The other day, in response to that post facetiously comparing the baseball and pro wrestling Halls of Fame, one reader got incredulous, asking “I can't believe you compare wrestling to baseball?”
Yet as the steroid scandal in baseball continues to mushroom, it’s hard not to draw parallels to what's gone on in wrestling, especially since just about everything that’s been happening in baseball this year already happened in wrestling a decade ago.
There was the indictment on steroid-related charges of a figure tangentially related to the wrestlers (ring physician George Zahorian, in the Victor Conte role) who, at trial, implicated several of the sport’s biggest stars. This led to interest from the federal government, which in 1993 indicted WWF head Vince McMahon on steroid distribution charges, and at trial several of the sport’s biggest stars (Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, etc.) testified that, despite prior denials in the media, they had indeed used steroids throughout their careers.
Although McMahon was ultimately acquitted, this led to much soul-searching, and big changes, in wrestling. McMahon resigned as CEO (replaced by his wife Linda), they sent Hogan packing, instituted testing (or at least, said they did), and sought for a time to emphasize smaller, less ‘roid-oriented stars such as Shawn Michaels and Bret “Hitman” Hart. I thought of this when I read Peter Gammons’ column last Saturday, in which he suggested baseball do exactly the same thing: start marketing smaller, non-McGwire lookalikes such as Albert Pujols, Juan Pierre, and Vernon Wells. Then again, baseball (unlike wrestling) doesn't have the luxury of deciding the outcome of their games at the start of the year.
Did wrestling’s changes ultimately work? Well, on the bright side, it reached unprecedented popularity just a few years later, buoyed largely by the talents of a certain star who is currently appearing as a gay bodyguard opposite John Travolta. But on the other hand, there have been many, many premature deaths of ex-wrestlers in the last few years, many of them were likely steroid-related. And if you’re wondering if they’ve been able to get the drugs out of the business, Wrestlemania 21 is next month- and these two guys are squaring off in the main event.
But look on the bright side, baseball: Vince McMahon was accused of and later admitted that he had used steroids himself. I think Bud Selig is probably in the clear, in that respect.
Posted by Stephen Silver at March 15, 2005 08:30 PM"I think Bud Selig is probably in the clear, in that respect."
or the cream, if you prefer.
Posted by: LilB at March 16, 2005 02:13 AM