But I could see where baseball should have a conduct policy. A suspension is worthy, but not a firing.
a suspension for one DUI where there was no accident and no one was hurt? That is ridiculous. How many people here or anywhere would be suspended from their jobs for getting 1 DUI? Very few of us that aren't in the driving business would be suspended. Larussa should be treated as any other 1st time offender is treated but to suspend him from his job or demand he go to rehab is just silly. I don't know Florida law but I am sure he will have to meet with a alcohol assesment counsellor and take some alcohol awareness classes and have his driving priviledges suspended for a while but any other punishment for a 1 offense is out of line.
But baseball relies on its image in part, whether they like it or not they are role models for kids. I am not saying he should be suspended for half a season, but a 1-2 game suspension would show his actions are not condoned by the MLB. The NFL has a conduct policy, though sometimes it is a joke as well.
In fact, I don't really have a problem with Kieth Law. He's not a Cardinal homer, he's just clearly a guy who lives and die by the stats. And based on the stats, we had no business winning last postseason.
Now, back to that article. I don't see anything wrong with what he said. Just because La Russa didn't hurt anyone shouldn't change anything. I think the DUI should be treated the same, simply because driving that way in the first place leads to the potential of doing something damaging.
I tend to agree with the part where shames Cards fans for making excuses.
indyredbird wrote: The NFL has a conduct policy, though sometimes it is a joke as well.
Yeah, that policy seems to be pretty effective in policing it's players.
I have a tough time thinking that LaRussa is setting an example for kids to follow. He's 60+ years old. He'a a manager--his face isn't on posters on kids' walls. He can legally drink (which kids can't do). He can legally drive (which kids can't do). He mixed those two together illegally. I don't think many kids are a threat to do that before they turn 16. By that time, their decision to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking will have very little to do with whether or not their baseball hero Tony LaRussa once got a DUI or not. It will probably have more to do with how their parents have raised them.
Kyle wrote:I don't have a problem with the article at all.
Now, back to that article. I don't see anything wrong with what he said. Just because La Russa didn't hurt anyone shouldn't change anything. I think the DUI should be treated the same, simply because driving that way in the first place leads to the potential of doing something damaging.
I tend to agree with the part where shames Cards fans for making excuses.
Uhh...that's the biggest mistake of the article.
Journalism is NOT getting quotes from some idiot that makes excuses for someone then tries to say "this is the opinion of Cardinal fans." Keith Law might know his way around numbers, but his grasp of journalism is lacking sorely.
Journalists are also supposed to stay away from bad comparisons.
indyredbird wrote: The NFL has a conduct policy, though sometimes it is a joke as well.
Yeah, that policy seems to be pretty effective in policing it's players.
I have a tough time thinking that LaRussa is setting an example for kids to follow. He's 60+ years old. He'a a manager--his face isn't on posters on kids' walls. He can legally drink (which kids can't do). He can legally drive (which kids can't do). He mixed those two together illegally. I don't think many kids are a threat to do that before they turn 16. By that time, their decision to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking will have very little to do with whether or not their baseball hero Tony LaRussa once got a DUI or not. It will probably have more to do with how their parents have raised them.
--P--
You will never stop spoiled atheletes from doing stupid stuff, but you need some sort of punishment, symbolic if anything, to show that those actions are not condoned. No Tony is probably not idolized by kids, but many are in the MLB. A conduct policy would cover everyone.
That's my point too. If he wants to dog the Cards and how they win or play the game, that's fine. He usually has the numbers to back it up, just not the visual of how the game actually played out.
Where he needs to stop is at the point of writing baseball related articles. Off the field issues, player stories, etc. are not to be written by him. His journalistic skills are below average to begin w/, let alone when he's out of his element. I just felt like it was a jab at the Cards again, and not what is right for the game.
indyredbird wrote:
You will never stop spoiled atheletes from doing stupid stuff, but you need some sort of punishment, symbolic if anything, to show that those actions are not condoned. No Tony is probably not idolized by kids, but many are in the MLB. A conduct policy would cover everyone.
But I don't think baseball has a misconduct epidemic, especially compared to other sports. If other sports have misconduct policies that aren't effective in any way, why institute one in MLB?
Like I said, let the law handle those who break the law.
indyredbird wrote: The NFL has a conduct policy, though sometimes it is a joke as well.
Yeah, that policy seems to be pretty effective in policing it's players.
I have a tough time thinking that LaRussa is setting an example for kids to follow. He's 60+ years old. He'a a manager--his face isn't on posters on kids' walls. He can legally drink (which kids can't do). He can legally drive (which kids can't do). He mixed those two together illegally. I don't think many kids are a threat to do that before they turn 16. By that time, their decision to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking will have very little to do with whether or not their baseball hero Tony LaRussa once got a DUI or not. It will probably have more to do with how their parents have raised them.
--P--
To add more to your point: child athletes are more likely to take steroids if they know that a sports star is doing it. Keith Law is apparently excusing steroids, brushing them off as "ehh...only three people died."
I bet if Law went deeper into it than just throwing out a number, he'd probably find that steroids lead to health problems LATER in life.
Kyle wrote:I don't have a problem with the article at all.
Now, back to that article. I don't see anything wrong with what he said. Just because La Russa didn't hurt anyone shouldn't change anything. I think the DUI should be treated the same, simply because driving that way in the first place leads to the potential of doing something damaging.
I tend to agree with the part where shames Cards fans for making excuses.
Uhh...that's the biggest mistake of the article.
Journalism is NOT getting quotes from some idiot that makes excuses for someone then tries to say "this is the opinion of Cardinal fans." Keith Law might know his way around numbers, but his grasp of journalism is lacking sorely.
Journalists are also supposed to stay away from bad comparisons.
Alcohol =/= steroids.
Keith Law wrote:If that's not bad enough, some Cardinals fans are actually excusing La Russa's inexcusable mistake. Mike Goldstein of ESPN-760 in West Palm Beach pointed me to an article in the Palm Beach Post that included some quotes from fans who seemed to think that driving drunk isn't such a big deal:
He does not lump the entire fan base together with quotes (maybe in the "the crowd gave an ovation" part, but not there).
