Henry Waxman, the self-appointed PC policeman, is once again going after sports figures in his bid to stay relevant. His latest thing is to force MLB into testing for HGH, and to ban players from using chewing tobacco. First, Major League Baseball, to my knowledge, already tests for HGH, both at the major and minor league levels. At least several times a year I see stories about players being suspended for testing positive for HGH. Since the scandals of the early 2000's players have gotten smaller, and home runs have dropped off significantly. It's already a banned substance. He's simply using this as a decoy to go after the second part of his agenda - chewing tobacco.
As for players and chewing tobacco, I can't help but think that our elected representatives have a hell of a lot of better things to do than to hold hearings over ballplayers who use chewing tobacco. It may be a disgusting habit, but it is a legal product. I am sure that there are those who say, "but it sends a bad message to the youth". Maybe so. But how far are we willing to let these nanny state politicians go in determining who can use what legal products, when and where? I have yet to see a study about the dangers of second-hand spit being a danger to the general public.
If the MLB wants to implement a rule against the use of chewing tobacco in order to uphold a certain image, I have no problem with that. It is a business decision that they can make. What I do object to is for someone like Henry Waxman to keep coming along and using his position to either legislate of put political pressure to outlaw every one of his little pet peeves.
AP NewsBreak: Democrats urge baseball to test for HGH and ban chewing tobacco
WASHINGTON — Two House Democrats are urging Major League Baseball and the players union to implement testing for human growth hormone and ban chewing tobacco by players in uniform and in public view.
Reps. Henry Waxman of California and Frank Pallone of New Jersey made those requests in a letter Wednesday to Commissioner Bud Selig and Michael Weiner, executive director of the players union.
Read More at The Washington Post
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