The Problems of Modern Sport

The NFL does not use professional refs. Think about that for a second. The NBA has some of the worst officials in the world and they are full time pros. Baseball umpires are actually incredibly good and they are full time pros. Ed Hochuli is a lawyer. Mike Carey is an inventor. Chad Brown works for a university as an administrator. Mark Hittner owns a financial company.

Now, these are some of the best that the NFL has to offer, but instead of spending the off time reviewing tape and understanding the rules they have day jobs, so today the Eagles lose the NFC Champiosnhip at least in part because the morons calling the game do not know pass interence when they see it. And Ed Hochuli admitted that he screwed the Chargers a couple weeks ago. They are not, owever, incompetents, because the NFL cannot reaonably expect anyone to be any better than this at calling their games when it is just a moonlighting gig. Think about how much money the NFL generates. They could pay their officials quite a bit of money. Instead, they let them moonlight. In fact, the NFL is the moonlighting. I do not know that full time officials would improve the game. But I think it is worth a hot.

The other things that has been bothering me is the isue of performance enhancing drugs and the Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire has not been drawing any support from the Hall of Fame voter and I do not care, in principle. I was never a fan and I do not give a rat's ass about Mark McGwire, but soon Raphael Palmeiro will be on the ballot. Do not care about him either. Roger Clemens? I actually do not like him, so I hope he doesn't get voted in. Barry Bonds? Total scumbag. Sammy Sosa? Actually pretty admirable in the late-1990's, but reviled now.

Here's the thing, though. We can all scream in indignation about the cream and the clear and the hore steroids and watever, but come on. We all knew did we not, that Barry Bonds was using steroids? His head changed size. His head changed size. And even if we did not, Major league Baseball either knew or was willfully ignorant. They refused to have a reasonable drug policy untl forced, and now major league baseball expects the fans and BBWAA to clean up after them. Well, you know what? Tough.

Frank Thomas, Greg Maddox, Fred McGriff. Do I know they were not using steroids? No. But why do I not know? Because Major League Baseball owners are the greatest bunch of unhanged scoundrels on the planet. I am sorry, but I do not see a good reason for us to serve as an angry mob on behalf the purity of the same Hall of Fame which has Charles Comiskey, Cap Anson and Ty Cobb. SO while I do not have a stake in any of the players who seem likely to be affected, I do not like the idea that I am expected to feel outraged at a betrayal that MLB knew about or should have known about and still allowed. (My favorite players from the steroid era were Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Fred McGriff, and Curt chilling. It's not like there are no qualified players without the obviou taint of drugs from Jim Thome to Trevor Hoffman to Marino Rivera to Randy Johnson)