Haven’t we heard this all before?

I hate to revisit the contiuning baseball steroids scandal/Federal witch hunt, but I read an article from ESPN’s resident ‘Roid experts T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada on Tuesday, calling Alex Rodriguez on the carpet for his assertion that he didn’t know exactly what he was taking when he took performance-enhancing drugs.

Now, I missed the Peter Gammons interview with A-Rod, but some of the excerpted quotes from the article kind of reminds me of another Yankee who has made a few “admissions” on the subject of his own — Jason Giambi. The only difference between the two “admissions” is that Rodriguez went into a slight bit more detail than Giambi did, but why don’t you let some of these quotes from the two be the judge?

Here’s what Giambi said back in 2007 about the steroid era:

“What we should have done a long time ago was stand up — players, ownership, everybody — and said, ‘We made a mistake.’ We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it.”

And Rodriguez:

“I mean, again, there’s such a gray area. That era wasn’t about facts. That era — those words you just mentioned, I guarantee that half the guys that did that in any sport don’t know what that is. You basically end up trusting the wrong people. You end up, you know, not being very careful about what you’re ingesting.”

Another difference here is Giambi was at least more directly apologetic during his ‘07 admission:

“I was wrong for doing that stuff.”

Whereas A-Rod decided to play the naivety card:

“Back then, it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive.”

However, no matter how you look this, what did these guys really admit to, other than “doing that stuff” as Giambi told us? Both admissions of steroid use are steeped in generalities, not specifics, which is what everyone wants to know about. It just proves to me that these guys don’t really care about the game or anything else, just themselves, and they are only “coming clean” because they were caught.

Again, the thing to remember here with A-Rod is, and I hate to say this because I think the guy is a self-serving creep, but he was a victim of a news leak more than anything else. So another conculsion I have to draw from this is, yes, steroids are a problem in our society BUT Marvin Miller was right to some extent, when he called this a media-driven story. We’ve got big enough problems to fix as it is, and I do not think it warrants Federal intervention. If baseball wants to clean itself up, then they will, but it’s not in their best interest to do so, much like the media.

The only other thing I would like to briefly discuss is why aren’t the New York Yankees making an effort here? First, Giambi, then Clemens and Pettitte, and now A-Rod have been caught up in this steroids mess? One has to question the integrity of the Yankees in handling this issue, right? And I don’t say this because I’m a Red Sox fan, I’m saying this because it makes sense to any right-thinking person with a moral conscience…which tons of people in all sports leagues seem to be lacking.

The Witching Hour

First off, I want to apologize for the lack of posting from us over the past couple of weeks. There’s been a lot of breaking sports news we haven’t been able to get to, as this thing called “real life” has proven to be quite an obstacle. Oh well.

Anyway, I’m sure all of you have heard by now A-Roid’s admission of using performance-enhancing drugs between 2001 and 2003 when he was playing for the Texas Rangers, and that is something I personally want to talk about, and share my own twisted aspect of that story with you readers. But first things first.

On the heels of the latest scandal involving ‘Roids and baseball comes a startling comment from ex-MLB Union Boss Marvin Miller, who blasted the Feds for conducting a “witch hunt” against current athletes.

Miller’s interview with the Mothership was a doozie, to say the least.

“I would never have agreed to any testing program in the first place,” he said. “There’s no evidence that’s plausible to justify testing people indiscriminately. If the government wanted to do that, they’d have to go to court for each player tested and say, ‘Here’s evidence of probable cause that this player is a user of an illegal product.’ “

Miller says many other…ummm…interesting things throughout the course of his pow-wow with ESPN, among them:

• There’s no scientific evidence that there is such a thing as performance-enhancing drugs, and therefore, no evidence that requires testing for them.
• There’s no documented evidence of anyone dying from using steroids, yet tobacco is legal and subsidized by the government, and kills more than 400,000 people each year.
• Drug tests should not be used as the gospel truth due to “false positives” that come up with urine testing.
• The media is to blame for perpetuating and glamorizing steroid use by their coverage of the issue

Again, WOW, and I’m not talking about World Of Warcraft! I’m not sure if I totally agree with Miller’s point of view on this, but he sure does raise some interesting questions on the issue, doesn’t he? If I get a chance, I’ll definitely keep an eye out for the full interview.

I do agree with the main point Miller seems to be hammering at — why are the Feds investing so much time on steroids when there are so many other crucial issues of importance to handle? Baseball should clean itself up on its’ own, and if they don’t want to, then sports fans should walk away from them forever.

