Do Fans Bear Responsibility For Steroid Era? No.

by grahamfiller10 on Jun 17, 2009 11:39 PM CDT Comment 10 comments

While watching the College World Series today, the announcers began discussing steroid use in the Major Leagues and the announcer said something I have heard over and over but only today did the complete foolishness of it strike me. He said (in reference to the steroid use):

"Of course all the fans are complicit in this thing too. We were cheering and buying tickets. So there is blame to go around"

Now, I learned some logic at law school, and maybe not enough, but frankly I don't see how one single fan could be blamed for being complicit in the steroid era. So if someone could explain to me the logic behind this oft repeated statement, I would appreciate it.

I have spent a couple minutes trying to determine my liability for the Steroid Era. I was born in 1983 and always rooted for the Cubs and Tigers (I'm from Michigan, I had to have an NL team). I went to games at old Tiger Stadium where the obese Cecil Fielder used to hit 470 foot home runs. I bought the occasional baseball hat and read the Chicago Tribune because my dad said it was the only real paper in America. I went to my first Cubs game when I was 16ish and Sammy was chasing Mark McGwire and when he hit #50 something, the ballpark exploded like nothing I had ever seen. My friend was slow to get out of those antiquated bathrooms and came up the steps when Sammy was rounding third - he asked me "Did I miss something?" I didn't know anything about steroids until Barry Bonds starting hitting home runs and his head visibly expanded.

So, BCB being the pre-eminent place on SBN to discuss steroids right now, I ask: What is my liabilty for the Steroid Era? Damn right I was in the stands cheering, but what's the connection? Here are the reasons I have heard for fans being complicit:

Chicks dig the long ball..Guys do too. We all love it so much we forced players to juice. Sorry!
We turned a "blind eye" to steroid use which was so obvious.
We didn't demand proper drug testing.

Graham Filler

The Rivalry Esq

http://www.rivalryesq.com/

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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It's an assinine statement by guys who are trying way too hard...

…to spread the blame.

About the only thing fans might be guilty of is being gullible but, seriously, in the late 90’s how much information did we really have on steroids? I mean, it’s not exactly like the media was blowing trumpets about what was going on.

by bluekoolaide on Jun 17, 2009 11:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Where can I go to see

All of this bare responsibility? Is there a cover? 2 drink minimum?

Sorry to be a grammar cop, but damn, that one’s glaring.

On to the point, the media rationale goes like this: “After the 1994 strike, the fans needed something to bring them back to the game. Lo and behold, in 1998, these two muscular men started slugging home runs at a record pace, and the general public started paying attention to baseball again. Obviously, these two muscular men were on PEDs. Therefore, the simple fan was cheering for PEDs, meaning the simple fan must bear some responsibility for PEDs.”

There are several fallacies within that argument. The most glaring is the modus tollens: That fans were cheering for PEDs implies that the fans caused PEDs. A freshman logic student should be able to see through that.

The next fallacy is one of ex post facto: Obviously, these guys were on PEDs. That may be obvious now, and although there were rumors of such things at the time, there was no proof of anything. What seems like obvious complicity now did not exist at the time.

And then there’s the first fallacy – an argumentum ad consequentiam: Fans had to be brought back into the game, therefore PEDs. PEDs were being used, but that fact does not logically predict that fans would be brought back to game.

The argument is laughable, and my guess is that it is being floated by commentators who have friends or “access”, and they do not want such things to go away. You paid for a ticket to see a game during the PED era – lots of others, myself included, did the same. Were we implicitly condoning PED usage? No more so than someone who bought a ticket to the 1932 World Series was implicitly condoning P.K. Wrigley’s racism.

"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on Jun 18, 2009 2:46 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

noted

thanks

by grahamfiller10 on Jun 18, 2009 6:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for fixing it :)

"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on Jun 18, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Reality check

That is absurd. While the fans do enjoy the homeruns, the players who used did not do it for the fans, they did for their own benefit. I would have thought that was obvious, but apparently I would be wrong assuming that.

by lookingdeadred on Jun 18, 2009 7:58 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Indirectly but certainly not overtly

From the “going yard”, “touch ’em all” to “chicks love the long ball”, baseball fandom was cultivated in not only enjoying but clamoring for the home run. It’s not anyone’s [the fans] fault. And there in lies the problem; some people (and this is an old story) trying to point their fingers at someone else in order to place blame.

Players saw it and made modifications. Owners saw it and turned a blind-eye since turn-styles were a movin’. The MLB front office exploited the “growing” attendance figures.

Examine the microcosm that unfolded right in front of all of us at 1060 W. Addison. TribCo built the monster Sammy Sosa. Millions of fans crammed the fabled old ballyard to see Sammy hit ‘em out; myself included dozens and dozens of times. The fans showing up to see Sammy hit ’em out (even with the Cubs losing many of those games) fed that monster TribCo built. We’re not guilty of promoting PED’s. Come on, think back to 1998; all of you who were at the games or watching feverishly on TV like me. That night in Houston when Sammy took the lead over Big Mac 66-65. Were a lot of us thinking – especially aloud – Sammy has to be “on something”? Or did we just enjoy the ride, including game #163 when the Cubs played themselves into the wildcard.

Look at this another way. Let’s just say a corked bat makes a baseball travel farther (it doesn’t but lets just say it does). Players find this out and a whole scientific industry forms in making these “special” baseball bats that turn 330’ flyballs into 375’ flyballs. But once it comes to light, would the fans be “blamed” for going to the games? No! The players cheated. The fans didn’t know at the time. So should the fans be held accountable in any way after the fact?

Sweet Lou for Mayor in '11.

by blackhawk24 on Jun 18, 2009 8:01 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The only possible way fans are responsible is this

Let us all imagine what Chicago and St. Louis fans would have done to a Rick Telander or Bernie Miklasz back in 1998 has they seriously started pursuing steroids/andro .

There would have been a major outcry and pressure on those writers to shut up. I truly believe the media was cowed by the fans. It would have been like going after Bush on 9/13.

We forget about it now, but 1998 had more going for it than McGwire and Sosa. That was Kerry Wood’s 20k game. The Yankees, in the biggest market, were one of the best teams ever to play. David Wells pitched a perfect game. The Cubs were in contention and so was Bonds’ Giants.

I think fans would have found their way back even if McGwire and Sosa stop at 59.

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jun 18, 2009 8:04 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Let's not forget Griffey was also participating in the chase

For about half the season. It wasn’t until after he was no longer in contention that any mutterings of andro/whatever were heard. I think his presence in the chase leant it an air of legitimacy that it would not have enjoyed had it been McGwire and Sosa alone from mid-May.

"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on Jun 18, 2009 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ummmm

I’M a Bears fan!

Join the BCB Flickr Group: http://flickr.com/groups/bleedcubbieblue

by tony412 on Jun 18, 2009 8:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

How could a fan NOT know that players back then

were on something. Prior to 1995, there were only 18 times in major league history when a player hit 50 or more home runs in a season. From 1995 to 2005, there were 19. So yes, I think the fans should take some responsibility.

"In an ocean or in a glass, cool water is such a gas."

by markleonette on Jun 19, 2009 10:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs