samanthajane13
08-10-2007, 03:10 AM
Submitted by Zuma (vivalalucha@yahoo.com) on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 9:43 PM EST
What an interesting two nights for BOTH of my two favorite things.
Congratulations to Barry Bonds. Not only did Bonds finally break the tie with Hank Aaron and become the Home Run King, but Vince McMahon also essentially flipped the bird to Congress. The extra-interesting part of it is that I see the two things being intertwined in the American psyche. The evil “S” word is going to come up in this column again, so prepare yourself.
Many people continue to call Bonds “the King of the Asterisk” and I’ve seen more than one person call Bonds breaking the record as “one of the most disgraceful night in sports.” I’m rather biased, of course, because I grew up in San Francisco. I’ve been a Bonds fan for a long time. However, the most important part of him breaking the record is that he still had to hit the home runs. Steroids didn’t help Barry hit a baseball. They might have made him a bit stronger, but they didn’t help him make contact against Major League Baseball pitchers who were also on steroids. It was a level playing field, as none of them were getting tested. Nobody can say there were better than anyone else, and unless they plan on throwing every statistic from about 1980 to 2004 out the window, then those haters need to shut up and recognize that what Barry did was an astonishing feat.
People are saying that steroids destroyed the greatest record in baseball. If anything, steroids restored the popularity that baseball once held in American hearts. Yet, steroids weren’t so kind to wrestling. The juice has torn the wrestling world apart, and it’s the reason why two of the greatest ever weren’t on our television sets this last week. It’s also the reason why the WWE is now under scrutiny by Congress.
Baseball has been under investigation in the past. We’ve even seen a number of players receive a subpoena and answer questions in front of this same committee. How long will it be until we have a number of wrestlers testifying in front of Congress on Vince’s views on steroids? You think they’re going to protect wrestling like Palmeiro and McGwire did for baseball? Fat f*****g chance. John Heidenreich himself recently blasted Vince for being a dictator and encouraging the use of pain pills and steroids in a recent interview.
Bonds has been a scapegoat over the years, but in wrestling – the scapegoat is completely different. Vince has turned around and essentially blamed the media for his troubles, which I find ironic because baseball could have done the same. They didn’t however, because baseball essentially blamed it’s players. The irony is that both institutions could really blame the same people – and that’s the ownership! In baseball, the owners of the teams, just like Vince, reaped benefits due to their employees risking their lives for a better body and a touch more strength. The commissioner of baseball, like Vince McMahon – are to blame for this “problem” rearing it’s ugly head in the first place. If Bud Selig and McMahon had taken a tough approach on the use of performance enhancing drugs in their respective sports, then this problem wouldn’t have occurred. Some might say I’m naïve on this, but I am someone that believes in the power of management. If these two had done what someone with a true sense of leadership was capable of doing, these “roid rages” wouldn’t have existed.
The focus of Congress in the baseball investigation centered on players, but in wrestling – they have constantly focused on McMahon, and the company as a whole. In 1994, Vince took a huge hit when Hulk Hogan turned state’s evidence and gave up the goods on Vince’s part in steroids and wrestling. The problem at the time was that they didn’t have enough evidence to tie Vince to the distribution of illegal substances. This time, I’m under the impression that Congress is going to take a different approach, and they’ll come at Vince with “safe workplace regulations” – as they have asked for internal records of their investigations into the deaths of both Eddie and Benoit, as well as all personal correspondence that has anything to do with either death.
I’ve said it in this column in the past that Vince has a lax attitude towards steroids, and he went so far as to show that attitude on this week’s edition of RAW. He said that Congress “might as well send Barney Phife” to do the investigation. McMahon showed disregard towards this letter, and I imagine that these congressmen who have worked their whole life to attain the power they have won’t take too kind to it. What Vince doesn’t understand is that these same people are responsible for the serious changes that took place in Baseball, as the MLB also didn’t really care that their players were taking steroids. They turned a blind eye, and enjoyed the revenue stream that their buffed out ball players brought them during the summer months. Baseball didn’t care, and they didn’t test – until they were forced to. The WWE has once faced problems from steroids as well – even before baseball - and in 1994, McMahon was actually charged with steroid distribution.
