Not the best time to be a sports fan, is it?

It's not the best time to be a sports fan in the U.S.A. (or God's Country as I like to call it). This is Kige Ramsey from Youtube Sports.

-30-

Just kidding, that's not it.

Currently, there are far-reaching scandals in every American professional sports. For every Bengal that's arrested, Michael Vick kills a dozen dogs. NBA ref(s?) are fixing games to appease gambling addictions and the mob, and not necessarily in that order. The most sacred record in sports is about to be broken by the least likeable player in baseball, and only because he cheated. The 'savior' of the MLS is a glorified role player and the most overpaid, overhyped and overrated player in all of soccer. The NHL apparently still exists, which is a scandal in and of itself. And I haven't even mentioned the in-depth analysis of Kige Ramsey from Youtube Sports.

Is this the worst time to be a sports fan, ever?

In the 70s, there was some recreational drug use among players. A very small number of people died, no big deal. It's not like drug use isn't happening now, it's just better hidden by masking agents and (sometimes) smarter players. It's not like this was something that only happened in sports. The players were just reflecting the era they lived in. I know, stop the presses, there was drug use in the 70s.

In the 80s, there were a couple of player strikes in the NFL. There was some drug use in the NBA and MLB. The MLS was only a glimmer in the eye of Tommy Smyth. And the NHL still existed.

NBA players got full of themselves, started preening for the cameras and Terry Pluto wrote a book about it in the 90s. The NFL was kind of there, except in Cleveland, where Lucifer Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore. The Indians hopes for a World Series victory and a celebratory dip in currently not-on-fire Cuyahoga River were dashed by the 1994 strike.

What about the 2000s? This era isn't even over and we've already topped the last 30 years combined.

Hell, in the last 365 days, approximately 37,873 Bengals have been arrested, multiple NFL players have been murdered, college lacrosse and football players have been accused of (and probably committed in football's case) rape, an NFL quarterback is accused of running a dog-fighting ring, an NFL cornerback has been arrested multiple times, been suspended for the season and introduced the phrase 'make it rain' into the mainstream consciousness, an NFL lineman just got out of jail, a massive brawl took place in an already-decided NBA game at Madison Square Garden, an NBA referee threatens to destroy the very essence of sports and for some odd reason, they're still letting Kige Ramsey post videos on Youtube. (Believe me, that was just an abbreviated list.)

Are things going to get better?

Honestly? I don't know. I'd like to think they are. Roger Goodall is working on enhancing the league's image and weeding out the bad seeds. The ref story just broke, but I have full confidence in David Stern's ability to get this thing fixed. You do not like David Stern when he's angry. It will be poetic justice if Bonds breaks the home run record on the road and fans overwhelmingly boo the feat. Plus who knows, maybe David Beckham is just a stepping stone to bringing in some actual talent to the MLS, and the league might actually be watchable in ten-ish years.

Right now, I'm still a sports fan, but unfortunately it's not the best time to proclaim my allegiance from the top of a mountain.