Ban steroid users

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Editor Garry Howard says that because the steroid scandal is in the past that baseball should, in his words, “Let it go.” Criminal laws were broken and, in many cases, the league’s own rules were cast aside, but, hey, let’s make as if nothing ever happened. After all, attendance is up, revenues are up, and home runs are up. And that’s all that matters, right?

Howard’s apparent lack of an ethical compass is exactly what’s wrong with sports – and society – today. Let’s hold no one accountable, particularly highly paid athletes. And, in fact, let’s sign them to even bigger salary increases. That’s a wonderful message to send to the world, especially young people who idolize these players: Be rewarded for breaking the law and cheating.

By Howard’s logic, then, we should perhaps overlook every crime against society because as soon as any crime is committed it’s in the past.

Until sports franchise owners, general managers, coaches, and people like Howard begin to understand the value and need for principles, things in the long run are only going to get worse.

Eighty-five (and counting) wrongs don’t make a right. But this one big wrong needs to be made right. And the way to do that is to ban any player who used steroids from ever playing again at the so-called professional level. I’ll even concede that only those players who violated league rules should be banned.

Only then will Bud Selig be able to crow about how he saved baseball and a whole lot more … things like responsibility, accountability, integrity, and respect.