Congress Should Stay Out of Sports

Why does Congress keep getting involved in sports?  There is no need for a congressional hearing about whether an athlete is taking steroids or Human Growth Hormone.  Nor should Congress be getting involved in cheating, such as the "Spygate" scandal.

I am not a big fan of Roger Clemens or anyone else that has taken or takes steroids or growth hormones, but Congress gotten too much involved and has pushed the issue way too far.  What these athletes have done was not banned by sports at the time. Yes it was and is still illegal by law—so it should be a legal issue, not a subject for a congressional hearing. 

Right when things starting dying down with steroids in baseball, Congress decided it was going to release the Mitchell Report, thus embarrassing Major League Baseball and other players.  The Mitchell Report, had a big press conference in New York City, and for what? to release Roger Clemens' name into the public and a bunch of small time players. 

I believe the MLB has put into effect a strong steroid policy. As for the records that have been broken, they should remain intact, with no asterisk.  I do not like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, or Roger Clemens—but whatever drugs they used were legal by Major League Baseball at the time. 

As a fan, I'm sorry to say this, but in a way steroids saved baseball.  After the 1994 players' strike, fans started to leave the game.  What brought them back? Two players that are high on the steroid list, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.  By the time of the home-run race in 1998, fans started flocking back to the game that they left.  This may sound like I am for steroids, but I am not, but a person can't over look the facts that steroids did have a positive effect in baseball.

On to the cheating scandals.  First I would like to say I don't think the New England Patriots cheated at all.  Stealing signs is part of every sport, just because they used a video camera doesn't make it cheating.  Would you consider a baserunner on second base stealing the catcher's signals cheating? No, because it's part of the game.  Is Congress going to start having hearings for everyone that touches second base? I hope not.

Now the NFL has ruled that the New England Patriots were cheating, all the Pats should have to do is face NFL rulings.  There is no need for Congress to get involved in an issue like this.  The NFL handed out the punishment that they felt was necessary and that should be the end.  Congress, on a power trip, decided that they want to involve themselves in sports once again.  Do they have nothing better to do?  What ever happened to Congress dealing with political issues?  In no way is anything that happens in sports a political issue.

As I said before, I am against the usage of steroids in sports, but I also must admit that steroids has saved Major League Baseball.  I also don't feel that there is widespread cheating in sports. A lot of people will oppose me with this issue, but a lot of things considered cheating are just part of the game. Congress getting involved in any issue in sports is pointless, and all they do is just embarrass the sport. 

My message to Congress is deal with the war, poverty, taxes, and other more important issues that they need to address.  Leave sports alone!