Alex Rodriguez.

[SP33Demon]

Hate baseball all you want (I'm just a casual fan when the playoffs roll around), but MLB has taken the PEDs issue more seriously than the NFL or esp. the NBA in recent years.

I'm no fan of Bud Selig but if nothing else, he had some change of heart in the past decade for "business reasons".

Yup, the NFL and NBA haven't done shit to reprimand players nowhere close to the level that MLB has. And once the NFL finally realizes its product won't hold up to medical scrutiny, MLB has poised itself to become the dominant sport in 20 years.

 

[momeNt]

Yup, the NFL and NBA haven't done shit to reprimand players nowhere close to the level that MLB has. And once the NFL finally realizes its product won't hold up to medical scrutiny, MLB has poised itself to become the dominant sport in 20 years.

How do you figure that about the NFL? There is a large amount of fans(I hesitate to say majority) that understand that the game is unsafe yet still choose to consume it. The NFL is really hurting itself by trying to act like the game can be played safely. It would be much wiser to just admit the game is unsafe, swallow whatever lawsuit may come of it for the time that they perhaps concealed their medical findings, and from that day onward everybody enters the game with accurate information.

People will still play football, people will still watch football. I honestly don't care how safe the game is, I care about how fun it is to watch. I wouldn't want my kids playing it because of how unsafe it is, but I don't care if another parent allows their kid to play.

I think I speak for a majority of the informed fans on this matter as well. For those uninformed, they are still believing the actor in a doctor's lab coat on commercials that helmets help, and they believe that there is a way to "tackle safely".... will they stop watching when they realize the game is unsafe? I doubt it. Parents will also continue to let their kids play, some because they are from neighborhoods were football might be a way out of their neighborhood and into college, others because its a family tradition.

 

[techs]

It is kind of ironic that people like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenneger who either admitted to using steroids, or who the public overwhelmingly believes did roids are still big stars and well liked.

While Alex is everyones candidate for asshole of the year.

 

[IAteYourMother]

Selig is a wimp. He was talking tough like he would give Alex a lifetime ban if he didn't agree to not fight the suspension but Selig caved.

What can you expect from a used car salesman who is overmatched in his position as Commissioner of Baseball?

THE FUCK? you're the one who thought baseball was out of line for suspending Braun. But then again, you have a habit of talking out of your ass

 

[Red Storm]

It is kind of ironic that people like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenneger who either admitted to using steroids, or who the public overwhelmingly believes did roids are still big stars and well liked.

While Alex is everyones candidate for asshole of the year.

Those aren't professional athletes. They're actors who are paid to look ripped. Completely different set of circumstances...

 

[Atomic Playboy]

It is kind of ironic that people like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenneger who either admitted to using steroids, or who the public overwhelmingly believes did roids are still big stars and well liked.

While Alex is everyones candidate for asshole of the year.

Hulk Hogan competed in a "sport" where everything is staged and scripted. Arnold Schwarzenegger became beloved after becoming an actor, which is not a competitive event. Stallone is an actor and writer, again, not a competitive event. That's completely different from using performance enhancing drugs while involved in an athletic competition, especially one that specifically bans those substances as they offer an unfair competitive advantage. Actors and athletes aren't held to the same standard because larger muscles don't improve one's ability to act.

 

[Red Storm]

I think PEDs are more dangerous to baseball because it's a very specialized sport. Being stronger doesn't automatically make you a better wide receiver in football or a guard in basketball, but baseball is all about hitting that ball out of the park and being stronger helps with that a great deal.

 

[juiio]

Those aren't professional athletes. They're actors who are paid to look ripped. Completely different set of circumstances...

Acting is a different set of circumstances, but Biogenesis's client list included NBA players, MMA fighters, tennis players, boxers, etc. The public just doesn't care that those sports aren't doing anything about it, and only cares about baseball for some reason.

 

[Red Storm]

Acting is a different set of circumstances, but Biogenesis's client list included NBA players, MMA fighters, tennis players, boxers, etc. The public just doesn't care that those sports aren't doing anything about it, and only cares about baseball for some reason.

I think it really depends on the sport. Compare say soccer to weight lifting. Obviously PED use in weight lifting is going to help you win WAY more than it would in soccer. I think baseball is closer to that weight lifting category of sports that benefit from PED use more.

