Hate Steroids? Get Serious.

I make no bones about baseball not being my first love, but for American sports none have occupied so many ugly emotions as baseball.  For some reason, the sport that has the least amount of contact contains the most drug users.  Since the Mitchell Report’s release in 2007, baseball has made fighting steroids a priority.

And yet nothing seems to have changed.  The biggest names in the game find their names on various distribution lists, prescription slips, and shipping labels.  While everyone focused on the lead-up to the Super Bowl last week, A-Rod’s name appeared in documents after a bust of a steroid operation in Central Florida.  Many likely remember A-Rod’s admission in 2009 that he had used steroids while playing for the Texas Rangers.  In that statement, Rodriguez effectively put the onus on himself and his cousin, claiming he did not use steroids at all after coming to New York.

Well, look at the new evidence from the disgraced clinic Biogenesis, and the prescribed diet for Rodriguez linked him to as many as 19 drugs using various methods of transmittal, whether it be pills, creams, or even lasanges.  Yeah, nineteen.  Other players mentioned in these lists are Gio Gonzalez, a Nationals pitcher who challenged for the Cy Young last season, and Nelson Cruz, a Rangers outfielder.  With the report late Tuesday that Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers MVP that successfully appealed a failed test last year, was also found on Biogenesis lists, the den of iniquity looks to be complete.

And this should come as no surprise to anyone.  Baseball has for too long used outdated and lenient steroids punishments.  With a first offense, a player loses 50 games.  Upon a second offense, 100 games.  With a third offense comes a lifetime ban from baseball.

Now baseball has made strides in recent weeks.  In mid-January baseball and the players’ union agreed to in-season testing for human growth hormone as well as new testing methods designed to expose testosterone.  Those are huge steps, especially since many of the substances mentioned in the Biogenesis papers are forms of growth hormone.  But what makes us believe baseball players won’t continue to lie their way through the next few years.  Braun maintained his innocence after a positive test, and A-Rod swore he hadn’t used since 2003, but here they are on manifests from a shady drug outfit.

The highest profile suspension last season, that of Melky Cabrera for testosterone (Cabrera also was on the Biogenesis list), similarly doesn’t inspire much confidence.  What was his reward?  A two year contract worth $16 million.  Not the universal stigma one would imagine, but a fistload of money.  He cheated, got caught, and eventually got rewarded financially.  Hardly the kind of incentive structure baseball should perpetuate in order to eliminate steroids.  If you want steroid usage out of baseball, why not ban these guys for the remainder of the season and the following season?

The more we hear, steroids sink larger players.  Cabrera won the All-Star Game MVP award last year, an honor not normally befitting a guy of his playing caliber.  A-Rod, always a lightning rod for attention, clearly lied to the public.  If Braun turns out to be involved directly (his name is not linked to any specific substance), we have no reason to trust baseball players until positive tests truly disappear.  Even then, the Lance Armstrong saga just proved the absence of a positive test does not imply no doping.

Given recent events and revelations, can we really say the Steroid Era has ended in baseball?  Will we ever view professions of innocence as legitimate?  If you want to answer “Yes” to these questions, push for larger sanctions in baseball for PED use.  Let’s not coddle these guys…they will only stop with proper penalties for using.  Clearly, the current system is not working.

Bit #1: The Caps should not fire Adam Oates

Many want to rush to judgment with Adam Oates, the beleaguered Caps head coach who currently presides over the worst team in the Eastern Conference.  To say this team can perform at a much higher level would be an understatement, but we must remember a few key facts before calling for his head.

First, no coach deserves to lose his job with only one week of preseason.  That’s not fair, especially for a guy with a “system” like Oates.  He needs time to implement that for a team consistently searching for a long-term solution behind the bench.  In addition, no coach can be expected to do well when his alleged starting goalie posts a 4.52 goals against average and a .862 save percentage.  The Caps will forever be associated with offense, so a steady backstop between the pipes creates more opportunities to score.  Braden Holtby has played poorly to say the least which will sink any team looking to make an impact.  Certainly, the offense has not been there either, but goalie situations look to be more foreboding in the long run.

That said, Oates will need to bring the Caps into the hunt soon or else the shortened season will be lost.  Amazingly, we are close to the quarter mark of the NHL season already, so the time for dallying past a while ago.

Bit #2: What’s Gotten Into the Raptors?

If you’re just now learning there’s an NBA franchise in Toronto, you haven’t missed anything.  But it seems the Toronto front office would like to bring some attention north of the border.  Last week, the Raptors traded for Rudy Gay, the top scorer on the Memphis Grizzlies, in an attempt to upgrade a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in four seasons.

