Un-Fucking-Real...... (Split from NYC's Weaker Sisters)

[metirish]

Un-Fucking-Real......

Giambi admits taking steroids,thinks MLB should apologize

[Guest Edgy DC]

Too big to bury. I'm splitting.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Guest

[metirish]

I should point out that Giambi never said the word steroids..calling it"that stuff"

[Benjamin Grimm]

For posterity:

="Newsday"] Report: Giambi regrets doing "that stuff" May 18, 2007, 8:08 AM EDT The Yankees' Jason Giambi discussed taking steroids and thinks that Major League Baseball should apologize for drug use by its players according to a report in Friday's USA Today. In the report, Giambi says he "was wrong to do that stuff" and that the players should have taken a stand years ago. "We made a mistake," Giambi says in the article. In February 2005, while making his first public comments since it was revealed that he told a federal grand jury he had used performance-enhancing steroids for at least three seasons, the Yankees first baseman/designated hitter opened his news conference by apologizing to fans, teammates and the organization. "I feel I let down the fans. I feel I let down the media. I feel I let down the Yankees, not only the Yankees, but my teammates ... Most of all, to the fans, I'm sorry." When pressed to explain what he was sorry for at the time, Giambi -- citing "ongoing legal matters" -- repeatedly said he had been advised not to go into further detail. At no time did he use the word "steroids." Giambi, who signed a seven-year, $120-million deal in December 2001, watched as the Yankees tried to void his contract after a report in the San Francisco Chronicle contained revelations about his testimony. According to today's USA Today, Giambi, who has five homers and is batting .273 this season, said, "that stuff didn't help me hit home runs." Giambi used the same argument to defend his friend, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, who is marching towards MLB's all-time home run mark. "If it were that easy, how come you don't see anyone else doing what he has done?" Giambi said. Giambi refused to comment on why he took steroids. "Maybe one day I'll talk about it, but not now." Copyright 2007 Newsday Inc.

[Guest Rotblatt]

]According to today's USA Today, Giambi, who has five homers and is batting .273 this season, said, "that stuff didn't help me hit home runs."

Really? Fascinating! Are we then to assume that he was using them because his balls were too big?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Rotblatt wrote: ]According to today's USA Today, Giambi, who has five homers and is batting .273 this season, said, "that stuff didn't help me hit home runs." Really? Fascinating! Are we then to assume that he was using them because his balls were too big?

Were.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

So, does he give his stolen MVP back? Or does he shave tens of millions off his contract, since it was obtained based on roided numbers?

THAT would be a sign of being sorry. Saying Oops and blaming MLB six years later is crap.

[stevejrogers]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: So, does he give his stolen MVP back? Or does he shave tens of millions off his contract, since it was obtained based on roided numbers? THAT would be a sign of being sorry. Saying Oops and blaming MLB six years later is crap.

I get what you are saying, but do you want to give back the 2000 NL Championship banner back? Do you want Todd Hundley (and Pizza Boy) to give back their Catching HR SS record back to the late Roy Campanella?

[Guest iramets]

Yes, I do. Anything that wll humble these arrogant fux is fne with me. Next question?

[stevejrogers]

iramets wrote: Yes, I do. Anything that wll humble these arrogant fux is fne with me. Next question?

I know you do, I was asking MetGuyInMichigan just to see if he is being honest or looking at things from a Yankee Hater or Met Fan perspective.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="metsguyinmichigan"]So, does he give his stolen MVP back? Or does he shave tens of millions off his contract, since it was obtained based on roided numbers? THAT would be a sign of being sorry. Saying Oops and blaming MLB six years later is crap. I get what you are saying, but do you want to give back the 2000 NL Championship banner back? Do you want Todd Hundley (and Pizza Boy) to give back their Catching HR SS record back to the late Roy Campanella?

Hold on there.

Giambi has confessed. Hundley hasn't been accused anywhere other than this list, and there's a HUGE difference.

If Hundley came out and said, "Yes, I used them and MLB owes everyone an apology and they didn't help me hit home runs anyway," then yes, he should give it back. And be slapped silly.

Plus, there is a world of difference between an MVP and a single-season home run record for a catcher.

[Benjamin Grimm]

And Hundley had nothing to do with the 2000 Mets NL Championship.

[stevejrogers]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: And Hundley had nothing to do with the 2000 Mets NL Championship.

I was fingering Piazza, Ventura, Hampton, Alfonzo, or anyonelse who may have suspicions and whispers considering their usage of performance enhancing substances.

[Guest iramets]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: And Hundley had nothing to do with the 2000 Mets NL Championship.

