Truly, utterly, ridiculous. Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were denied entry to baseball’s Hall of Fame, with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades. Bonds received just 36.2 percent of the vote, Clemens 37.6 and Sosa 12.5 in totals announced Wednesday by the Hall [...]
Posts Tagged ‘steroids’
The Hall of Fame and guilt by association
John Royal hits on one of the least admirable traits of Hall of Fame voters. There are some voters out there once again claiming that Jeff Bagwell used ‘roids, and these same folks are claiming that Craig Biggio used them as well. How do they reconcile these statements with the truth that there’s no evidence [...]
On peeing in a cup
Another solution in search of a problem from the Republican leadership. Out of the more than 250 bills filed Monday, the first possible day to file legislation for the 83rd session, one measure — concerning drug testing for welfare applicants — is already drawing the support of the state’s top lawmakers and the criticism of [...]
Why I hold the Hall of Fame voting process in contempt
This story has the best distillation of why the Baseball Writers Association of America should have had the Hall of Fame voting privilege taken away from them years ago. Former BBWAA president Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer didn’t need a jury to help him with his decision. “I wasn’t going to vote for [...]
Clemens cleared
The saga ends. A federal jury today acquitted baseball superstar Roger Clemens on charges of lying to Congress about the use of performance enhancing drugs in a stinging rebuke to a four-year campaign by legislators and federal prosecutors to turn the legendary pitcher into a cautionary icon for baseball’s doping scandal. The 49-year-old Houstonian, winner [...]
Will the feds get another shot at Clemens?
Probably. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton is considering the possibility that putting Clemens on trial again would subject him to double jeopardy. Walton, who declared a mistrial on July 14, has ordered both sides to submit their arguments in writing and has scheduled a Sept. 2 hearing. Attorneys and scholars who have reviewed case transcripts [...]
Steroid prevalency: Opinions differ
Richard Justice writes about steroids in sports, in particular steroid use among high school students, and quotes a familiar source. [Don Hooton] cites a Procter & Gamble Co. study in which 2,000 kids were asked if an adult, parent, coach or teacher had talked to them about the dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs. Eighty-four percent [...]
Judge declares mistrial in Clemens case
You’ve got to be kidding me. The judge declared a mistrial Thursday in baseball star Roger Clemens’ perjury trial after prosecutors showed jurors evidence that the judge had ruled out of bounds. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said Clemens could not be assured a fair trial after prosecutors showed jurors evidence against his orders in [...]
Is this finally the end of steroid testing?
I hope so, but the fight is far from over. In 2008, Texas became the third state to begin steroid testing, setting up a massive $6 million program. Every one of the state’s 700,000-plus public school athletes — from freshmen female tennis players to senior offensive linemen in football — were eligible to be randomly [...]
Steroid testing can never fail, it can only be failed
It’s definition of insanity time. Don Hooton’s anti-steroid message aimed at young athletes has never been more in demand. The foundation he started six years ago in the wake of his teenage son’s suicide, attributed to steroid use, has grown to a full-time staff of five. They speak at high schools and colleges across the [...]
The 2011 Hall of Fame ballot
Brace yourself for lots of posturing and moralizing about the eeeeevils of steroids and the general decline of society. Suspected steroid users Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez are on baseball’s Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, joining Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar, both of whom fell just short in last year’s vote. Former [...]
Clemens indicted on perjury charges
Not a good day for the Rocket. A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens for allegedly lying to Congress about using steroids and growth hormone. Clemens faces charges of obstruction of Congress, making false statements and perjury. The six-count grand jury indictment said that Clemens obstructed a congressional [...]
Still steroid-free
No juicing here. The University Interscholastic League on Thursday released results of [steroids tests of high school athletes] for the spring semester of the 2009-2010 school year. Of the 3,308 boys and girls tested last semester, all of the student athletes were clean. About 50,000 tests since February 2008 have found only about 20 confirmed [...]
Some cows are more sacred than others
To quote Mel Brooks, it’s good to be the king. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will not be denied his steroid testing money. The Texas Education Agency had included the $1 million cost of the steroid program among its $135.5 million in proposed cuts. But state leaders left in $750,000 for that program as they cut [...]
How you can tell when someone isn’t serious about making budget cuts
An inability to prioritize is a pretty strong indicator. The $135 million budget cut proposal from the Texas Education Agency includes one item that will probably not please Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. The agency suggests eliminating the $1 million needed to test high school athletes for steroids next year. Dewhurst had championed the 2007 bill [...]
Steroids: Still not a problem in the schools
At least, as far as our ridiculous and expensive steroid testing og high school athletes program can tell, we don’t have a problem. More than a year has passed since the state implemented one of the world’s most ambitious steroids testing programs at Texas high schools. The results so far: $6 million spent to test [...]
Scaling back steroid testing in the schools
Yes, yes, yes. House and Senate budget negotiators will decide in the coming weeks whether the [$3 million a year program to test high school student athletes for steroids] continues — and its scope and pace. “It’s not needed. House members think that we should not do the test at all,” said House Appropriations Chairman [...]
Steroid madness
Can we please declare victory in the war on steroids in Texas high schools and move on to something more productive? Only 11 Texas high school students proved positive for steroid use among nearly 29,000 students tested in the last year, leading some lawmakers and others to suggest a downsizing of the $3-million-a-year program. Nearly [...]
The border camera boondoggle blues
Your tax dollars at work, courtesy of Governor Perry. A virtual border surveillance program Gov. Rick Perry has committed millions of taxpayer dollars to fell far short of expectations during the first six months of operation. Border sheriffs, who Perry gave $2 million to line the Texas-Mexico border with hundreds of Web cameras, installed only [...]