Friday, September 7, 2007

There are Some Stories We'd Rather Not Hear...

By now most of you have probably heard that Rick Ankiel received shipments of HGH.

While you should read the entire article, basically Ankiel received shipments for a year before the substance was banned by MLB.

I want to believe in Ankiel so much, but if it was another player, like Bonds or whomever, we'd crucify him before he'd get a chance to reply.

When I first heard the story on ESPN last night/this morning, it was 2 AM and, well, my mind doesn't work very well at 2 AM most of the time. I refused to try to comprehend it, refused to acknowledge it as fact.

However, browsing the 'net this morning, I have to be able to accept it.

I have to accept it because the story is not going to go away.

There is no good way to test for HGH since the body produces it naturally, so it's not as clear cut as having Ankiel take a simple test. I bet, right now, that Ankiel wishes more than anything that he could do that.

I'm curious to see how Ankiel handles it...that will perhaps say a lot more about the situation than a newspaper article ever could.


Pre-game notes later, I've got an English project to work on. Oh, that Victorian literature...

4 comments:

  1. I know it's human nature to doubt other people, and I know that there is no test for HGH, but the important fact I have heard in all of this is that Ankiel's shipment was before major league baseball banned HGH. In other words, there is no illegality involved. People all have their own agenda, and if someone wants to criticise Ankiel for once having had HGH, then, by all means, let us hear of the moral argument. But, there is no legal argument, unless he were discovered with HGH in his possession or some imbroglio of that sort. I wish Rick Ankiel well, and he'll get the benefit of the doubt in my mind.

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  2. The problem I see with this has nothing to do with the fact that HGH was legal--if it's true, and I hope to G-d it's not--it's the use of a PE substance at all.

    I wish Ankiel the best, and I want to root for him, but if it's true, then there's something I will have to grapple with. It won't be easy.

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  3. Aren't these professional athletes? Shouldn't they do everything they can to be better? Why can't they take legal drugs? Maybe we should make sure they don't eat right and don't workout either. Make the playing field level.

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  4. Randy: There's a slight difference between eating right and working out, and taking prescription drugs for off-label purposes.

    Don't know about you, but I'd prefer if my team got where it is on talent and hard work.

    Not injecting stuff.

    I'm hoping that Ankiel handles the situation well, and that he isn't using anything illegal.

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