Yesterday, reports out of Toronto claimed the Raptors and Bulls mulled a swap of Carolos Boozer and Andrea Bargnani, two guys known more for their disappointing performances than success.  While this trade likely won’t happen due to salary cap considerations, that Toronto wants to bring in recognizable veterans changes their typical MO.  If Bargnani, the 2006 overall first pick, can be dealt, look for GM Bryan Colangelo to potentially change destinations after this season.  Things don’t change this quickly without some pressure from ownership.

Super Bowl XLVII

The only way to truly break this whole thing down is by topic, since there are plenty of things to cover from last night’s game.

1.      The Outage that will define this game

Plenty may well remember the Ravens overall play or the no-call at the end of the game or even the handshake by the Harbaugh brothers at the end.  But the majority of Americans who tuned in last night will think back on the bizarre power outage in the third quarter.  They may also ponder how nice it was to have Jim Nantz (and his rotten baby food-colored tie) off the air, even if no one has ever heard of Solomon Wilcots.  Overall, the effect was eerie, as Beyonce had just finished her halftime show and Baltimore had just returned a huge kickoff return.  In effect, the game looked to be winding towards some kind of conclusion.  There’s no doubt who benefited, as the Niners charged back to be in contention late, scoring 17 points in just over 4 minutes to bring the game close even before the fourth quarter began.

Despite their resiliency, I’m glad the Ravens won.  If they hadn’t, we the world would have heard all about how the power outage, an aberration not before seen on such a big stage, gave the Niners new life when they clearly looked to be on the ropes.  Of course San Francisco has fallen behind in the last few games and responded, but never from a three-touchdown deficit.  As tired as I am of the Flacco debate and hearing from/about Ray Lewis, I’d rather have that than worry about how a power outage might have changed the course of the game.  Speaking of those pesky topics though…

2.      If you’re a Flacco critic, you should be silent for a few months

My time after the Super Bowl last night involved a heated argument regarding Flacco’s status.  I’ve used this blog before to discuss why I think Joe Flacco has hit the top echelon of quarterbacks right now in this league, so I’ll spare you the finer points.  But, we should all agree to this: we may have just seen one of the best postseasons by a quarterback ever.

Yes, ever.  If you have some obscure Brady postseason when they didn’t win the Super Bowl, no one cares.  That Joe Flacco won it all immediately vaults him above valiant losing efforts, but the way he won it all deserves significant praise.  Anytime your numbers put you in the same sentence as Joe Montana, you’ve accomplished historic heights.  He threw 11 TDs and 0 INTs this postseason, the only guy other than Montana to not turn it over.  Not only that, but his touchdown throws are tied for the most ever in a postseason with Montana and Kurt Warner in 2008.  Whether you like it or not, his numbers in this postseason are among the best (and by definition elite).

I will add that Flacco performed last night when he needed to, going 7-for-10 on third down for 158 yard and two touchdowns.  Those are big boy throws.  In a final broadside against those who would like to diminish his role in the playoffs this year, the Ravens gave up 22 points per game in the postseason.  That would have been average during the regular season, hardly the vaunted defense so many want to pinpoint.  The Ray Rice element certainly added another dimension as the Ravens could play-action with impunity and the offensive line found its groove at the right time this postseason, but in the end Joe Flacco put the Patriots and 49ers away.  He drove the team down the field for a field goal in the fourth quarter last night when the momentum clearly did not favor his team.

Athletic events always hinge on many facets, but in an age when the NFL favors offensive attacks, credit must be given to offenses, especially when the score ends up at 34-31.  The Ravens asked Flacco to make big plays and he’s delivered all postseason.  Of course, we’re discussing one season here, so no need to panic, but it’s tough to deny Flacco provided his team with chances to win and, when asked, answered the bell when it mattered most.

3.      No-call at end of game the proper decision and not surprising

In his typical fashion, Jim Harbaugh begged referees to call defensive holding on a fade route to Michael Crabtree on 4^th down from inside the ten.  He certainly has a point, as there was plenty of contact between Crabtree and cornerback Jimmy Smith.  It’s easy also to see the attempts by Crabtree to separate himself from Smith, which would have been construed as some form of illegal offensive contact (personally I ascribe to that view of it).

Either way, I have no problem with keeping the whistle in your pocket on that.  Not a blatant penalty and, when the game will be effectively decided on that play, referees do well to keep their flags away.  Remember the pass interference call in the Miami-Ohio St. BCS Championship almost ten years ago?  Refs should not be deciding games unless the penalty looks obvious.  The Niners had three prior chances to score, so it’s not one play that defined their ineptitude at the end.

