I Guess Ortiz Doesn't Respect His Family, Fans, or the Game

The big news in the world of Major League Baseball today was the revelation by the New York Times that Ortiz and Manny made the 2003 doping list.

For those of us who actually watch baseball, this cannot come as a bog shock. Even the biggest Red Sox fanboy saw this coming.

I for one, was praying that A-Rod would be suspended, so he can sue and have the entire list released. Look at which team and which year has the Major League team slugging record; and take a look at who had a dramatic spike in production for that year. I would bet you are many more Red Sox players on that list.

Let's go with David's own words to open the discussion here:

"I know that if I test positive, using any kind of substance, I know that I’m going to disrespect my family, the game, the fans, and everybody. And I don’t want to be facing that situation. So what I will do is, I won’t use it."

This was said in this past February, I guess he must omitted the words "any more" at the end.

Ortiz's statement today:

"One, I have already contacted the Players Association to confirm if this report is true. I have just been told that the report is true. Based on the way I have lived my life, I am surprised to learn I tested positive. Two, I will find out what I tested positive for. And, three, based on whatever I learn, I will share this information with my club and the public. You know me -- I will not hide and I will not make excuses."

Really David? Really?

“I tell you, I don’t know too much about steroids, but I started listening about steroids when they started to bring that [poop] up, and I started realizing and getting to know a little bit about it. You’ve got to be careful. I used to buy a protein shake in my country. I don’t do that any more because they don’t have the approval for that here, so I know that, so I’m off of buying things at the GNC back in the Dominican (Republic). But it can happen anytime, it can happen. I don’t know. I don’t know if I drank something in my youth, not knowing it.”

-David Ortiz, BostonHerald.com (05/08/2007)


Well, first of all, one thing I have learned from the entire A-Fraud steroid drama this past Spring was that all 104 players who won the lottery in 2003 were notified that they were on the list.

That was 6 years ago. You know, if I were David Ortiz, and my numbers spiked right around the same time that I was told that I tested positive for some PED; I might want to get my lawyers or representatives to find out what I tested positive for.

You know, so I can perhaps pass it off on a rogue Dominican cousin or some tainted GNC products.


If you really believe that this was the first time that Ortiz has heard of this or he doesn't know what triggered the positive test, you must be in some serious denial.

What I have really enjoyed about this whole ordeal is the reactions from the Red Sox fans. The long time fans will shrug it off, and said something to the effect of "eh, everybody was/is doing it".

Fair enough. Shoot, if I could take a drug and make me write better code at my work and make me more money? You bet your ass I'd be sucking it down by the gallons. Oh wait, it's call coffee - and I have been downing it by the gallons.

All that giddiness after the Red Sox employee Mitchell Report came out (and shockingly contained a bunch of Yankees)? The A-Fraud revelation this past Spring? Yeah, I get it, it's gamesmanship.

The pink hats will go right to the "look at how many Yankees have tested positive or was on steroids" argument. Hey, I don't really blame them - they're really not fans of the game - they're conditioned to just blame the Yankees for everything bad that happens to the Red Sox.

But the bottom line is this - whether you like to admit it or not Sox Fans (Pink Hats or otherwise), your team and your favorite player(s) are just as bad as the team/players you despise the most. You have known this all along, deep down inside you must have known, and today - it's finally proven.

Remember when Bonds and the Giants came and played at Fenway? How some of you acted like you have to hate him and boo him because you are such baseball purist and he was tainting the most hallowed record of all professional sports? (even though most of you cheered his big home runs during batting practice - I know, I was there) Or how some of you poked fun at the Giant fans who still supported Bonds. I would expect you to shun Ortiz today.

What's really going to bring this full circle, is that Ortiz comes out next week and admit that he was A-Fraud's Dominican cousin that had supplied him with Boli.

Knuckles Nilan Arrested

Former Boston Bruin and my childhood idol, Chris "Knuckles" Nilan was arrested yesterday at the South Shore Plaza for shoplifting.

QUINCY - Chris Nilan, a former professional hockey player known for his frequent trips to the penalty box, was arrested on a charge of stealing a bathing suit from the Lord & Taylor store at the South Shore Plaza.

"I just wanted to save a few bucks," he told police.

It's been a bad week for former Boston players, first Antoine Walker is pinched in Nevada for passing bad checks at Casinos, now Knuckles is picked up by mall cops for shoplifting a pair of bathing suit.

Growing up following the Bruins, I have always admired Nilan's toughness - even though he played the majority of his NHL career for the hated Montreal Canadiens. He was probably the most hated Canadien in Boston, and for good reasons. But this was one of those situations where you hate a player because he's the A-hole on your most hated team - but you love him when he becomes the A-hole on your team.

The Bruins signed him in 1990, I thought he was the final missing piece of the puzzle, adding toughness to a talent loaded but still a bit soft team. Excite, I ran out and bought a Nilan sweater - which I still have to this day (pictured above).

But like that pair of Lord & Taylor bathing suit, the Cup remained out of the hands of my beloved Bruins.

Police said Nilan struggled with store security officers who followed him out of the store. Police said Nilan denied taking anything and threw punch at one of the guards, but missed.

When Braintree Police officers Michael Want and Matthew Crowley arrived, Nilan was still struggling with the security guards even after they knocked him down. The police officers managed to subdue Nilan and place him in handcuffs.

Knuckles still holds the record for penalty minutes for a single game, and he is one of nine men on this planet who has more than 3,000 career NHL penalty minutes. Bested by freaking mall cops. This is like Tiger Woods getting beat by 6 year olds in miniature golf.

Thank goodness the judge had enough sense to take into account Nilan's former service to the community (I know it does not say so in the article - but come on, this is Knuckles Nilan), dismissed the case with a $100 court fine and ordered him to stay away from the store.

If I were those mall cops, I watch myself going to my car after work. Nilan is always the nastiest when coming out of the penalty box.

In other hockey news, the NHL made it official - Boston vs. Philadelphia in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park.

I already know what's going to happen, thanks to the run the Bruins had last year, the Pink Hats will snatch up all the tickets and I'll be forced to go to person A for tickets at 4 times the face value.

Speaking of fights, check out this blog entry on ChinaSmack.

Apparently, the dude in the red shirt tried to muscle this couple's child for a seat on the Shanghai tourist tram, and got his ass and his flip flop handed to him.

You might think, why would an adult start with a little kid for a damn bus seat? Well, I have been to Shanghai and have seen this first hand. This is no joke, people over there LOVE fighting for seats on public transportation. You have to have your A game on at all times when taking any surface transportation (for some odd reason, the subway was not as violent when I took it - maybe the sun light activates some sort of enzyme that make them fight).

When you are waiting for the bus, and all the people in line are old or small children? It doesn't matter - these same grandmas and toddlers will shove and muscle you at the door.

When the empty bus that seats 60 pulls up and there are only 8 people in line? They'll still use every part of their body and that Hello Kitty backpack to box you out like Dwight Howard just to get on the damn bus before you.

For what reason, I have no idea. The people I had encountered were all local, and they must know that the bus is not full during that time of the day. I think it's a form of free entertainment for them - kind of like playing pop-a-shot at your local watering hole.

A couple that fights toghether stays together

Release the Video!

LeBron James and Nike should release video of James being dunked on.

It's a bitch move by LeBron, but hey, at least he didn't rape anyone.