Miller: Athletes victims of witch hunt [ESPN]

The Super Pick

Steelers 24-16.

Cost of a ticket to Super Bowl 43: $1,300…

…which according to experts, is a $1000 bargain compared to tickets for SB 42. But a ticket to watch “Puppy Bowl V” on the Animal Planet channel is whatever you play for cable in your household, so that’s real cheap in comparison.

That’s right, those cute little mutts are back for another go-round on the national stage.

The main attraction consists of puppies doing puppy things — roaming around on a miniature indoor football field, chewing on stuff, wrestling and tackling each other.

Nothing like cute puppies fighting over chew toys, Pepper The Parrot’s rendition of the National Anthem, and a Kitty Half Time Show to get one’s blood boiling for the Big Game itself, Cardinals and Steelers fans!

I just can’t believe they’ve actually made five of these things for public consumption.

Get ready for Puppy Bowl V! [sfgate]

Finally, something good from the Aussie Open that doesn’t involve hooligans

Fernando Verdasco took Rafa Nadal to the limit and then some before losing a five-set thriller for the ages.

I caught a small part of the third set early this morning while having breakfast, and man, Verdasco was acting like a tennis incarnation of Rocky Balboa. Three hours later, I turned on the TV in the break room at my work and they were still playing! It was a shame Verdasco had to double fault on match point.

I wish I had seen the entire 5 hours and 14 minutes of this classic. Stupid rotten timezones.

Anyway, as a fan of tennis, I’m glad to see something that didn’t have anything to do with the stupid nationalistic hooliganism that has marred this tournament. Not even the bromantic bear hug and near makeout session between Rafa and Fernando turned me off.

And just think, this is a teaser to what is sure to be another classic major final between Federer and Nadal. The replay of Nadal-Verdasco is on ESPN2 at 3:30PM this afternoon.

A Contest For The Ages [Australian Open]

Jon Gruden needs a muzzle and a doggie treat

Because in his own words — “that Chucky will be back and hopefully my teeth will be as sharp as ever.”

In related news, Simeon Rice brought some “new shit” to light on Gruden, going as far as to call him a “scumbag.”

Gruden admits surprise at firing [ESPN]

Trash Of Love TV Picks: I Love Money 2 — The Super Bowl Of Douchebaggery

Maybe I should just turn this into a reality show blog, huh? But regular sports is just so damn boring. Especially this week being Super Bowl week, and all the surrounding hype and media crap just plain turns me off. Honestly, I think if  I was paid to write sports for a living the last place I’d want to be is wherever they hold the Super Bowl.

I know, I know…I’m an idiot, but that’s just me.

But seriously, I’ve been reading a bunch of posts on Deadspin and most of them are about assholes in the media trying to one-up each other so they can interview Kurt Warner’s jockstrap. Really, who wants to work (and then party) with a bunch of jerks like that? I feel fine just watching the game at home with my chips and dip, thank you very much.

That said, it’s now time to talk about douchebags of a different sort, and bring back my recurring reality show coverage. This week’s entry is….

I Love Money 2 [Complete Cast]

OK, this is not as good as my beloved RR/RW Challenge, since well, all of these losers made fools out of themselves on Cronin/Abrego “Of Love” shows, and therefore, for the most part, are absolutely unlikeable with one or two exceptions, but goddamn, it still is funny to me. Especially the guy pictured above, “Tailor Made.” If you remember he was the dork who won New York’s love at the end of I Love New York 2 — check that, he bought New York’s love many times over.

I mean, just look at him for a second — it’s a good thing he makes a lot of money. Or so he says. Because then why the hell is he competing on I Love Money 2?

While you comtemplate an answer to that eternal all-important question (like it’s gonna take you more than two seconds, bub), it’s time to inform the unknowning readers on the premise of this show. It’s 19 people competing to win $250,000, and they end up getting split into teams, whereupon the teams compete against each other in various challenges. The losing team has to pick three people to put up for elimination — meanwhile, both teams before the challenge picked a “paymaster” — the paymaster of the winning team has to pick which of three people should be eliminated.

Again, just like RW/RR Challenge — except for that bit about a “paymaster” who then “voids” the check of the eliminated player. Yadda yadda yadda. The show premieres on VH-1 on Feb. 2.

Now check out this next loser:

This guy calls himself “T-Weed.” He was also on I Love New York. I can’t remember if he was on the first or second season. But basically, he got eliminated from that show because he lied about his finances. So I guess this makes him the ghetto Bernie Madoff or something.

