Hall of Fame Grandstanding- Gaurdian UK

[go west young man]

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/robert_weintraub/2008/02/hall_of_fame_grandstanding.html

You probably have heard about the circus in the halls of the US Congress this past week, when baseball great Roger Clemens appeared before a panel of alternately aggrieved and worshipful lawmakers, to answer accusations of steroid and human growth hormone usage. You can be forgiven for not watching the nearly five hours of spinning, grandstanding, and J'accuse-ing, as it was particularly punishing to endure.

Later in the day, buried in a different part of Capitol Hill, was another congressional investigation into cheating in sports. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was called to DC by senator Arlen Specter to answer questions about the New England Patriots, their habitual misuse of video cameras to spy on opponents and why the NFL destroyed evidence collected back in September of last year when the practice first came to light.

So why, with a pair of mismanaged wars going on, a White House that uses the Constitution as toilet tissue, a housing and credit crisis threatening the nation's major financial institutions, and various other catastrophes seemingly worthy of congressional energies, is the legislative branch wasting its time with sports?