In an odd twist, the wrong McGwire may turn out to be the family’s anti-steroid spokesman.
Remember the old line of jokes revolving around the titles of “the shortest books ever written”? You know, like “Tony La Russa’s Favorite Recipes with Beef” or “Why MLB’s Television Blackout Rules are Fan-Friendly”?
In this week when the news of Jay McGwire’s new book dominated sports page headlines and his older brother Mark called it “a sad day” for the McGwire clan of Pomona, California, I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What if?’
What if Big Mac sat down to write a book of his own? What might it be entitled?
Continuing with the above theme of the shortest books ever, it could be:
“My Public Crusade Against Steroids,” by Mark McGwire
In a Friday column at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, sports editor Rob Rains gives Jay McGwire credit for bringing the dangers of steroid use to the citizenry through his upcoming book, noting the younger brother’s religious awakening and hopes of a family reconciliation in the future.
Rains recognizes the irony in the likelihood that Jay seems aligned to become the anti-steroid spokesman that Mark pledged he would be five years ago but never carried out. Further, Rains expresses disappointment in Big Mac’s “personal and private perspective” on the entire situation. A major opportunity is being missed.
Until I see that Jay actually uses his 15 minutes of fame in a positive manner, I will reserve my judgment on his motives. After all, he could have limited his book to dealing with his own steroid demons, leaving Mark completely out of it. Of course, we all know that story most likely would never have seen the light of day. It seems to me that if Jay wants to get back on the same page with Mark, little brother could donate his book profits to anti-steroid initiatives.
Pulling out his much-larger checkbook in support of the cause is something Big Mac has done. During the infamous 2005 Congressional hearings, Mark had no choice but to listen and squirm as Donald Hooton told the painful story of how steroids and depression led to the suicide of his teenage son. McGwire has since quietly made a series of monetary donations to Hooton’s anti-steroids foundation in apparently significant denominations.
Yet McGwire did not honor another commitment he made while under oath on March 17, 2005 – to become a public spokesman against the use of steroids by youth. Perhaps the publicity-averse McGwire was badgered into agreeing and really didn’t mean what he said.
No, his generous financial donations cannot be ignored. On the other hand, a cynic might wonder if this isn’t just another example of a wealthy individual using cash to make an uncomfortable subject go away.
In recent interviews, McGwire has repeatedly stated his desire to “turn the page” and “move on from it.” He certainly is not required to do anything concerning steroid education with young Americans, having already made his meets-minimum, general-purpose apology.
One thing we have seen since Big Mac’s return to the public eye is that he is not a polished speaker and certainly does appear to be shy. Speaking out on any subject may be difficult for him.
Yet Big Mac grew his fame and his frame while making millions, buoyed by his use of those harmful substances whose names he conveniently asserts he can no longer remember. Couldn’t he do more in return than simply falling on his sword repeatedly? Instead, he seems content to merely fit in as a major league hitting coach and to try to sweep the broken parts of his past back under the rug as quickly and quietly as possible.
The fact remains that McGwire could do much more – if only he wanted to.
Since arriving in Florida this spring, Big Mac reiterated that he has no intention of becoming that national crusader against steroids, instead preferring to do his work behind closed doors.
“Like I said, I do that stuff privately,” McGwire stated on February 18. “I have always done charitable stuff privately and talk to people privately. That is the thing about me. I have never wanted to do anything just because there is a camera in my face and say, ‘This is what I am doing.’”
McGwire either doesn’t seem to understand or care that he could accomplish far more good for others by being in the public eye rather than out of it. He also doesn’t have a very good memory about this part of his past – or figures we don’t.
Big Mac, the home run hero, got behind several causes back in the good old days, including fighting child abuse and bed wetting. These laudable efforts seemed to vanish from view when the going got tough.
Quietly writing some checks, perhaps having some talks in private and turning the public page as quickly as possible is likely the path of least resistance, but is it the best one to follow? Does Mark really want little brother Jay to be the one to tell his story to the masses – the people who might actually take something positive from all this?
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“Rob Rains gives Jay McGwire credit for bringing the dangers of steroid use to the citizenry through his upcoming book”.
That is absurd. Maybe the citizenry that has been incommunicado on a desert island for ten years. Give him credit for bringing the public lots of detail about his and Marks steroid use. The citizenry will not know more about the dangers of steroid use, post jay’s book, than they did before.
“The fact remains that McGwire could do much more – if only he wanted to”.
Do more for who? He cannot tell anyone anything about the danger and inadvisability of steroid use that they don’t already know. And importantly, a guy who was a big star ten years ago is not the kind of sports personality youngsters are admiring today. If anyone might persuade them it would be a star from their peer group. Snowboarders, or x-gamers, or at least todays baseball stars.
