Steroid Central (Last Day, I Promise)
This is just a minor follow-up to yesterday's discussion of Raffy Palmeiro, who was criminally deprived, by Major League Baseball and the Player's Association, of the necessary education that could have prevented him from unknowingly, unintentionally injecting himself with a potent anabolic steroid, which was apparently masquerading as heroin or any of the myriad substances honest athletes shoot into their bloodstreams all the time.
The other players, thankfully, are keeping things in perspective: no less an authority on illegal steroids than Jason Giambi offered his thoughts when asked if his opinion of Palmeiro had changed since hearing of his positive test.
"No, not at all," said Giambi, whose own steroid use was made public through leaked grand jury testimony in the BALCO case. "He's a phenomenal player. His accomplishments are an unbelievable thing."That's right, folks—Giambi, an admitted steroid user, doesn't think Palmeiro's accomplishments should be tainted by his steroid use. (Palmeiro's steroid use, I mean, not Giambi's.) However, I believe the reporter in this case could be taken to task for his framing of the question—because, for all we know, Giambi formerly thought of Palmeiro as "that guy I did steroids with," and no, his opinion on that subject hasn't changed.
Meanwhile, Slate has a dizzying compendium of excuses offered by red-handed cheaters, all of which their fans and Harold Reynolds apparently have no difficulty accepting.
And the American Mastodon, who I admit has been looking like he has a little extra junk in his wooly trunk lately, pleads Not Guilty.
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