The Mark McGwire admission to using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) for 10 years has obviously been a huge story and has rekindled the steroids in baseball discussion. Overall these revelations and this discussion is a good thing, however, there is a downside.
With anyone and everyone having a blog these days there has been some very irresponsible postings. Everyone is now ready to pass judgment on a number of athletes and accuse them of using PEDs despite the fact that there is zero evidence indicating such use. Primarily, I am speaking about my client and friend Cal Ripken, Jr.
There have been several recent blogs that have suggested that Cal may have used PEDs. These blogs are run by some who are supposed to be credible like Dan Le Batard of The Miami Herald but many who simply consider themselves experts because they like baseball (or hate baseball) and they have an opinion.
The thing that these bloggers don’t keep in mind or don’t care about is that this is hateful, hurtful and based on nothing. Cal has stated time and again that he never used steroids, he never got larger late in his career or hit a crazy amount of home runs, etc.
Athletes like Cal Ripken and Derek Jeter should be celebrated now more than ever not looked at with suspicion because some guy with a computer has an uninformed opinion. And there is the problem. There is no barrier to entry anymore. You used to have to be a part of a legitimate news gathering agency to be heard around the world and now you just need a computer and some time.
Overall the world of social media and blogs has been a wonderful thing. But there is a downside, and that is a lack of accountability and no barrier to entry.
John Maroon is the President of Maroon PR. Contact him at john@maroonpr.com.
(Photo Courtesy of Sports Illustrated)
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