Will the Mitchell report be the most worthless report ever?

Question

We all know it's coming out tomorrow and we all know what it is SUPPOSED to do, however the Committee NEVER had subpoena power. That means that any information they gathered was not under oath and therefore can't be held to perjury like Bond's testimony. It also means that anything said to them can be a direct lie, and it will be ignorant to think that most of what they found is nothing more than here say. More importantly it also means they have no PROOF regarding any of the potential names that are listed on the report.

Basically, when it's all said and done, nothing this report has done will mean a rat's fart in a tornado, and it will be just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. I for one and going to take the information w/ a HUGE grain of salt, and depending on what they say and how they say it I may just ignore the entire report anyway.

There is no reason, evidence, cause, or justification for believing the report, so why make a big deal over it? It's politics at it's worst.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071212&content_id=2323307&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Answer 1

It should be taken for what it is, but it will still have an impact if it names offenders. Regardless of what's proven or not, you know that a large faction will run with it because they just take it at face value.

I'm more interested, really, to see the response by Selig and others to the report. I don't think Mitchell's comments are going to contain any real surprises, and I think his feelings are pretty clear and have been all along. Given the obstacles he's had to overcome and the way this whole thing was set up, it's hard to lend too much credence to whatever might be included.

Answer 2

You know, if you replace "Mitchell Report" in your question with "9/11 Commission Report" and "Bonds" with "Bush" you pretty much have hit it on the head.

Oh, and by the way, the Mitchell Report has reportedly cost Selig and baseball $15 Million. Guess what? That's just about the same amount of money spent by the US Governent to investigate 9/11--only 1/4 what it spent to investigate the Clintons while in office. I'd be willing to bet that if you checked every government owned sofa on this country, you could find $15 million in small change.

So, my answer to your question is 'not even close'--the 9/11 Commission Report is by far the most worthless report ever. Steroid use in baseball is simply not that important folks. The deaths of 3000 innocent people, in broad daylight, on American soil with all the cameras rolling is important. As taxpayers, we should demand better.

Vote Ron Paul in '08

Answer 3

All it will do is add more fuel to an already blazing inferno of controversy. As to what Bud Selig will do remains to be seen. If turning his back on the Bonds issue is any indication of his commitment to cleaning up the game, than I would imagine nothing will be done.

Will the government actually step in and essentially over step its authority in bringing down this corruption? After all, this was supposed to be a baseball issue and no one else was to be involved. Will the baseball writers association now have something to hang their decision making on? Will the Hall of Fame stand its ground and expel those who participated in the steroid era by not allowing admission?

The answer I'm afraid is that very little will change. I would have to think however that Bud Selig has a great deal to answer for. There is a corruption here that is too extensive to over look.

Answer 4

I believe this report will be a trial in how much authority the Commissioner has or does not have, it will test if he can really discipline players off a report compiled under the pretense of it be "non-partial" but being conducted by a Red Sox board member. The whole thing has been mishandled and it is a shame that they could not come up with a better way to out the cheaters.

Answer 5

Probably. I can't imagine anything in those reports being of much use. We can all pretty much for the most part figure out who is going to be on the list. There may be a few surprises, but its just a report and I dont think there will be any clear cut evidence to show any of it anyway.

Answer 6

It just puts names on something we all knew was going on. They have to show they are doing something and this is all we have. Maybe all the players will be suspended for fifteen days but there may not be enough to start the season. You are right, it is just politics but you have to remember that George Mitchell spent many years in politics. Maybe they should give congress all a drug test and see what comes up.

Answer 7

The Mitchell Report is a pathetic waste of time and at best will only prove to be nothing more than "Yellow Journalism" simply because of the careers it will damage. Not professing guilt or innocence of the players as my motive, I see this in the same light that I saw the Duke LaCrosse rape case of 2006, wherein a former contingency attorney was trying to make a name for himself in the worst way.

What worries me more about Mitchell is the fact that being a director of the Boston Red Sox, he had no business in this position due to conflicts of interest. Hell, why not have Bud Selig head up the committee? The other thing that always worries me about "witch hunts" is that hidden agenda to destroy public character, and Mitchell has a hidden agenda.

Wouldn't it be a real laugher if someone on the committee were to sneak something into the report under Mitchell's nose, like Manny or Ortiz being on the list. I'm not making accusations here, I'm merely trying to shed a little light onto my suspicions of a hidden agenda.

The report will do nothing but maim ballplayer's reputations, regardless of guilt or innocence, and then who knows as to the long range ramifications to those player's careers. But as much as I despise this whole issue, the real bottom line is that if that idiot Bud Selig would have done his job as baseball's commissioner none of this would be an issue today. Thanks again Buddy Boy --- you moron.

Answer 8

It will definitely be something to read in the toilet or gather dust in the bookshelf because it's more like "duh, tell us something we did not already know".....

I think that this Mitchell person is pushing for some type of run at a political office, so he's using his current position to make some waves in political circles just to show the voters and fellow bureaucrats that he can do something more than walk and chew gum at the same time.....

At the expense of baseball players, he's trying to showboat so that lawmakers will take him seriously..... Why only baseball players? Why not track and field, football, soccer, basketball or tennis????? I guess the almighty Selig paid him off to produce some kind of circus to defame professional baseball players and take some of the heat from Bud's non-actions.

Answer 9

I like how they've been building it up like a summer blockbuster or a Harry Potter book:

It's being released on Thurs 12/13 and the names will shock you!!!


Cut the drama and release the names already. I guess George Mitchell just wanted some hype to build up his confidence and self esteem...kinda like when they play "Pomp & Circumstance" at a kindergarten graduation. It makes you feel like you did something important.

Answer 10

Only if it weeds out anyone who has used it. Steroids...who cares if they use em? THis "integrity of the game" crap went out the window when money became the driving force of any sport. Holdouts, strikes, etc... who cares? Shut up and play, and if you want to juice up, let them all juice up. Everyone that is an athlete knows what steroids do, and how they can ruin you. It is a waste of time in my opinion.