4.      Ray Lewis and Religion

One of my wittier friends during the game begged some 49ers player to mime a deer after scoring a touchdown in last night’s game…I wish someone had.  Either way, Lewis has seen his stock in public opinion plummet the past two weeks, as many accuse him of hypocrisy and cheating.

The antler spray debacle thankfully won’t last much longer, but the various calls of fraud directed at Lewis belie a growing discomfort with religious personalities in our athletic society.  Plenty of pundits grew restless hearing about God from Ray Lewis, and yet he never deviated from his message.  Perhaps he likes the attention, and he definitely led a less-than-Christian life in the past, but if Bob Costas can talk about gun control on the air and give his opinion, Ray Lewis can talk about God.  It is always possible for human beings to change their lifestyles after tough times…Josh Hamilton, the darling of so many fans, thanks God in most interviews when asked about his battle against alcoholism.  We all know about Tim Tebow and, frankly it all comes down to this…if these athletes are so religious, they will want to tell others just like Bob Costas wanted to have his opinion on gun control put out there last month.  The media is used to espouse ideas all the time…just because they are religious in nature does not give everyone the right to cry foul, declare fraud, or excoriate those who might be considered “sanctimonious.”  Have a problem with religious athletes loving the attention?  If so, take issue with everyone who sits in front of a camera and passes judgment, delivers polemics, or otherwise gives an opinion.  We’re human and, almost inevitably, we all want attention somewhere.

For Lewis, he very well might have provided the spark to encourage Baltimore to play better during the postseason.  This team lost four of their last five games before Lewis’ announcement, so the “heart and soul” folks out there will point to his leadership, and with some good reason.  Still, I’d emphasize the offensive line play a little more, but overall it’s a fitting end to Lewis, whose career will be defined by his spectacular rise after a calamitous fall and his intensity.  He might not be the best all-time middle linebacker (have to go with Mike Singletary myself), but Lewis left an indelible mark and will be a Hall of Famer. (Note: I originally wrote “first-ballot Hall of Famer” but after Cris Carter didn’t make it on the first ballot, I have no clue anymore.)

5.      Get Used to the Scoring

I will likely not predict a low-scoring Super Bowl for a while, since defense consistently matters less and less in the big game.  Between 1983 and 2005, no team won the big game without a top ten ranked defense.  Don’t look now, but we got our third champion in four years who didn’t have a great statistical defense last night. Collectively, the defenses allowed 795 total yards of offense and 65 points, making this postseason the second-highest scoring playoffs in history. 

6.      Final note on Flacco

I heard an interesting argument last night which was the Flacco succeeds because he can’t possibly overthrow his speedy wide receivers.  I admit, it didn’t pass my eye test but I wanted to find some numbers to back up my skepticism.

Well, either the receivers got quicker this postseason or Flacco got more accurate.  His completion percentage of 41% for throws more than 10 yards downfield was the second-lowest in the regular season.  But, in the postseason, he hit 48.1% with no interceptions.  Compare that second number with 38.4% in the previous four playoffs and six interceptions during that time and it’s harder for me to believe he just heaves the ball up hoping his receiver can get there.  Now maybe he’s streaky on these throws and got hot at the right time, but clearly he hasn’t always been able to find receivers downfield like he did the past month or so.  Arm strength means nothing without precision.

7.      Kaepernick Will Return

Colin Kaepernick might not have won this game, but he threw a few beauties that really helped the Niners back in the game.  Long drops by Crabtree and Vernon Davis did not help his cause despite both throws being on a dime.  In the end, I thought the play calling particularly rough for Kaep, especially early on.  On at least two first quarter third downs, Jim Harbaugh called a Gore running play, forgoing the use of Keapernick’s prodigious arm.  Harbaugh also called goal line passing plays, including on third down at the end of the game, that moved the pocket, effectively taking away half of the offensive field and letting Baltimore off the hook as far as containing his elusiveness.  If you ask me, I think calling a fade route for that fourth down play was dumb even if the Ravens hadn’t blitzed up the middle.

But, this team will likely return to the big stage soon.  Jim Harbaugh has proven he can coach, taking a team without a winning season since 2002 and bringing them to the final four of the NFL two straight years.  And that’s while not changing much of the roster from Mike Singletary’s reign, retooling certain guys (like Kaepernick) into new roles.  Overall great effort and, with two better first halves in the postseason, the Niners might have cruised to victory at the end.

8.      Best Party Ever

Groundhog…if you don’t know, you just don’t know.