The Collision Of Science And Sports, And Why Bill Simmons Is Taking The Side Of His Faith

As a Yankees fan, I've rooted and continue to root for steroid users.

At first, I was angry about this. Eventually, I accepted it and now I'm moved on. As a matter of fact, I'm okay with it. I still stand behind the fact that I am incapable of seeing the difference, theoretically speaking, of a syringe filled with testosterone and a syringe filled with cortisone. The lengths to which someone will go to gain a competitive advantage is a self-policing progression--when something goes too far, players just won't do it.

The collision of science and sports is scarily similar to the collision of science and religion (Yes, I watched The Da Vinci Code on TNT this weekend and saw Angels & Demons last week). We would all prefer to believe in the myths and the traditions and the history and the idea that things happen for reasons beyond our control and instead of questioning the why and the how, we should just shut up and enjoy our blessings.

I believe we've already seen the pendulum begin to swing in the other direction--away from Congressional hearings and around-the-clock news coverage about whose cap size got bigger from last season. The failure of Serena Robert's novel, er, nonfiction account of the "real" A-Rod, combined with the lack of talk in general about his spring-training admissions, just shows how ready the public is to move on. (The fact that the Yankees have played extremely well since his return and moved into first place in the AL East has NOTHING to do with this, I'm sure.)

That being said, it's with a conflicted mind that I approach the current state of David "Big Papi" Ortiz.

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Papi has taken several years off my life since 2003. For a while, I didn't think he was capable of hitting anything but a double or a home run off of Yankees pitching. He was so comfortable up at the plate against anyone in pinstripes that he could have pounded the metal equivalent of a pedal strap into the left batter's box, just to help anchor that back foot a little better. He never got plunked, never got pushed off the plate, and lefty or righty match-up, it didn't matter, the balls just kept jumping off his bat.

What made this situation worse was that he was impossible to hate.

We've all played the "if you could kill one person without the threat of any and all legal repercussions, who would it be" game. Various Boston Red Sox players are certainly on my short list (number one of which is Curt Schilling), but never has Papi even sniffed that sector of "the rivalry." He just looks too damn nice, too damn fun, too damn everything. He smiles while he plays (half) the game, and isn't that what we want at the end of the day? To see professional athletes enjoying their job the way we envision ourselves enjoying it?

So now that he's a shell of his former self (and by former self, I mean the self he magically transformed into when he came to the Red Sox in 2003 after embracing mediocrity for five years in Minnesota), and while it's tough to get on the guy too much, the time has come to admit that there's a good chance Papi was dabbling in the steroidic arts.

Here's my point illustrated in pictures:

This guy:



Became this guy:



After meeting this guy:



And now this guy:



Has become this guy:



Because he's hitting like this guy:



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The reason that this is on my mind this morning is because of Bill Simmons. His new article in ESPN The Mag addresses Papi's current situation, and while he doesn't deny that Papi may have been taking steroids, he seems to think the issue is more about Ortiz's age and how he may be older than we think.

I've been reading Simmons for a while now, and I'm not shocked by his stance. What makes him a great sports writer is that he embraces sports the same way that we as fans embrace sports:

By taking religion's side in the sports/science collision debate.

He's taking religion's side, even with the pictorial evidence.

Even with the Manny link.

Even with the Dominican link.

Because even with the numbers telling one story--

Bill still wants to believe in his faith.

Because that's what faith is, isn't it?

And even with the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry set to renew again next week, I think I'm going to side with faith too--because Papi deserves it.

Just like when I felt that Giambi deserved it, just like I feel now that A-Rod deserves it.

And because I've moved on.

Because I've rooted, and continue to root, for steroid users.


More soon.

JS