Fallen Idols

We look up to our sports heroes. They inspire and energize us. They have a particularly robust effect on our young people.

Many young people playing high school football or baseball have dreams of becoming the next Barry Bonds or the next Michael Vick.

All those idols have fallen now...their pedestals have huge cracks in them.

Just today, the Mitchell Report came out. It's an All-Star list of the best and brightest in baseball.

The Associated Press has an in depth report on what names came out on the Mitchell Report.

Some of the names on the list:

Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada, Andy Pettitte, Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Eric Gagne, Jason Giambi, Troy Glaus, Gary Matthews Jr., Paul Byrd, Jose Guillen, Brian Roberts, Paul Lo Duca and Rick Ankiel.

From what I understand, EVERY major league baseball team is linked to this report...and it doesn't stop at the players.

Then you have Michael Vick.
Today, Michael Vick had the audacity to ask for leniency from the federal judge who sentenced him to 23 months in prison for a dogfighting conspiracy.

Again, according to the Associated Press, in a letter to U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, Vick declared he is ... quote ... "not the bad person or beast I've been made
out to be."

Yea, right.

What's this world coming to when our sports idols resort to this type of behavior? What does that say to the kids in this country? What does this say about OUR country, OUR morals and behavior?

Baseball is going to have a long road to recovery as the details of this report come out. Why would fans support these players knowing that so many of them cheated to reach their goals and break these records?

I feel sorry for the former sports legends that had their old records shattered by the likes of Barry Bonds and others. They worked hard and honestly to be the best they could be only to have their records shattered by players under the suspicion of steroid abuse.

Where does it stop? Ask yourself that the next time you go to a baseball game.

Strike talk later...