Fastball Fans

Sports are definitely not what it used to be.

Throughout the annals of American history, sports has not only served as entertainment for the masses, but also has helped to bridge gaps, races, and serves at time as a parable for life.

In 2007, fans are getting to see another side of sports that they didn’t want to see – the proliferation of athletes using performance enhancing drugs and steroids.

Today, I’m going to use baseball as an example as to what is going today.

While America was busy ripping Barry Bonds, pretty much an assumed cheater and jerk, the country found a new hero to root for.

Rick Ankiel.

This is the same man whose career started ever so brilliantly as a left handed hurler for the Cardinals; however, the dream went totally wrong as it flat-lined several years ago due to his inability to throw a strike across the plate.

Seemingly done as a pitcher, he rescued his career as hitter, but toiled in the minors for several seasons and battled injuries. Alas, with his God-given skills and ability to hit a baseball a long way, he made the long, sometimes perilous road back to the majors.

The failed pitcher is now a heroic slugger, worthy of praise and admiration.

He’s the made-for-Hollywood story we all long for and desire out of our athletes. His homers and exploits have helped a St. Louis Cardinals team that was reeling due to unspeakable tragedy and injuries back into the National League pennant chase.

There’s only one problem with the dream, and it’s a big bump in the road.

Ankiel ordered HGH (Human Growth Hormone) from Signature Pharmacy, the same drug outlet that has ensnared so many athletes and wrestlers today.

Barry Bonds and Rick Ankiel – two names connected together in sports infamy.

How we have responded to these two men says a lot about us as sports fans, our morality and as a culture.

Why do we hate Barry Bonds, but some people seemingly have let Rick Ankiel off the hook?

Well, the answer is simple.

Barry Bonds is a man that was blessed with great athletic ability and destined for Cooperstown, with or without drugs. Supremely talented, while at times, surly and difficult with fans and disliked by the media, Bonds did not endear himself to anyone perhaps outside of San Francisco due to the BALCO investigation.

Meanwhile, Rick Ankiel came from a turbulent, impoverished background, for the most part, kept his noise clean and worked at the seemingly impossible task of going from a pitcher to a slugger in the highest levels of professional baseball.

He purports that he was using HGH with a prescription to heal from injuries, which he may very well be telling the truth.

We want our heroes to be pure, humble, and relatable to the human condition, as well as a mirror image of what most would want to be as individuals.

Why do we jump on Bonds, while giving Ankiel as pass?

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