Defending a so called doper

So A-Rod is all over the news and using performance enhancing drugs.

Lets sets a few things straight.

* Prior to 2002 MLB had no testing program which means that whatever rules they had in place really didn't exist. I'll take that a step further and say that they knew the players were regularly takinf steriods and MLB didn't care. MLB made a lot of money during and after the Sosa/ Maguire rivalry.

* The self rightous reporters who are condemning players now were in the locker rooms and damn well knew what had been going on for year and years. They never said a word. They were complicit. For them to act shocked is hypocritical.

* In 2002 the players union agreed to participate with testing so that MLB could assess the situation. The tests were to be anonymous and not to be used against and player. A-Rod positive is coming out of those test, which are proving to be NOT anonymous and now are being considered for use against him. This type of behavior is going SET BACK the efforts of anti-doping in athletics. If the testers can't be trusted to follow their own rules and anonymous doesn't mean anonymous then you're not going to get any cooperation.

For me the issue is simple. For anything that occurred prior to 2004, the slate is wiped clean. None of that matters. Anything that happened(s) after 2004 should be enforced according to the rules in place. That's all. As for records, there needs to be some recognition that from 1990-2004 drugs were rampant in the sport.

From this point forward I'd consider any doping to be affecting the integrity of the game and I'd deal with it the same way that you would someone who cheated or gambled on games.

As for A-Rod, I can't see punishing a guy who did something years ago that nobody cared about then..because suddenly they care about it now.