Moving to a new location
AJC blogs are moving to a new technical platform. So check out Terence Moore’s new blog home and bookmark it.
Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2009 > February > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USAthletes, who are afraid to admit their mistakes, are headed for much worse fates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No question, Alex Rodriguez did the right thing by admitting he used steroids. Still, he really is A-Fraud. That’s because, when it comes to the particulars of his swinging and juicing his way to baseball stardom, he isn’t telling the whole truth.
Neither is Michael Phelps, the celebrated Olympic swimmer who was fingered for the second time in five years for resembling something less than his previous designation as the All-American boy.
They confessed, though.
Sort of. Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks has it about right about Rodriguez. Said Hicks, “I certainly don’t believe that if he’s now admitting that he started using when he came to the Texas Rangers, why should I believe that it didn’t start before he came to the Texas Rangers?”
Makes sense to me. The same goes for the thought that if Phelps was busted for that DUI at 19 before this marijuana thing, he isn’t what he suggests that he is: Your average guy with a bunch of gold medals who just happened to make a couple of huge mistakes in his life.
Whatever the case, they are taking their lumps, and will continue to do so over the next few weeks and months and become less vilified than if they had mimicked those other guys. You know, those typical guys who are blatantly guilty but who try to convince you that a bowling ball is really a tennis racket.
So, why don’t those “typical guys” become as atypical as Rodriguez and Phelps and just say they blew it and then move on with the rest of their lives before what traditionally has been a forgiving public?
“We also see this of people in other areas of society, such as a man who cheats on his wife and denies, it,” said Dr. Patrick J. Devine, a professor of psychology at Kennesaw State University and a former Braves team psychologist. “You’re really embarrassed by what you did. You knew when you did it that it was wrong.
“Now you’re in the process of getting caught, and you’re like, ‘Oh, gosh. I knew I shouldn’t have done this. I knew there were risks. I knew this day could come. But I don’t want to admit to myself that I was sort of the village idiot in this. I’m going to deny it. As long as I deny it, I don’t have to deal with it. I don’t have to face it.’ “
Exhibit No. 7: If Michael Vick confesses at the start of his canine mess, he likely gets a break and spends much of the last two seasons running and passing for somebody in the NFL instead of working for Uncle Sam at Leavenworth.
The other thing is, during Vick’s sentencing before a federal judge, he was chastised for lying. If you’re convicted of such a thing, it’s called perjury, which is why Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are just trials away from following Vick’s path to the slammer. In other words, Clemens and Bonds are in self-inflicted trouble for lying, not steroids.
See a pattern here? Don’t lie.
Mark McGwire got a break, but only regarding that prison thing. He barely kept from perjuring himself in his testimony before Congress with his “I’m not here to talk about the past” mantra when asked about his possible steroid use. Even so, he zapped his name from consideration for the Hall of Fame by hiding then what he continues to hide now: That he cheated his way to many of those home runs.
If McGwire confesses back then before Congress, he’s in Cooperstown now. Folks have short memories, especially if you come clean — or at least less dirty.
Yes, Phelps lost endorsements for admitting the obvious: He was at that party in South Carolina, and he was in that Internet picture with his mouth on a bong allegedly smoking pot. And, yes, Rodriguez will have those — including me — who won’t dare place a check by his name on their Hall of Fame ballot.
That said, if Rodriguez and Phelps were into stonewalling to the bitter end, their plights would be considerably worse, and they know it.
Too bad others don’t.
Actually, they don’t care.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Braves/MLB
Services »
Comments
By Algonquin J. Calhoun
February 11, 2009 6:34 PM | Link to this
Phelps and Alex Rodriguez have little in common except they are both athletes. Phelps was at a party and, presumably, got high. Rodriguez embarked upon a path of deception and drug-fueled muscular development in order to steal every offensive record previously purloined by Bloated Bonds. There’s a difference! I don’t support either activity but getting high is getting high and taking HGH and ‘roids and then lying about it is far worse. The records taken from Hank and Roger Maris by the bums playing today should be restored immediately or stop keeping any records at all. It is my hope that this mess will turn off enough people to kill baseball. It is no longer relevant. When integrity left the game it was time to shut it down. The Robbie Alomar story should finish the job when it comes out fully. He has AIDS!
By Algonquin J. Calhoun
February 11, 2009 6:49 PM | Link to this
Miguel Tejada pled guilty to perjuring himself before Congress. Up next-Roger Clemens!
