Public shaming is the only defense for steroids. As King has pointed out many many times, scientists will be ahead of the curve and athletes will use anything to get an edge.

I find that public shaming has been and will be an effective measure. It's deterrence quotion is yet to be proven, but I doubt many baseball players want follow the footsteps of Sosa, Palmiero, Clemens and McGwire into Congress.

Barry Bonds is publicly shamed all the time, and it's great. He gets booed to the heavens at away games and fans are making huge signs mocking the freakshow. Someone threw a big fake syringe at him, which he picked up, creating a great image. As baseball fans we can't take away his record, but we can laugh in his face. And we do. And it's satisfying. You mock our game, we'll laugh at you until you die. Sorry. You were in our good graces, and then, well, you dug your own grave, Barry.

Same thing is happening with Clemens. Without steroids and HGH, he would have ended far short of 300 wins and would have half as many Cy Youngs. As baseball fans, we can't take that away from him, but we can laugh in his face. And it's satisfying.

All this public shaming is great. All those times those guys were injecting themselves to warp the game in their favor - well, it's caught up. Now lets talk about the boils on their backsides from shooting steroids. Let's talk about their wives and ex-lovers shooting up or spilling the beans.

I think this special ex post facto punishment is just right.

the best part is that our access consciousness = their legacy

I think most baseball fans have soured on these 'stars'

The soft Holsteins that read Salon aren't happy with this article.

I wonder how many Americans could survive in the woods for 5 days.

This guy is completely right. These readers are just too sissy to admit to being a sissy.

I don't think the detterent effect will work. You're talking about guys in their teens and 20s who, on top of the self-perceived indestructibility of all people that age, are great athletes (the odd John Kruk-type aside) who have known little but success in their young lives. "That won't happen to me." There goes your deterrent effect.

Detterent effect - those are the words I was looking for.

I'm actually talking about guys like Bonds and Clemens this time - guys who are looking to extend their careers, not the jr. level folks who I typically refer to. I think this shaming sends a good message to the 34 year old players around the league. Hang it up instead of shooting up.

probably won't stick you with roids or HGH.

Ask Jesse if that kid from from Seattle can play outfield defense. (He's right though. There isn't that much pride in corner outfield play anymore.)

Didn't Jesse's son push him down the stairs? That was a pretty sad story.

So many questions about this article. What happened there at the end? Rent a Chevy Malibu, King. A red one, put the top down. Get some wind in those sideburns.

speaking with real passion about rethinking the idiotic border fence (that she and Obama voted for)

I think a border fence is just the answer. Why do you think it is idiotic, Joan? It seems perfectly logical and necessary to me, as someone who wants to enforce border security.

it would put Legal Americans to work, and it would keep ILLEGAL Aliens out. I'm excited to hear why you find those results idiotic.

or you could build them 20 feet tall with razor-wire on top. If you want to come into our country - GREAT - just get in line and fill out some forms.

I'm an open minded person. But some things are tough to overlook. You're on a date, a girl has a big bugg in her nose, I'm having a tough time overlooking that. I know I should be looking past her face and body and to the core, but, damn, you got a big bugg.

Hillary's voice and speaking approach reminds me of fingernails scratching a chalkboard. I've tried and tried and tried to be tone-deaf and listen to her arguments, but it's difficult. The few times I can achieve this and listen strictly to her words, I find that it's all double talk, circumlocution, and consultant driven pandering. As the sentences roll on, her schreeching rereaches my frontal lobe and I want to vote for Obama.

I wish Ron Paul was taken seriously.

More walking away from people mid-interview. That was a lot of fun. Well done!

Was that more time cosuming than writing a column?

David Halberstam got his fill of writing about Vietnam, but it was the story of his time, so he wrote about it. He immersed himself in it because people wanted to know about it.

Wes - can I still be a nerd, even though I'm a decent athlete? Please?

I don't even get to pick my sport? Okay, give me 15, they'll be chanting my name by the end.

jk

Chicagoans will be surprised. Everyone will be calling that field whatever the corporate name is in 10 yeras. Everyone. That's just how it works. When every radio spot, every article, every ticket and every reference is made to the corporate name it will stick.

King, well done on the Knight prediction. How about you wager another? How long until he is disciplined by ESPN for saying something offcolor?

I believe that Ryan should lead off and Norris should hit 2, maybe Alex Gonzalez. Rose and Griffey Sr. got nothing on this 08 sqaud.

savetigerstadium is right - Jay Bruce should play over Norris Hopper.

I bet there is going to be some simmering contention in the ESPN cafeteria when Bob Knight exchanges glances with Jeremy Schapp while balancing his tray of lima beans, cornbread and a small circular juicedrink.