Steroids in Baseball

Kyler Tusay

Dr. Snorgrass and Dr. Larson

Sports, Media & Pop Culture

October 21, 2016

Steroids in Baseball

            Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, used to increase lean muscle mass, strength, and can lead to major health damage (Hartgens and Kuipers 2004). One of the largest and most impactful scandals observed in sports in the last decades was that of the usage of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED’s) or steroids in the sport of baseball. It rocked nation’s pastime as some of the biggest names in the sport were linked. Our hero’s, idols, ones that broke records, and that were destined for Cooperstown were now tainted. They now carried the dreaded asterisk alongside their names. Baseball is not the only sport that was rocked by the infiltration of PED’s, but around the turn of the century they were the most effected, and the most active in halting its use. I will be combing previous literatures, and my own opinions on what the impacts of the “Steroid Era” were on the field, and what the impacts were off as well.

            This new era in baseball came to light during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when the single season homerun record was broken several times during a three-year span. A record that previously stood for decades. It was when these players that were later in their respected careers started mashing homeruns at a rate that had never previously been seen (B/R). Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Sammy Sosa drew the attention of the questioning individuals. According to Bleacher Report’s article about the history of the infamous era, it was not until Jose Canseco’s book detailing his steroid use, and the others around him who used. Naming players like Jason Giambi, Garry Sheffield, Bonds, and McGuire (McGuire and Canseco were teammates in Oakland and were affectionately called the “Bash Brothers”). At this point, everything started tumbling down in Major League Baseball. The Mitchell Report was released and named numerous users of PED’s. Some of the best players in the league like the ones previously mentioned, and others like Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. At this point is where differences between the accused start to occur. Some of the individuals (most notably Bonds and Clemens) held on to their innocence, or in some cases they played “dumb.” Others like Pettitte and Giambi came out and apologized. The fallout from both was staggering. The ones clamoring to their innocence were ostracized, and even testified in front of congress. While those that admitted to using and then apologized were forgiven. These players went on to have successful careers after their apologies while the others are still looked upon in a negative light. Since the early to mid-2000’s the MLB has gotten a hold on the drug use in the sport aside from the high-profile cases like Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez. Those were met with swift and appropriate action though. What I am curious about though is the players that could succeed despite previous PED usage.

The idea that the American people is willing to give a second chance is almost becoming a cliché in sports with some of the negative things players do, and recover from. This could possibly explain the ease that players are forgiven. Though the news cycle with how quickly it turns over from story to story could also play a major role.  Cisyk and Courty (2016) explore whether are not fans actually care about performance enhancing drugs in sports. Using a regression analysis involving attendance to games they find that the home team attendance drops when one a player on that team is suspended. Only for 15 days though then the results lose significance. These results are consistent with what we have seen play out that fans eventually forgive these players, and sometimes forget their transgressions. I related it to both factors I referred to earlier. When players show remorse for their actions it shows a human, relatable side that makes people empathize with them. Eileen Kennedy and Laura Hills draw attention to this on pages 56-57 of their book. On how televised sports use different camera angles to evoke these human feelings. The same concept is applied to the athletes press conference where an apology is issued.  It then turns into a story of redemption, and passes through the news cycle where it eventually gets lost. Those that are resisting these claims though many others believed they were taking the drugs. A USA Today/Gallup poll taken in 2006 shows that 47% of fans polled believed steroids were the cause of the homerun spike that season (Nightengale 2006). The players that are believed to be using, and denying it are seen as villains. They are constant in the news cycle even when it turns over. Those that attempt to reconcile for their wrongs, and try to come back the “right way” are often forgiven by the American people.

The revelation of the steroid usage in baseball came at a time when the country was experiencing changes, and a great sense of patriotism then its own sport was exposed to cheating. It was the Post-9/11 America, and the war on terror was in full force. This unity against those who attacked us created a deep sense of patriotism among the American people. In 2004 George W. Bush even addressed steroids in sports saying that “some in professional sports are not setting much of an example” with regards to being role models for children (Butterworth 2008). This was not the only appearance of politicians being involved or voicing their opinions either. Butterworth also wrote on how congress insisted that more needed to be done to “purify the national pastime.” This is because how sports are view here domestically and around the world. Spa, Rivenburgh, and Larson (1995) examine these viewpoints for different countries during the 1992 Olympics each going through their own transitions and negatives during this period. I found their description of Africa to be interesting though. Describing their views on the Olympic host Barcelona as a “land of development, wealth, and modernity” (Spa, Rivenburgh, and Larson 1995). I believe this is why politicians were so involved in this process. That if the sport that we created over 100 years ago, and was so representative of our nation is flawed. Then that leaves the door open for other countries to evaluate those flaws.