 

[Oyeve]

Now if they removed the designated hitter rule BB may be worth watching again.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I think it really depends on the sport. Compare say soccer to weight lifting. Obviously PED use in weight lifting is going to help you win WAY more than it would in soccer. I think baseball is closer to that weight lifting category of sports that benefit from PED use more.

Soccer? So being faster, recovering faster from training, and striking the ball harder are of no benefit?

Or is soccer just like cycling not a real sport? Do only football and beer gut baseball count?

 

[juiio]

I think it really depends on the sport. Compare say soccer to weight lifting. Obviously PED use in weight lifting is going to help you win WAY more than it would in soccer. I think baseball is closer to that weight lifting category of sports that benefit from PED use more.

Almost every sport benefits, because recovery time is vastly improved. Look how many "miraculous" recoveries from injuries we've seen in the NFL lately. Even if a guy isn't injured, recovering from game fatigue over the course of a long season is a huge benefit.

I think PEDs are more dangerous to baseball because it's a very specialized sport. Being stronger doesn't automatically make you a better wide receiver in football

That is cherry-picking one position where there might (ignoring the obvious benefits of recovery time) not be as much value. Increasing strength for any of the guys in the trenches or for any of the guys who are paid to hit people really hard would obviously be beneficial.

 

[SP33Demon]

Acting is a different set of circumstances, but Biogenesis's client list included NBA players, MMA fighters, tennis players, boxers, etc. The public just doesn't care that those sports aren't doing anything about it, and only cares about baseball for some reason.

It only cares about baseball because it's the highest paid american sport. Ask Jeff Samardzia why he chose to be a first round MLB pitcher instead of a first round NFL Wide receiver, despite dominating college football at Notre Dame.

Baseball will continue to be the choice for richer upper class elite athletes, and the NFL will be relegated to the same status as boxing soon. Only minorities who don't care (or aren't smart enough to) to look at the standard of living after they are washed up will be the ones participating. Parents aren't going to risk their kids' mental health to participate in football as medicine exposes more of the day to day risks of even subconcussive hits.

 

[Red Storm]

Almost every sport benefits, because recovery time is vastly improved. Look how many "miraculous" recoveries from injuries we've seen in the NFL lately. Even if a guy isn't injured, recovering from game fatigue over the course of a long season is a huge benefit.

That is cherry-picking one position where there might (ignoring the obvious benefits of recovery time) not be as much value. Increasing strength for any of the guys in the trenches or for any of the guys who are paid to hit people really hard would obviously be beneficial.

True recovery time is a factor in every sport, but I think PEDs just help more in baseball because the actual, specific, activities that lead to scoring are greatly helped by increased strength. A stronger body doesn't make you a better jump shooter for instance. But yes PEDs can and do effect every sport.

 

[foghorn67]

It is kind of ironic that people like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenneger who either admitted to using steroids, or who the public overwhelmingly believes did roids are still big stars and well liked.

While Alex is everyones candidate for asshole of the year.

are you just trolling now?

 

[Blackjack200]

I think PEDs are more dangerous to baseball because it's a very specialized sport. Being stronger doesn't automatically make you a better wide receiver in football or a guard in basketball, but baseball is all about hitting that ball out of the park and being stronger helps with that a great deal.

lolwut?

You don't think football players benefit from PEDs? Basketball is almost as obvious. Whether he uses PEDs or not, LeBron James's size and strength is a big reason for his dominance.

I think it really depends on the sport. Compare say soccer to weight lifting. Obviously PED use in weight lifting is going to help you win WAY more than it would in soccer. I think baseball is closer to that weight lifting category of sports that benefit from PED use more.

It might be hard to find a sport that would benefit more from steroids than weightlifting, but soccer players would certainly benefit as well. There is a lot of very physical play in soccer.

That is cherry-picking one position where there might (ignoring the obvious benefits of recovery time) not be as much value. Increasing strength for any of the guys in the trenches or for any of the guys who are paid to hit people really hard would obviously be beneficial.

