> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Kiss my asterisk: Burying a slugger
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/kiss-my-asterisk-burying-a-slugger/
- Published: 2007-11-23T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T01:16:57.000Z
- Author: Jack Neworth
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

GIVEN THE CURRENT STATE OF THE world, I feel sorry for young people. Sure, they have all the latest gizmos: iPods, iPhones, Blackberrys, YouTube, MySpace and text messaging. And, somehow, they know how to use all of that, even to the point of text messaging while driving. (And you thought putting on makeup was dangerous.) But look at their role models. When I was a teenager, we had JFK. I don’t know too many kids today who want to be just like George Bush. (Just as well, because they wouldn’t pass high school English.) JFK initiated the Peace Corps as a noble idea for American youth to help those less fortunate all around the world. Today, young girls look up to Paris, Lindsay and Britney, who don’t seem terribly noble, unless you consider drunk-driving and not wearing panties noble.And teenage boys emulate rappers. I wonder if 20 years from now they’ll listen to the “Oldies, but Goodies” station to such wistful tunes as “Back it up, Biatch?”

Instead of being “young and innocent,” today’s kids are “young and cynical.” Look at the world they see: Money, power, greed and war. (Other than that, it’s a Disney movie?) They see the planet imploding from pollution and our president lie to us, and even to his press secretary. (Revealed in Scott McClellan’s upcoming book “What Happened?”) And they see heroic young people die or get permanently disabled in a senseless war 70 percent of our country is against. And many who come home injured are hassled by the VA just to get their benefits. Google “Ty Ziegel” and see for yourself. (He had his face blown off, so be prepared, the photos are as graphic as the story is infuriating.) They read that the FBI says Blackwater killed 14 innocent Iraqis in one day and that $9 billion of U.S. taxpayer monies just vanished. And they also see the Pentagon demand Jordan Fox, who lost vision in one eye from an IED, return $3,000 of his signing bonus because he was so injured he was sent home early. Is it any wonder our kids are cynical?

Even the sports world, which is supposed to be an escape from the harsh realities of life, too often is the harsh reality of life. Every day another sports hero becomes another sad commentary and none sadder than the case of Marion Jones. Even in junior high, it was obvious Marion was destined for stardom. She was a young, beautiful and gifted athlete who embodied the American dream. And sure enough, at the 2000 Olympics, Marion won five medals, but recently was forced to give them back. In a tearful confession, she admitted to the world she had used steroids. Marion pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators in the Balco investigation and now faces time in prison.

On Monday, former professional football player Michael Vick voluntarily surrendered to federal marshals. He’s now in jail awaiting sentencing. This past August, Vick pleaded guilty to conspiracy dog-fighting charges and admitted he helped drown or electrocute six to eight pit bull dogs. Vick could receive five years in jail and also faces potential state charges for the dog-fighting enterprise. No one in football had more talent, future or wealth. (Vick signed a $120 million contract.) And now, all of that is gone. One wonders how or why.

To Jones’ and Vick’s credit, they ultimately admitted to their crimes. I doubt very much Barry Bonds will. He was recently indicted by the federal government on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice, stemming from his testimony in 2003 about his alleged steroid use. I should note that Bonds is “presumed innocent,” though I confess I practically gag using that expression in his case.

This past year, Bonds broke perhaps the most coveted record in all of sports — the all-time home run mark. The question, of course, is did Bonds use steroids? The answer is it sure as hell looks that way. The biggest indictment (pun intended) suggesting he used steroids wasn’t just the size of his head, which seemed to get bigger each year, but rather his feet, which went from a size 10 to a 13\. I’ve heard of a “late growth spurt,” but this is ridiculous.

Maybe the answer is athletes are swimming in the same water as the rest of us, polluted by money, fame and false values. And it isn’t just athletes. University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban compared his team’s sub-par year to the disasters at Pearl Harbor and on 9/11\. Talk about getting your priorities straight. Whatever the reason, kids today may tell their grandchildren not that they saw Barry Bonds break the home run record, but that they saw him get indicted.

JACK NEWORTH also writes the TV review column “Channel Surfing.” He

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 23, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112307.pdf?ref=smdp.com)