By doctor Henry
February 11, 2009 7:15 PM | Link to this
Good column TM….I can almost sympathize with some BB players who used during a no testing period where some of the stuff now banned wasn’t then…U’r right, lying has proven to be much more harmful than the usage….However, Clemens and Bonds are in too deep…They gotta ride it out now…Too bad! Regardless of the doubts raised by A-Rods come clean sitdown with ESPN he did the right thing….Phelps, he’s no kid at 23 and should have been aware of the consequences of hitting a pipe in Columbia, S C…Is Stupidity a crime????
By Tomas
February 11, 2009 7:52 PM | Link to this
Terrence,
I want to hear you’re opinion on something. Do you think every athlete needs to be a role model? I mean Michael Phelps is 23 years old, if he doesn’t want to live a dull life, he shouldn’t have too. This American Puritan culture is just too much. “All I do is swim, eat, and sleep” said Phelps of his life. If he wants to party like the college guy he is he shouldn’t be ashamed. He didn’t cheat in the sport. Don’t get me wrong, to me what he did was wrong, smoking marihuana is bad and addictive, but it’s his choice. His private life should be respected.
I actually envy him, I would love to have girls all over me every night, and have the liberty to drink until the point of maximun pleasure.
In A-rod situation, he did cheat in the sport, and he is making 32 million. So obviously as a fan I feel very dissapointed, and I would be even more dissapointed if I were a Yankee or Texas fan.
By Me
February 11, 2009 7:56 PM | Link to this
I’m dumber for having read this.
By Robbie T
February 11, 2009 8:27 PM | Link to this
This is sad.Baseball has simply followed the standards of almost everything else.Players taking shortcuts to be the best.And Major League Baseball just buries its head in the sand.No moral standing left at all in this country.People have no respect for anything or anyone anymore.What about Ruth,Aaron,Walter Johnson,Warren Spahn and the other great players from years ago.Baseball stood while knowing full well what was going on as juiced players such as McGwire,Bonds,Clemens and Sosa broke the records of those great players who set those records years ago.The integrity of the game is forever tarnished as a result.These players should never have gotten the chance to break any records.Baseball has to go back to the Keenesaw Mountain Landis style of punishment for the cheaters.If you juice you should be banned forever.You should never ever have a chance to break a record set by players who played before the steroid era.Major League Baseball owes those players ,the ones who did it right and made baseball a great game.They allowed those records to be broken by people who are no better than criminals who are locked away from society.And now the great accomplishments achieved by Aaron,Ruth,Maris,Niekro,Sutton and others are forever tarnished and broken because Baseball stood by and let it happen.Its enough to make fans like myself throw up.I’ve been following basball for over fifty years and i’ve had about all of this crap i want.They have ruined the game.
By Tron5000
February 11, 2009 8:30 PM | Link to this
I don’t know about the McGwire issue, Terence. I sincerely doubt he would be in the HOF had he only admitted to his (at this time) alleged steroid use. I don’t really see the baseball writers being forgiving enough to say, “Yeah, he cheated, but he admitted it. So we’re going to vote him in.” Not sure things would work out like that.
By Ed
February 11, 2009 8:41 PM | Link to this
TM-Very good article. I totally agree when people are truthful, then eventually they will be forgiven by a majority of fans. Clemens and Bonds thought they were above the laws that everyone else lives by, and they’re going to pay. With the salaries these guys make in about all sports, it’s not surprising that this took place……
By eddie
February 11, 2009 10:41 PM | Link to this
an apology only warrants forgiveness if its genuine….and A-roids is as phony as the records he holds
By fred dre
February 12, 2009 10:28 PM | Link to this
i believe you are obsessed with michael vick. i don’t believe you can write an article without mentioning his name. then you go on jim romes show and say they are ob sessed over vick,but you will not say who they is. i know who it is,its you.
By Hillbilly Deluxe
February 12, 2009 10:38 PM | Link to this
If Bud Selig and the owners want to see who disgraced baseball, they should find a mirror. They knew what was going on and turned a blind eye while the dollars rolled in.
By dale in newnan
February 13, 2009 9:20 AM | Link to this
Very good and insightful article. In baseball, the commish and the union are intertwined like kudzu vines on this issue. They in all likelyhood supported it, condoned it, and looked the opposite way when necessary . And why is it always Scott Boras’ clients in trouble? Does the man have any soul left?
By Nick
February 13, 2009 1:06 PM | Link to this
Moore, Phelps did admit his mistake - and yes, he screwed up! If you critized every professional football, basketball, baseball….player who smoked pot it would be a long list. Remember your buddy Vick’s picture smoking a joint! To your point, the real issue is it is not right but it seems morals (lying) is common in professional sports as it is in Washington D.C>