And even cherry picking he's still wrong. Wide receivers are routinely used as run blockers, they often get jammed at the line by defensive backs, and they have to fight for the ball. Also keep in mind that once they catch it they're usually going to get hit pretty hard by a DB or a linebacker. Remember what a terror Terrell Owens was with his strength in the open field?

 

[juiio]

It only cares about baseball because it's the highest paid american sport.

The NBA is the highest-paying sport on a per-player basis, and the NFL has higher total payrolls.

Even if what you said about it being the highest-paid sport was true, I see no evidence that the public only caring about PEDs in baseball is at all related to salaries.

 

[SP33Demon]

The NBA is the highest-paying sport on a per-player basis, and the NFL has higher total payrolls.

Even if what you said about it being the highest-paid sport was true, I see no evidence that the public only caring about PEDs in baseball is at all related to salaries.

If you are talking about per season, it's baseball.

This is all you need to see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts

No other sport is giving out contracts like the above, guaranteed. Baseball is the richest American sport in the world on a contract basis per season. Kobe (highest contract in the NBA) doesn't even crack the top 20 richest contracts in sports, yet baseball holds 17 of the 20. Only Mayweather (tied for 8th, boxing), Kimi Raikkonen (14th, auto racing), and Messi (17th, soccer) crack the top 20 contracts that aren't baseball.

Rank Player Team Sport Length of contract Contract value (USD) Average per year (USD) Average per game7 (USD) Ref
01 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees Baseball 10 years (2008–2017) $275,000,000 $27,500,000 $169,753.09 [1]
02 Alex Rodriguez3 Texas Rangers* Baseball 10 years (2001–2010) $252,000,000 $25,200,000 $155,555.56 [2]
03 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Baseball 10 years (2012–2021) $240,000,000 $24,000,000 $148,481.06 [3]
04 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds Baseball 10 years (2014–2023) $225,000,000 $22,500,000 $138,888.89 [4]
05 Prince Fielder Detroit Tigers Baseball 9 years (2012–2020) $214,000,000 $23,777,777 $146,776.40 [5]
06 Derek Jeter New York Yankees Baseball 10 years (2001–2010) $189,000,000 $18,900,000 $116,666.67 [6]
07 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins Baseball 8 years (2011–2018) $184,000,000 $23,000,000 $141,975.31 [7]
08 (tie) Floyd Mayweather ShowTime Sports Boxing 2 years (2013–2015) $180,000,000+ $72,000,000+ $30,000,000+ [8]
08 (tie) Mark Teixeira New York Yankees Baseball 8 years (2009–2016) $180,000,000 $22,500,000 $138,888.89 [9]
09 CC Sabathia New York Yankees Baseball 7 years (2009–2015) $161,000,000 $23,000,000 $141,975.31 [10]
10 (tie) Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball 8 years (2012–2019) $160,000,000 $20,000,000 $123,456.79 [11]
10 (tie) Manny Ramírez Boston Red Sox* Baseball 8 years (2001–2008) $160,000,000 $20,000,000 $123,456.79 [12]
12 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies Baseball 10 years (2011–2020) $157,750,000 $15,775,000 $97,376.54 [13]
13 Adrián González Boston Red Sox* Baseball 7 years (2012–2018) $154,000,000 $22,000,000 $135,802.67 [14]
14 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari Auto racing 3 years (2007–2009) $153,000,000 $51,000,000 $2,942,307.69 [15]
15 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers Baseball 8 years (2008–2015) $152,300,000 $19,037,500 $117,515.43 [16]
16 Todd Helton Colorado Rockies Baseball 11 years (2001–2011) $151,500,000 $13,772,727 $85,016.83 [17]
17 Lionel Andres Messi FC Barcelona Association football 8 years (2008–2016) $148,800,000 $18,600,000 $500,000.00 [18][19][20]
18 Cole Hamels Philadelphia Phillies Baseball 6 years (2013–2018) $144,000,000 $24,000,000 $148,148.15 [21]
19 Carl Crawford Boston Red Sox* Baseball 7 years (2011–2017) $142,000,000 $20,285,714 $125,220.46 [22]
20 Johan Santana New York Mets Baseball 6 years (2008–2013) $137,500,000 $22,916,667 $141,460.91 [23]

ESPN says baseball and boxing:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6391391

Highest-paying sports (tie): baseball and boxing.

