by Neil Wagner

Created on: February 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

Drug Tests for Sports Management

Floyd Landis. Barry Bonds. Boog Giambi. Everybody's
heard about them. The history of athletes using performance
enhancing substances is said to go back to the ancient
Greeks (if not further). You all have an opinion on it too:
"It's ruining the game" or "Babe Ruth played on absinthe".
Whatever you think, the point is that the subject has

entered your consciousness. Drug tests for sports
managerial personnel aren't even on the radar. Why is
management getting a free ride? Decisions that are goofy
beyond belief are just being shrugged off. Random drug
tests could really help out here.
Just dealing with baseball alone: George Steinbrenner
demotes Bobby Meacham to the minors for booting two ground
balls on a rock hard infield in a spring training game.
Bill Veeck has nickel beer night. Buck Showalter is such a
micro-manager that he even helps design the Arizona
Diamondbacks' uniform. The Baltimore Orioles have been
losers for nearly a decade despite having a decent sized
payroll. This is largely due to their ex-GM Syd Thrift, who
other GMs hated to deal with and generally unloaded damaged
goods on. The Dodgers make the post season about once a
decade despite being one of the high payroll teams; maybe I
can cut them a little slack for their ownership changes but
that's because I live in New York. George Bush dealt a
young Sammy Sosa (OK, that's hereditary). Anaheim Angels
owner Artie Moreiro changes the team name to the California
Angels of Anaheim or Wherever, gets sued and ticks off a lot
of people. I won't even go into free agent signings (we're
a Website, not the Library of Congress). Everyone mentioned
here deserves a drug test for their actions but where's the
outcry?
This problem's not just limited to sports. I think
it's a general blind spot in American society. Lee Iacocca
drives Chrysler into bankruptcy, gets bailed out by Congress
and is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate later.
Kenny-boy Lay and all the other boys at Enron didn't get
drug tested but I'll bet their cleaning staff did. Even
yours truly had to fax a urine sample before being cleared
to write for this site. Everybody I know is smarter than
their boss. Why aren't the bosses being tested for drugs?
I propose a two month boycott. No going to the games,
watching them on TV, buying that silly logo apparel or even
sneaking peeks at ESPN for scores. Hit them in the
pocketbook where it hurts. I'm fed up watching batters bunt
with two strikes and not knowing what their manager is
snorting.

Learn more about this author, Neil Wagner.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.