Just release the damn list already.

Well one of the other shoes in the steroid era dropped the other day when is was reveled that Manny and Big Papi tested positive for PED's during the now infamous 2003 steroid test that was supposed to be secret but now isn't. This is the same test which has also gotten A-Rod and Sammy Sosa. Of the 104 players who supposedly tested positive, only about seven names have come out, depending on your source. But of those seven, four have been blockbusters, some of the biggest hitters and most famous players of the past 15 years.

This whole thing has been a nightmare scenario for baseball and the players association. The whole reason these names are out is because the players association kept the test results in the hopes of getting enough false positives on retests to throw out testing altogether in baseball. Instead they somehow lost control of the list and that list was matched up with the players names.

Who ever knows the names seems to be leaking them out a little at a time. Everytime it happens it drags baseball back into the discussion no matter what else is going on. It's death by a thousand cuts.

So the answer is simple, if baseball has this list, release it all at once. Take out an add in every sports page in the country and lets just get past this. If baseball doesn't have control of the list they need to sue to get it, or sue to keep anymore names from coming out. Now I prefer the former rather then the later, but at this rate, what ever works.

And finally, who ever has been definitely linked to steroids should have all there records during the time the were taking wiped out. I'm ready to recognize Roger Maris as the single-season HR champ with 61 and Hank Aaron the all-time champ with 755.

Wanted: Black Cops and Black Firefighters

I've been thinking a bit about the recent incident with Henry Louis Gates being arrested inside his home after police were called after a report of two black men attempting to enter his house. It has really dominated the news for the past 48 hours being highlighted even more by President Obama during his prime-time news conference last night. The purpose of the news conference, even though it wasn't specifically stated as such, was to push the staled health care initiative. As usual Obama was long on promise and short on detail, but I digress. The last question was about the Gates incident. Gates is a friend of Obama and whether it was meant to be a trap question or not Obama paused, and then jumped in with both feet. He said he didn't know all the facts, BUT Gates' had a a right to mad and that the Cambridge police department acted "stupidly".

The police Officer in question, Sgt James Crowley appears to have a great record with no apparent incidents of racial profiling in his past. The facts of the case are in doubt, depending on whose side you fall on. Sgt. Crowley maintains Gates' did not produce ID when asked and became vocal at Sgt. Crowley for entering his home. Gates' maintains that he did show ID and that Sgt. Crowley became angry when Gates' did not follow his orders.

Now I've watched Cops enough to know that you don't argue with the police even if you think you are right. Sgt. Crowley needs to control the situation, and when he can't or the suspect won't allow it he needs to take control, by force if needed. Right now I have no reason to doubt Sgt. Crowley's version of the incident. If Gates had maintained his cool I think the whole thing would have blown over. Unfortunately Gates showed his racism towards whites.

Now interestingly enough none of the other cops on the scene that day have offered their opinions. I'm not sure who this favors maybe no one. But this incident and the New Haven firefighters case has lead me to the crux of my argument and the title of this blog, we need more black cops and firefighters.

Think of it, a call comes in saying two black men are breaking into a house and a black cop shows up and one is arrested does anyone bat an eye? If a black cop had shown up at Gates' house what would his argument have been if he got arrested? This would put the Al Sharpton's of the world out of business. I like to think of Al Sharpton as a racial ambulance chaser. When ever this a possibility of a problem between blacks and whites, he there. Most often to fan the flames then to offer a real solution to the problem. If we had more black firefighters there wouldn't have been a New Haven Supreme Court case.

Now I know this sounds quiet radical and is really almost a step back to a form of segregation, but I'm getting tired of all these racial incidents involving law enforcement and the like. Not ever minority who is arrested is a miscarriage of justice. I'm glad to see the Cambridge Police Department is circling the wagons around Sgt. Crowley. I'm sure there will be an internal investigation, I'm hoping Sgt. Crowley will be exonerated. Then the ball will be in Gates' court. I can certainly see him continuing to make a big deal out of this and Obama's endorsement won't help him or Obama. Perhaps Obama will call him and tell him to forget it because it is taking away from Obama's real issues. Anyway the next few days will be key.

P.S. Don't read the "interview" by Elizabeth Gates of her father about the incident. It is the worst piece of "journalism" I have ever read. And it's really making me reconsider reading the Daily Beast ever again.