I Am An Addict, I Wish I Had Not Lived In The Drug Era – A Rant

In the last week, two prominent athletes who were known for their invincibility, strength and will to win have copped to playing the victim card to try and escape the harsh reality that they have failed not only themselves but inflicted severe collateral damage on those around them.

We all know about Tiger Woods. He of the menacing glare and unmatched ability to demoralize opponents through mental toughness. Are we really to believe that someone of his supposed mental strength is a “sex addict?” Come on, Tiger. I am sorry ( not really ) that you are losing sponsorships, I am sorry ( not really ) that you are losing millions of dollars, and I am sorry ( not really ) that you are publicly shamed. But, the only victims here are your family whom you publicly disgraced with your uncontrolled appetite for the ladies, and your wife in particular whom you could have exposed to life-altering disease. Don’t call it an addiction. You demean the true meaning of the word for those that have real problems.

Last night I listened to Mark McGwire lay his soul bare regarding his use of performance-enhancing drugs during his career, and more specifically the season in which he broke Major League Baseball’s home run record. He apologized to everyone under the sun, including the Maris family, for cheating on his way to breaking the record. What really got me fired up was McGwire saying “I wish I had not played in the steroid era, and I wish there had been drug testing.” Excuse me? Did the owner of the St Louis Cardinals, or Tony LaRussa, come to you and tell you that if you did not take these drugs, you would lose your job? Was there some coercion that you did not tell us about? Did your teammates hold you down and shove needles into your rear end? YOU ARE THE POSTER BOY FOR THE STEROID ERA! It existed because of what you did, in large part. You know what I would like to see, Mark? Step up to the microphone, tell everyone you cheated, and insist that your name be taken off of all record books, and remove yourself from consideration for the Hall of Fame. Be more of a man than Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa, and just own it. Then go on with your life.

Am I way off base here?