Innocent until proven guilty...

...But not in the court of public opinion.

Once your name finds its way into a steroid allegation, you're screwed for life, unless you somehow dig up evidence to clear your name from the mud.

It's sad, but it's the way of life. And that's why I have no sympathy for the players named in the Mitchell Report. How does that make sense? Because a huge fraud was perpetrated here, by everyone involved: the players, first and foremost. The owners and other baseball employees who turned a blind eye, the commissioner (who somehow thinks he's exonerated now that the report was released), and the media. Everyone ignored it. And everyone must pay the price for keeping the ol' boys club circle closed to protect each other's bottom line.

I'm not saying the Mitchell Report is perfect. Far far from it. The only evidence in there is circumstantial and based on the words of two guys who are facing federal charges and two MLB players (Jason Giambi and Frank Thomas). But every time they encountered a new name, the committee called the player and gave him a chance to speak. Once these guys got the phone call, they knew that their names would appear in the report but they ignored it. They decided to protect each other instead of protecting themselves, their reputations, and their families. Of course they probably felt under attack and they probably didn't want to give the investigation any credence. But this is it. This will be how history remembers the Steroid Era of Baseball. Right or wrong.

Look at Jason Giambi- he was implicated, testified at a grand jury hearing, and publicly apologized. Did he want to do that? Of course not. But his reputation is in tact. He's seen as a guy who stood up, admitted his mistakes, and moved on. Do you hear anyone booing him anymore? No one cares about Giambi anymore. But we're still talking about Bonds. McGwire. Sosa. And the whispers about Roger Clemens will now be spoken out loud, simply because his name showed up in the report. No one is going to care whether or not the report is based in pure fact or conjecture. A future Hall-of-Famer was named and now he's guilty in the court of public opinion.

You're name is in this report and you feel you're innocent? Well then, open your mouth and say so. And confront your player colleagues and force them through public shaming and peer pressure to step up and take responsibility for their actions and for sullying the names of every player who played in this era. Wishful thinking, I know, but again, I have little sympathy.