Opening day is two weeks away and my excitement is waning. Why? Congress is ruining my game.

Its grandstanding for constituents is been more than I can take. Thursday's proceeding was disgusting.

First, Sen. Jim Bunning talked about his days in baseball. For the life of me, I do not know what he added.

Then the San Jose Mercury News writes the two families who spoke at hearing blame baseball and Mark McGwire for their children's deaths.

Before the players had even entered the room, they were already being railroaded.

For the record I do not condone the use of steroids. It's dangerous; it's illegal. But yesterday's event seemed to be a gross misuse of the legislative body.

The Washington Times disagrees. The Web site welcomes the Congressional hearings as a way to force the players and baseball to take a hard look in the mirror.

Does Congress really care? Why now? This has been going on for over 20 years. Jose Canseco has opened Pandora's box and now the President Bush and his cronies feel obligated to have a look. Is Canseco that reliable?

It's all politics. The anti-trust is the only reason this is even being brought forth.
Congress uses it to threaten and puff out its chest.

What did Congress expect? Did they believe that anyone sitting at that table (Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmiero and Jose Canseco) would somehow admit to using an illegal drug without the shield of immunity?

Like passing a car wreck, I had to peek. I had to see what they players would say. For sure, they would deny use, right? Well, in part. The Los Angeles Times reports that Sosa and Palmiero deny using; McGuire took the Fifth.

At one time, he was expected to make the big hit; this day, McGwire took the biggest hit. There was no admission of guilt, yet according to ESPN's Jayson Stark, McGwire's reputation is shot. Somehow he looked smaller, older. Was 1998 that long ago?

McGwire was a guy that kids looked up to. He had no ego. The home-run chase in 1998 was not about personal glory, it was about honoring the past. He did it with taste. The Maris family followed him from city to city waiting for the inevitible. They praised McGwire's nice-guy image. Who better to break the record?

Is the home-run chase now negated? The andro discovery didn't stop us from checking ESPN for every McGwire at-bat. It was amazing. For the first time in years, everyone cared about baseball. The sport had got its patrons back from earlier strikes and attendance has been up ever since.

In a game that has long periods of time without any "action," steroids is a double-edged sword. On one side it has the potential to kill, on the other it allows a player the strength to hit the longball. Fans love the longball.

If Jose Canseco is truthful (I still have my doubts), I will not feel badly for the McGwires of baseball. I'll feel badly for Mike Greenwell, who was second in MVP voting when Jose Canseco became a 40-40 man in 1988. I'll feel bad for Roger Maris' family, especially since Maris isn't in the Hall. Take about injustice. I'll feel badly for all those minor-league players who sat on benches waiting for the "juiced" ones to retire.

Most of all I feel badly for the fans, whose loyalty is yet again being tested.

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