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Hands-up to those surprised to learn Alex Rodgriguez confessed back in January to doing business with Miami steroid dealer Tony Bosch and using performance-enhancing drugs just as Major League Baseball alleged? Anyone? We didnt think so. Twenty-six years after Ben Johnson professed his innocence to a nation that desperately wanted to believe him. It doesnt take a cynic to roll their eyes in the face of busted athlete drug cheats who profess their innocence. We all know the script of the busted athlete who tries to position him or herself as the victim in a performance-enhancing drug witch hunt. It goes a little something like this: I have always prided myself on my ability to compete clean, I would never disrespect the game, my teammates, the fans and most of all my family. You know the rest. With a parade of all-stars from Marion Jones to Lance Armstrong to Ryan Braun, it was almost laughable that at this stage of things Alex Rodriguez thought he could convince anyone of his innocence, never mind the people who were out to get him. What we need to understand is that taking performance-enhancing drugs is a simple risk-reward proposition for a lot of athletes, during which time they understand the public plea they will have to make if they are accused or caught. So while we might wonder how athletes can so easily compromise their integrity by flat-out lying to the very people who have made them what they are, this part of the equation is settled long before the gotcha moment. Former Canadian sprinter Angela Isajenko said it more than two decades ago during the Dubin Inquiry into drugs in sports when she described the athletes handbook for what to do when you are caught: deny, deny, deny. The few who have deviated from that script are far and few between. Years ago, I wrote a piece in The Globe and Mail which suggested it was difficult to know whether to cheer for Lance Armstrong, purely for the reason that he was so dominant in a sport that was well-known to be dirty. The vitriol I received in response from Armstrong fans, many of them cancer survivors who considered him a real-life hero, was unlike anything I have received before or since in my career. They were simply horrified that I could even entertain the idea that someone of his character and accomplishments might be a cheat. And besides, hed already faced-down his accusers in public and pledged his innocence. Did I really think he would let down the legions of people to whom he was nothing less than a superhero? We all know how that story ended. Im sure there are athletes who test positive or are accused via investigation of using performance-enhancing drugs and it all turns out to be a mistake. I just cant think of any. Alex Rodriguez lying and then eventually confessing to performance-enhancing drug use hardly qualifies as disappointment. And he may truly be as detestable as he seems. But in this case, hes not the worst of the worst. He was merely travelling down the same well-worn path of those who came before him. Nike Air Max 720 Herren Günstig . Then again, he really was at his home away from home. "It was nice to sleep in my own bed last night," Shields said after pitching Kansas City past the San Diego Padres 8-0 Wednesday. Nike Air Max 95 Herren Sale .com) - Guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Patrick Patterson, two key pieces to the Toronto Raptors run to an Atlantic Division title in 2013-14, were both given qualifying offers by the team on Saturday. http://www.shopairmaxschweiz.com/air-max...ake-kaufen.html. Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon Kaufen . With the suspension, Nigeria is unable to take part in any kind of international fixtures. FIFA had issued a warning to the NFF last week after the federation was served with court proceedings from the government that prevented the NFFs president from running the NFFs day-to-day affairs. Nike Air Max 720 Fake Kaufen . Gorges is believed to have suffered the injury while blocking a shot with a hand during Montreals win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The Canadiens added to their defensive depth this week by acquiring veteran Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Detroit Tigers insisted that they werent trying to make a statement. They accomplished it anyway. Ian Kinsler hit a two-run homer, everyone in the Detroit starting lineup had a hit by the fourth inning and the Tigers pounded Jason Vargas and the second-place Kansas City Royals 10-1 on Friday night to add another game to their AL Central lead. The Tigers (85-68), who now lead the division by 1 1/2 games, have forged their advantage by dominating head-to-head matchups. They are 12-5 against the Royals his season. "We just went out there and did what were capable of doing," Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter said. "But there are no statements. Our intent is just to play the game." Justin Verlander (14-12) had all the support he needed by the end of the first inning, when the Tigers had shelled Vargas (11-10) for three runs on five hits. Detroit tacked on a run in the second, another in the fourth and then broke things open with a five-run fifth. Lost amid the offensive onslaught was a fine performance by Verlander, who had struggled his last three times out. The 2011 Cy Young winner allowed one run on seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. "He certainly seemed like he was up for this game," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "It was there up there with one of the best games hes had all season." Vargas allowed five runs on nine hits in 3 1-3, his shortest outing since April 16, 2013. "Its my responsibility to set the tone," he said. "They were hitting good pitches and I was leaving pitches up in the zone. I just wasnt able to put us in the right direction." Now, its up to the Royals to change course in a hurry. "Theres no carry-over," manager Ned Yost said. "They whipped us, they beat us, they spanked us, whatever you want to say. Well show up again tomorrow and be ready to play." Kansas City came into the weekend off a momentum-building win over the White Sox, and a day off Thursday allowed anticipation of the series to swell. Fans snatched up every last ticket, pounding the plastic "thundersticks" given away at the turnstiles as the Royals opened arguably their most important set of games since the 1985 World Series. It took about 15 minutes for silence to grip the ballpark. Kinsler led off the game with a single, and after Hunter flied out, the Tigers raapped out three straight hits to take the lead.dddddddddddd. Hunter got his hit the next inning, an RBI double, and James McCann became the last Detroit player in the starting lineup with a hit in the fourth. His single and ensuing stolen base were the first of McCanns career. Royals relievers Casey Coleman and Louis Coleman could do little to stop the bleeding as the Tigers pounded out 15 hits by the fifth inning. And those fans that had packed "the K" to see the first act of a pennant-chase drama? Many were already streaming for the exits. Kinsler paced the Tigers offence with three RBIs, and Eugenio Suarez added a pair. Everyone in the starting lineup but McCann, J.D. Martinez and Rajai Davis drove in a run. That included 35-year-old Victor Martinez, whose run-scoring single in the first inning gave him 100 RBIs to go with 31 home runs. The only players older than him to become first-time members of the 30-100 club have been Carlton Fisk (1985) and Edgar Martinez (2000). "Its nice," Martinez said, "but at the same time, I dont look at those numbers. Were in the middle of a race. Thats all that matters." BLOWOUTS AT THE K Detroit has outscored Kansas City 60-21 in eight games at Kauffman Stadium this season. "We love the backdrop," Hunter said. "We love the stadium." CHECK THE BOX SCORE With the game out of reach early, both managers substituted liberally, giving their stars a chance to rest with a noon first pitch on Saturday. They combined to use 31 position players. TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: C Alex Avila remains sidelined with concussion-like symptoms. He tried working out Friday but again felt dizzy. ... RHP Anibal Sanchez (strained chest muscle) had no issues after a bullpen session Thursday. He plans to throw a simulated game Sunday. Royals: LHP Tim Collins was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. The Royals considered bringing him back a few weeks ago, but Royals manager Ned Yost said a back injury kept him in the minors. ON DECK Tigers: RHP Max Scherzer (16-5) tries to beat Kansas City for the second time in less than two weeks. He allowed one run over 6 1-3 innings in a 4-2 victory on Sept. 9. Royals: RHP James Shields (14-7) beat Detroit at Comerica Park the following day, tossing seven shutout innings. He only allowed two hits and a walk in that game. ' ' '