Privacy in MLB

Off the football topic a bit I'm going to scream via print about the complete joke that is major league baseball. Its been talked about for weeks now but I have to throw in my two cents too. Years back baseball realized they had a steroid, HGH, and other performance enhancing drug problem. So they decided to gauge the level of abuse by asking the players to take drug tests. A drug test they said was to be kept anonymous. We all know how that turned out. How in the world did this happen? 104 players tested positive in 2003 and now in 2009 Alex Rodriguez has his name come out. People keep saying " they said it was confidential" who cares. My question is the real one, why were the players names even taken down, given a number or even registered at all?

There was zero reason to know the players that were being tested. All there should have been was samples to be tested. A nerd scientist with sample # 1, #2, so on and so on. Why there were corresponding names anywhere to be linked back to the players is beyond me. Why the union or league kept those records is another question. If you ask me I think the plan may have been to out these guys all along. Maybe keep this info in their back pockets in case things got bad. A way to sway the balance of power back to baseball and out of the players' and unions' hands if need be. Far fetched? Maybe, but what the hell else explanation is there?

There is no way this was just a mistake. Or that the union forgot to shred the docs, which again should have never existed in the first place. Half the players want the names revealed to prove they were clean, the other half want them kept private for a couple reasons. First, simply because they said they would be. They were told private, it should be private. Second, for self preservation because they may be on the list. And don't forget about the players that were using and aren't sure if they tested positive or not. Yes 104 total players including A-Rod tested for roids but you can bet your ass there were player who juiced that masked their use or only used trace amounts that did not show during testing. If I had to guess I'd say there were triple the amount of players using that did not test positive than did. This entire thing is FUBAR. There is no right answer, no solution and nothing in sight to fix it. Baseball, the Union and the Players are all in for a long bumpy ride and they did it to themselves.

Glenn Younes
Sirius Satellite Radio

Super Dud

Is that really how the Super Bowl should have ended. Really? No visible replay? The league says it reviewed the play in the booth, and that it was a fumble by Kurt Warner on the second to last play of the game. First, if the booth reviewed that play where was the break in action, the guy looking at it from every angle 400 times? It’s the freaking Super Bowl, if you want to get it right any time, it’s that time. And instead we get “the networks” brushing it right under the rug like it never happened. The play from my eyes was as follows: Warner scrambled both left and right… he cocked back to throw, was being dragged down by his right throwing arm as he was trying to go from a backward motion to a forward one. At that time he still had possession, you think he should have lost it but he did not. Warner continued his forward motion, while still being dragged down, and spun the ball forward… sort of a finger roll / sling pass. How the game ended after that with no look is beyond my comprehension. That needs to be looked at by, not only, the booth, but the announcers, fans in stadium and at home. Period. And if you’re keeping track at home, and I am, the incomplete pass stops the clock, and when looked at would have given the Cardinals about 7 seconds. That’s enough time for a quick sideline play, get out of bounds and a shot with a second left. Oh and don’t forget field position. James Farrior ripped his helmet off after the game winning “fumble”… the Refs threw the flag, 15 yards… who cares, game over right? Wrong, I care, and with the non-fumble and penalty it’s Arizona ball on the 30–ish yard line. Instead we get a few looks on TV, Michaels filling and covering, Madden saying little to nothing.

Am I saying the Producers are in Al Michaels ears telling him to say fumble? Or that the Refs were told to call it that way? No. I’m asking you to consider the fact that they don’t have too. Minimizing controversy, especially during a Super Bowl is a no-brainer for rights holders like them. It’s unspoken. And by the way don’t think it’s a conspiracy, or east coast bias. I sure don’t. I just think the NFL has gotten itself so far gone regarding rules, replay, empty hand, control after a TD catch while landing but it’s not needed on a run. Inch lines and cameras, and angles and judgment of all that. The reason replay and the over kill of rules has evolved from good idea to bad execution is that they all are subject to subjectivity. The more to decide on, the more it’s up for interpretation and we all know how uniquely things can be interpreted. The answer is simple, streamline it all. Scrap reply and all that junk. If a guy jumps to catch a ball and gets pushed out-of-bounds, guess what, he’s out. That’s the defenders job, the WR is supposed to stay inbounds. Same goes for this one foot stuff. Two feet in is two feet in. Down is down, not is not. A call is a call and we move on. No looking back, no what if, nothing. Just football, and a few mistakes, because well, we’re human… and the little secret is we will never be perfect, and there will always be second guessing. It’s just crazy to try and get it right all the time when that will never happen. So why the hassle? Simple, hassle is the byproduct we have to deal with so the league has ultimate control. NFL be careful, not all your fans are stupid.

Glenn Younes
Sirius XM Satellite Radio