In the course of this week and next, we’ve had professional baseball, namely Roger Clemens “on trial” in front of Congress, and we will have the NFL, in the form of commissioner Roger Goodell, also “on trial” in the nation’s capital. So what’s to make of professional sports being investigated, or even cared about by the United States government?

To me, the sports fan and quasi-media type, this is disturbing. From the basic standpoint of “doesn’t Congress have anything better to do” to the more in-depth argument that these private businesses should not have to answer to Congress just because they are more public than some other businesses.

If the New England Patriots spy-scandal had happened in the Arena Football League, I can absolutely guarantee you that it never would have made it’s way to a Senator’s desk. And if any other industry had a steroids problem, like say — I don’t know — HOLLYWOOD, we wouldn’t see any of it make it’s way to Congress. But here we are, and there are plenty of reasons for the average sports fan and citizen to be concerned.

Is this really where sports are headed. Two months ago, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were teammates, likely to be good buddies who’d grow old together, telling tales of their times in New York and Houston. Now, they will likely never speak on good terms again. Everything great that will ever be achieved again in baseball will come under a cloud of suspicion. Most of it is because the average baseball fan always thinks that a prior generation was better, therefore looks for reasons to discredit the current generation. Steroids were just the convenient culprit for this era.

There is no doubt that the “performance enhancing” issues of this generation were blown out of proportion. Every, and I repeat, every, generation of baseball cheated. From game fixing, to spitballs, to corked bats, to amphetamines, baseball players are known for looking for that extra edge. Where do you think the phrase “if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying” came from?

I’ve defended the users of steroids and HGH in the past for reasons that I consider medical. The negative to positive effects of these drugs have been poorly explained to most people. They are not miracle drugs that make you hit a curveball any better, and they certainly didn’t give Roger Clemens the ability to throw the nastiest splitter in baseball history.

I understand the illegality of taking these drugs, but I’m not on board with the idea that these are instant-superstar, instant-death, instant-anything drugs. They are pharmaceutical supplements. They will make someone better able to perform to their maximum potential. I’m not saying they should be legal, but I am saying that people need to understand their actual benefits before assuming that they just make you hit more home runs, or pitch more innings.

There are tons of ways to make you a better baseball player. Why should a player be barred from taking one drug that helps him heal, while another player gets a cortisone shot and yet another gets Tommy John surgery? Look at the results of Tommy John surgery on young pitchers, and you’ll find that they throw the ball a few miles per hour faster after the surgery. High school and college kids are electing to have the surgery without real arm damage, just to add that edge. Look at the whole situation realistically and you may come out with a different view of what’s “performance enhancing”.

But that’s not the issue here. The issue here is about our professional sports leagues being examined in Congress for the wrong reasons. Arlen Specter, being a fan of the game, is concerned about the Patriots spy scandal, so he is using his power as a Congressman to investigate the happenings. With all due respect, Senator, this is completely ridiculous. I hate playing the “anything better to do” card, but come on, anything is something better to do than this fiasco.

As for steroids in baseball, this all started when President Bush mentioned the problem in his State of the Union address, which led to an increased focus on the issue. Bud Selig refused to take any action, and the MLB Players Union is so damned strong that nothing could get done anyway. So instead of baseball just having a black cloud around it, and eventually figuring things out, the government put George Mitchell on the case. Mitchell’s report brought steroids “out of the closet” and named names. Now, the legend of Roger Clemens is right there with Barry Bonds, and Andy Pettitte, who admitted taking the juice, will continue on like nothing happened because he just isn’t quite as good as Bonds or Clemens.

That’s really the the bottom line to this whole thing. There are a lot of people that are jealous of greatness, and people with power are trying to hurt it. Of all the names in the Mitchell Report, Clemens is the star. Before Clemens, it was all about Bonds. The Patriots spying scandal was only important because they were a win away from being 19-0. This all comes down to the fact that people want to ruin greatness, and try to preserve the prior generation.

Sports evolve, and they are private businesses. If there are cheaters in their leagues, that is the business of that league. Why doesn’t Congress get involved in real issues with professional sports, like fixing Major League Baseaball’s blackout policy. There are issues that affect the fans, where the leagues take advantage of their power. This is where I’d accept Congress getting involved. But as for the rest of the issues, leave them to the leagues.

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