Congress has the power to question Vince, and his employees – both past and present. What they find is sure to disturb them. As I said in “The Juice, Redux” - Vince has actually encouraged drug use by promoting wrestlers whose “look” was gained by illegitimate means. Vince has probably taken steroids himself, by the looks of his “Muscle and Fitness” magazine spread. What we’ll see out of the WWE is an attitude that they don’t give a rat’s ***** that Congress is investigating them. However, I can assure you it’s only pretend. What Congress finds could be the demise of the WWE, and it’s going to nobody but Vince’s fault. Unlike baseball, he’s doesn’t have a Bonds to blame. Vince can only blame himself.
What are we worried about, right? RAW will still be served weekly through this investigation, and it won’t affect television in the slightest, will it? I doubt it, but it will affect the company as a whole. I’m under the assumption that this investigation will end like the last that took place in 1994. It’s tough to pin illegal activities on McMahon and company, because taking steroids is a very personal decision. Unless they’re giving “juice seminars” at the hotel after the shows, it’s going to be hard to say that the WWE as a company encouraged this use. What Congress can do though is prove that the WWE has encouraged the use of steroids by promoting wrestlers that were taking steroids over those that were not. Congress will have ammunition, because as I said earlier – Vince has not been kind to everyone that’s worked for him, and loose lips will be more than happy to share with the government their feelings that taking steroids was “just a part of the game.”
We as fans know the truth. All of the political posturing and company policies in the world aren’t going to convince us either way. Those that believe Bonds is a cheat will always believe so. Those that think Vince doesn’t care about his workers aren’t going to change their minds. Last but not least, everyone will universally agree that Selig is an idiot. However, the next time you see Edge, or Rey Mysterio, or better yet – an old match from Eddie Guerrero or Chris Benoit - remember Bonds. They entertain us, but their position in our lives doesn’t come for free. They’ve risked a part of their lives for further fame and fortune. They’ve done it for their fans, but mostly, they’ve done it for themselves. They entertain us, and they are paid handsomely for that – but at what price? So people like Vince and Bud can profit? Or, because they love what they do and they just want to have any edge? Only they know, and in the end… we all lose. Hopefully…we don’t lose the WWE.
What an interesting two nights for BOTH of my two favorite things.
Congratulations to Barry Bonds. Not only did Bonds finally break the tie with Hank Aaron and become the Home Run King, but Vince McMahon also essentially flipped the bird to Congress. The extra-interesting part of it is that I see the two things being intertwined in the American psyche. The evil “S” word is going to come up in this column again, so prepare yourself.
Many people continue to call Bonds “the King of the Asterisk” and I’ve seen more than one person call Bonds breaking the record as “one of the most disgraceful night in sports.” I’m rather biased, of course, because I grew up in San Francisco. I’ve been a Bonds fan for a long time. However, the most important part of him breaking the record is that he still had to hit the home runs. Steroids didn’t help Barry hit a baseball. They might have made him a bit stronger, but they didn’t help him make contact against Major League Baseball pitchers who were also on steroids. It was a level playing field, as none of them were getting tested. Nobody can say there were better than anyone else, and unless they plan on throwing every statistic from about 1980 to 2004 out the window, then those haters need to shut up and recognize that what Barry did was an astonishing feat.
People are saying that steroids destroyed the greatest record in baseball. If anything, steroids restored the popularity that baseball once held in American hearts. Yet, steroids weren’t so kind to wrestling. The juice has torn the wrestling world apart, and it’s the reason why two of the greatest ever weren’t on our television sets this last week. It’s also the reason why the WWE is now under scrutiny by Congress.
Baseball has been under investigation in the past. We’ve even seen a number of players receive a subpoena and answer questions in front of this same committee. How long will it be until we have a number of wrestlers testifying in front of Congress on Vince’s views on steroids? You think they’re going to protect wrestling like Palmeiro and McGwire did for baseball? Fat f*****g chance. John Heidenreich himself recently blasted Vince for being a dictator and encouraging the use of pain pills and steroids in a recent interview.
