Friday, January 22, 2010
Sports Q&A: Cardinal Sins and Sexual Healing
Last week, Mark McGwire admitted to using steroids after years of refusing to discuss the matter. This week, it was reported that Tiger Woods has entered a sex addiction clinic in Mississippi. Are these forgivable offenses, and how will the public accept the circumstances of the two athletes?
Isn't it odd how un-newsworthy a player's admission of steroid use is when it comes several years too late, long after most rational people have concluded that said player did, in fact, use steroids? There's a phenomena we no longer see in baseball, and that's the "stunning revelation." Many have speculated that McGwire came clean to improve his chances of election into baseball's Hall of Fame. If McGwire thinks admitting steroid usage betters his chances of Hall admission, then he's fooling himself. If Hall of Fame voters are thinking correctly, then McGwire's admission should totally erase any chance he has of making the Hall. What, should you gain points for being a liar and a cheater, as opposed to being just a cheater?
Without the specter of steroids haunting him, McGwire's numbers would surely be Hall Of Fame worthy. Yes, 583 home runs is an impressive feat, but not when that's also the number of times Canseco mentions you in his books. McGwire's timely admission and apology is much like a syringe — slim and hollow.
McGwire was appointed as St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach back in October, and maybe his recent admission was an effort to clear his conscious before starting his new job in earnest. Is he even qualified to be a hitting instructor, much less a Hall of Fame inductee? He's got a .263 career batting average, so, on average, a Cardinal batter should heed his advice only 26.3% of the time. And, judging by his sketchy history of drugs and truth-telling, McGwire is extremely well-qualified to instruct players what not to do.
McGwire is just another in the long line of baseball players who have verified the literary prowess of Jose Canseco, who, like many of the players he's mentioned in his books, is a great "story-teller." The only difference is Canseco's "stories" are the truth.
In the case of Woods, it's hard to feel sympathy for someone who's addicted to sex, but it's darn sure easy to feel envy. I've got a feeling it's a might more easy to admit a sex addiction than it is to admit steroid use. If Woods and wife Elin Nordegren are truly in rehab together, the the tables will really be turned: she'll be the one needing all the tissue now. Ironically, even on a break from the game of golf, Woods is still determined to work on his "swing."
If Woods is firmly committed to "curing" his addiction, then he has a long road ahead of him, and it will take more than just repeated listening to a Marvin Gaye song, or abstaining from listening to 2 Live Crew. How difficult is a sex addiction to overcome? With steroids, you can just stop taking them. It's doubtful Woods can give up sex altogether, and even if he does, does than mean he's beaten the affliction? And will fans really care if he's overcome his problem? Will anyone say "It's amazing that Tiger Woods won the Masters after rehabilitating from that horrendous sex addiction?" No way. That's not heroic, as recovering from a knee injury to win a major, for example, would be.
Now, is Woods truly addicted to sex, or is this just a publicity stunt to shore up his image by portraying him as a "victim?" Maybe, but that's merely speculation. It's more likely a ploy to boost his marketability. If all goes well, the clinic has promised to name a wing in their complex after Woods, the location of which will be adjacent to the Wilt Chamberlain wing.
Can fans forgive Woods for his so-called "addiction?" For sports fans, it's easy to look past or ignore all of the people hurt by Woods' actions, and simply forgive him of his addiction because, unlike McGwire, it gave his game no advantage. Or did it? Word has it that Woods has been boasting to friends about adding "two feet in the air." Whether or not he's referring to his drives, or something else, is unclear.
Compared to Woods, people are more than likely to call McGwire "scum" for his mistakes. And that's wrong. McGwire's actions tarnished no one but himself, while Woods' decisions negatively affected a number of people. Woods' actions, in the eyes of the public, in no way blemish his victories on the PGA tour, including 14 majors. Unfortunately, that's human nature, and whether wrong or right, it's how fans think when it comes to situations of this nature.
Ultimately, the fate of the public personas of Woods and McGwire hinge on saying the right things. Unfortunately, there is nothing McGwire can say to regain the public's trust. That chance deteriorated completely in the near five years between McGwire's refusal to speak before Congress and his recent admission. His window of opportunity slammed shut long ago.
Woods, on the other hand, has addressed his issues, more or less, and while fans can still question his behaviors, it's highly doubtful his legacy will suffer because of them. Despite his troubles, Woods could be in a much worse predicament. Just ask McGwire.