Which incident was/is worse for players and the game??

[Ebenezer]

This is interesting and was brought up on the local talk yesterday...which events really hurt their sport...


Ray Lewis associated with a murder?
OJ accused of murder?
Sosa corking a bat?
Bonds, McGwire and Sosa possibly doing steroids?
Rose betting on baseball?

Personally, 1-4 are a lot worse than #5.

:feedback:

[juice]

The difference with OJ and Rose is their situations had nothing to do with their in field accomplishments and Simpson's didn't have anything to do with his sport.

[Billsouth]

I think anytime a high profile player commits a crime like murder that it is bad for the game regardless of whether it occurred on the field.

[don137]

IF Rose bet against the Reds then I would say that would of been the worst incident but from what I hear he never did that. As a result, the steroids I feel is the worst because it affected more than one game and could of affected many seasons which tarnishes there accomplishments and the game...Maybe I am naive but I believe Sosa's bad was a one time thing or no worse than only used a couple times. Lewis and Simpson happened off the field so that would tarnish the game the least IMO....

[SABURZFAN]

i think steve howe's numerous drug suspensions are worse than pete rose betting baseball.i agree with don137 if rose had bet against his team.

[imbondz]

tonya harding. i'll never watch figure skating again

[juice]

Originally posted by Billsouth
I think anytime a high profile player commits a crime like murder that it is bad for the game regardless of whether it occurred on the field.

If it happens on the field its a tragedy, but if it's just accusations 20 years after his career is over how can "FANS" not to mention society turn their back on anyone who has never done anything to stain the integrity of the game. Is there not the posibility of him not being INNOCENT? WHY NOT?

[Mr. Miyagi]

Nobody mentioned Mark Chumura and his babysitter, or Kobe.

[Earthquake Enyart]

Sosa with the cork by far. That was premeditated cheating in the game. The others were off the field antics.

[LarryBoy]

All were bad for their sport, but Rose hurt the crediability of the sport, the others were indivuidual, where Rose made his whole team look bad.

[Ebenezer]

Originally posted by Earthquake Enyart
Sosa with the cork by far. That was premeditated cheating in the game. The others were off the field antics.

What about the use of steroids...is that premediated cheating??

[Earthquake Enyart]

Originally posted by Ebenezer
What about the use of steroids...is that premediated cheating??

Steroids aren't illegal (or they haven't been until now). Bat corking, by one of the games biggest stars, surely is.

[BillsOwnAll]

i dont think the pete rose issue is as bad as people make it. i mean all he did was bet on baseball. he was still one of the greatest who ever lived. all betting on his own team did was make him better. he wanted it more. and you know how many pople bet on sports that play. ALOT.

[Ebenezer]

Originally posted by Earthquake Enyart
Steroids aren't illegal (or they haven't been until now). Bat corking, by one of the games biggest stars, surely is.

They are not illegal but they are a way of cheating, imo...and fans have done nothing to call these guys on the carpet...for steroids or for the corked bat.

[Earthquake Enyart]

Originally posted by Ebenezer
They are not illegal but they are a way of cheating, imo...and fans have done nothing to call these guys on the carpet...for steroids or for the corked bat.

It's not cheating if there are no rules against it. Anyone can take steroids.

Corking a bat is cheating. There are rules against it.

[LarryBoy]

Originally posted by BillsOwnAll
i dont think the pete rose issue is as bad as people make it. i mean all he did was bet on baseball. he was still one of the greatest who ever lived. all betting on his own team did was make him better. he wanted it more. and you know how many pople bet on sports that play. ALOT.



But the question is, did he always bet on his team winning? What if one day the best pitcher in the league was going against him? And even if he didn't the possiblity is always there...kinda opens the door for Black Sox Scandel part 2.

Sosa hurt baseball, but he hurt himself alot more.

[Ebenezer]

Originally posted by LarryBoy
But the question is, did he always bet on his team winning? What if one day the best pitcher in the league was going against him? And even if he didn't the possiblity is always there...kinda opens the door for Black Sox Scandel part 2.

Sosa hurt baseball, but he hurt himself alot more.

even Dowd could not find out if he bet against his own team...the question is, when he bet on his own team did he make managerial decisions that he normally would not have made in order to cover his ass...

...the other question is, should his managerial antics tarnish his records as a player?? he would never have gone into the HOF as a manager anyway.

[LarryBoy]

Originally posted by Ebenezer


...the other question is, should his managerial antics tarnish his records as a player?? he would never have gone into the HOF as a manager anyway.


