I'm already tired of the moralizing asses I'm reading in the papers or seeing on ESPN telling me what a bad person Rick Ankiel is for using HGH to recover from arm surgery.
Well, every sports writer is wrong. HGH won't help you develop power hitting ability, although it might help with the healing process after surgery.
You mean like when he was in high school and hitting 450 foot home runs, and smacking balls into the upper decks of professional stadiums? The truth is Ankiel always had the power he is displaying nowadays, it wasn't cultivated since the HGH use. Also, the HGH use only occurred while Ankiel was trying to be a pitcher. There is no evidence that he ever used anything unusual since he gave up pitching.
What I cannot stand are sports writers putting themselves forward as holders of our moral conscience. They aren't. In fact no media personage can speak well on moral matters. The press is chock full of scumbags who are more interested in their personal aggrandizement than they are with anything to do with the public good. But being a self-righteous ass is a good way to get a book contract or a show on ESPN, unfortunately.
Were I grading the media on their performance regarding Ankiel I'd give them a "D" on getting their facts straight, an "F" on placing the incident in its proper context, and an "A+" on ill-informed dickishness.
"Wait a second?? Arm surgery?? I thought HGH was helping Ankiel hit home runs? That is what every sports writer has said."
Well, every sports writer is wrong. HGH won't help you develop power hitting ability, although it might help with the healing process after surgery.
"But Ankiel was a pitcher! He couldn't hit the ball far before! He must have done something shady!"
You mean like when he was in high school and hitting 450 foot home runs, and smacking balls into the upper decks of professional stadiums? The truth is Ankiel always had the power he is displaying nowadays, it wasn't cultivated since the HGH use. Also, the HGH use only occurred while Ankiel was trying to be a pitcher. There is no evidence that he ever used anything unusual since he gave up pitching.
What I cannot stand are sports writers putting themselves forward as holders of our moral conscience. They aren't. In fact no media personage can speak well on moral matters. The press is chock full of scumbags who are more interested in their personal aggrandizement than they are with anything to do with the public good. But being a self-righteous ass is a good way to get a book contract or a show on ESPN, unfortunately.
Were I grading the media on their performance regarding Ankiel I'd give them a "D" on getting their facts straight, an "F" on placing the incident in its proper context, and an "A+" on ill-informed dickishness.
Comments