the mitchell report

I was one of the 1.2 million that downloaded the 400 page report and spent a half hour at work thumbing through it. It confirms what I've been saying since 2005, Clemens is on steroids. No one is suppose to get better in their 40s. Michael Jordan was a shell of himself in his forties... The difference is since he is most likely the greatest athlete and competitor in the history of organized sports and also the greatest to play his sport that the Universe has ever seen. But I'm comparing apples to oranges. Let me make all this sports talk relevant to people who don't know or don't care what I'm talking about.

Real quick background: The Mitchell Report was an independent study done by a Senator was nominated for Chief Justice but declined it because of health reasons (hows that credibility for ya) done at the request of Major League Baseball to show the scope of the performance enhancement drug culture in baseball. Over 80 players were named in various levels of usage and of steroids, Human Growth Hormone and other stuff. Many were already speculated. What makes this report pretty amazing is how he got absolutely no cooperation for the Major League Baseball Players Association and only 1 player who was forced to give his testimony that has felony implications if he lies.

So what does this study tell us? Well it tells us that baseball players were cheating because if you aren't cheating you aren't trying. Everyone is looking for an edge. Baseball is a reflection of our society. Look at the lending industry, look at all the reporting fraud done in corporate america, look at MBAs cheating in school... Everyone is striving to be great at any cost.

But this is what I don't get. If someone says to me, if you take this stuff you will go from good to great. If you are great it will take you from great to the greatest of all time. You will make hundreds of millions of dollars. You will probably take 15 years off your life though... Yeah no question. I'll take the years and I'll take 'mediocrity'. Money comes and go but years don't come back. Like 2pac said, 'fuck the money and fame, I'm a simple man'

I'd rather have those years at the end of my life enjoying Grandchildren and hopefully great-grand children and sharing my knowledge and wisdom with others and trying to achieve salvation.

Now I might need a shot of HGH to get me up tomorrow morning but hey I'll take my own performance enhancement drug. Black coffee with 3 sugars/ splendas and doing it the right way...