Mark McGwire's Mea Culpa

So. McGwire finally cops to Performance Enhancing Drugs. (PED) No big surprise. He said that the reason he didn’t tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before Congress was that the Powers That Be refused to give him immunity and he would have gone to jail had he admitted the PEDs. Got it. Totally understand. As for his assertion that the PEDs didn’t help him hit homeruns, and were only for augmenting the healing process, I gotta say, the fact that the drugs helped you to heal faster than many of your competitors and gave you the ability to workout longer, they helped you achieve your prowess at the plate.

What is amazing to me here is how so many journalists are piling-on Mark and his confessions. Over and over, they begged him to Come Clean, to Tell the Truth “so we can put this sordid steroid mess behind us,” and when he does, Slam, Bam, Pow: he’s a creep, he’s a cheater, he’s a bum. (Update: Okay. On second thought, it's not amazing.)

To those journalists who are firing bullets at him as fast and as furious as possible, what is the intent of your communication and is your strategy the most effective way to achieve your outcome? If you want other players to Man Up and Be Honest, will your present strategy accomplish this? For those who want to see him suffer for his sins, do you think there’s anything you or the Hall of Fame can do to him that will hurt worse than knowing he let down his sons, his friends, his coach and his teammates?

No doubt, Mark knew he was in for some abuse and he still came forth. What I would coach him to do now is to zip it. Whatever consequences you suffer, take it like a man. No whining, no complaining, just go live your life. Don’t go on Oprah and seek to explain What Happened. Don’t try and place your failures In Context, for no matter how true it might be, it will only be heard as self-justification. Your failures created a weapon that some will refuse to pick up, and others will use, hoping to Make You Pay. Remember: You are the one that created the weapon. Your attitude needs to be, “Do what you will. I refuse to fire back,” and go live your life with the added wisdom and humility you are learning from all of this. Others may choose to forever define you by your past sins. That’s their choice. You can choose otherwise.

Copyright, Monte E Wilson, 2010