Pumping up standards

The cat's out of the bag. New York Yankee Jason Giambi, slugger Barry Bonds and Olympic medal-winner Marion Jones took steroids. And who knows how many others are out there?\nWe are not attempting to condone or condemn steroid usage. Instead, the debate that catches our attention concerns the federal government's interference with the issue: Should baseball clean up its own act, or will Sen. John McCain have to put money where his mouth is very soon?\nAny American would be skeptical about the federal government regulating a private industry, especially a journalist. But we think this is one area where the government should step in. \nSaving the morals and image of America's greatest pastime is, of course, the best reason for government intervention. But another substantial, more relevant reason the government should impose steroid standards on baseball (and other sports) is it significantly decreases the possibility of a strike. Baseball has the strongest players' union in professional sports, which has allowed them to weasel their way out of high standards in the past.\nTheoretically, the players' union could go on strike from the government, but they wouldn't gain anything from it. Bud Selig knows this.\nFinally, the strength of a bat won't be in question anymore, and the game can return to normalcy. Hopefully, all athletes will, too.