2012 MLB Regular Season Running Thread

Does professional golf count as a professional sport? Because those guys are pretty damn straight-laced when it comes to the rules.

 

So what exactly was the noted steroid distributor doing to train Tiger but not with steroids?

 

All I know is that one of those guys this weekend started thinking overnight about something that had happened in his round. He checked into it the next day and then called the penalty on (and ultimately disqualified) himself. An MLB analogue would be a pitcher, one out away from the point at which a contractual incentive kicks in, refusing an umpire's overly generous third strike call. That kind of thing would never happen in MLB, but it happens all the time in professional golf.

Now to your question, did Tiger use steroids? I know some/many think he did. I'm not sure how convincing any evidence is ... I haven't looked into it closely ... but I think even if he did you'd agree that that is well removed from the norm in his sport.

 

But cheating does exist. I am well aware of the self-imposed penalties. I also know there are people who don't call penalties on themselves, and who knows what else happens?

Also there are still rumors of beta blocker use despite the ban. Those are PEDs.

 

You know this? Or you strongly suspect this?

I have read about some of the rumors regarding the drugs. Not sure how solid they are. Maybe they're rock solid. But it taxes my imagination that you have guys "cheating" by taking drugs who'll also call themselves out -- and perhaps disqualify themselves -- for mere technical violations of the rules of the game.

 

So because, historically, golfers have required of themselves to add a stroke for grounding a club in a trap or whatever, you extend that line of reasoning to suggest that no professional golfer would ever use hGH or testosterone? I can't help but think that's a little naive.

 

Who says it's the same people taking drugs who would call themselves out for technical violations? There are hundreds of professional golfers. They don't all look at the game the same way.

http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/survey-finds-more-half-pga-tour-caddies-have-witnessed-cheating

More than half of PGA Tour caddies have witnessed a player cheating during a Tour event, according to a poll of 50 caddies that was published in the January issue of Golf Magazine.

 

No, I don't think it's the case that no professional golfer would ever use steroids or whatever. That wouldn't be a little naive, that'd be ridiculously naive. What I do think is that, relative to competitors in other professional sports, professional golfers are far, far, far less likely to bend the rules to their advantage. Which is why I didn't write "absolutists" ... I wrote "pretty damn straight-laced"

 

So then what makes golfers "far, far, far less likely" to use PEDs, relative to a bowler or a tennis player or a basketball player or a football player? On what basis do you reach such a conclusion?

 

So you're trying to tell me that Tiger is on the stuff?

 

Bowlers, now, you've got me. But, c'mon. It's ridiculous to imagine an MLB pitcher saying, "No, sorry, I shouldn't have thrown with that ball, even though I did get the third strike. It had a bit of pine tar on it, and even though you (the umpire) didn't see it, I can't be sure that it didn't help me. Let's do that pitch over with a clean ball."* Similarly, it's silly to imagine an NFL wide receiver saying, "Sorry, I really can't take that catch. I pushed off. You (the back judge) missed it, but I wouldn't have made that catch otherwise." But we routinely see professional golfers calling significant (sometimes disqualifying) penalties on themselves even when no one else realized anything was out of order. Further, they bear completely the burden of the penalties they incur, whereas baseball or football players do not. Wouldn't you think, if professional golfers were similar to football/baseball players in their willingness to look past the rules, that said golfers would be more likely to bend the rules, since they (the golfers) would benefit fully from the rules-bending?

I must concede I have no absolute basis to reach my conclusion vis-a-vis PEDs. Rather, I infer the lesser likelihood as a result of the different ways the competitors approach the competition. I may be completely off base, but I'd be really surprised if I am.

*Indeed, the equivalent scenario in golf would have the pitcher throwing himself out of the game.

 

right now? not sure. but if you had to bet would you say he never has?