Posted on 03/17/2005 12:17:34 PM PST by Cagey
WASHINGTON (AP) - Retired slugger Mark McGwire Thursday told a congressional panel investigating drugs in baseball that he would not "participate in naming names" of players who used steroids. McGwire did not say in his opening statement to the House Government Reform Committee whether he used steroids.
Two current players, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro, said they never used steroids. That duo and McGwire were accused of using performance-enhancing drugs by Jose Canseco in a best-selling book that helped prompt the hearing.
In a tense scene, Canseco sat at the same table as the other players as he told the lawmakers that he could not fully answer their questions because of concerns his testimony could be used against him.
Choking back tears, his voice cracking, McGwire said he knows that steroid use can be dangerous and will do whatever he can to discourage young athletes from using them.
"What I will not do, however, is participate in naming names and implicating my friends and teammates," said McGwire, who ranks sixth in major league history with 583 homers.
My next question to Big Mac. 'What would your tell you kids when they say that daddy was a cheater?'
I hold Congress in contempt. I wish they could all be expunged. Especially this group today. What a bunch of silly people. They should not even be doing this. Where in the frigging Constitution does it mention baseball?
This is a major waste of time. These people in Congress should be given some baseballs and have them go down to the Mexico border and throw them at the illegals coming in. Better yet, juice them up, give them some baseball bats and point them at the gangsters crossing the border. Have them hit the ones coming in illegalls with the AK-47's and other hardware first please.
The issue of steroids and baseball is none of the business of Congress. But like with so many other things the smarmy jerks put their noses in something that ain't their business. A Congress, by the way, that is full of people with hair plugs, botox and other fakery they use to make themselves more "attractive". Pelosi can't close her eyes, John Kerry can't open his because of the botox and Biden has implanted doll hair. LOL!
Congress should no be in session but for 4 months a year. The rest of the time they should have to be in their home state.
OK Mr. Baseball
WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY!!!!!
Mac ought to tell this panel to shove it up their asses and walk out. This is a farce of 10 on the Richter scale.
Maybe you never committed any wrongdoing in your life, but imagine if you had...an affair, fudging your taxes, use of illegal drugs in your youth. If you were called before a committee on national tv and asked about it, I guarantee you'd tell them the same thing. Don't be so sanctimonious. Even if he didn't use them, with a guy willing to say he did, he can't testify otherwise in Congress, or else face the threat of perjury. No attorney worth a nickel would let him talk. So get off your high horse.
I take it back that Jose was at a seperate table away from the other players. The camera angle make it appear he was off to the side. He was on the far end of the main table with the other players.
Gee, not in the middle?
Good point. One of the "holier than thou" congresscritters used an analogy of a "smart pill". I wish someone on one of these panels would use the botox analogy.
[I Don't believe 'roids necessarily make you a better baseball player. ]
You could be right. I suppose this could be a discussion within itself.
If a guy like Bonds, with great hand/eye coordination hits a ball as a 185 lb lead-off guy he normally gets a single, maybe a double. As Bonds did in his early days. If that same guy with the same hand/eye coordination on 'roids hits a ball...it goes out of the park. Early in his career, he was a good hitter who could play defense. Now he is a great hitter who can't play defense to save his soul. Is he a better player? He puts butts in the seats...that makes owners happy.
I pray these guys don't have serious medical conditions that end their lives prematurely. If so, do you think they will believe it was worth it?
Here I go, being a contrarian...maybe it's something I'm eating...but who cares?
did he take the fifth? Or just refuse to answer the questions.
Congress does have to right to get on baseball's case about its lax policy. The way to do that properly would be to haul the owners and commissioner in and berate him about it, and then threaten to pass legislation if baseball doesn't clean up its act. This was pure grandstanding.
Go Cards
which one?..not a trick question..(G)
People that play sports are not "heros". It cheapens the word when someone like Michael Jordan or Lance Armstrong are called "heros" for their athletic abilities.
The folks fighting in our military are heros, cops and fireman that lay their lives on the line are heros. A bunch of guys playing baseball are just a bunch of guys playing baseball.
Oh, and why don't these baseball players have a "choice" with what they do with their bodies? What right does the government have to tell them what to do with their bodies? A woman has the right to choose. Why not these guys.
Before they close this little meeting could one of them ask Sosa to say "bazeball hab beeeen berry berry good to me"? That would be funny. That would make me laugh. Then at least I'd get something from my tax dollars funding this silly show today.
please don't knock "Woods" on that, he'd hurt himself again..
What he did was take the 5th in the gentlemanly way, and the committee let him do it. They could have forced him to say the words "on the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer all questions on this subject" but then they would have been even bigger asses than they were. Normally, in congressional hearings, all the subject has to do is send in a letter from his attorney saying that he will plead the 5th, and the committee won't require an appearance. These guys made McGwire show up on national TV so they could embarass him.
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