Dome Pondering

Today, I think many people are in agreement with White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen, when he said, "please, stop. I'm sick of hearing about this" in regards to the latest steroids controversy. And to be honest, how can you not agree with Guillen? It seems the dark cloud that is the steroid era has made its way over us again, and is raining down its drops of allegations, admissions, speculation, and degredation over the game. However, the truth of the matter is that this is not over. As more names are leaked, and the confirmation of our suspicions occur, the Pandora's box that was the steroid era is exposed and revealed more clearly. Does it change the past? No. Should we change the past? No. Nonetheless, no matter how much certain writers and members of the national media prefer to add asterisks, labels, and cause a frenzy, there are two distinct (and very polarizing) perceptions that are rising from the constant leakage of these names. The first situation is the greatn...

" ...And I'm truly remorseful for what I've done, and for what happened, and for what I did " Haven't we heard that before? It seems so often that many of our celebrities, actors, athletes, and the many undeserved well-known individuals, are privileged under the law. Often they are unknowingly given a pass due to their "status" and "contribution" to society. Obviously, we have experienced this through many scenarios, but when do you we ask ourselves, "When is enough, enough?" Of course, evident of the opening quote, this revolves around the situation with Plaxico Burress. In the opening day of his trial for possession of an illegal weapon, Burress remoresefully (and expectedly) made his comment in front of a grand jury. Now it is understood that everyone makes mistakes, and situations happen. However, like many celebrities in the past, Burress made a conscious decision to carry a weapon illegally, and put many innocent people in dange...

I lay there. Hyperventilating. Hurting. Beaten. Almost tearing up. I continue...I continue. I daze up into the lights. Dreaming. Wishing. Hoping. On the edge of giving up. But, I continue...I continue. I befriend pain, which has made a home on my body. A confidant of my mind. A captive of my soul. I embrace the crimson mask I wear. Flowing from my head, through my eyes, into the crevice of my lips. I daze into my shivering hands, with veins that run cold. I stare through the metal links that has imprisoned me. Kept me from my dreams, from being free, from feeling alive. I look beyond the links, and see the faces of my foundation. My rock. Adrenaline becomes my fuel. I thrive. I vow to revive. I claw. I step. I inch upwards. Pain submitting to relief. Despair relinquishing to raw emotion. One leg over. It's over. I think it's over. Is it over? I fall. From a force greater than man. Greater than mother nature. I crash with a thunder. Bone shaking. Mind scrambling. Soul deflating....

Excuse me if I am beating an old drum titled, "Steroid issue in baseball", but was Manny Ramirez suspended for a banned substance violation? After this weekend, and the countdown and festivities regarding Ramirez's return, you would have never known. After all, it was understood that cheaters were just that, cheaters. Men, not players, who jeopardized a significant part of our culture, and selected the well-being of themselves over the sanctity of the game. They owe us all something, don't they? Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Clemens, Palmiero, and Rodriguez. They all owe us. They cheated us, the game, history, and our love. This is what they did, right? This is what we've been hearing for the past few years. And that is how these men were labeled after being scrutinized. So why does Ramirez seem more like a swan song comeback coupled with a hero's welcome? The obvious rebuttal to that question of course is the popularity of Manny Ramirez. Ramirez is one of the most ...