The Mainstream Media Is Above Unfounded Steroid Speculation
by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 24, 2010 9:00 AM PDT
in Miscellaneous
Email
PrintI'd actually completely forgotten about the whole Jerod Morris to-do until Geoff Baker reminded me of it this morning. And, not five minutes later, as part of an unrelated query, I ran across this post from the Toronto Star's Damien Cox:
When it comes to Jose Bautista, how is it exactly that at the age of 29 he's suddenly become the most dangerous power hitter in baseball?
...The Blue Jays, we know, have quietly become known as a bit of a nest for alleged steroid abusers over the years. Clemens played here. Gregg Zaun has been implicated. Ditto for Troy Glaus.
And now comes Bautista. Blue Jay fans will, of course, angrily respond to the suggestion that everything isn't on the up-and-up, just as I remember getting bushels of bitter emails from baseball fans when questioning Mark McGwire's open use of androstenedione back when he was smashing Roger Maris' record.
One could argue rather convincingly that Cox's post is even worse than Morris' with regard to its accusatory tone, since Morris at least dedicated some space to trying to disprove the idea. Cox didn't do anything of the sort. In sum:
Morris: Raul Ibanez is doing well. These mathematical adjustments don't account for the improvement we've seen. We have to ask the question.
Cox: Jose Bautista is doing well. We have to ask the question.
I'm not mad. I'm not even annoyed. I don't care about Jerod Morris, I don't care about Damien Cox, and I don't care about how blogs are seen by the mainstream media. I just feel it's important to acknowledge that, while some blogs will say some shady things, the papers don't exactly keep their noses clean. If Morris deserved to get ripped to pieces for his post, then Cox ought be shred to tinier bits.
It isn't about bloggers vs. media types. It's about quality vs. shit, no matter the source.
12 comments
|
6 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Haters gonna hate
And Canuck sportswriters are going to throw shit against the wall as much as their American counterparts.
I don’t get the mainstream media versus blogs part though. Baker writes for the Times and the Toronto Star is Canada’s largest daily newspaper.
Aha, my apologies
I can’t stand to read Baker so I didn’t know what inane bullshit he was currently slinging. I do like when he gets his maple-leaf panties in a bunch over bloggers though so maybe I will read this one.
by lemonverbena on Aug 24, 2010 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions
The Toronto Star is a terrible read for baseball coverage but this kind of writing should not get past the editor's desk
From what I remember, Cox’s main focus is not even baseball and his writing indicates only a cursory knowledge of the game. However, it does not excuse him from starting unwarranted speculation with little basis in fact. Richard Griffin is the main baseball columnist for the Star. Unfortunately his writing is far worse and bordering on vapid sometimes.
Whatever you think of Baker, I would take him any day over Griffin.
by tdot mariner fan on Aug 24, 2010 11:14 AM PDT reply actions
Cox is primarily a hockey writer
And not a great one at that. In this post, he comes off as ridiculous and ignorant as a baseball-oriented writer trying to explain the intricacies of the neutral-zone trap.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
"It isn't about bloggers vs. media types. It's about quality vs. shit, no matter the source."
If we can get everyone to understand this, it would solve a lot of problems. Not just in sports.
by Matthew on Aug 24, 2010 12:08 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I agree
that this article is terrible. I don’t agree that there’s no place in steroid speculation though. I get banned any time I attempt to show absolutely clear pictures of Milton Bradley in 2008 and in 2010. He was a way bigger/stronger dude and there’s absolutely nobody who can dispute it. When people talk about what we can expect from certain players going forward and there is very good reason to think that the player used in the past, we should talk about it.
I realize that I’m discussing something a little different than the main thrust of this post, but I think that the no steroid talk policy of some blogs is counter productive.
It's one thing to talk about a guy who's been legitimately linked to PED use
It’s another thing to allege PED use based on, say, a couple pictures you grabbed from the internet.
by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 24, 2010 3:46 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
The absolutely clear pictures you could grab show absolutely nothing clearly except a person whose size has changed
unless Milton Bradley was wearing a shirt that said I HEART STEROIDS you can’t prove anything, and to insist you can from two photographs is just ludicrous.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Lookout Landing
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Ku Klux Klan, umpires and bowling: Why the minor leagues tossed out Jim Evans academy
- The Cardinals Hall of Fame can now be found at Bill Clinton’s library in Arkansas (Huh?)
- Will Bryce Harper start the season with the Nationals?
- Mitch Mustain puts football behind him, signs reported rookie deal with White Sox
- Robinson Cano and Denzel Washington face off in Jay Leno’s Yankees trivia contest
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
