Jason Giambi typifies the arrogant stupidity of the modern baseball player. His acceptance of the steroid-like, performance-enhancing substances exemplifies the types of things athletes have been doing for decades, if not forever. And we as fans need to stop encouraging it with our adoration of tape-measure home runs.
In this "Be Like Mike" world of emulation of the superstars, Jason Giambi's reported testimony shows what little personal regard athletes have for their bodies. It's all about their performance. And we as fans reward them for that, further feeding their addiction to performance, to the adrenaline rush of competition. Moreover, when one athlete shows it works, others will follow.
I think I see now why this story has become so attractive to sports fans: It's not merely about what our superstars will do in the quest for glory and that they'll "deceive" the world in their quest for millions. It's about winning at all costs, not merely for the team, but for themselves. We as fans recognize that this could happen to anyone, and when it's happening to people we love to see play games we enjoy, perhaps that makes them more like us.
Just like the players who strive to be better than their competition and better than their vision of their achievements, we as fans have juiced ourselves up on our teams' successes. We're just as dumb as they are, because we delude ourselves that it's "just a game" while we engross ourselves in water cooler discussions, bets and pools, sports-centered vacations, even our dreams. Giambi is responsible for his actions, as is Gary Sheffield for his, Barry Bonds for his, Sammy Sosa for his, etc., on down the road. We should also take responsibilty for how we accept their stupidity. It's time to stop being addicted to the athletes and show respect for the game. Win, but not at all costs.
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