March 25, 2006
SHRINKAGE:
Major League Baseball and Partnership for a Drug-Free America launch second phase of anti-steroid initiative (MLB.com, 03/20/2006)
Major League Baseball and the Partnership for A Drug-Free America today unveiled the second phase of an anti-steroid initiative designed to educate America's youth and influential adults in their lives about the dangers of steroids and performance-enhancing substances. The next stage of the public outreach campaign includes a new component, a poster campaign utilizing high school coaches, which is designed to expand the initiative's impact on the issue of youth steroid use.Posted by Orrin Judd at March 25, 2006 8:43 AMThe initiative message will be communicated across the country through a multi-media campaign with TV, radio and print ads. The first ad, "Shrinking," will debut during the broadcast of the final game of the World Baseball Classic tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET (6:00 p.m. PT) on ESPN.
"Shrinking" targets young male audiences and takes a more provocative approach to communicating the dangers of steroids. As a voice-over describes how the drug can affect the body, a set of sports equipment, including a baseball, basketball, soccer ball, and football, quickly and noticeably decrease in size. A second ad, "Fade," will debut during the 2006 season and will target both youth and their parents. [...]
The "Shrinking" spot will be available on the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's Web site, drugfree.org and on MLBPressbox.com. The Partnership also will distribute the "Shrinking" and "Fade" ad messages through their State/City Alliance Program. This program supports the Partnership's mission at the local level.
Everyone who uses steriods, from superstars to high school students, knows they are dangerous. They're sort of like cigarettes. But they use them anyway because they provide such an immediate benefit.
Posted by: Brandon at March 25, 2006 10:50 AMSelig's cowardice in the face of a strong union will cost many young lives. Bonds should be banned TODAY, slugging/walk records since 1990 should all be rescinded, McGwire/Sosa/Canseco et al. should be permanently banned from baseball. If the union wants to strike, replace them with the foreign players who kicked our rear in the world baseball classic.
Selig seems to have a sociopathic disdain for the impact of baseball steroids on up-and-coming ballplayers in middle- and high-schools across the nation. In my mind, Selig is as much a criminal as Bonds. I hope they share a cell someday.
Posted by: Palmcroft at March 25, 2006 11:36 AMWhat good are warnings about future health problems when the present promises a gleaming panoply of girls, cars, fame and fortune.
Posted by: erp at March 25, 2006 1:02 PMAsk Ben Johnson how he's enjoyed the last 15 years. Shame and ridicule are an effective tool.
Posted by: Palmcroft at March 25, 2006 1:08 PMGreat! Now shrink the season and the number of teams.
Posted by: Rick T. at March 25, 2006 2:23 PMWhile they are at it, they should heighten the mound back to pre-1969 levels.
Posted by: pchuck at March 25, 2006 2:54 PMThe mound level was lowered in 1969 after it was raised in 1961, in an effort to support the dilution in pitching with the expansion of the AL and NL (the latter in '62). They raised it back up because, while pitching duels are nice, a glut of them turned off fans who were tired of a continuous series of 1-0 and 2-1 games (also see, National Hockey League, 1998-2004 for a similar situation).
Bonds has a impending quadry, since in the years leading up to his passing the 700 mark amid the steroid rumors, he claimed the hostility stemmed from white people not wanting him to surpass Babe Ruth's record, which he also seems to have used as his own internal motivator. But once that happens, and the booing and the steroid chants continue as he challenged Henry Aarons record, Barry will either have to come up with a new explanation for the fans' dislike, try to make Aaron into the equivalent of how the left portrays Clarence Thomas -- as some sort of Oreo -- or finally deal with the reality of the situation.
Posted by: John at March 25, 2006 7:26 PM