The significance of Rafael Palmeiro with the average guy.
Just last week, Baltimore Orioles’ first basemen and community legend Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for the steroidal compound known as Winstrol (stanazol). Most people were shocked that Mr. Palmeiro tested positive after his testimony before Congress. Predictably, that which followed, was the typical media character assassination of Palmeiro. Within an hour, he was declared a liar, cheater, juicehead and bad person. All of his accomplishments were either put into question or completely dismissed in the minds of the media elite.
Now, never mind Palmeiro’s impressive (hall of fame) major league baseball career.
Never mind Palmeiro’s contributions to the communities of Arlington and Baltimore.
Never mind his larger than life legacy and hope he brings the children who are enslaved in Cuba by the ultra-liberal Fidel Castro.
And Never mind Rafael Palmeiro’s highly active role in the Make-A-Wish Foundation for underprivileged children.
Palmeiro is a cheater and a liar.
We must thank the media watchdog for setting the story straight after all these years of believing Palmeiro was in fact, ‘a good person’ when behind closed doors he was a roid-raging psychopath.
That sits just dandy with the pencil-necks in Congress, the meekly paid muck-rakers in journalism, and the testosterone-void girlie men who have never been to a baseball game.
But maybe…
Just maybe your average guy might think to himself and for himself and say: Wait, maybe steroids aren’t for bad people? Rafael Palmeiro isn’t a bad guy. No way – I don’t care what Michael Wilbon says.
I can’t defend Palmeiro’s treason. But I can defend him as a human being.
Steroids were designated as a class three narcotic as part of legislation in the 1990s. The United States government treats them along the lines with hardcore narcotics such as cocaine, morphine and heroin. Based on absolutely no data, a senator from Wisconsin determined (in 2005) that 1 of every 6 male high school students has either experimented with steroids or is currently using them. Based on the perception of steroids, certainly 1 in 6 high school students will be dropping dead shortly. Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling estimated over 60% of all major league baseball players were taking steroids and had been since the mid 80s. Based on the perception of steroids, any day now, we should expect over 60% of the players in the 1980s era to crumble up and die.
Yet, to date, there has not been a single death directly linked to steroid use or even steroid abuse.
The perception still remains that ‘steroids are for bad people’.
Now, either Mr. Palmeiro is in-fact a bad person.
Or the anti-steroid hype is incorrect and Rafael Palmeiro isn’t a bad person.
Back in the year 2000 when Schilling valiantly first brought the steroid issue to the forefront, I named two names of players that I guaranteed used anabolics. Matt Williams and Jay Bell of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bell hit nearly 40 homeruns in 1999 and Williams hit 35 homeruns along his 142 RBIs. I told one of my best friends’ and future ivy-league graduate of my postulate. He reaped the benefits of Bell and Williams on his Smallworld fantasy baseball team the year before. He dismissed my charges simply by saying, “Matt Williams is not a bad person. There is no chance.”
Still to this day, mainly because of media misinformation and lies, steroid use assumes negative character traits.
But I believe with the recent ‘bust’ of Rafael Palmeiro, your average guy isn’t about to throw Palmeiro and his career in the toilet with the likes of a cocaine, methamphetamine, and steroid abuser like Ken Caminiti.
They aren’t about to add Palmeiro to the list of ‘bad people’.
The ‘shock’ that American golden boy Mark McGwire ‘may have’ used steroids in his record setting campaign should be another sledgehammer to the perception that anabolics are only for bad people. I don’t believe anyone considers McGwire a bad person.
A cheater? Depends on what your definition is.
I’m no liberal, but the media has given McGwire a free pass because he is white and considered ‘a good person’. No one in the media has pursued Mcgwire beyond the congressional hearing.
The targets have been Balco bad boys: Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield. In that order. None of the three had a particularly shinning image before the media onslaught. Certainly they fit the description of bad guys and steroids.
Rafael Palmeiro, in my opinion, breaks this stereotype down.
He was not born in America but he is one of us.
I believe your average person is starting to realize how widespread steroid use really is.
If one assumes this to be true – perhaps he too is assuming that the dangers in responsible steroid use are highly exaggerated.
I believe the smoke is beginning to clear – albeit slowly.
Trust your instincts and not the government.
Remember the same government swore there were weapons of mass destruction pointed at your house.