Bonds has been a scapegoat over the years, but in wrestling – the scapegoat is completely different. Vince has turned around and essentially blamed the media for his troubles, which I find ironic because baseball could have done the same. They didn’t however, because baseball essentially blamed it’s players. The irony is that both institutions could really blame the same people – and that’s the ownership! In baseball, the owners of the teams, just like Vince, reaped benefits due to their employees risking their lives for a better body and a touch more strength. The commissioner of baseball, like Vince McMahon – are to blame for this “problem” rearing it’s ugly head in the first place. If Bud Selig and McMahon had taken a tough approach on the use of performance enhancing drugs in their respective sports, then this problem wouldn’t have occurred. Some might say I’m naïve on this, but I am someone that believes in the power of management. If these two had done what someone with a true sense of leadership was capable of doing, these “roid rages” wouldn’t have existed.
The focus of Congress in the baseball investigation centered on players, but in wrestling – they have constantly focused on McMahon, and the company as a whole. In 1994, Vince took a huge hit when Hulk Hogan turned state’s evidence and gave up the goods on Vince’s part in steroids and wrestling. The problem at the time was that they didn’t have enough evidence to tie Vince to the distribution of illegal substances. This time, I’m under the impression that Congress is going to take a different approach, and they’ll come at Vince with “safe workplace regulations” – as they have asked for internal records of their investigations into the deaths of both Eddie and Benoit, as well as all personal correspondence that has anything to do with either death.
I’ve said it in this column in the past that Vince has a lax attitude towards steroids, and he went so far as to show that attitude on this week’s edition of RAW. He said that Congress “might as well send Barney Phife” to do the investigation. McMahon showed disregard towards this letter, and I imagine that these congressmen who have worked their whole life to attain the power they have won’t take too kind to it. What Vince doesn’t understand is that these same people are responsible for the serious changes that took place in Baseball, as the MLB also didn’t really care that their players were taking steroids. They turned a blind eye, and enjoyed the revenue stream that their buffed out ball players brought them during the summer months. Baseball didn’t care, and they didn’t test – until they were forced to. The WWE has once faced problems from steroids as well – even before baseball - and in 1994, McMahon was actually charged with steroid distribution.
Congress has the power to question Vince, and his employees – both past and present. What they find is sure to disturb them. As I said in “The Juice, Redux” - Vince has actually encouraged drug use by promoting wrestlers whose “look” was gained by illegitimate means. Vince has probably taken steroids himself, by the looks of his “Muscle and Fitness” magazine spread. What we’ll see out of the WWE is an attitude that they don’t give a rat’s ***** that Congress is investigating them. However, I can assure you it’s only pretend. What Congress finds could be the demise of the WWE, and it’s going to nobody but Vince’s fault. Unlike baseball, he’s doesn’t have a Bonds to blame. Vince can only blame himself.
What are we worried about, right? RAW will still be served weekly through this investigation, and it won’t affect television in the slightest, will it? I doubt it, but it will affect the company as a whole. I’m under the assumption that this investigation will end like the last that took place in 1994. It’s tough to pin illegal activities on McMahon and company, because taking steroids is a very personal decision. Unless they’re giving “juice seminars” at the hotel after the shows, it’s going to be hard to say that the WWE as a company encouraged this use. What Congress can do though is prove that the WWE has encouraged the use of steroids by promoting wrestlers that were taking steroids over those that were not. Congress will have ammunition, because as I said earlier – Vince has not been kind to everyone that’s worked for him, and loose lips will be more than happy to share with the government their feelings that taking steroids was “just a part of the game.”
We as fans know the truth. All of the political posturing and company policies in the world aren’t going to convince us either way. Those that believe Bonds is a cheat will always believe so. Those that think Vince doesn’t care about his workers aren’t going to change their minds. Last but not least, everyone will universally agree that Selig is an idiot. However, the next time you see Edge, or Rey Mysterio, or better yet – an old match from Eddie Guerrero or Chris Benoit - remember Bonds. They entertain us, but their position in our lives doesn’t come for free. They’ve risked a part of their lives for further fame and fortune. They’ve done it for their fans, but mostly, they’ve done it for themselves. They entertain us, and they are paid handsomely for that – but at what price? So people like Vince and Bud can profit? Or, because they love what they do and they just want to have any edge? Only they know, and in the end… we all lose. Hopefully…we don’t lose the WWE.