The only ones Mark could “do much more for”, are those members of the public who insist that Mark should do what they think he should do, so that that they can then pat themselves on the back for helping to save the world.
Taking that line of thinking at face value, then no one of an older age group who speaks to others about the dangers of drugs, alcoholism, gambling or whatever the vice will be effective due to generational differences and non-relevance. Further, there is no value in speaking with parents or coaches either because everyone has heard those messages already. That seems quite a sweeping generalization.
I hadn’t meant to make that generalization, and would reject it. Mark is not any kind of expert on roids anymore than a drunk is an expert on alcohol and the health and ethical ramifications of booze. Niether is he trained like, for example, the cops who participate in the D.A.R.E. program.
As,to young people in general, he is not a parent, coach, teacher, counsellor, doctor or anyone else in a position of trust and responsibility. His only position is as a sports hero that young people admire and might emulate. He is ancient history in that capacity (to youngsters). That limited point is what I am putting forward.
Your comment is well written Brian. Like BB, I don’t care for the tone of some of it. That being said, this may be something to consider.
As things stand, MM may have successfully blocked all the remaining Steroid hero’s from the hall of fame, because he is surely out. At one time, before testing, it was part of the game for a historically limited group. That is now well documented. Marks love of the game, the uniform, the team comradeship has caused him to carry that cross,( those values), over baseball immortality. Any further erosion of his situation could defeat the good he is doing, making his example the scapegoat focus for all who are attempting to deny there own use.. You might have Barry and Rodger trying to politic they’re way through the back door of the hall, making it a” good old boy” or a race issue.. As it is, they’re’ blocked. That’s a good thing and MM will continue to be the poster boy as long as he stays in the game. Let the others walk through the fire as he did if they hope to redeem themselves…………
If…………. the leaks aimed at A-Rod weren’t about the Commissioners retaliation for Yankee spending………….. could they have been about the grooming of a possible test case for stripping his contract of all the incentives for record breaking? based on this evolving precedent? ………………………. One way or another , the process of moralizing about steroids use by those that might directly profit by it, is reminiscent of the wonderful “Inquisition” parties that popped up around mid evil Europe. Let it wind down…………………..
My comments are aimed at fans, to explain why the essays of Mr. Walton and Mr. Rains are unpersuasive.
Rains has an error in his opening sentence, “addiction” to steroids. Athletes have used them to obtain muscular benefits. Is there evidence of the addictiveness of muscle-helping molecules? Players are addicted to competiton. But there are not a lot of steroid “junkies” robbing convenience stores desperate for a fix.
Walton and Rains mention a teen-ager, Taylor Hooten, who killed himself. Loads of athletes have taken muscle-helpers, but then chosen NOT to kill themselves! Why are steroids to blame, in this one instance, for Taylor killing himself? Maybe he killed himself because of a mean coach or some other reason. Outsiders have no idea.
Others too choose to kill themselves. However, many have NOT taken muscle-helpers. There are causes of suicide other than muscle-helpers. The claim that muscle-helpers compel young athletes to commit suicide sounds like exaggeration, not the findings of careful epidemiological studies.
I can forgive McGwire making a “generous” contribution to Donald Hooten. Like Mr. Walton, I too can be cynical. It makes sense for McGwire to pay-off Hooten to go away.
I can further understand McGwire, grilled by politicians, saying he will be a spokesperson. Yet I admire McGwire for NOT following through! Kids can study the issue and each one can choose what is right for him or herself. McGwire is responsible for himself and his family, and to Cardinals hitters as a batting coach, not to the “masses” to whom Mr. Walton wishes him to preach (about grossly exaggerated dangers).
The most famous user of steroids was Arnold Schwartznegger. Arnie made a great deal of money in movies, married a Kennedy, and is now Governor of America’s Greece, the bankrupt Golden State of California. Hooten should go shake-down Arnie for a generous donation! And persuade the Governator to become a spokesperson for girly men.
Bling wrote “….so they can pat themselves on the back for helping save the world.”
I agree. This stuff seems not really about McGwire per se, but more about some people wanting him to set an example that conforms to their beliefs or serves their spiritual needs.
I’ve seen steroid use linked to suicide elsewhere, of course. The argument that because all users don’t commit suicide and that all suicides aren’t steroid related means that steroids wouldn’t increase the likelihood of suicide is terribly weak.
However, I agree with the general feeling of the crowd, if not for the same reasons. McGwire would make a horrible spokesperson. The two drawbacks of his case are already well known: it made him feel horribly guilty about using and people now likely attribute much of his natural ability to drugs.
What else will stating the full truth accomplish? Uh, yes, steroids helped make me very rich, helped me set records, and helped me gain a lot of adoration. They didn’t cause me any health problems, but you, you shouldn’t do them. McGwire is a fairly good example for why people would want to use steroids.
