EAST BEAVER BAY… Because of the ongoing Stanley Cup tournament, the greatest pro sports tourney anywhere, I have kind of only had one eye on the Minnesota Twins thus far this season, and only about half of one eye on the debacle that just keeps on giving, the MLB Performance Enhancing Drugs scandal. You know I am pushing a happy and comfy 59 years old this year and I feel like this matter has been going on for about half of my life so far. And yes, it seems sad to attach that “so far” part to that sentence, but really, does anyone see any end in sight?

If my recollection is intact I believe we first started hearing of the possibility of MLB players using steroids going back to about the mid-eighties. The main suspicion centered around Oakland A’s star Jose Canseco. I have wondered for a long time why a guy the size of Canseco would need to take PED’s to play baseball but with the money, fame and fortune attached to a MLB career, I guess some players just succumbed to the lure of it. I never was a fan of his so I thought it was hilarious the night he misjudged a fly ball hit his way and missed it with his glove. The ball then hit him on top of his head and bounced over the wall for a homerun. That was awesome and it is a true story.

At any rate, I am not quite sure I can adequately verbalize my contempt for this entire scandal, the length of time that it has endured before us and the feeble impotence of the league and it’s Commissioner Bud Selig to address this matter and put it into our collective rearview mirrors once and for all. The latest flare-up regarding PED usage centers around a clinic in Miami by the name of Biogenesis. They have been alleged to have been the supplier to several MLB players including the New York Yankees mega star player Alex Rodriguez. As of this writing I have heard of no testing that proves that the players involved, including “A-Rod” have used any banned substances.

The dustup this time around seems to center on the allegations that MLB investigators have actually paid the clinic’s director, Tony Bosch, to provide them with information that could support the eventual suspensions of the players involved. These suspensions could be in the 50-100 game range, henceforth the nervous nature of some of the agents and attorneys representing the players in question. One of those, David Cornwell, is handling matters for A-Rod. He was quoted recently about the possibility that MLB has paid Bosch for testimony to backup their case against A-Rod and other players calling it “despicable”.

Well, well. This isn’t the first time we have heard of the possibility that A-Rod is a PED user. He admitted to as much one time stating that he used from 2001-2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers. He claimed at the time that it was due to the “pressure to perform”. How about the pressure to keep getting gigantic contracts for yourself?

Mr. Cornwell I’ll tell you what is despicable; guys like you that enable guys like A-Rod (allegedly) to continually besmirch the integrity of the great game of baseball. Guys that have made so much money playing a freaking game that they can hire guys like you to play the legal “he said, she said” game with enough proficiency to dance upon the tenant of doing what is right and acknowledging when they have done right or wrong. Look, I already don’t like your client and I certainly am no Yankees fan. I have always thought Rodriguez to be a fairly arrogant individual, but I would argue for him that he is entitled to due process.

And no matter how MLB has bungled the investigation it is going to boil down to one thing; A-Rod has either used or he hasn’t. The substances in question either came from Biogenesis or they didn’t. And what I find really “despicable” is that a grown man, that many fans have believed in over the years, may have collected some big money contracts and/or set some MLB records under false pretenses. Smoke that Mr. Cornwell….

THE STANLEY CUP could be won as early as tomorrow evening. Last night the Chicago Blackhawk’s beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 in the Windy City to position themselves for a possible Cup winning Game Six. The series has moved to Beantown and the Cup could be in the house. The Hawks Patrick Kane scored an impressive two goals including the game winner to elevate the Hawks chances of winning their 5th Cup in franchise history. Up until the last couple of games there had been a lot of talk about who would win the Conn Smythe trophy as the best player in the tournament.

As the Bruins were tracking for a possible series victory the talk had centered around net minder Tuuka Rask. And there is no doubt that up until Games 4 & 5 he would have been the frontrunner in the event the Bruins would win. For the Hawks, Patrick Sharp, not Kane could be that guy. However, should the Hawks win, I think that Kane has now positioned himself as the possible Smythe winner. He has had some inconsistency in the tourney, however, the WCF’s Game 5 hat trick was huge and he has 4 points in the past two victories over the Bruins.

But my overall feeling at this time is that the Bruins appear to be wearing down a bit with the Hawks taking advantage. If the Bruins forte’ is a hard defensive game, that can wear a team down more then an up tempo offensive game. Playing tough ‘D’ is a grinder. The Bruins put on a 3rd period surge Saturday night and the Hawks stood up to it. Should be an epic Game six and I can’t wait! Don’t forget about the upcoming NHL entry draft either! Round One will be televised! Over and Out! PEACE