When we talk performance enhancing drugs I think most folks ignore the mental aspect of these drugs otherwise know as "roidrage." It is that aspect that upsets me so much. If they only helped people get bigger and stronger it wouldn't bother me so much.

Baseball is essentially a game of anxiety. To be all alone in the batters box or all alone running after a fly ball in deep center is not supposed to be mentally easy. The great ones are those that can come up big in TOUGH situations! ie. Jeter!

I was 5 rows off of 1st base the night McGwire took RJ deep twice into the upper deck. He was so "raged" out both in the batters box and running towards first that it was embarrassing. A normal human being, including Mark McGwire, would have some bit of anxiety stepping to the plate against RJ. It is those who can overcome that anxiety at a big moment and succeed that deserve to be in the HOF. That night Mark McGwire was not a normal human being. He was a drug induced [censored] freak!!!!!

I was also in the 17th row behind home plate during game 5 of the ALCS when Clemen's threw a one hitter. I commented to my brother that he had taken a double shot of roids prior to that game. We could see it in his face even before the first pitch. My brother commented we would probably see our first no hitter. He was almost correct. We new the moment that he took the mound that with 116 wins and a great lineup that the Mariners would not win that game and thus would not be playing in the World Series. That night is probably the main reason for my total disgust for steroids. The M's had one of the best teams in history (I concede that Brett Boone was also on roids) yet with Clemens and Petite winning the 4 games in that LCS I and all other Mariner fans should feel cheated! For the simple reason we where cheated!

Steroids changes the anxiety and the stress of a big game to "bring the motherfuckers on. No one can stop me. I'm the greatest thing alive. ARRRRRRRGH!

It is this aspect of steroids to me that destroys the very foundation of human competition!

If I was running MLB steroids would be added to the lifetime ban, one strike your out rules just like gambling as it strikes right at the heart of the integrity of the game.