Just last week, Baltimore Orioles’ first basemen and community legend Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for the steroidal compound known as Winstrol (stanazol). Most people were shocked that Mr. Palmeiro tested positive after his testimony before Congress. Predictably, that which followed, was the typical media character assassination of Palmeiro. Within an hour, he was declared a liar, cheater, juicehead and bad person. All of his accomplishments were either put into question or completely dismissed in the minds of the media elite.
Now, never mind Palmeiro’s impressive (hall of fame) major league baseball career.
Never mind Palmeiro’s contributions to the communities of Arlington and Baltimore.
Never mind his larger than life legacy and hope he brings the children who are enslaved in Cuba by the ultra-liberal Fidel Castro.
And Never mind Rafael Palmeiro’s highly active role in the Make-A-Wish Foundation for underprivileged children.
Palmeiro is a cheater and a liar.
We must thank the media watchdog for setting the story straight after all these years of believing Palmeiro was in fact, ‘a good person’ when behind closed doors he was a roid-raging psychopath.
That sits just dandy with the pencil-necks in Congress, the meekly paid muck-rakers in journalism, and the testosterone-void girlie men who have never been to a baseball game.
But maybe…
Just maybe your average guy might think to himself and for himself and say: Wait, maybe steroids aren’t for bad people? Rafael Palmeiro isn’t a bad guy. No way – I don’t care what Michael Wilbon says.
I can’t defend Palmeiro’s treason. But I can defend him as a human being.
Steroids were designated as a class three narcotic as part of legislation in the 1990s. The United States government treats them along the lines with hardcore narcotics such as cocaine, morphine and heroin. Based on absolutely no data, a senator from Wisconsin determined (in 2005) that 1 of every 6 male high school students has either experimented with steroids or is currently using them. Based on the perception of steroids, certainly 1 in 6 high school students will be dropping dead shortly. Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling estimated over 60% of all major league baseball players were taking steroids and had been since the mid 80s. Based on the perception of steroids, any day now, we should expect over 60% of the players in the 1980s era to crumble up and die.
Yet, to date, there has not been a single death directly linked to steroid use or even steroid abuse.
The perception still remains that ‘steroids are for bad people’.
Now, either Mr. Palmeiro is in-fact a bad person.
Or the anti-steroid hype is incorrect and Rafael Palmeiro isn’t a bad person.
Back in the year 2000 when Schilling valiantly first brought the steroid issue to the forefront, I named two names of players that I guaranteed used anabolics. Matt Williams and Jay Bell of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Bell hit nearly 40 homeruns in 1999 and Williams hit 35 homeruns along his 142 RBIs. I told one of my best friends’ and future ivy-league graduate of my postulate. He reaped the benefits of Bell and Williams on his Smallworld fantasy baseball team the year before. He dismissed my charges simply by saying, “Matt Williams is not a bad person. There is no chance.”
Still to this day, mainly because of media misinformation and lies, steroid use assumes negative character traits.
But I believe with the recent ‘bust’ of Rafael Palmeiro, your average guy isn’t about to throw Palmeiro and his career in the toilet with the likes of a cocaine, methamphetamine, and steroid abuser like Ken Caminiti.
They aren’t about to add Palmeiro to the list of ‘bad people’.
The ‘shock’ that American golden boy Mark McGwire ‘may have’ used steroids in his record setting campaign should be another sledgehammer to the perception that anabolics are only for bad people. I don’t believe anyone considers McGwire a bad person.
A cheater? Depends on what your definition is.
I’m no liberal, but the media has given McGwire a free pass because he is white and considered ‘a good person’. No one in the media has pursued Mcgwire beyond the congressional hearing.
The targets have been Balco bad boys: Bonds, Giambi and Sheffield. In that order. None of the three had a particularly shinning image before the media onslaught. Certainly they fit the description of bad guys and steroids.
Rafael Palmeiro, in my opinion, breaks this stereotype down.
He was not born in America but he is one of us.
I believe your average person is starting to realize how widespread steroid use really is.
If one assumes this to be true – perhaps he too is assuming that the dangers in responsible steroid use are highly exaggerated.
I believe the smoke is beginning to clear – albeit slowly.
Trust your instincts and not the government.
Remember the same government swore there were weapons of mass destruction pointed at your house.
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