Manny being Manny?

First, earlier this season, instead of dealing with the repercussions of a second positive test for performance enhancing drugs, Manny Ramirez decided to retire.  Now, in the same season he decided to retire, he has been arrested for domestic battery for slapping his wife across the face.

 

Back in 2004, Manny Ramirez was a hero.  He was a major factor in the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series that season.  Yes, he still had his intricacies, where it was just "Manny being Manny," but most of those things were able to be swept under the rug because of who Manny Ramirez was to baseball fans.  He still had the personality that made him loveable, and baseball fans either loved him, or loved to hate him.

 

But now, fans are tired of Manny Ramirez.  He's lost that sparkle that made him so lovable, and now, to put it frankly, people are tired of putting up with his crap.  I think that some people were happy that he retired, rather than being suspended for 100 games, because then they knew he couldn't come back and pull even more stunts like he had in seasons past.  But instead, while retired, he decides to abuse his wife and ends up being arrested for it, and of course that makes headlines.  I think everyone, including myself, is ready for Manny Ramirez to simply go away.  Yes, he was a great player.  Yes, for a while he was fun to watch.  But that's over now.  But he won't be elected in to the hall of fame, especially after the second positive test.  No one wants Manny to be Manny anymore, because no one cares.  Do everyone a favor and disappear.

The Tragedies Need to End...

I've been reading a lot about the recent deaths of professional athletes.  The really sad thing is that a lot of these deaths have been because of suicide.  Now I know, as a former athlete (although never close to the professional level) that athletes put a lot of pressure on themselves to be great, not only in their sport but in their life.  That pressure mounts when you are told that you are good at what you do.  You constantly want to be seen in that way.  So when you feel like you aren't living up to your expectations, it hits you very hard.  Something needs to be done.  We need to find a way to help these athletes.  Before competing in any sport, you have to have a physical check-up, but what about a mental one?  Does that not affect your game as well?  Athletes are dying, by taking their own lives.  Is there no way to help them?  To see that there is something wrong?  To get them help?  It is tragic, and if it can some how be prevented, it needs to be.  These deaths not only affect their family and friends, but the whole sports community.  We need to stop the pain.  We need to prevent this.  We need to help.