Right on, Nut. I can see some kid saying to himself, “right, . . . 1) juice up, 2) become a mult-millionairre, 3) hire PR guy and be sorry, 4) but not sorry enough to give back all the money, 5) be a coach or a governor or something cool like that.”
The best thing for kids would be for Mark to just fade away. But the crusaders will not allow that because it doesn’t serve their needs. They can’t pat themselves on the back for that.
If the objective was for young people to hear and know the truth, and get good sound advice, we would say this:
1) Using steroids or any other strong drug without medical supervision has very serious and very real risks, and turns out very badly for some people.
2) If you decide to be a lier and a cheater, in the end, no one will care about your accomplishments.
3) It is not wise for a young person with little experience looking at life from an adult perspective, to make the committment to go down that road.
We could make them memorize it and write it on the board 100 times until they could recite it in their sleep.
But this is unacceptable, because the following might happen:
The young person considers their own priorities and values, and makes an informed cost-benefit analysis. Considers their tollerance for risk taking. And excersizes their own free will to make a decision about how to proceed with their own life.
Bringing about that result is not the objective, because the person might decide on a course of action other than what we believe to be sound, and not in accordance with the course of action that we think they should take.
So instead, we adopt a strategy which we believe will leave them no real choice. Harrass, badger,unrelentingly pound it home again and again, exagerate, freighten, come up with a roid version of reefer madness. Whatever it takes to finally bring about a decision that complies, made under duress rather than free will.
Then we can pat ourselves on the back, and hoist a cold one to a job well done. We have saved the world.
Nutlaw, if you can provide some well done epidemiological studies on suicides caused by using muscle enhancing molecules, please do not hold back on pointing to them. Governor Arnie has not offed himself. McGwire is still above ground. RCW manned up and said he tried some helpers and fortunately he too is still around and making a positive contribution.
Some players have taken supplements of testosterone and HGH. My heavens, these are natural ingredients in our biochemistry that can be prescribed by doctors because they confer health benefits! Arnie, the two McGwires and innumerable other athletes gained muscle. That means their doses and weightlifting were successful. If you gain muscle and want to do so, most folks would call that good.
Here is what I think the general situation is. Some fans heard some players ignored an unenforced ban on PEDs and, horrors, improved their strength. This disturbed them for a variety of reasons. 1. Bans should be enforced, so there is fair competition. 2. Some people appreciate and venerate historical records. They get upset to think records are breeched, owing to an unfair, banned advantage. While I am personally not bothered by this, I can understand others being so and thats fine.
Where things really run off the rails is when there are unjustified, non-scientific claims that PEDs are killing those who take them. PEDs are generally not poisons, though any molecule can be taken to harmful excess. They tend to be biologically active substances that heal muscles. This is generally a good thing. Some fans can get so annoyed that they become vulnerable to assuming the PEDs are poisons. Their hatred for PEDs then extends in all directions and they become vulnerable to assuming PED molecules are as harmful as addictive narcotics or excessive alcohol or tobacco. This is very unlikely and to lose perspective. The bans on PEDs are justified on fair competitiveness, not because the molecules are killing athletes.
Bernie at the Post-Dispatch strikes a good tone in an essay today. Its about McGwire’s love of the game. Bernie, Mo, Dewitt, TLR, Jumbo, folks like us, we want to look forward. We do not want to make a fanatically emittered mountain out of an anthill of the past. McGwire did not by himself compel lots of other athletes to help themselves to PEDs. The “masses” are not clueless, but individuals, each responsible for his or her own life decisions. (On this, I think Bling and I are on the same wavelength.) McGwire does not need to be crucified by critics to save all future generations of athletes from bolstering their muscles.
Just ask my friend who is visiting me who is a doctor and also a past steroid user (for body building – but prescription only regulated by another doctor). He says depression is a known side affect of steroid use though he was unaware of anything specific relating to suicides.
I will amend my last comment to say that I think testosterone makes men more aggressive. A booster shot of testosterone could induce a man to be more violent in a violent context like football and I suppose if one was unhappy with oneself, raise the rate of suicide among those pre-disposed in this direction.
Remember Jumbo, use of testosterone shuts down the body’s natural development of testosterone. Once one stops using outside sources of testosterone there is often a delay in the body’s resumption of testosterone production and building up the right levels again on its own. That undoubtedly can have physical as well psychological impact on the human organism.
An editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Where`s the SF editorial on Barroid Bonds?
The SF editorial is a good example of the attitude that anyone stating a position on roids other than reciting the party line pap is a bad person deserving of ridicule. I don’t like the idea of Jay writing the book, but not because I don’t like his views on roids, whatever they are.