Oh. My. Goodness.Have you ever been driving along in your car, enjoying both the day and the radio program to which you’re listening, and then have you ever started yelling at the radio in response to some baloney you just heard?
Well, I have. In fact, I did it yesterday on my way to work. I was listening to “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on ESPN, and the guest host (Eric Kuselias) was talking about the hot water into which former big league pitcher Roger Clemens has thrown himself (allegations of steroid use).
Kuselias was opining about Clemens and the trouble he’s in, and he had a few things to say about the situation.
One point he made was that Clemens’ lie to Congress (excuse me—alleged lie) is worse because he volunteered to go before Congress instead of being subpoenaed. My gripe with that comment isn’t the “dragged before/going freely” point, but with the fact he was even able to sit down before a bunch of pompous members of the ruling elite in the first place. Whichever of those numbskulls initially suggested they have hearings on steroid use in baseball should have been take to the wood shed out back of the Capitol. He should have been taken into a small coatroom and given some wall-to-wall counseling for even suggesting such a thing. Failing physical persuasion, he should have been laughed out of the room, and his constituents should have given him his pink slip in a recall vote the next morning.
Seriously? Who ever thought it was a good idea for the CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to involve itself in drug use in professional sports? And for the love of Pete: where is this power written in the Constitution?
And if steroid use is on the table, why shouldn’t Congress involve itself in gambling in pro sports? That’s bad, too, right? And if they’re going for a “these guys are role models and we have to stamp out this bad behavior,” why doesn’t Congress drag all the porn stars into its hallowed chambers and spend weeks figuring out what to do about the porn industry?
Another point Kuselias made is that Clemens perjured himself before Congress and that’s really why he’s in trouble. Kuselias even said this (I scribbled it on my hand at the same time I was exiting the highway—a tricky feat, I’ll tell you): Congress is mad at Clemens for lying before such an august body. Kuselias, being Congress, said “‘How dare you? How dare you come in here and lie to us!”
Seriously? Seriously? Congress mad at someone for lying to its members? Well, excuse me. Hello, Kettle—I’m Pot. You’re black!
Oh my stars in heaven above.
The final point Kuselias made is this: he said Congress is mad at Clemens for lying, especially because he came into Congress and insisted he was telling the truth. Kuselias compared it to (and Mike Golic agreed) parents who are mad at a kid who lied to them but claimed he was telling the truth. While I get the analogy, and I suppose you do, as well, does anyone else get the irony? Congress acting like a parent? Congress acting as if it’s the mature adult and Clemens is the spoiled deceitful kid? Oh my. That’s an example of “Nanny State” thinking if I ever heard one.
Of course the sad thing is that neither Eric Kuselias nor Mike Golic ever got close to discussing the validity of Congress’ actions, or the fact it was all a bunch of grandstanding for the media and gullible constituents back home—most of whom at all this up like grape popsicles on a warm summer’s day. Congress has no right to involve itself in baseball (or the airline industry, or the car manufacturers, or “big oil”). And it certainly doesn’t have the right to get all high and mighty about deceit in its own house. I can’t even believe it.
Congress and the country that allows this sort of insane behavior makes me sick.
No comments:
Post a Comment