Romonowski admits to steroid use

[Chip R]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2190441

A baseball player is accused of steroid use and he's strung up but when a football player openly admits it, where is the same outrage?

[savafan]

I don't think anyone was surprised by this announcement.

[Chip R]

I don't think anyone was surprised by this announcement.

Nor should they be. But no one was surprised when Bonds admitted to taking the "clear" and people suspect him of taking even stronger stuff. It's a double standard. Whenever a football player is suspended or tests positive for steroids it barely registers a blip on the radar screen but if a baseball player does it then he is crucified by the fans and media.

[RedFanAlways1966]

I love his admission that he started taking steroids in 2001. Yep... we all believe that story. Never took anything before that. Yep... sell me some prime real estate while you are at it, Bill. Oh... and please don't punch me or spit on me, Mr. Mood Swing.

I agree with Chip on the diff. in reaction to each of these two major sports. I wonder if the public is more forgiving to NFL'ers b/c we expect muscle-mass and such with a sport like football. And we do not expect muscular types in baseball. One of those stereotype things, I guess. The NFL took a stance on steroid use before MLB. They also imposed what amounts to a suspension for 1/4 of their season too. That would equal a 40-game suspension in MLB (not the measly 10-game baloney that was started as a "punishment").

[CrackerJack]

Nor should they be. But no one was surprised when Bonds admitted to taking the "clear" and people suspect him of taking even stronger stuff. It's a double standard. Whenever a football player is suspended or tests positive for steroids it barely registers a blip on the radar screen but if a baseball player does it then he is crucified by the fans and media.

Romanowski didn't break any cherished, long standing records with individual feats.

If Rice or Montana or Elway or the late Walter Payton admitted to using them - I think it'd be a bit different possibly...

[savafan]

Romanowski didn't break any cherished, long standing records with individual feats.

I also think people would be a bit more outraged if Romanowski was still playing in the NFL.

[traderumor]

Romanowski didn't break any cherished, long standing records with individual feats.

If Rice or Montana or Elway or the late Walter Payton admitted to using them - I think it'd be a bit different possibly...

Great point. That's a key difference.

I also think that football is much more a collective team sport, whereas baseball is a team sport, but most of the results come from individual efforts, thus more focus on one person doing something to get an advantage. In football, a roided player isn't going to directly impact each and every play he's involved in, whereas a roided pitcher or hitter is directly impacting each pitch or swing they take.

[Yachtzee]

I feel like part of the outrage directed at baseball players may be based on the attitude of the Players Association in preventing effective drug testing. Football has had drug testing in place for years. Do players still get around it? Sure. But at least the union and the NFL were able to get something in place as some level of deterrent. Baseball players have taken a hit because their union insisted on protecting the "cheaters" to the detriment everyone else.

[cincinnati chili]

Romo is a disgrace to humanity. He's admitted to worse things than the steroids, like intentionally snapping Dave Meggett's finger in two at the bottom of a pile-up.