Naiveté

By John McMullen

A heated discussion about politics around the Phanatic offices got me thinking about Washington, sports and just how naive the public at large has gotten.

Sure, Congress is busy with the war, tort reform and budget problems but the collective brain wizards that make up our ridiculous two-party system sure jump when the opportunity to get some extra TV time exists.

And the Congressional hearings into steroid abuse in the sacred cow that is Major League Baseball were just the type of headline grabbers that make John McCain and Ted Kennedy throw away the Viagra.

The now infamous Clintonian-esqe finger-wagging denial of Rafael Palmeiro, the pathetic mumblings from Mark McGwire, the feigned stupid act from Sammy Sosa and the self-serving s*** that seems to constantly spew from the mouth of Curt Schilling.

Talk about great theater!

Of course in the end, just like real world politics, nothing gets done save for lip service, public relations and spin.

"The sports industry is a huge industry, and it's largely unregulated, or at least is self-regulated,” University of Virginia Center for Politics analyst Matt Smyth told the Augusta, GA Free Press. “ It makes billions of dollars a year, and its stars are held in high regard in particular by our nation's youth. Sports has an important role to play in our society, so from that perspective, it's not surprising to see Congress wanting to step in and get involved when something seems to go awry.”

Um.......Yeah.....No need to worry now....The bastions of integrity that dot our Congress stepped in and Major League Baseball is now clean.

Sure there is no test for Human Growth Hormone or the cream or the clear or about 55 other known performance enhancing drugs.

Sure, Bonds and Giambi and Sheffield still look like they stepped directly out of the pages of a comic book and young Latin kids still pump enough horse steroids into their bodies to kill a small dog.

But all is well.......

Congress with the help of Bud Selig and Donald Fehr cleaned up our national pastime.

Turn on sports radio.....Most average people actually think that way.....

And you know why?....Because the politicians from their party really want to help.

The other side is of course in a bunker plotting the demise of Western society.

-You can reach John McMullen at jmcmullen1@comcast.net