Roberts Comes Clean

[Dipper9]

The only thing the Mitchell Report did was throw 83 guys under the bus, and make some suggestions for future changes. In my opinion the names should have never been realesed because the focus of the media has been on those 83 players, and not the real problem at hand.

I agree 100%. If you're gonna pay 60 million dollars, then there should have been some "goal" here. That goal should have been to clean up the game that we all love so much. Instead it has become nothing more than a media circus and witch hunt. Who really did it? Is so and so gonna admit it or deny it? Did Roger really do it? WHO CARES who did what? Clean up the game! That's waht we care about! Clean up the game!

As for Roberts, I agree he manned up and admitted to his mistake, but he only did so AFTER he was outted by Bigbie. Nothing against Roberts, as I love the guy, BUT, I get so sick and tired of our society praising the reformed drug addict while people like me and millions of others that NEVER took illegal drugs get no mention at all. Is it a good thing that someone can kick a drug habit? Of course it is. BUT, it would have been better had they never done the drugs to begin with. Same for Roberts. Nice job on admitting to your mistake, but your "conscious" only got the better of you AFTER you were outted by Bigbie and Mitchell. You didn't admit to anything before that! So no, I will not praise you for admitting to it, but I also hold no ill will towards you because you didn't do anything different than what your peers were doing. The GAME of baseball is at fault here. The players are the ones making the mistakes and cheating, and they get first criticism, but baseball allowed them to do it and NOW want to hold the players responsible? BS! Make changes to the game and go forward. We cannot do anything about the past!

[The Wedge]

I just don't think we really needed the Mitchell Report. What did it actually tell us that we didn't already know? 83 names? That's only 1% of the players who used performance enhancing drugs. I think the purpose of the Mitchell Report was for MLB to look good in the eyes of the public, and to congress.

The Mitchell Report did provide some very nice recommendations for future testing procedures. However, I'm not sure we needed a highly funded "Report" for some recommendations.

You know what the Mitchell Report was for, if you ask me? Leverage. Leverage for Selig to use against the MLBPA. Ever since it even became an issue, the biggest hold up for any sort of clean up has been the union. It's only when outside forces have acted upon them have they capitulated on any of their hardline stances. I think this is no different.

[erb8472]

That is just not a funny joke.

If this was BJ Surhoff, or someone else on the club that you didn't like you'd be all over them. However, because it's Brian Roberts he can still remain the perfect one? I just don't see your logic.

I think Brian is a great guy don't get me wrong, but you honestly can't view him the same today as you did yesterday.

[cindyluvsbrady]

Well Cindy he may be a great guy but he isnt perfect anymore.

That is your oppinon

Like I said.The world would be a better place if it was filled with people with truly kind hearts like Brians.

Sadly,they are getting rarer everyday

[mikezpen]

Where did those contacts come from-Krypton?

[erb8472]

You know what the Mitchell Report was for, if you ask me? Leverage. Leverage for Selig to use against the MLBPA. Ever since it even became an issue, the biggest hold up for any sort of clean up has been the union. It's only when outside forces have acted upon them have they capitulated on any of their hardline stances. I think this is no different.

This is a good point. The MLBPA is the strongest union in the country, and they have to do as the league says now or they are at risk of looking like they are against drug testing, suspensions, etc.

[cindyluvsbrady]

If this was BJ Surhoff, or someone else on the club that you didn't like you'd be all over them. However, because it's Brian Roberts he can still remain the perfect one? I just don't see your logic.

I think Brian is a great guy don't get me wrong, but you honestly can't view him the same today as you did yesterday.

Im not up to arguing about this:002_scry:

I can say I have never seen Brian Roberts make little children sob.

[TGO]

Obviously Tejada talked him into trying steroids.

What's that you say, Tejada wasn't here in 2003? Uh, well, um....

/runs away sobbing/

[Scribo]

You know what the Mitchell Report was for, if you ask me? Leverage. Leverage for Selig to use against the MLBPA. Ever since it even became an issue, the biggest hold up for any sort of clean up has been the union. It's only when outside forces have acted upon them have they capitulated on any of their hardline stances. I think this is no different.