Anyway, quick story about T-Weed. A couple of years ago, me and my wife were in Tampa sampling the night life in Ybor City. We walked into the Coyote Ugly, looked around the place, and lo and behold, there was a guy sitting at the bar who looked just like T-Weed, ogling the waitresses who dance on the bar tops. Maybe it was actually him. Or maybe he was a T-Weed doppleganger. Who knows? We didn’t really go up close to him and find out for sure; we just kind of looked at this guy from afar and laughed all night.

So two nights later, we were down in Ybor with an old friend of mine. Mind you, it’s a Sunday night, and absolutely dead as a dog. In all of the bars in Ybor that night, I think there may have been a total of ten people. So we’re walking around and we happen to pass by Coyote Ugly, and who do we see in there? You guessed it — Doppleganger T-Weed! Sitting at the bar once again, with two other drunks, and trying to schmooze on the waitresses!!!

Great story, huh? And since it took place in Tampa, you can say it happened during Super Bowl week when you’re relating it to your friends and co-workers?

No?

OK, then let’s mercifully end this embarrassment and pick a winner of I Love Money 2. I’m going to pick Saaphyri, since she won the Charm School show. Hoopz won the first I Love Money and also won the first Flavor Of Love, if you want a correlation to support my inane theory. So there you go.

And one more thing — this guy still lives with his parents, and he’s like 35.

Another loudmouth Cowboys wide receiver, another reality show

I feel like I’m repeating myself after my post on Michael’s Irvin’s upcoming reality show, but T.O. wants in on this reality show action, too.

This one should be at least somewhat good though, as it is a behind-the-scenes look at T.O.’s life. Here’s an interesting quote from the VH-1 press release:

“Viewers will discover that behind all the braggadocio, emotional histrionics, and sculpted physique that is the outspoken media magnet known to the world as “T.O.” — there is also a quiet, sensitive, mild-mannered guy from Alexander City, Alabama…that’s Terrell.”

Quick prediction: T.O. od’s on painkillers in the finale, prompting a celebrity intervention from Dr. Drew and then a stint in the next season of Celebrity Rehab.

But wait, there’s more! He’s got chick friends who want to hook him up!

Mo and Kita want to help Terrell match all the success he’s had on the field with that same kind of success off the field.  Now, after a string of relationships and off-the-field endeavors, Terrell is ready to re-examine his personal life and finally put a plan into action. These outspoken, vibrant women are more like T.O.’s sisters than people who work for him.  They will function as matchmakers and therapists and also put their marketing expertise to use and help him make his life off of the field as successful as his life on it!

Second quick prediction: Watch for “T.O. Of Love” in 2010.

Terrell Owens Has a VH1 Reality Show [VH-1 blog]

Now this is how you train for a fight!

I hate to usurp my compadre’s authority on fighting sports, but I couldn’t help talk about last night’s mega fight (and by “mega,” I mean, mega-hilarious) between Jose Canseco and Danny Bonaduce. Of course, since I’m the resident pathetic reality show fan, I’ve been following these two guys careers with a vengeance, because all Bonerduce and Juicey Canseco can do now are reality shows.

So yeah, only a superhuman douchebag like Bonerduce can skip rope and have a smoke at the same time.

Anyway, the fight itself was not much of a fight — according to FOX Sports:

Jose Canseco struck out in his bid to punch out a Partridge.

The one-time admittedly juiced Bash Brother had only warning track power in the ring. He staggered former child star Danny Bonaduce with a couple of big blows in Saturday night’s three-round fight, but failed to deliver the knockout punch and the celebrity boxing match ended in a deflating majority draw.

Canseco seemed like he was doing the one thing he never did to American League pitchers — take it easy on him.

Canseco-Bonaduce I ends in a draw? The travesty of the century, I tell you! Rematch! And that’s what promoter Damon Feldman (no relation to Corey, I assume) promised after the judges made their decision.

Two other things of note here: 1) guest referee was former “Invincible” Eagle Vince Papale, and 2) check out the body-armor tattoos on Canseco — is he trying to hide needle tracks or something?

Canseco draws with Bonaduce in boxing match [FOX Sports]
Canseco vs. Bonaduce (results & photos) [Wax Heaven]

He Hate Homer

I don’t know how long ago this article was posted, but I just discovered it. And in the midst of all my ramblings on the UFL, quite relevant, in that I hope they don’t end up on this list. Also contains a hilarious quote from Rod Smart explaining the genesis of the “He Hate Me” nickname. Link below…

5 Leagues That Didn’t Make It [mental_floss]