Ok, the title may be a bit of a stretch considering I ripped off Conseco's book title to align with this story, but if the the shoe fits. The news coming off the presses now is that Jose Canseco has attempted to make a deal with Tigers OF Magglio Ordonez in an effort for Mags to avoid having his name released as a steroid user to the media and in his next book. Apparently Jose wants Mags to invest in a movie project or face these allegations.
My friends, that is what we call extortion. Major League Baseball referred the matter to the FBI, however Ordonez decided not to go forward with a complain, so the FBI did not open a formal investigation, stating "I didn't want to press charges against him, I don't want any problems. He is probably desperate for money. I don't understand why he is trying to put people down."
I have two thoughts on this matter. The first is one that likely everyone else is thinking... WHY MAGS, WHY?! Why not press charges? I am so sick and tired of hearing Jose Canseco's wild allegations and arbitrarily naming big named players for the sake of keeping his own name in the media and scrapping off a little cash at the top. He has named so many people at this point that I am beginning to question if I took steroids at some point. If someone doesn't put an end to this madness, when will it every stop? The man lacks any credibility as it is (he met his 2nd wife at a Hooters for Christ's sake!), but due to the infatuation the American public has with steroids and everything that comes with it, this ass clown will be able to continue cracking out books and television spots, movies, and the like as long as he feels up to it. And we will continue reading it!
The second thought is about Mags' intentions. His words seem sincere... that he doesn't want to make matters worse for Canseco, that his is "desperate for money", and likely doesn't want to add legal woes to his resume. But does anyone else find it odd that someone wouldn't attempt to clear their name and have the FBI investigate a situation like this during a time in baseball when the Mitchell report has been released and the public perception regarding 'roids is guilty until proven innocent. Just hearing your name in the same sentence as steroids loses you precious points in the court of public opinion. I just don't understand why Mags "doesn't want any problems"... unless... could Canseco actually be right on the money about Ordonez and rather than delve down deep in the situation and expose potentially incriminating information about his past, Mags would rather just brush the situation aside, hope it gets swept under the rug. Haven't we learned from the Roger Clemans saga that if you don't come forth immediately and renounce the accusations and take every effort to refute them then you are signing your own death warrant???
For the record, I personally think Mags is innocent. I am on the opposite side of the fence, still believing in innocent until proven guilty (perhaps that explains my thoughts on Bonds). But I do find it a little odd that Ordonez is so willing to brush off a "small" matter of steroid allegations and extortion like it's just the bully down the street that took his tricycle.
2 comments:
I think Mags, like the rest of us, just wants to move on from this whole steroids mess. Hopefully by trying to stop this controversy right now before it becomes any more inflamed by the media will help keep the issue far away and out of public consciousness, where it belongs
Even though I think Canseco is a publicity whore, you can't dispute that fact that "Juiced" is what really got everyone talking about fixing the steroids problem. Without Juiced, there wouldn't have been a Game of Shadows. Without a Game of Shadows there wouldn't have been a Mitchell Report.
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