Hollywood Sign Expected to Read 'Save the Peak' on Thursday
Hugo's Introduces Vegan Mac & Cheese
![_Bye, Bye Hollywood Sign... at Least Temporarily [Updated]](http://laist.com/assets_c/2009/12/view_behind_hwdsign-thumb-110x110-464762.jpg)
Bye, Bye Hollywood Sign... at Least Temporarily [Updated]
Photos: Laundry Day in L.A.
One Way to Take Care of Business
"Free Manny" shirts being sold outside of Dodger Stadium. AP Photo/Danny Moloshok
Bill Plaschke is mad and Kurt Streeter is wondering where the outrage is. While there are some people who are hurt and betrayed by Manny Ramirez testing positive for hCG, are any of us really that surprised?
When the news broke Thursday of Manny's 50 game suspension, there was that initial moment of shock and denial. But in this age where nearly every superstar has been outed as users, nothing should be surprising.
We should all remember that there is no test for human growth hormone. Consequently every baseball player is under suspicion. Albert Pujols who played through last season with one arm. Derek Jeter who has been the picture of consistency. Ichiro Suzuki who is a hitting machine. Are they all using? Perhaps not, but with no definitive test available we can't rule that possibility out.
While this can be viewed as being jaded, it doesn't diminish the enjoyment of the games. I still love going to the park watching the athletes perform regardless of whether or not there is a chemical inequity. It is merely the reality that we all deal with in this post Bonds era.
What really enrages me in all of this is the sanctimonious bellowings of some journalists who covered these athletes during the height of the steroids era yet said and reported nothing. These so-called journalists, especially those with hall of fame votes, chose not to write about this but now find it convenient to use their self-righteousness to persecute these players. They are complicit in this and should have their hall of fame votes stripped.
Meanwhile if we're going to persecute players for using steroids, let's strip Babe Ruth of his glory for never facing a black pitcher or middle relief. Let's strip everyone who played from the 1950s and on for their use of greenies or amphetamines that are clearly banned by baseball now. Let's strip all the spit ball players, all the players who have stolen signs. What do we have left? Nothing but mere wanking pontifications.
As for Manny he's stupid. From what can be surmised he used, got caught and now has to pay the consequences while hurting the Dodgers. For that I'm angry. But at the heart of it all I am a Dodger fan. The jersey I wear to games have no player's name on it nor a number. It just says, "Dodgers." The players come and go, but it's the Dodgers I root for. When Manny comes back I'll cheer for him. But until then I will cheer for whoever helps get the Dodgers the win and would appreciate it if you didn't tell me how I should feel. Thanks!
Oh and remember two words: Guillermo Mota.
Tonight's Action
Houston Rockets at LA Lakers. Game 5 of Western Conference Semifinals. Series tied 2-2. 7:30 pm TNT, AM 570 KLAC.
LA Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies. Clayton Kershaw vs. Chan Ho Park. 4:05 pm FS Prime Ticket, AM 790 KABC.
Boston Red Sox at LA Angels. Justin Masterson vs. Jered Weaver. 7:05 pm FSWest, AM 830 KLAA/AM 980 KFWB.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
What gets me the most about Plashke is he so fed up now. Yet when the Dodgers sign Gary Bennett last year he didn't say a word. When the Dodgers signed Mota this year he doesn't say a word. Both these players used roids with Mota being suspended the same 50 games as Manny. You open the door for one and then another but you only complain when its the big dog, he's a little too two faced for me.
YQue in Los Feliz has "Free Manny" t's too: http://yque.com/frmarat.html
Apparently Plaschke is unaware of his complicity in this situation? You're not allowed to be mad when you didn't do your job. You're the fourth estate Bill. Didn't you have any questions when you were dodging pus from all the bacne in the clubhouse? Wasn't it kinda of weird that all the players had tits? Didn't 73 home runs seem like kind of a lot?
This self-righteousness is laughable. Who reads these guys anyway?
"We should all remember that there is no test for human growth hormone. Consequently every baseball player is under suspicion"
This is a little too 'guilty until proven innocent' / 1984 / Kafka's The Trial for me, Jimmy. I don't disagree with the idea that many more players than we know may be enhancing their performances, but to bring them all under suspicion because of a LACK of evidence to the contrary is, honestly, un-American.
YOU TERRORIST!
Farley,
I'm not doling out justice. I just have my opinions, and I really do think a great majority of players are using something that is undetectable by drug tests. But like I said, it doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the games.
I think we're talking about different things, my friend. My umbrage is with the statement "Consequently every baseball player is under suspicion", which I don't think is fair. There, to me, is a difference in saying 'I think that every player should be under suspicion' or 'it's easy to be suspicious of other players', etc. But to assert that every player, without evidence, is now under suspicion, is a bit rough.
This truly is a thinkin' man's piece.
This is a little too 'guilty until proven innocent' / 1984 / Kafka's The Trial for me
This is pretty much the state of baseball, today, though. The testing the league is doing now seems too little too late for such a rampant and well-documented problem.
www.juanpierrewood.com opened for business today.
Oh, God. Who *cares* what some ballplayer does to his own health?
Force them all to use steroids as a contractual thing, that's what I say. Such hypocritical bs.