Another indicator that baseball is the highest U.S. paid:
The World Series is the highest paid , per player, non-soccer event in the world ($377,000 per player on the Giants last year which was twice as much as the Ravens).
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mme45hiih/4-world-series/

This is why baseball gets so much media attention. Also take into account the average NBA or NFL career vs MLB. It's not even a competition as to which sport an athlete will make the most guaranteed money due to contractual stability and career longevity.

 

[Oyeve]

If you are talking about per season, it's baseball.

This is all you need to see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts

No other sport is giving out contracts like the above, guaranteed. Baseball is the richest American sport in the world on a contract basis per season. Kobe (highest contract in the NBA) doesn't even crack the top 20 richest contracts in sports, yet baseball holds 17 of the 20. Only Mayweather (tied for 8th, boxing), Kimi Raikkonen (14th, auto racing), and Messi (17th, soccer) crack the top 20 contracts that aren't baseball.

Rank Player Team Sport Length of contract Contract value (USD) Average per year (USD) Average per game7 (USD) Ref
01 Alex Rodriguez New York Yankees Baseball 10 years (2008–2017) $275,000,000 $27,500,000 $169,753.09 [1]
02 Alex Rodriguez3 Texas Rangers* Baseball 10 years (2001–2010) $252,000,000 $25,200,000 $155,555.56 [2]
03 Albert Pujols Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Baseball 10 years (2012–2021) $240,000,000 $24,000,000 $148,481.06 [3]
04 Joey Votto Cincinnati Reds Baseball 10 years (2014–2023) $225,000,000 $22,500,000 $138,888.89 [4]
05 Prince Fielder Detroit Tigers Baseball 9 years (2012–2020) $214,000,000 $23,777,777 $146,776.40 [5]
06 Derek Jeter New York Yankees Baseball 10 years (2001–2010) $189,000,000 $18,900,000 $116,666.67 [6]
07 Joe Mauer Minnesota Twins Baseball 8 years (2011–2018) $184,000,000 $23,000,000 $141,975.31 [7]
08 (tie) Floyd Mayweather ShowTime Sports Boxing 2 years (2013–2015) $180,000,000+ $72,000,000+ $30,000,000+ [8]
08 (tie) Mark Teixeira New York Yankees Baseball 8 years (2009–2016) $180,000,000 $22,500,000 $138,888.89 [9]
09 CC Sabathia New York Yankees Baseball 7 years (2009–2015) $161,000,000 $23,000,000 $141,975.31 [10]
10 (tie) Matt Kemp Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball 8 years (2012–2019) $160,000,000 $20,000,000 $123,456.79 [11]
10 (tie) Manny Ramírez Boston Red Sox* Baseball 8 years (2001–2008) $160,000,000 $20,000,000 $123,456.79 [12]
12 Troy Tulowitzki Colorado Rockies Baseball 10 years (2011–2020) $157,750,000 $15,775,000 $97,376.54 [13]
13 Adrián González Boston Red Sox* Baseball 7 years (2012–2018) $154,000,000 $22,000,000 $135,802.67 [14]
14 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari Auto racing 3 years (2007–2009) $153,000,000 $51,000,000 $2,942,307.69 [15]
15 Miguel Cabrera Detroit Tigers Baseball 8 years (2008–2015) $152,300,000 $19,037,500 $117,515.43 [16]
16 Todd Helton Colorado Rockies Baseball 11 years (2001–2011) $151,500,000 $13,772,727 $85,016.83 [17]
17 Lionel Andres Messi FC Barcelona Association football 8 years (2008–2016) $148,800,000 $18,600,000 $500,000.00 [18][19][20]
18 Cole Hamels Philadelphia Phillies Baseball 6 years (2013–2018) $144,000,000 $24,000,000 $148,148.15 [21]
19 Carl Crawford Boston Red Sox* Baseball 7 years (2011–2017) $142,000,000 $20,285,714 $125,220.46 [22]
20 Johan Santana New York Mets Baseball 6 years (2008–2013) $137,500,000 $22,916,667 $141,460.91 [23]

ESPN says baseball and boxing:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6391391


Another indicator that baseball is the highest U.S. paid:
The World Series is the highest paid , per player, non-soccer event in the world ($377,000 per player on the Giants last year which was twice as much as the Ravens).
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mme45hiih/4-world-series/

This is why baseball gets so much media attention. Also take into account the average NBA or NFL career vs MLB. It's not even a competition as to which sport an athlete will make the most guaranteed money due to contractual stability and career longevity.