Steroids in sports, in particular baseball, have had led to major overhauls involving the CBA, and drug testing. The purity of the game has been called into question by both fans and politicians. Concerned about the legitimacy of players, the records they hold, and the damage to our image as a nation. The fans though have shown the ability to forgive those that were found guilty and acknowledge their guilt. That if a player is not filled with arrogance, and do not let their ego get in the way the news cycle will not keep forcing their story to the public. Baseball has cleaned up its act for the most part. Those cheating now are more likely to get caught. There are fewer high profile cases, and when there are the fans and media will judge player based on their sincerity. “In the summer of 2007, Barry Bonds eclipsed one of the most highly regarded records in all of baseball, the career home-run record, to relatively little fanfare” (Von Burg and Johnson 2009)

Works Cited

Butterworth, Michael L. "Purifying the body politic: Steroids, Rafael Palmeiro, and the rhetorical cleansing of Major League Baseball." Western Journal of Communication 72.2 (2008): 145-161.

Cisyk, Jeffrey, and Pascal Courty. "Do Fans Care About Compliance to Doping Regulations in Sports? The Impact of PED Suspension in Baseball."Journal of Sports Economics (2015): 1527002515587441.

Hartgens, Fred, and Harm Kuipers. "Effects of androgenic-anabolic steroids in athletes." Sports medicine 34.8 (2004): 513-554.

Kennedy, Eileen, and Laura Hills. Sport, Media and Society. Oxford: Berg, 2009. Print.

Nightengale, Bob. "USATODAY.com - Why so Many Home Runs?" USA Today. Gannett, 12 July 2006. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

Spà, Miquel De Moragas, Nancy K. Ribenburgh, and James F. Larson. Television in the Olympics. 224-226., 1995. Google Books. Google. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

Von Burg, Ron, and Paul E. Johnson. "Yearning for a past that never was: Baseball, steroids, and the anxiety of the American dream." Critical Studies in Media Communication 26.4 (2009): 351-371.

Watt, Kyle. "A Brief History of How Steroids Destroyed America's ..." Bleacher Report. Turner Broadcasting, 12 Feb. 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

Hockey, Patriotism, and Money

Kyler Tusay

Dr. Snorgrass and Dr. Larson

Sports, Media, and Pop Culture

November 19, 2016

Hockey, Patriotism, and Money

            It was one of the biggest weekends in hockey last week as the Hockey Hall of Fame saw new members inducted, and as the celebrations faded the GM meetings took its place. No major changes were discussed as far as the play on the ice just a few “tweaks” as Dan Rosen a writer for NHL.com described them. Off the ice issues included future salary cap numbers which only become convoluted when factoring in the international aspect of the NHL, meaning exchange rates for the US and Canadian dollars. The cap increasing by 10% was not even the most publicized topic of the meetings. Players, fans, the media, they are concerned about what is going to happen with 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeonchang, South Korea.        

            East Asia is not typically the location for the Winter Olympics, and probably is not the best market for Hockey to flourish in. One of the reasons for the NHL to balk at letting its players go, and also the fact that they shut down their own play for two weeks. This battle comes down to three parties, and the NHL is fighting on two fronts (NBC is also involved though not in a direct manner). First, it’s the NHL represented by Gary Bettman (who is favored slightly more than Roger Goodell in his respected sport) and the owners against the NHLPA represented by Donald Fehr and the players. The players want to attend the Olympics as it is seen as patriotic, and then comes the pride of winning a gold medal. Some believe that it is more important than winning the Stanley Cup. The owners are concerned about losing the revenues of two weeks of games, the expenses of travel and board, and the possibility of injuries which could derail a season (and cost even more money). Then there is the NHL versus the Olympic committees, and the International Hockey community. The NHL wants the international organizations to help cover the costs of travel, and then the possibility of insuring the players, so that teams will have some sort of protection. The teams do not want to lose money, and the players just want to go play.

             What should happen though? What is causing this problem now as the NHL has been sending players to the Olympics for over 20 years now. NBC wants the NHL there according to Tim Wharnsby’s article – though this not that shocking as Ice Hockey is one of the larger events at the Winter Games. Losing the world’s best players would likely lead to a decrease in viewers. That being said the Olympics survived before with amateur players, and produced some of the most memorable Winter Olympic moments in the games storied history. Such as the 1980 games in Lake Placid, New York where the United States amateurs beat the USSR team, (the Soviets amateur status was to be questioned) in a game that would be called The Miracle on Ice. I believe the NHL should let the players play on the international stage for several reasons. It reaches the markets the sport has not reached before in Asia. It also reaches the average fans here in the US as it creates that sense of patriotism playing internationally, and with a sport that struggles at times of generating interest it needs these events. Finally, the fact that NBC wants the players to be there will end up swaying that decision. NBC is the home of the Olympic games, and is also the home of regular season NHL games on NBCSN (their sports channel), and to Stanley Cup playoff games on their flagship channel. So, if the main distribution channel of your product wants the players to be there then it is likely that they will be.