Yep. Selig is under pressure from Congress for more stringent testing and enforcement, and he had to make the case that the problem is real and widespread.

He may also have been thinking that the best way to put the issue behind the sport was to come clean. In the long term it will prove to be a wise choice. Now, instead of 50 more Cansecos and Caminitis dragging the story out over the next decade, it becomes old news.

Besides, once the Feds got interested in this (thinking more of the enforcement guys rather than legislators) the game was over.

[erb8472]

Im not up to arguing about this:002_scry:

I can say I have never seen Brian Roberts make little children sob.

I'm not trying to argue with you Cindy. I'm a huge Roberts fan, but I would be delusional if I looked over my shoulder on this incident. Yes it was one time, and everyone was doing it. However, I personally didn't think Brian did it or was doing it. This admission by Roberts hurts, and I commend him for admiting his usage. However, as a fan of the Orioles and Roberts I'd be crazy to think that Brian is a better person for this.

[The Wedge]

This is a good point. The MLBPA is the strongest union in the country, and they have to do as the league says now or they are at risk of looking like they are against drug testing, suspensions, etc.

They are against all those things. Always have been. Fehr, right now, is desperately trying to figure out how to keep a hardline stance and not look like the bad guy. Guess what, a-hole...too late. Everyone always likes to throw Selig under the bus, and while I think he's exactly what he is: a used car salesman...I don't blame him completely for this mess. This mess, and most of baseballs underlying problems, stem from the MLBPA having too much power. This is no exception. They derailed all attempts at decent testing for years.

Hell, you could even hear it in Seligs voice when he had his press conference, and he was mentioning the Mitchell Report recommendations. He was like "those that I can do autonomously would be done immediately. He then paused, and his tone changed when he talked about the stuff that was up for collective bargaining.

[The Wedge]

Obviously Tejada talked him into trying steroids.

What's that you say, Tejada wasn't here in 2003? Uh, well, um....

/runs away sobbing/

Roberts was on second during a game in Oakland, and Tejada told him he should get bigger. Fact.

[Hoiles23]

I saw Larry Bigbie as an attention deflecting snitch, and Roberts (with his early medical history) beyond reproach. I was mistaken, sadly.

I don't know what constitutes as steroid user. Once? A hundred times? The actual evidence against Roberts was extremely thin, and he absolutely could have denied any illegal substance use for years, but he didn't. He didn't outright deny like Clemens or Palmiero. He didn't issue a "unapolagy" like Byrd or Pettitte. He asked for forfgivness and accepted the consequences of his actions.

Brian Roberts is a great guy, and his unneeded admission cements my opinion of his personality. He spends off days at Baltimore University Hospital, volunteering his time with sick kids. He doesn't even hold ill will to Bigbie and regards him as a friend.

Weather he's traded next week, leaves in two years, ore continues to play hard for the O's for the next seven; I'll still be a Brian Roberts fan.

[osfan83]

Roberts has been my favorite player over the past 5 years or so....but lets not fall over ourselves giving him credit.

1. He came out after being named. It was damage control.

2. He DID use steriods. Not a big deal to me, but the fact remains he did it.

3. We can assume it was only once...but we have no way of knowing one way or the other. But in my eyes he has lost the benifit of the doubt, because he did try it, and only went public with his admission after being discovered.

He probably will continue to be my favorite player because of the way he plays the game.

[ChaosLex]

I'm not trying to argue with you Cindy. I'm a huge Roberts fan, but I would be delusional if I looked over my shoulder on this incident. Yes it was one time, and everyone was doing it. However, I personally didn't think Brian did it or was doing it. This admission by Roberts hurts, and I commend him for admiting his usage. However, as a fan of the Orioles and Roberts I'd be crazy to think that Brian is a better person for this.

Correction. Robert STATES that it was one time.

*ducks*