Give The Man A Break

So just a few days ago, there was all this buzz in the afternoon about Bud Selig reconsidering Pete Rose's lifetime ban from baseball. Then by time the evening edition of SportsCenter had come on, they were saying the Bud said "no."

Now I don't know the details of the whole situation - where the rumor came from, why it got squashed, or how everything really played out - but this isn't about that. The fact that the topic even came up, was enough to get me thinking that Pete Rose should be reinstated to Major League Baseball.

What crime can be so wrong that you ban a man from a sport for life? Now maybe back when it happened it seemed terrible and that he should never be allowed near the game again, but things have changed. Let's be honest, if current baseball players can get caught cheating - by taking steroids and intentionally trying to alter their performance, and therefore, the outcome of the game - and if it's their first offense, they receive a 50-game suspension. Then if they get caught again, they still aren't thrown out of the sport.

In comparison, if a lifetime ban is the ultimate punishment, and Pete Rose has that for gambling (never against his team) and lying about it, but other players can cheat and lie about it and only miss out on 50 games, what message does that send? I'll tell you what message it sends, it says that taking steroids "isn't that bad." Right? Is that the message you want to send Buddy Boy?

In my opinion, steroids aside, I think Pete Rose deserves a second chance. People go through life getting 3rd and 4th and 10th chances all the time, but this poor guy makes one mistake, wasn't mature enough to own up to it, and now has to suffer for the rest of his life? Even prisoners with life sentences go up for parole! I think that Bud Selig doesn't have the gahones to make a bold move, and is sitting on "precedent." Well I think that's BS, because Bud is the one with the power to change the status quo, and it's his responsibility to make the decision and own it.

Aside from opinion, the bottom line is that if Bud feels the ban is appropriate, then he has to balance out the standards. If Pete Rose's actions deserve a lifetime ban, then any player who tests positive for steroids should be banned for life; the first time. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Lets face it, due to all the negative publicity, and attention there players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Mark McGuire face worse chances of making it to the Hall of Fame because of their actions. But at least they have that chance! If the people who have been delegated votes are truly worthy of the responsibility they have been given, then their decision to let Rose in or keep him out of the Hall is good enough for me.

Pete Rose should be reinstated in full capacity - eligibility for the Hall of Fame, eligibility to be around the game, and eligibility to be a big league manager again. I'm on your side Pete, I'm routing for you. And maybe one day when Theo is the new commish, we'll have you back.

True Heroes

So I waited with great anticipation as the clock hit 11:59 on Tuesday night, June 23rd. It was time for the midnight premiere of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - the sequel to the summer 2007 blockbuster hit, Transformers.

In light of the fact that we just celebrated our 233rd year of independence as a nation, I find it fitting to point out a theme that I saw in the movie. Over the last few decades, countless movies have used the concept of the military, or war, as a tool for setting or character development. Most recently, movies like Transformers, Iron Man, Wolverine, and the upcoming G.I. Joe, all use military personnel with some of their main characters.

It's funny because I've always had a personal aspiration to join the military for a period of time and serve my county, but somehow I consistently find myself occupied with a different ambition, and wonder if I will ever take the time to walk the walk and sign up. Without a doubt, the military aspiration resurfaces when watching action-packed, military-themed movies, because quite frankly Hollywood makes it look awesome. I'm sure this is the same for many movie-goers, who watch a military-based action flick and come out with adrenaline pumping through their veins and ready to sign on the dotted line.

This brings me to my main idea. These actors, the ones who play the generals, lieutenants, sargeants, and even basic infantry, they get to take all the credit. They get to provide inspiration. They get to be a young man's motivating factor to join the military. And most unfair of all, they get to be the heroes.

Why do I say unfair? Well it is no doubt that most of us consider U.S. Military personnel to be heroes because of their selfless ways, but we will never know them. Instead, the closest demonstration of heroes that we get are the well groomed, perfectly rehearsed, studs; who get to play soldiers on the big screen. They get to have fun doing stunts and taking credit for the 18-year-olds who are out there truly putting their lives on the line.

And so the point here is not to take away the quality of acting or amount of time that goes into making these blockbuster films so breath-taking and inspiring. In fact, I applaud director Michael Bay, who has used films like Transformers, Bad Boys, and The Rock, to highlight the efforts of civil servants, and probably inspired countless movie-goers to actually sign up with a recruiter. However, it's important not to forget; not to forget the true heroes who don't get the big paycheck, or the big screen popularity. In the aftermath of celebrating Independence Day, let us take time to note that without our men and women in uniform, we would not be an independent nation with the ability to have so many freedoms; freedoms such as being able to go see a movie like Transformers without having to worry for our safety on the way there. Freedoms such as being able to choose between being a high-paid, famous actor, and being an unknown soldier who risks his life everyday for the country he loves.

Never forget. Please, never forget.