            So, what are the possible solutions to this problem? Though it seems like there’s enough time to find the answers being the Olympics are a year and a half away. That is not necessarily true since national teams start to formulate rosters now and have cuts along the way. These teams need to know what player pools to build from – professionals or amateurs. The first suggestion seems to be extending the CBA for another three years between the NHL and the NHLPA (Wharnsby, 2016). Though in the same article it is seen as a “publicity stunt” since the current CBA expires in 2022 so it would be extended to 2025, but there is an opt out in 2020. This extension would be used to ease the fans as the sport has seen a lockout recently, and another one is not that unlikely. I am not sure how much weight can be put into this solution as it really solves little. Luckily for fans and players talks between the organizations are continuing.

            This story will likely end in a few weeks with the players going to the Olympics. There is too much money to be lost by the IOC to afford losing the professional players. There will be too much pressure from NBC for the NHL to ignore, and the international exposure will create interest in the biggest markets in North America. The money will drive these groups to get the deal done. All while the players just want to play for their countries, fans, and to be a legend in the game that’s become their lifestyle. In the end the money outweighs the patriotism.

Works Cited

Rosen, Dan. "NHL Remains Undecided on 2018 Olympics: Bettman." NHL.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Wharnsby, Tim. "NHL's Offer of CBA-for-Olympics a Hollow One to Players - Tim Wharnsby on Hockey - NHL on CBC Sports - Analysis." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Kyler Tusay

September 30, 2016

The Jose Fernandez Effect: More than a Ballplayer

Jose Fernandez died on the morning of September 25, 2016, after a boating accident off of the shores of Miami. Now while this was an obvious shock to the world of baseball, the best pitcher that’s under 25 will leave a large void in the sport. His death is something that should expand further than just the average baseball or even the average sports fan. This expanding interest is because of how he lived his life on and off of the field, and because of the journey he took to just get to a ballfield in the US. The passion and joy that he lived with is something that many of us wish to replicate ourselves. That Sunday seeing videos of him showing pure jubilation after a walk off win was a sight because of thoughts that were had like “Only if I could find something that made me that excited.” What also made Jose special was the fact that he was a defect from Cuba. He was arrested once before making his successful escape to the US, similar to others wanting to leave their oppressive homelands for America. Jeff Passan (Yahoo Sports) and Dan Le Batard (Miami Herald) both wrote articles on Fernandez’s story, and what his life meant, and what we should take from it.

Jeff Passan’s article “Jose Fernandez: The American Dream” was written just hours after Fernandez’s passing, and it celebrated his successes as an immigrant that later became an American and a symbol of that dream. Passan makes reference to the debate that was happening that Monday night, and how immigration would likely be a topic -  quickly followed by the brash and negative rhetoric. Without him defecting the way he did and becoming an immigrant, the world would have never known of the joyous, young, fireballer. He was so successful because he stayed true to what he was:

For all his talent, all his achievement, Fernandez never lost perspective on what allowed him to thrive. He loved freedom – love the ability to say what he believed, to think what he wanted, to live without restriction. When he became an American citizen in 2015, seven years after coming to the United States, he waved a small flag and talked about how thankful he was. When he and the Marlins played at Fort Bragg Fourth of July weekend, the moment consumed him. He’d never forget Cuba. But he was a proud American (Passan).

 He came from an oppressive country to play the game he was born to play. He became one of the best young players in the game with a positive energy. He wasn’t originally one of us, but we accepted him and watched him grow into an American.

Dan Le Batard’s article is one that goes through all of the emotions experienced, from the sadness of Fernandez’s death to his youthful energy. When reading you can feel the emotion Le Batard is writing with because he is of Cuban descent – his parents defected. Le Batard wrote that “Fernandez made us care,” and how his joy “birthed” joy for others. “An uncommon joy has been extinguished,” he wrote. How can someone that we have “known” for such a small amount of time become that connected with us?

Sports allows us to make connections with these individuals, and we are along for the ride with them from the good to the bad. It brings us these people that otherwise we would not care about them besides the fact that they play for the team or the sport that we love. Tells us their story, and we can relate it to our own. Miami lost its homegrown start, not just because that was the only organization he played for, but because of how he energized the Cuban population there. That day in Miami was compared to the day in Kansas City when Derrick Thomas died. Days where sports go from seasonal events that take up a few hours of your day to something that makes you realize how engrained sports are in your life.

Works Cited

Le Batard, Dan. "The Death of This Player Is a Loss for Us All." Miami Herald. Miami Herald, 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.

Passan, Jeff. "Jose Fernandez: The American Dream." Yahoo Sports. Yahoo, 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.