I'm pretty sure Piazza was on that team, though.

[Guest iramets]

SteveJRogers wrote: I was fingering Piazza,

That has an unwholesome ring to it.

[stevejrogers]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: ="SteveJRogers"] metsguyinmichigan wrote: So, does he give his stolen MVP back? Or does he shave tens of millions off his contract, since it was obtained based on roided numbers? THAT would be a sign of being sorry. Saying Oops and blaming MLB six years later is crap. I get what you are saying, but do you want to give back the 2000 NL Championship banner back? Do you want Todd Hundley (and Pizza Boy) to give back their Catching HR SS record back to the late Roy Campanella? Hold on there. Giambi has confessed. Hundley hasn't been accused anywhere other than this list, and there's a HUGE difference. If Hundley came out and said, "Yes, I used them and MLB owes everyone an apology and they didn't help me hit home runs anyway," then yes, he should give it back. And be slapped silly. Plus, there is a world of difference between an MVP and a single-season home run record for a catcher.

I'm also saying this because you know Yankee fans are saying just the opposite, essentially good for Jason, ect. So if you were a Met fan, and Mike Piazza when he retires says "Yeah I took stuff, I'm sorry about it and I stopped because I wanted to have a family" are you going to say "Well, he stepped up and admitted it, I have more respect for the guy than an creep like "I'm not here to talk about the past" McGwire or Bonds, ect" or are you going to rip your Piazza31 jerseys to shreads and ask for the Mets to give the Giants the 2000 NL Championship (a case can be made that Bonds didn't start juicing untill after he made that last out in the 2000 NLDS, and McGwire is on the 2000 Cardinals, not the PS roster but he was there)

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

That's a lot of ifs there.

You don't tear up a team accomplishment because one player was cheating, so If Mikey says he was juiced, that doesn't take away the achievement of Leiter, Ventura, Franco, Benny and all.

I'm not saying give back the A's division title that Giambi got the MVP for, I'm saying his individual award is tainted and his apology seven years later is hollow, especially when he is nearing the end of a $100 million + contract he signed because of that season and says MLB -- and not him personally -- should apologize.

[Guest Edgy DC]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="Yancy Street Gang"]And Hundley had nothing to do with the 2000 Mets NL Championship. I was fingering Piazza, Ventura, Hampton, Alfonzo, or anyonelse who may have suspicions and whispers considering their usage of performance enhancing substances.

I'm not quite sure what you mean. But how can you not make a distinction between who has a confession hanging over him and a bunch of guys who have an idle accusation from yourself hanging over them?

[stevejrogers]

Edgy DC wrote: ="SteveJRogers"] ="Yancy Street Gang"]And Hundley had nothing to do with the 2000 Mets NL Championship. I was fingering Piazza, Ventura, Hampton, Alfonzo, or anyonelse who may have suspicions and whispers considering their usage of performance enhancing substances. I'm not quite sure what you mean. But how can you not make a distinction between who has a confession hanging over him and a bunch of guys who have an idle accusation from yourself hanging over them?

Okay fine, then why are Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa lumped in with Giambi and Bonds in terms of recepients of visceral hate due to the steroid era.

If you want to play the "Yeah McGwire used" and the "Yeah Sosa used" cards, then why not use the Piazza used, Jeff Bagwell used, Edgardo Alfonzo used, Mike Hampton used, Len Dysktra used, Roger Clemens used, (fill in the blank) used cards.

I'm saying you better not hate on a person just because they confessed and keep a blind eye on those who are only the receipents of idle (and not so idle in McGwire's Clemens' and Sosa's case) speculation.

You shouldn't take every case differently just because you like the guy, hate the guy, like the team he played for, hate the team he played for.

Conversly the Yankee fans who are saying they respect Giambi as a person after this better feel the same way if an Manny Ramirez or Mike Piazza did the same thing.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I take every case differently because every case is different.

The problem is not my love for the Mets, but yours for the Yankees. Ninth inning here.

[stevejrogers]

Edgy DC wrote: I take every case differently because every case is different.

Easy to say when the only Mets busted have been scrubs and minor leaguers, and no Mets have been clear cases (aside from Len Dysktra who did not go the gradual, less noticable route of say a Howard Johnson) of "Oh yeah he juiced, I mean look at his baseball cards, look at his stats, look at..."

Look I'm just saying don't hate on Giambi if you are not willing to hate on Piazza, or Hojo or whomever.

[Guest Edgy DC]

First of all, I didn't "hate on" anybody.

