The AFC won the first ever pre-Super Bowl Pro Bowl 41-34. In a game where everyone tries to avoid injury, long runs and high scores are the name of the game. Football is a hard contact sport, where injury is likely on any play. One misstep, one awkward hit can ruin a player’s night, year or career. So, playing a game that means nothing in a sport prone to injury is not a true game. It’s a shell of a game. Even the players commented that it feels more like touch football than anything. And the outcome means nothing. There’s no advantage to winning the game. At least with baseball’s all-star game, the winning division gets home field advantage in the World Series. While I initially hated the idea, I now follow all-star game wanting to know which division will get the advantage. Football needs to do something different with their version of the all-star game.

Well, from the department of ”News that should shock no one” comes the revelation that Mark McGwire, St. Louis homerun king of the 1990’s, used illegal steroids.  With Matt lauer last night, Big Mac said he used steroids to maintain his health during his career.  Right.

I have two issues with this.  One, taking steroids is a medical treatment for some patients dealing with fairly severe illness.  The steroids you get from the doctor, though, are very different from the performance enhancers most athletes get caught with.

The second and bigger point, why is waiting until now to say something?  My answer, the hall of fame.  He’s getting to that stage where he’s eligible and he wants to make sure his name stays in consideration.  He testified in 2005 that he never used anything other than HGH, even though studying pictures of him reveals a drastic change is musculature, a change that really only steroids can bring about.  So he lied, we knew he lied, and he knows we know.  So, come clean, save some face, and keeps his Hall of Fame hopes alive.

To that I say, “BOO!”

Randy Johnson, dominant left-handed pitcher nicknamed “the Unit”, announced his retirement yesterday after 22 seasons.  It’s a little weird to think about baseball now, even though pitchers and catchers report next month.  It’s even weirder still to think about baseball without Johnson.  I have so many highlights in my memory: the exploding bird, the mullet when he was in Seattle, the 2001 World Series when he was co-MVP.  The list goes on.  This man is 2nd on the all-time strikeouts list behind Nolan Ryan.

If Johnson is not a first time HOF ballot inductee, I will have to question the intelligence of the committee.  Farewell, Randy.  Thanks for the memories.

Yup, I’m still not getting into baseball this year. I think all of the roids issues and the capless cap have really done me in for baseball. I’m saddened as all of my peers at work do nothing but talk about their teams and I’m quietly waiting for the NFL season to get started again. I’ve seriously lost it and I don’t think it’s going to come back anytime soon! RIP baseball!

As baseball season approaches I’m getting all ready to see my Cubs botch another season. Oh well, at least I don;t live anywhere near Chicago so I won;t be subjected to going to the games to see them lose in person. Anyone else out there tired of their team being the losers every season. Hey, at least I can take solace in the fact that my team isn’t the Detroit lions!