MLBPA: Cigarettes Are Worse Than Steroids

[NCMojo]

Source

Public pressure apparently isn't going to make the Major League Baseball Players Association give in.

While Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig once again advocated a zero-tolerance drug policy with harsher penalties than the one the league negotiated with the union two years ago, Gene Orza, chief operating officer for the Major League Baseball Players Association, hasn't changed his stance on the issue despite mounting criticism of what some have called a lenient testing system in light of the BALCO steroid scandal.

Orza, who contends that it isn't the job of the union to protect players from things that potentially could be harmful to them, at the possible expense of their privacy, told ESPN.com on Saturday that he didn't compare steroids to cigarettes in a statement earlier in the week that spurred responses by Selig and Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY).

"Cigarettes are worse," Orza said. "And I didn't say that steroids shouldn't be prohibited. They in fact are. The point, conveniently overlooked by Mr. Sweeney, is that it is not banning steroids to which we object, but the manner in which he proposes -- to detect use, the unlimited, forced analysis of someone's urine, even in the absence of a particularized suspicion. I know Congressman Sweeney hasn't read our Joint Drug Agreement. But I didn't know he hadn't read the Fourth Amendment [search and seizure without probable cause]."

On Friday, Selig spoke to reporters at the Padres-Angels spring training game in Tempe, Ariz. Hours later, Sweeney, one of four politicians who introduced the Anabolic Control Act of 2004, responded to comments made by Orza, who suggested it wasn't the union's job to agree to unlawful tests of steroids, which he had "no doubt that they are not worse than cigarettes."

"Mr. Orza's flippant remarks comparing steroids and cigarettes suggest he is sadly misinformed on this issue," Sweeney said, in a statement. "Every major athletic association except baseball bans steroids and steroid precursors. The IOC routinely strips athletes of Olympic medals if they are found to have broken the rules. That's why Ben Johnson is now nothing more than the answer to a trivia question instead of a former world-record holding gold medalist."

The legislation calls for an updating of the performance-enhancing drugs list and seeks to greater penalize the movement of performance enhancers within 1,000 feet of sports facilities.

"The union needs to be reaching out, not shutting its doors," Sweeney said. "This isn't in the best interest of baseball, and it's not in the best interest of America's youth. If they won't do it, I hope the players speak up and demand that their union bosses do the right thing."

On Thursday, Orza cited two national studies on androstenedione, a steroid precursor. One done at Iowa State University concluded that the supplement, when taken in doses suggested by the manufacturer, does not increase muscle mass. The other study, jointly commissioned by the league and the union, concluded that if a person takes more than the suggested dosage, andro could increase muscle mass.

"You can take two aspirin, you can take 40, but should we in fact regulate aspirin sales more than we do now, because if you exceed the recommended dosage, it will have harmful effects?" Orza asked.

On Friday, Selig refused to specifically comment on Orza's statements, only saying, "I read them, I thought about them, and I don't have anything further to say about them."

This season, players will be randomly tested, after five to seven percent of players tested positive for steroids last season. Under the agreement, which expires in Dec. 2006, the first time a player tests positive for steroids, he will have to get treatment. For the second through fifth violations, players face suspensions of 15 days up to a year and fines of $10,000 up to $100,000. A five-time offender in the minor leagues is permanently expelled.

The attitude toward steroid use in Major League Baseball is appalling. I really do feel this is eventually going to eclipse the Black Sox scandal and possibly rip MLB down.

[wildcatlh]

Note that this is the head of the MLBPA saying this and not anyone associated with Major League Baseball. So your title's misleading, monkey boy.

[NCMojo]

Originally posted by WildcatLH
Note that this is the head of the MLBPA saying this and not anyone associated with Major League Baseball. So your title's misleading, monkey boy.

Damn. Ah, man, ditched in the Malibu! Ah, heinous.

[Red Dog]

Owners - shut it down - for a whole season if that is what it takes. Break the Union's back.


Oh and thread title just a tad misleading.

[namja]

Ok .. thread title edited.

[Pharoh]

Well there certainly is far far more proof that cigarettes have a long term deleterious effect on one's health than steroids. Has there ever been a long term study to indicate indeed that steroids are harmful to a user's health? I know of an AMA study from 5 years ago or so that stated there was no evidence, but do not know if that has changed recently.

I agree that the Union needs to realise the perception problem and do something. Why doesn't baseball as a collective get it?

[smoker]

spam removed

[SonOfAStu]

Damn, these spammers are fucking impressive! How did this retard come across this thread?

[Bushdog]

They just search the forum for threads with "Cigarettes" in the title.

[slymer]

Do cigarettes increase your head size?

[kvrdave]

If the quality of players goes down, so will interest. Legalize steroids, and let the games continue. They live to entertain me.

[MrX]

Originally Posted by Pharoh

Well there certainly is far far more proof that cigarettes have a long term deleterious effect on one's health than steroids. Has there ever been a long term study to indicate indeed that steroids are harmful to a user's health? I know of an AMA study from 5 years ago or so that stated there was no evidence, but do not know if that has changed recently.

It depends on the dosage and duration. If they were to stay within levels that a doctor would give a patient that wasn't producing any testosterone they'd probably be fine. They could go higher then that for a short period of time and still probably be fine. Most of these guys are too stupid to do that.

There will be a more definitive answer later if these guys start dropping dead with heart and liver problems.