Rejection of Congressional Invitation!

"The remaining witnesses, however, made it clear - either by flatly rejecting the invitation to testify or by ignoring our repeated attempts to contact them - they had no intention of appearing before the committee," congressmen Henry Waxman and Tom Davis stated according to FoxSports.com.

It is worth asking, why are ball players afforded the luxury of just refusing to comply with legal proceedings? In our recent history, moguls, U. S. Presidents, and every working man and women who have seen blue lights flashing in their rear view mirror have complied, albeit unwillingly at times, with the rule of law. (I complied, I know that I wasn't going that fast but I paid the cost and will be going to traffic school in the near future.)

Yes, once again baseball gets to play by its own rules. Senator Jim Bunning, R KY, said that "congress should stay . . . out." Bunning, a Hall of Fame pitcher, gives us a keen insight into the mind set of this sport. Every industry in the United States is subject to the law of the land. Yet Kentucky's junior senator, as well as most of baseball's insiders, sports writers, and sports commentators are of the same mind, baseball is above the law.

The refrain has been heard time and time again, you cannot punish abusers of steroids because steroids "weren't illegal in baseball". I wonder if the authorities would let me set my own little principality modeled along the lines of the Major Leagues? Let's see, no more 6% Kentucky sales tax, I've decided that there is no rule in my home saying I have to pay it. Oh, and don't come to my door trying to sell something, I have decided that, at my discretion, I can seize the personal belongings of anyone who comes into my home. I can do it too! Why? I can do it because there is no rule against it at my house.

Baseball is an industry that is desperately in need of a reality check to be sure, but the real question is why isn't there a cry from baseball for clean play, from the fans, the owners, even the clean players? Every batting title that was won by a steroids user, potentially took that award and the next big contract away from the player that came in second. How many Triple A players were defrauded out of their chance to play at the highest level?

I would encourage a class action suit by all former players that didn't make it to the big leagues against players, owners, the player's union, and the MLB itself for this conspiracy that defrauded each player that would have made it to the big leagues had it not been for the dirty secret that hid in the open for the past ten years.

Perhaps if the prima donnas of American society were hit where it hurts, they will understand how unfair it is that I have to go to traffic school.