No, I think he belongs in the hall, the question was who hurt thier sport more. I dont care if they ever let him near a field again(they will) but he SHOULD be in the HOF.

[THATHURMANATOR]

If you are talking about compromising the integrity of the sport they go in this order.

1) Rose betting on baseball
2) Sosa corking bat
3) alleged steroid use
4)Tie oj and ray lewis

Rose although he claims that he never bet against his own team(I believe that dirtbag as far as I can throw him) That is just as bad. This means that in games he didn't bet on the Reds he was betting against them(meaning they had no chance to win) Also with a compulsive gambler such as himself. I am sure in a game that he already lost he would save pitchers for the next day and wear out guys that already in the game which would hurt the team in the long run.

[juice]

Originally posted by THATHURMANATOR
If you are talking about compromising the integrity of the sport they go in this order.

1) Rose betting on baseball
2) Sosa corking bat
3) alleged steroid use
4)Tie oj and ray lewis

Rose although he claims that he never bet against his own team(I believe that dirtbag as far as I can throw him) That is just as bad. This means that in games he didn't bet on the Reds he was betting against them(meaning they had no chance to win) Also with a compulsive gambler such as himself. I am sure in a game that he already lost he would save pitchers for the next day and wear out guys that already in the game which would hurt the team in the long run.

I think Lewis was worse than OJ because Simpson was soo separate from his playing career, but it seems as though the Baltimore fans dont have as much problem excepting the results and moving on or differing between on and off field issues.

[HenryRules]

I don't think it makes a big difference whether or not Rose bet for/against his own team while he was manager.

As a baseball manager, you can do many things that may help your team for one game but hurt you in the long run (bump a starter up in the rotation, go through your bullpen like mad, playing someone when they're not quite 100%, etc.).

Unlike all other the other actions, Rose's is the only one that I see being worse for the team in the long run, and thus I think it hurts the sport more.

[G. Host]

That WR in Carolina whose posse beat up and tried to kill his girlfriend is one of the worst acts to damage a sport.

Personally I do not think post-sport failings hurt sports very much even when they were high profile players.

Of the choices you gave I would say Ray Lewis.

[caveboy]

Here's one that hurts sports the most: MLB strikes.

Anyway, I think it breaks down into two areas: damage to the sport and damage to the image we have of athletes (based on how popular they are.) Ray Carruth's crime of setting up his girlfriend was pretty ****ty, but OJ's arrest was far more damaging to the image we had of him. No one heard of Carruth until it happened, but everyone was shocked and dissappointed when we heard about OJ.

As far as the original thread question, I say Rose's actions. The Black Sox were accused of throwing a game, whereas Rose never was – he bet without any apparent attempt to throw a series. But it's still more of a damage to the sport BECAUSE of the original Black Sox scandal. Those anti-betting rules were put in place for that reason and the rule is displayed in every clubhouse in the league - what other sport does?

Roses' actions suck further because he said "I thought I wouldn't get caught." He was well aware of the rules, even if he thinks 'the punishment doesn't fit the crime' in his opinion. So what, rules are rules.

I believe the rules say one year suspension for betting on baseball and your team and lifetime ban for betting against your own team.

He should only be allowed back into the hall for his baseball accomplishments in 14 years – that's as long as he lied to the public about his betting after the fact.

[Demon]

Originally posted by Earthquake Enyart
Sosa with the cork by far. That was premeditated cheating in the game. The others were off the field antics.

The question was which hurt it's sport the most. I don't see how Sosa's corked bat hurt baseball? It had the best postseason in ages and noone talks about it anymore. And it was such a big story that it's been proven that corking a bat doesn't help.

The biggest by far will be Kobe if he is send to jail, and if he gets away with it then it will be huge but not the biggest. Ray Lewis would be the second. I don't think OJ really hurt football because he was well retired when he did his act.

[DraftBoy]

How about Patrick Dennehy and the Dave Bliss cover up. Id put this way above anything else.

[Dozerdog]

Originally posted by Ebenezer
This is interesting and was brought up on the local talk yesterday...which events really hurt their sport...


Ray Lewis associated with a murder?
OJ accused of murder?
Sosa corking a bat?
Bonds, McGwire and Sosa possibly doing steroids?
Rose betting on baseball?

Personally, 1-4 are a lot worse than #5.

:feedback:
I think the 4 dead people would agree with you Eb