Second of all, you have no idea what I'm willing to do.

Third of all, you were saying quite a bit more.

[stevejrogers]

Edgy DC wrote: First of all, I didn't "hate on" anybody. Second of all, you have no idea what I'm willing to do. Third of all, you were saying quite a bit more.

I'm talking in general terms, not Edgy In DC's terms.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Stop circle jerking. You were quite specifically addressing actual posters. In Metsguy's case, explicitly calling him out by name. And you were "fingering" specific players.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And for Pete Flynn's sake, Guillermo Mota isn't a scrub nor a minor leaguer.

[stevejrogers]

Now we know why Giambi didn't utter the "s" word!

] Let's break a deal Yanks may look to jettison Jason BY BILL MADDEN AND TERI THOMPSON DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS Sunday, May 20th 2007, 4:00 AM Jason Giambi's admission to USA Today that he once used steroids could lead to the Yankees taking another shot at voiding his contract. According to baseball sources familiar with the situation who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, the Yankees will revisit the possibility of terminating Giambi's deal if it is determined that he used illegal drugs after they signed him to a seven-year, $120 million contract in 2001. The commissioner's office is investigating Giambi's comments to the newspaper and will summon him to a meeting to discuss them. What he says in that meeting - or doesn't say - may go a long way toward determining how the Yankees proceed. Giambi was quoted in USA Today on Friday as saying that he "was wrong for doing that stuff," in reference to having used steroids, and said that "what we should have done a long time ago was stand up - players, owners, everybody - and said: 'We made a mistake.' We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it." Giambi declined to talk further about his comments as the Mets played the Yankees in the Subway Series this weekend but commissioner Bud Selig and the Yankees are most certainly interested in hearing what Giambi has to say, if anything. He may decline to talk at all on the advice of counsel. If the Yankees do proceed, it will be the second time they have considered such a move. The club looked into ending its relationship with the player in late 2004 after the San Francisco Chronicle reported that it had viewed transcripts in which Giambi told the grand jury investigating the BALCO steroid scandal in December 2003 that he had used steroids and human growth hormone before signing with the Yankees and while playing for them in 2002 and 2003. Had the Yankees tried to void his deal then, they would have faced considerable legal hurdles from the Players Association, as they would now. According to sources familiar with his contract, the deal contains language saying it can be voided if he uses illegal substances while with the club. But to win that battle, the Yankees would have to get past provisions in the collective bargaining agreement that the Players Association maintains supersedes those in a player's contract. Giambi had suffered a series of mysterious ailments during the 2004 season, including, as the Daily News first reported, a benign tumor on his pituitary gland. He missed 82 games, going from an MVP-caliber player to a .200-hitting part-timer. His grand jury testimony was then revealed in December, and the Yankees began considering ways to get out from under his deal. The first baseman/DH's salary is $21 million for this season and 2008, and the Yanks hold an $22 million option for 2009 with a $5 million buyout clause. Giambi showed up at spring training in 2005 slimmed down and less powerful, but as he began to come around, the Yankees abandoned their attempts to get rid of him. After getting off to a horrendous start, he eventually was named AL Comeback Player of the Year, hitting .271 with 32 home runs. Until his comments in USA Today, Giambi had never publicly admitted using steroids, although he made an unspecific apology at a press conference at Yankee Stadium after the Chronicle's report appeared. It was believed that the reason Giambi made no admission was that he wanted to avoid liability with his team and Major League Baseball.

[smg58]

It would only expose the phoniness of the league if Giambi's contract was voided now, which would validate the point that Giambi was trying to make while exposing his own phoniness. Or something like that.

As far as I'm concerned, everybody is to blame for this steroids mess. Even the clean players looked the other way, as did the league, the media, and the fans. I'm more concerned with what's being used in the league right now (that not nearly enough is being done about), than in focusing on what can't be undone. I certainly see no point in singling anybody out. I don't want to see Bonds break Aaron's record any more than anybody else does, but the likely fact that he was the best hitter to take steroids doesn't make him worse than the others. The list of players who juiced is likely to be very long, and is almost certain to include guys we rooted for and perhaps still like. But since nobody is innocent, nobody should be asked to give anything back.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

what smg said. 100% agree.

[Willets Point]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: what smg said. 100% agree.

Ditto. Enough of witch hunts and speculation on who did what when. I would like to see what's being done now stopped and prevent performace enhancement drug use in the future.

