YOU HAD TO KNOW I'D CHIME IN

on the McGwire hire. No, I didn't wait to see what others said before forming my opinion or writing my blog entry.

Although STL sports writer Bernie Miklasz, my favorite sports writer of all-time, well maybe second to Bill Murray of the LA Times, did a beautiful and thoughtful expose in Tuesday's column, he didn't quite cover all the bases.

As a golfer, I admire the player who calls a penalty on himself, even when no one else could see. Totally unlike the baseball player who deceives and claims he caught the ball when he knows he didn't. Also he knows re-plays will confirm it. So the honesty factor is out the window.

As the World Series began this week, we see some steroid users playing. There were at least two more in the Cardinal/Dodger divisional series. So if we have established that it's ok to openly cheat, then why should anyone disparage McGwire for using a substance that wasn't even illegal for baseball players back then?

Am I supporting McGwire? No. In fact I would prefer that the Cardinals junk the Big Mac Land in left field. Was I disappointed in his Senate testimony? Certainly. The one thing he said that really irked me was that he would work to get out the message to high school students that steroids were bad. If he ever performed any such activity, it was not covered by the press.

But I still don't understand why Bonds and McGwire and to some extent Clemens took all the heat for steroid use. When there were many, many others. Just being honest shouldn't be the sole basis for forgiveness. They cheated. Just like the spit ball pitchers, the pine tar users, the nail file usage by Phil Niekro, ad infinitum. They should all be banned from the game. (Notice I didn't call it a sport.)

Well, I guess I'm waffling here. (Not so much as throwing in the towel.) So Mark have at it, I guess. While I don't think it was a good hire anymore than the Mannyland crowd in LA or the ARod, Big Papi, or Andy Petitte supporters. And there are lots more just as guilty. So just "Cheer the Cheaters". That's what it comes to these days. Hey it works for the NFL, too. Right Patriot fans?