Rick

To be honest, I'm not really sure about the current Pete Rose situation. I heard about the interview but never heard what actually happened. However, I will offer my view on the Pete Rose situation so many years ago.

I think it is disgraceful that he would place bets on the game he plays. It has been my opinion that too many sports are being ruined these days by the tidal wave of cash which is pumped into them. It is for this reason (and because I am a devout Red Sox fan) that the Yankees winning the world series last night does no interest me in the slightest. As soon as the two underdogs were knocked out, it became not the series to describe the two best teams of the decade, but a boring series between two rent-a-franchises battling for a title that has long since been payed for. "Team is Money" must be the favorite slogan of Ted Turner and George Steinbrenner. One of the reasons I love the Red Sox is that they have a comparitively low payroll, no more than 2 big stars, and yet they battled their way to the ALCS. They did this for one reason. They simply work well together. That and the fact that they have a spirited fan base and a great starting pitcher alone got them to the second round of the playoffs. Seeing New York dominate with their made-to-buy Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams is no fun. However, I digress.

The Pete Rose situation is similar. When you pump a lot of money into a sport, it becomes spoiled. Although Pete Rose may not have been a cheater, he may very well have inspired other players to throw games, or a mob boss to lay another heavy bet on "his" team. Rose is disgraceful for the same reason Joe Jackson was and it was right of the league to make an example out of him.

Rob

P.S. In Ireland, some of the most talented athletes in the world compete in two of the nations most popular and certainly most exciting sports, Hurling and Gaelic Football......for free!