[metirish]

] Exclusive Giambi is unsafe at any speed By T.J. QUINN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Wednesday, May 23rd 2007, 2:15 AM Jason Giambi failed an amphetamines test. Jason Giambi failed an amphetamines test. Jason Giambi failed a Major League Baseball-administered amphetamines test within the last year, which has subjected him to additional drug testing, sources told the Daily News. Giambi tacitly admitted last week that he has used steroids, but he failed to mention that he has been caught using other drugs. Because Major League Baseball's amphetamines policy keeps a first positive test secret, however, it is unlikely Giambi will be asked about it when he meets with representatives from commissioner Bud Selig's office, possibly as soon as tomorrow on the Yankees' day off. Giambi declined comment before last night's loss to the Red Sox, saying, "I can't really talk about anything." Giambi's agent, Arn Tellem, said in an e-mail: "For the record, I'm not commenting." But Giambi himself hinted at the failed test - which was later confirmed by the Daily News - in his eye-opening interview with USA Today last week, when he said that he is "probably tested more than anyone else." Under MLB policy, there are two reasons a player would be required to submit to additional testing: The first is a failed steroid test, but failed steroid tests are made public. The second is a failed amphetamines test, which would not be made public. An amphetamine is technically a specific kind of stimulant, but the term is used in anti-doping circles as a catch-all for any banned stimulants, including drugs that are illegal without a prescription, as well as some over-the-counter medications that are considered performance-enhancers. The failed test is the latest in a series of embarrassing revelations for Giambi, who has had trouble keeping himself out of the news since he became a Yankee in 2001. In 2003 he was one of nine major league players to testify before a federal grand jury because of his connection to the BALCO steroid controversy. In 2004 the Daily News reported that a mysterious ailment that had plagued Giambi was actually a tumor in his pituitary gland, and that he had not disclosed the information because his treatment included the use of corticosteroids, and he was worried about public backlash. (Corticosteroids, which break down tissue and reduce inflammation, are effectively the opposite of muscle-building anabolic steroids, but Giambi was worried that fans would not understand the difference.) Later that year the San Francisco Chronicle reported portions of Giambi's testimony, prompting the Yankees to take a hard look at the struggling slugger's contract. At the time he was owed $82 million and had played only 80 games in the 2004 season. The Yankees considered voiding his contract under the belief that his steroid use had contributed to his inability to play. While attorneys believed the Yankees would have a tough time winning their case, several members of the front office, as well as some MLB officials, were willing to take their best shot. Instead, the Yankees kept Giambi, and in February 2005 he apologized in a press conference, although he didn't say why he was apologizing. Teammates, led by captain Derek Jeter, made it clear during the 2005 season that he was still a welcome member of the team, in large part because of his apology. Now, following Giambi's comments to USA Today, the team is again considering an effort to void his contract, although the Yankees are well aware of the significant legal hurdles they would have to overcome. Because Giambi failed the test - one report estimated that more than 80 players might have last year - he is subject to six additional tests for one year from the time the positive is confirmed. The larger question is whether Yankee officials - who claimed not to have heard about the failed test - will try to use that information against Giambi as they consider terminating his contract. Under baseball's amphetamines policy, which went into effect last season, a player who fails a test the first time is not punished, and the information is kept confidential, but he can be tested six additional times within the next year. After a second offense, the player is suspended for 25 games. Giambi has never publicly failed a steroid test (results from anonymous "survey" testing in 2003 were never released), but when he testified before the federal BALCO grand jury in 2003, he admitted to extensive steroid use. That testimony was published a year later by the San Francisco Chronicle. Last week he made his apology more explicit, telling USA Today: "I was wrong for doing that stuff. What we should have done a long time ago was stand up - players, ownership, everybody - and said: 'We made a mistake.' We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. ... Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it." It is entirely possible the Yankees were unaware of the recent test, as they claimed. Under baseball's policy, when a player tests positive for banned stimulants, only the four members of MLB's Health Policy Advisory Committee (HPAC) and the player himself are informed. The player may then tell whomever he likes. Under the rule, even commissioner Bud Selig and MLB Players Association executive director Don Fehr are not informed. While players have said anecdotally that they believe amphetamine use is down, some have said players knew they had a "mulligan," knowing they could fail one test and receive no punishment. The Daily News reported in January that Barry Bonds had failed an amphetamines test last season, and the San Diego Union-Tribune reported this month that figures from the World Anti-Doping Agency suggested that 80 or more players may have failed tests. In previous years, WADA figures showed, the Montreal anti-doping lab that analyzes urine samples for MLB and other organizations reported an average of 20 positive tests for stimulants a year. Last year, with MLB testing for stimulants for the first time, the number swelled to 104. With Mark Feinsand