Tiger Woods: Running Without Juice

Let's put this issue to rest once and for all: The reason Tiger can't play any more is that he's no longer taking the juice, a/k/a PEDs, performance enhancing drugs.

Remember back to Wednesday, June 18, 2008 when el tigre announced that he was having season ending knee surgery? If you need to refresh your memory as to the reported details try this online article: Tiger Tamed: Surgery Will End His Season


Poor Tiger!

But, what wasn't reported at the time was the remarkable coincidence that PGA drug testing was going to begin thirteen days later on July 1, 2008. Related articles: PGA Tour drug testing should begin in July 2008 and Drug testing a necessary decision by PGA Tour.

Not to say that Tiger's ailments were mythical, they probably were not. But, it could very well be a testament to the efficacy of PEDs that he was still able to win despite these ailments. In any case, I propose that the reason he decided to drop out of competition at that particular time had more to do with the upcoming commencement of testing than it did with his ailing knee.

And his failure to regain his previous dominating form would seem to support that. So, let's end the debate about whether or not he will ever regain his former greatness or whether or not he will break Jack Nicklaus's record. The answer is simple: without the juice, he will not.

The Thrill Is Gone

I’m still a baseball fan… a Yankee fan; but, I’m not anything like the baseball freak I was once upon a time. It’s no wonder I was something of a math whiz when I was a kid, the way I used to pour over the daily box scores and monitor the stats wars. By the time I was 10, I had memorized the Red Book, the encyclopedia of baseball stats and records, cover to cover. And, although my enthusiasm for the game lessened over the years, I remained a dedicated fan.

But, now, in the wake of the steroid/performance-enhancing-drug scandal, I find my interest in ye olde national pastime has fallen to new depths. The endless revelations regarding McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, Clemens, Bonds, A-Rod, Giambi, Ramirez, not to mention scores of fringe players, have made me an unabashed skeptic, distrusting the performances of all players.

Now, if someone’s knocking the snot out of the ball, I know they’re on the juice. It’s obvious. Contrarily, if they are mired in a slump, like Big Papi has been thus far in the 2009 season, I automatically think that their prior success was the result of steroid use and that, now, they are off the juice. That’s just the way it is.

While I was watching a game the other day, the players suddenly appeared to me stripped of all magic, lure, and charisma. There was nothing special about them at all – they were just a bunch of pitiful old men getting paid big bucks for playing a little kids’ game.

Will baseball ever recover from this mess?

Will I?