until baseball decided to actually test their players?
This is where I should mention the baseball hit-king Pete Rose. He lied to the fans on betting on the game of baseball. Sure you liked to believe the likeable Rose, who was known as Charlie Hustle, who legged out every hit, and unwillingly dove into first base head-first like he was being shot from a cannon. I can’t blame Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig, for not letting Rose into the Hall of Fame. Rose lied, he couldn’t admit to it the first time but could admit to it the second time. Lame.
Sure Rose is probably the best hitter to ever to step onto the baseball diamond, but he defamed the game of baseball by betting on games. Did the Reds win because Rose hustled it down to first or did the Reds lose because his bookie threatened him to lose a game or else? I guess we will never know the truth.
Fans, face it: Giambi lied. And sure everyone deserves a second chance, but the fans shouldn’t forget the past. Just look what happened to Pete Rose. Baseball’s powers at hand sure haven’t forgotten.