Possible New Slant on PED Prosecutions

[Arthur_Bryant]

The NY Times today has an interesting piece about the Feds taking a new tack in prosecution of PED cases. Instead of focusing on drug distribution, they're looking at possible fraud by athletes, on the argument that pro athletes who use PEDs are engaged in deceit for profit by misrepresenting themselves--claiming to be clean.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/sports/cycling/26cycling.html

The specific investigation involves Lance Armstrong and his contract with his former team sponsor, U.S. Postal Service. But it's not hard to imagine that the argument could be applied to MLB as well. And the penalties for fraud (according to the article) are potentially greater than for distribution.

As far as I'm aware, this is the first investigation to target primarily athletes.

Jeff Novitsky, lead investigator in the BALCO investigation, is directly involved.

[giantfan]

The NY Times today has an interesting piece about the Feds taking a new tack in prosecution of PED cases. Instead of focusing on drug distribution, they're looking at possible fraud by athletes, on the argument that pro athletes who use PEDs are engaged in deceit for profit by misrepresenting themselves--claiming to be clean.

What if the athletes never claimed to be clean in the first place?

How about a nfl player saying, what makes you think I'm clean, I'm 290 pounds and i run a 4.3 on the forty. That's not normal and common sense should tell you I'm on enhancers.

[Moose Milligan]

But they wont of course..because the fact is, MLB is a partner with the players and has allowed the fraud to exist for years. Fraud has been good business for MLB. Bonds, Sammy, Mcgwire, Clemens, Raffy, Papi, Manny, Arod ...and at least a hundred more. They were all frauds and they were all in business together to sell the public a phony product.They ruined the credibility of the most sacred thing about baseball..more than any other sport..the records are tarnished forever.

Id love to see fraud charges brought against the cheaters. But where would it start? And where/ when would it end?

I'm sorry Roy, but the great game of baseball has many other black marks in its history...I used to feel this way about the PED use but I just don't care anymore.

Color barrier? Check.

Black Sox? Check.

Collusion in the mid 80's? IMO, easily the worst offense in the game of the past 50 years? Check.

So some players wanted to get bigger and stronger and found a way to do it. I'm not saying I like what they did, but worrying about this is ridiculous and IMO this is all hinging on the next few years to see what happens when Bonds and Clemens are on the ballot.

I just don't understand why we can't write off that era for what it was, stop living in the past, learn from mistakes and make sure it doesn't happen again.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm sorry Roy, but the great game of baseball has many other black marks in its history...I used to feel this way about the PED use but I just don't care anymore.

Color barrier? Check.

Black Sox? Check.

Collusion in the mid 80's? IMO, easily the worst offense in the game of the past 50 years? Check.

So some players wanted to get bigger and stronger and found a way to do it. I'm not saying I like what they did, but worrying about this is ridiculous and IMO this is all hinging on the next few years to see what happens when Bonds and Clemens are on the ballot.

I just don't understand why we can't write off that era for what it was, stop living in the past, learn from mistakes and make sure it doesn't happen again.

So...you don't care about the color barrier? The Black Sox and other gambling scandals? Collusion?

[Moose Milligan]

So...you don't care about the color barrier? The Black Sox and other gambling scandals? Collusion?

My bad, I meant to write that over its history, baseball has seen some awful transgressions...and that over the past 50 years, the PED stuff isn't even the worst of it.

I think if you were to make a list of the worst things in baseball history it'd start with:

1. Color Barrier

2. Collusion

Why? Cause in both cases baseball owners refused to make their teams better. One out of racism and flat out ignorance, the instance they banded together and agreed to not go after free agents due to financial concerns. In both cases owners knew that they could make their teams better....and refused to do so.

3. Black Sox

I don't think what Rose did was all that bad, I'd have him way low on my list or maybe leave him off altogether. Probably PED use, too.