A few U.S. players from the 2009 A&G National Pride insert set:
Reportedly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. His only statement (other than the automatically dismissed "official statement") is that the result is "BS."
Admitted to steroid use after previously denying it.
Reportedly drank beer and ate fried chicken in the clubhouse during games. Also reportedly filed for divorce from his wife who is battling breast cancer.
His near nude photos sent to his girlfriend were publicized when her email account was hacked.
His relapse resulted in the publication of photos in which he is seen licking whipped cream off the body of young woman who is not his wife.
Owned an assault rifle. It was stolen.
Dropped an f-bomb in front of an enormous crowd of people and a large television audience.
Known for his volatile temper tantrums, over-the-top celebrations, and rift with his father.
Arrested for DUI.
Had an 18-month affair with a Hooters waitress.
Fortunately, I wasn't able to find much on these nine players, although there is lots of rumor about the guy in the middle on the top row.
So ...
There are a few ways you can take this.
You can say some of it wasn't their fault.
You can say it's no big deal. It's people who are young and famous just being young and famous.
You can say players did this stuff 50 years ago, it just wasn't publicized.
You can say it's the product of our current obsession with information and celebrity.
You can say it's what happens when people get rich and famous. They're not like us.
You can say it's a high-profile symptom of our increasingly crass culture.
You can say it's a combination of all of the above.
I just know one thing.
None of it says "National Pride" to me.
It also makes me do things like this.
Comments
Players today aren't groomed and managed as closely as they were in the past, as well. While we all need to be careful of the pictures we take and especially send through the interwebs, that wasn't a possibility in the 1970s. Who knows, Tom Seaver may have boxes and boxes of photos of him licking whipped cream off of thousands of women around the country.
Do these players say National Pride? Not off the field. But I don't care what players do in their time away from the ballpark. (Braun and Rodriguez are a different story, but then I wonder how many players in the 1971 set were on cocaine or other drugs.)
We all do immoral or socially unacceptable things at some point in our life; celebrities just have it all discovered and brought out in the open.
USA! USA! USA! USA!
I'm very excited by the announcement of your latest blog, though! I'm looking forward to that (although I bet you could find a number of similar offenders in the 71 group, too. Things just don't change.).
Max Scherzer hates dogs,especially schnauzers!
Derek Jeter locks midgets in his trunk for fun.
Stephen Drew helps dig tunnels under the US/Canadian border to smuggle puteen.
Raul Ibanez hate you mom!
Nick Markakis signs too many freaking baseball cards.
Ryan Howard drops pennies off the Empire State building.
David Wright uses his xray vision to spy on the Ladies Room at Shea.
Jake Peavy...too easy.
Justin Upton is secretly building a rocket ship in his basement for the end of the world and it only seats one!
yeah America