Thats just freaking obscene.

 

[juiio]

If you are talking about per season, it's baseball.

No other sport is giving out contracts like the above, guaranteed. Baseball is the richest American sport in the world on a contract basis per season. Kobe (highest contract in the NBA) doesn't even crack the top 20 richest contracts in sports, yet baseball holds 17 of the 20.

You are only looking at the guys on top. The NBA has a higher average salary, and it isn't even close. $5.15 million per year average salary in the NBA versus $3.2 million average salary in MLB.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/montebu...es-in-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues/

And again, most importantly, there is absolutely nothing that suggests that the public's reaction to PEDs has anything to do with salary.

By the way, that list isn't even current. Kobe's salary for 2013-2014 is $30.45 million, which is higher than ARod's salary. Dirk, Carmelo, Arenas, Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, and Joe Johnson are also between $20-$23 million.

 

[blackdogdeek]

I love how A-Rod is #1 and #2 on that list.

 

[Red Storm]

You are only looking at the guys on top. The NBA has a higher average salary, and it isn't even close. $5.15 million per year average salary in the NBA versus $3.2 million average salary in MLB.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/montebu...es-in-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues/

And again, most importantly, there is absolutely nothing that suggests that the public's reaction to PEDs has anything to do with salary.

By the way, that list isn't even current. Kobe's salary for 2013-2014 is $30.45 million.

Neither is Kobe's salary to be fair, he got that deal during the old CBA.

 

[momeNt]

You are only looking at the guys on top. The NBA has a higher average salary, and it isn't even close. $5.15 million per year average salary in the NBA versus $3.2 million average salary in MLB.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/montebu...es-in-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues/

And again, most importantly, there is absolutely nothing that suggests that the public's reaction to PEDs has anything to do with salary.

I believe that the reaction to PEDs has to do with the fact that baseball has performance metrics that are very easy to relate one player to another. It is not a team sport but rather a collection of individual performances. Seeing records broken through the use of PED left a lot of fans bitter.

If Adrian Peterson had broken Dickerson's single season rushing number, and later tested positive for PED, I think the backlash would be similar.

 

[futurefields]

He's a self-absorbed, ego-driven sociopath.

 

[SP33Demon]

You are only looking at the guys on top. The NBA has a higher average salary, and it isn't even close. $5.15 million per year average salary in the NBA versus $3.2 million average salary in MLB.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/montebu...es-in-the-four-major-american-sports-leagues/

And again, most importantly, there is absolutely nothing that suggests that the public's reaction to PEDs has anything to do with salary.

By the way, that list isn't even current. Kobe's salary for 2013-2014 is $30.45 million, which is higher than ARod's salary. Dirk, Carmelo, Arenas, Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, and Joe Johnson are also between $20-$23 million.

Whoopdedoo, Kobe signed a 2 year deal in 2012 slightly worth more than ARod's which was signed in 2008. Look at the average NBA contract for superstars vs MLB and tell me which is longer. Pujols signed for 10, Fielder, Votto for 9 and 10. Now tell me which of the above (Dirk, Carmelo, Arenas, Stoudamire, Howard, Johnson) signed for at least 9 years? None. How many NBAers will have a 15-20 year career? It's common sense that basketball and football are tougher on the body in the long term.

From your link on average salary:
"Median numbers might be more useful". Math is hard, I know. If you want to use average, find me the average over the past 10 years. I'll bet you baseball wins easily. Or find me the median salary for 2012. Also, be sure to show where the Miami Heat are getting paid more than $377,000 apiece for winning a title like the SF Giants.

What does this all mean in the grand scheme of things? The average baseball player will have a longer career than NBA and NFL while making longer term guaranteed money, even while hurt. Since it's monetarily the contractual top dog of the major sports (and has been since the 80's), it will get more media attention than the others.