<p>Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Barry Bonds... All these guys have become pariahs due to their association with steroids. Any baseball player with the stink of 'roids will lose credibility with fans and sports media people. However, a superstar NFL player like Shawne Merriman can test positive, admit he used performance enhancing drugs, and he can still be seriously considered for Defensive MVP. Why is there a double standard? Are we tacitly implying that baseball is an everyman's game where biochemical cheating is a strict no-no, while football's a freak's sport anyway so it really doesn't matter if that 6'6" 300 lbs. player takes a few syringes now and then? As a football fan, I'm disturbed that such a blatant violation of universal sports rules regarding steroids has barely registered a protest amongst fans and announcers.</p>
<p>It was an accident. He was taking something legal that contained the steroid.</p>
<p>I know I was thinking about that other day. Mark McGuire was considered a shoo-in for the Hall until he came before Congress and pretty much admitted to using performance enhancers, Andro i believe. And to the above poster, yeah he said he didn't know he was taking them, but that hasn't excused any of the baseball players, most notably Barry Bonds, from critisism. If you're going to put some pills into your mouth don't you think you would take a second to find out what it is? I find that hard to believe.</p>
<p>I heard several sports broadcasters saying that Barry Bonds will probably get into the Hall of Fame, despite being 'roid hound. THey say that Bonds still had an amazing baseball career before he suddenly "bulked up" to what he has been for the past few years. </p>
<p>On the contrary, Maguire was basically a nobody, with no stellar stats until he suddenly puffed up to what he is today.</p>