Wednesday thoughts: ROY recount and which Buffalo personality would I like to see a book written about

So let me get this straight: The media as a whole, have always bitched and complained about steroid use in pro sports. Hell, they have overkilled the subject till the end of time and have written books about A-Rod being cheap and having his cousin help him import PEDs. Hell, I think ESPN’s Outside the Lines show was created just because of the abuse of steroids.

However, when it comes to the media really making a point that cheaters should never prosper, they decided to not do a dam thing about. It was as if the voters admitted that they know players take PEDs, but what the hell can they do about it? Yeah, I know, it’s not their job to make players pay for their sins, but they sure do like talking about the wrongs. In case you didn’t hear, Brian Cushing won ROY during the AP’s recount of the award.

To me, the media coverage is one of the main reasons steroids have become such a huge focal point in sports. Maybe this is a case where the NFL gets a pass about steroid use and MLB continues to be picked on daily on the issue. Everyone knows that the NFL gets a pass on everything when it comes to performing enhancing drugs. No one cares about Shawne Merriman testing positive. I’m sure if Albert Pujols tested positive for roids this past season, there wouldn’t have been a debate about whether the MVP award was going to get stripped from him. I assure you, Bud Selig would have broken into Pujols‘ home to get the MVP trophy back.

Now, don’t give me the crap that Jerry Sullivan wrote the other day about this re-vote setting a bad precedent; like stripping an MVP award from a player that won the honors three years ago and then tested positive for PEDs today. It’s not the same situation. Timing is everything. Cushing got caught hook, line and sinker. Here are the facts: Cushing tested positive during the same year he won ROY. That’s it. Done! Don’t give me the crap about going back in time and stripping Jose Canseco of his MVP awards. This is now, not then, now!

This is just a case where the media didn’t want to get their hands dirty. They didn’t want the responsibility of changing the course of history. They sure will talk the talk about it and make our heads explode when speaking about the issues. However, when it comes to walking the walk, well, they walk alright, more like running away.

It’s like the kid in high school who tries to egg on two people to fight, but when it comes to their moment to do something about it, they just walk away. Maybe they didn’t want to piss off the NFL gods by setting a precedent. Although it would have sent the message that you are going to lose more than just playing time if you are caught cheating. And don’t give me the crap that AP writers aren’t doctors, and they don’t know what Cushing exactly tested positive for. People keep burying Barry Bonds about steroids, yet no one knows exactly what banned substances he took.

Again, if you are going to bitch about steroids in sports and then not doing anything about it to make an athlete pay for it, then you are just talking/writing about steroids just so you can make a buck off the topic.

(BTW, the AP couldn’t find three of the original voters to cast their ballot? Are you kidding me? Were those voters backpacking in the Himalayas? Did they forget their cell phones before they went on vacation? Did they need to watch the game footage again? I would be willing to bet that they didn’t want to get involved in this mess. What a joke.)

===================================================

If there was a Buffalo sports athlete/personality that you would want a book to be written about, who would it be? It’s funny if you think about it that there aren’t too many books written about certain players or sporting events in the history of Buffalo. It seems like Marv Levy has cornered the market on being Buffalo’s favorite author. I know Jim Kelly wrote a book in the early 90’s, but it has been pretty quite on the player front. Same goes for the Sabres. I went to Amazon.com and I found like four books from the 80’s on the blue and gold. Anyways, to answer the first question I posed, I’d love to read a tell-all book about Ralph Wilson.

To me, Wilson will always be the biggest lightning rod in Buffalo Sports history. You either love the guy or you hate the guy. Plus, it seems like the reporting on Wilson either covets coddling or rage. I’d like to have someone write a book about him and interview 2nd parties that have worked for Wilson over the years. I’ve always found Wilson to be a mystery when it comes to his intentions. Does he really care about Buffalo? Is he cheap? What makes him tick? Does he really want to win a Super Bowl? Do people hate working for him? There seems to be no paper trail of really trying to figure out those questions. Maybe a book would help us find the answers to those questions that have been debated for years.