If you haven’t already heard that Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were named in George Mitchell’s report on Steroids, you aren’t reading this. You obviously don’t care about my opinion; so many other ignorant fans and bloggers have already trashed the players, league, and union.

Everyone gets their news from the media, but the media doesn’t really know the game. What do the players think? The only response you usually get from them on such an issue is, “My personal trainer did it.” Well, Curt Schilling has actually been pretty outspoken about steroids, and he voiced his opinion again today.

However, that is not necessarily true. Curt Shilling wrote on his blog today:

I hate to think it is, but I don’t think there is any other way to look at it. Not since the Black Sox scandal of the early 20th century has this sport had to endure what it will starting at 2pm EST.

I am hoping no one I know or respect shows up as a name on this report but I am feeling like that’s wishful thinking.
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I certainly am not blameless. I had opinions like many other people, but I also had a closer view of what was happening. I can say with a very clear conscience, to this day I still have never seen anyone inject or ingest HGH, or steroids. Do I think I know former teammates that may have been? Sure I do. Can I tell you with no uncertainty who that was? No.

For him to be comparing this to the Black Sox scandal, it shows that there really is a real sense of disgust among clean players. Anyone in the media can say that; they didn’t know what was happening, and what the consequences were. When a player who has better knowledge of what happens in the game says it, that actually means something.

In the idolization we give pro athletes, we sometimes forget that they are real people playing the game (more often than not) because they love it. You see it in Schilling’s post. Just like many fans, he wished the report wouldn’t have many names on it but acknowledged that it was wishful thinking.

Furthermore he disproves the theory that everyone knew about steroid use, that it was omnipotent in MLB locker rooms. Sure he has his suspicions, just like the media, but even an elite pitcher doesn’t know for sure who or how many players are using steroids.

And like an everyday fan, he too is fed up with all forms of excuses:

Look, if you ordered HGH or steroids, in your name, and there is documentation to prove that you did, please do us all a favor and admit you made a mistake and move on. If you needed it for medical reasons then I am sure you can back that up through your physician if you choose to.

I’m past tired of hearing everything but “I screwed up” or “Ya I made a mistake, I apologize”.

This is a pretty damn forgiving country. We are all about giving people second chances. The quicker anyone guilty is accountable the quicker we can all move on and hopefully make this thing go away, and fix what needs to be fixed.