Bob Ryan should be shot

[Taylor]

I am sick and tired of sportswriters acting like idiots nowadays. They go degrade other teams and other cities in their columns. It started with Denver Post's Woody Paige and now every writer does it. It's becoming a chic thing in sports journalism and it's not very good. Last year, Mike Vaccaro of the NY Post went out of his weay to rip the Twins the day before the ALDS and I let Vaccaro know about it. Sportswriters like to be so negative and they like to harp on the negatives. They rather create the news than report the news.

Sports journalism is not what it used to be.

My man, speak the truth! Too many cheerleading journalists nowadays.

[Jennifer]

In reading through the posts in this thread I wondered how many people actually read the Ryan column they were responding to. Ryan's point was:

Now, if for all these years he happened to be hiding a dirty little secret, he was obviously not alone. And if he was not, in fact, on the juice, and is simply overtrained, that's a cautionary tale of another sort. Either way, his body is paying a horrible price. Now, he could just be unlucky, but I think we all know better than that.

Ryan Column

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I don't know where the truth lies but I do know that Nomar and steroids rumors go back to the 2001 SI cover that Nomar appeared on newly buff.

What is a sport writer's responsibility? Unless Ryan actually saw Nomar eject himself should he remain silent? Should he remain silent when he has sufficient proof that would establish it if he can use it publicly? It is not unusual for a reporter writing commentary to offer a rumor or rely on speculation to protect sources. I don't know the situation but has RedSox management been telling Ryan that they tried to get A-Rod and dump Nomar because of his steroid use (just because Ryan might have been told this does not make it true).

Baseball writers have a problem today with the steroid situation. Do they pretend that home team players with steroid problems don't have such problems when the truth comes out being accused in participating in a cover-up? Or should a writer print something he strongly believes is correct and have fans suggesting he be shot?

[Steak]

Great post and welcome to Strike3Forums.com, Jennifer.

From reading Ryan's article in the Globe, I never got the impression that Ryan accused Nomar of using steroids.

As for the link of Phil Mushnick, I agree with Phil about Charles Barkley. He is a freaking idiot and a bitter senile man.

What's a sports writer's responsbility? The writer's job is to report stories and find facts to support that claim not make up stories or make up their news. That's becoming a common problem now with journalists. I am not that interested in hearing about their opinions. I just want to hear their take on the game that took place with their description. That's all.

It's a shame Nomar and other players will always be accused of using steroids from that era, but that's the way it goes now. That should be a good incentive for the players union to accept Selig's new deal so that they don't have to be accused of using steroids when they are doing great.

[love_that_reefer]

Do they pretend that home team players with steroid problems don't have such problems when the truth comes out being accused in participating in a cover-up?

Ryan didn't say one word when Nomar was playing in Boston. Ryan is simply kicking a man when he is down.

Or should a writer print something he strongly believes is correct and have fans suggesting he be shot?

If he was a man and actually said he strongly believed it then I would agree with you, but in this case he didn't? He said he was not accusing him of anything but if you read his column it suggests otherwise.

What is a sport writer's responsibility? Unless Ryan actually saw Nomar eject himself should he remain silent? Should he remain silent when he has sufficient proof that would establish it if he can use it publicly? It is not unusual for a reporter writing commentary to offer a rumor or rely on speculation to protect sources. I don't know the situation but has RedSox management been telling Ryan that they tried to get A-Rod and dump Nomar because of his steroid use (just because Ryan might have been told this does not make it true).

Sportswriters do have a a tough job dealing with the steroid issue, they don't have any proof. They have absolutely no proof so in order to sell papers and themselves, they drag other peoples names through the mud. Its not fair to the players and their fans if everyone just made something up and had some bullshit reason why they think someone took roids. I love how these reporters are trying to make up for lost time. Only a handful were reporting steroids when the inflation of homeruns occurred and now they are backtracking. If they cared so much, why didn't they make shit up then? Journalism is in the shitter because of people like this. Why don't you just say everyone is guilty til proven innocent because that is where we are at. Pujols, A-rod, Vlad, Jason Kendall, Lance Berkman are all on roids til proven they weren't. Anyone that played from 1988-present day took roids. I don't have any proof but neither do any other of these people. Sounds pretty fair eh?

[Jennifer]

Ryan didn't say one word when Nomar was playing in Boston. Ryan is simply kicking a man when he is down.

If he was a man and actually said he strongly believed it then I would agree with you, but in this case he didn't? He said he was not accusing him of anything but if you read his column it suggests otherwise.

Reef - Actually I wasn't trying to defend Bob Ryan per se. Really my only point. one that I think you agree with, is that writers can be in a tough position regarding steroids and ballplayers.

You raise an interesting general point about hometown writers and the teams they cover. Anytime a popular player is traded we, as the fans, are told about major defects in skills and/or attitudes that heretofore were never written about. For example, have you never observed a player you know has very bad fielding skills but stories you read about him never mention his fielding or describe as "average." Whamo! He is traded and all kinds of stories about his defensive skills (or lack thereof) appear. In other words, right or wrong, Ryan may have been protecting Nomar before he was traded.