practice squad when starter Carson Palmer was hurt last month. Th

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Baseball Writers Association of America continued to serve as the moral police on Tuesday. First of all, congratulations to the newest electees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as pitchers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and John Smoltz, all got in on their first time on the ballot, while Craig Biggio enters one year after coming up just two votes shy. There is no question all four deserved to be in and while the general consensus is that this is a good day for baseball, Im not so sure. Yes, Cooperstown will be rocking next July with four people going in, but Im still focused on the guys who did not get in. And I am not even talking about the Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens types. I am talking about the guys who have now been labled steroid abusers without a shred of evidence by the BBWAA. If I had a vote Bonds and Clemens would be on my ballot, but I can at least understand why they are not on others. Someone, though, has to explain to me why Mike Piazza is not in the Hall of Fame. It was ridiculous that he wasnt in last year and its even more absurd that he has to wait for a third ballot. Piazza is the best hitting catcher of all-time. There is no dispute about that. But, the rank and file of the BBWAA has pegged him as someone who may have taken performance-enhancing drugs without any evidence. Piazza was the closest of those not elected and received 69.9 percent of the vote and was 28 votes shy of election. He is going to get in at some point and hes far from the best player not to get elected on his first or even second try. Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar and even Joe DiMaggio were passed over their first time around too. Yes, Joe DiMaggio was not a first-ballot Hall of Famer. This isnt some grass-roots campaign to get Piazza in, I just cant take the fact that people chose not to vote him in because, maybe, just maybe he may have dabbled with PEDs. Although nobody knows for sure. There is no paper trail like there is with guys like Bonds or Clemens. The only red flag for him are the obscene offensive numbers produced by a catcher in an era where the numbers were skewed by the guys we know were using. That and speculation from blogger Murray Chass, who once noted that Piazza had a case of back acne. So, of course, that means he is guilty. Career tarnished. And you can throw Jeff Bagwell into that same mix too. Now if you held a gun to my head and asked me if either of those two guys took PEDs, Id say yes, especially in the case of Bagwell. But a whole lot of other people did in that time, too. Is it the 75-percent that Jose Canseco once claimed? Im not sure, but its probably not far from that number and Id be willing to bet some of them who did take them have already been elected. Remember, the Mitchell Report flat out stated that as far back as 1973 performance enhancing drug use in baseball was alarming. Now, there is nothing to suggest that Pedro, Unit or Smoltz ever used PEDs, but why are they not under the same scrutiny that Piazza seems to be? Pedro and Unit were as dominant as any pitchers we have seen in the last 50 years and Smoltz had to overcome Tommy John surgery in 2000 and eventually became one of the more dominant closers in the league. Are we 100-percent sold Smoltz did not take anything to speed up that recovery? If you smile a lot and get along well with the press, those questions dont seem to come up I guess. Forget Piazza, though, the Hall will always be tarnished for me until it opens its doors to Bonds and Clemens. The same group of people who chose to give Darin Erstad and Tom Gordon Hall of Fame votes are the ones who decided to keep Bonds and Clemens out. Makes perfect sense. When you go to a museum about American history, are the bad times just ignored? Of course not. And what exactly are they trying to keep so sacred up in Cooperstown? The Hall of Fame features a guy like Ty Cobb, someone who may have been a better racist than he was a ballplayer. And thats saying something. And Cobb is nowhere near the only bad guy in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Thats the point. For some reason, though, PEDs are the hill BBWAA will die on. Now, Piazza stands a good chance at getting in next year, as Ken Griffey Jr. is really the only lock candidate on the ballot. Dont get me started on Trevor Hoffman. Hell probably get in at some point, but it wont be his first time on the ballot. Regardless, balloting has become the all powerful BBWAA getting up on their high horse and letting the world know that they are the ones who judge the games most extraordinary individual honor. Jamize Olawale Jersey . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. Michael Gallup Jersey . The 25-year-old McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, was eligible to play for either Ireland or Team GB when golf makes its return to the Olympics in Brazil for the first time since 1904. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/terrell-owens-jersey/ . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. Tavon Austin Cowboys Jersey . - Jesse Shynkaruk scored a hat trick as the Moose Jaw Warriors snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders in Western Hockey League action on Saturday. Leighton Vander Esch Cowboys Jersey . Moments after scoring and setting off another wild celebration at Minsk arena, Platt leapt into the arms of Belarusian captain Alexei Kalyuzhny.TEMPE, Ariz. - This week on his weekly national radio appearance, Arizona coach Bruce Arians was asked about the possibility of benching quarterback Drew Stanton.That was the dumbest damn question Ive ever heard in my life, Arians told reporters Wednesday.The truth is, there are no options.Rookie Logan Thomas is considered a long-term project with a rocket, but erratic arm. The other quarterback is Ryan Lindley, Arizonas No. 3 at the position last season who was beaten out by Thomas in training camp and was picked up off San Diegos practice squad when starter Carson Palmer was hurt last month. Theres nobody out on the street, either, to come in and save the day.With Stanton at the controls, the Cardinals have lost two in a row to slice their lead in the NFC West to one game over Seattle. Arizonas offence went 28 consecutive possessions without a touchdown before getting one late in last weekends 29-18 loss at Atlanta.The pressure is new to Stanton, who hadnt taken a regular-season snap in four years before Palmer injured his shoulder early this season.For me, its a learning experience every time I step out on the field, he said. Ive only got a handful of starts under my belt, but at the same time I feel like Im progressing. The biggest thing is not letting these mistakes grow and really cost us out there, but learn from them and move on and hopefully dont repeat them again.Despite their two losses, the Cardinals (9-3) still are tied for the best record in the NFL going into Sundays home game against Kansas City (7-5). Stanton is 3-3 as a starter.Hes had two rough games, Arians said, but the guys around him havent played very well.Against Seattles punishing defence two weeks ago, Stanton completed 14 of 26 for 140 yards with one interception and was sacked seven ttimes.dddddddddddd Wide receiver Jaron Brown dropped a pass in the end zone. Against Atlanta last Sunday, he was 24 of 39 for 294 yards, many of them coming on that late seven-play, 80-yard scoring drive. He was intercepted twice.The Falcons game was a failure all around, Arians said, a listless performance by just about everyone. He has not yelled at his players this week, though.I dont want to single guys out, but we had some guys who had been playing at a very, very high level get blocked by backups, Arians said. We had guys not getting open in times where they shouldve, and not tackling. Just turn on the tape and watch the tape. The tapes embarrassing enough.It hasnt helped that Arizonas running game has been awful, compiling 64 yards in 40 carries against Seattle and 35 yards in 11 carries at Atlanta.Running back Andre Ellington, already with foot and hip problems, sustained a hip pointer (in the other hip) and didnt practice on Wednesday. Neither did two starting linemen, left tackle Jared Veldheer and right guard Paul Fanaika, with ankle injuries. If Fanaika cant go, last years first-round draft pick Jonathan Cooper would start at one of the guard spots. Cooper, coming back from a broken leg, lost his job in training camp and only recently has seen any playing time.Stanton and the rest of the offence will welcome back Larry Fitzgerald, the eight-time Pro Bowl receiver who missed the last two games with a bruised knee.Larry brings a ton of passion, and hes also a big playmaker, Arians said. Hell probably catch a couple of those high balls. Hes not dropping the one in Seattle, thats for sure. ... 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