Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBug708
I do wonder if Manfred thought the cheating was more widespread that it actually was. When Brady got busted for deflategate, you didn't see Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, or whoever else you want to call a star call out Brady, saying his rings were tainted. You have reigning MVP's calling out the Astros and the Commish. If it was as widespread as most Astros' fans tend to think it is, I think you would have seen a much more muted response to the whole scandal, with the players just wanting to move on. But it clearly struck a nerve, at least cheating with a real time camera, to where almost everyone is saying the response has been inadequate.
I also find it hard to believe that the Astros had enough players come and go over the past couple of years that they'd be willing to speak on behalf of the Astros situation, but maybe only Fiers wants to be a "snitch" as many have referred to him as, while the rest of the players are just shutting up?
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I think the better comparison is Spygate
But even then, I think the bigger factor was that it was the Houston Astros. Not so much the players but the organization. From what I can tell, the Astros brass made it a point to shit on to every organization in baseball. I don't get that sense from any NFL organization towards the Patriots. There may be dislike but it is the dislike that comes from dealing with the team that wins all the time. It is not from the Pats telling them they less than the crap on the bottom of their shoes. Is there that feeling about any other organization in the game? I don't know if the Nationals for example would get a tenth of the grief that Astros are getting if they did it. It would be bad in general and the Dodgers specifically would have intense feeling towards them, but I don't think it drives the rest of baseball as crazy.
I also think that Astro mindset and behavior led Fiers to speak out as well. It is one thing to denied your dirt to people who are and have always been on the outside. It is completely different when you do it to someone who was on the inside during the cheating. I went back and looked. Fiers did not play in the playoffs during that World Series run and a below average player for them that season. Then, he was with Detroit the next season. Can you bang trash cans against a guy who knows the deal and then do the dugout dances to celebrate your greatness afterwards?