On December 3rd, I wrote about my reaction to Tiger’s accident outside his home on Friday morning, November 27th (See “Tiger Woods”).  I wrote about the statement Tiger made about his “transgressions,” and the development that he had had several affairs in the past.  I wrote that although his sins may be grave, and that some people may never respect him as a man, people must still respect him as a golfer and respect him for what he has done for the game.

Now it appears the tables may have been turned.  Dr. Anthony Galea, a Canadian sports doctor, was arrested October 15th for the possession and dissemination of HGH and other PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs).  Dr. Anthony Galea has now been tied to some of the athletes involved in the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) steriod scandal.  Tiger Woods was treated by Dr. Galea, for what both sides agree to have been blood spinning, more technically known as platelet rich plasma spinning.  This procedure is legal and is not a form of performance enhancement.  It is a way of speeding up recovery after injury, and Tiger used this procedure during his year long recovery from his knee injury.  He said that it worked wonders for his knee, and was a big reason he was able to come back so quickly from his injury.

This new development has sparked a new debate.  Tiger’s play on the course, which to this point has never been questioned, is now under the microscope.  Although this procedure is completely legal, the American public thinks the worst when an athlete partakes in a “non-natural” type activity.  They think that the athlete is simply another peformance enhancer who has let down his supporters.  For example, almost every Major League pitcher who has been caught using PEDs has claimed, as Tiger did, that it was just an effort to recover from injury, or to come back more quickly after a start or long relief appearance.  Pitchers did not claim that their steroid use was in an effort to become bigger and stronger.  So is this case different?  Is the American public supposed to just not make that connection between the pitchers’ cases and Tiger’s case?  For right or for wrong, the public has become critical of athletes who have done anything more than practicing and lifting weights to improve themselves as athletes.  Therefore, the fact that Tiger received blood spinning has further fueled the debate about the validity of Tiger Woods as a person and as a golfer.

The next question is: Why did Tiger need to go to Galea for a blood spinning procedure?  Blood spinning is a simple procedure that can be done by doctors who aren’t extremely specialized, such as orthopedic surgeons.  I can’t answer that question, and neither Tiger nor his agent have attempted to answer that question.  This more than anything leads the public to believe that Tiger wasn’t there simply for a blood spinning procedure.  Most, including myself, do not believe that Tiger would go to a doctor based in Toronto for a blood spinning procedure that could be performed easily by an orthopedic surgeon.  There had to be something else going on, and it just so happens that this doctor was heavily involved in the prescription and distribution of PEDs to major athletes.

So, was Tiger taking steroids?  I try not to judge, but here is what i see.  He had a blood spinning procedure done to speed up his recovery from his knee injury.  This procedure is legal, but the American public is reluctant to accept the legality of procedures where athletes take steps to hasten their recovery from injury or stress.  My main question is:  Why would he go to all the trouble to have this relatively simple procedure done by an obscure doctor?  And can it really be coincidence, given all the steroid use in sports today, that Tiger had a simple procedure done by an obscure doctor who is now the center of a PEDs investigation?  I find it difficult to assume that to be completely coincidental.  I believe that Tiger took PEDs from Galea.

If Tiger did take steroids or another form of PED, how should the world view him as an athlete?  Tiger was recently voted the Top Athlete of the 2000s by a large margin.  Would Americans lose respect for him as a golfer?  I think that I would.  Golf is a gentleman’s sport, and the icon of the sport should not be labeled as a cheater.  He has done so much for the sport, but if his image continues to come crashing down as it has the past month, he could destroy the sport more quickly than he built it up.  The image of hard work, dedication, respect, and class among golfers has been (wrongly) broken by Tiger Woods.  For a sport that needed to grow so much (and still does), a complete fallout by Tiger could cause irreparable damage.

Yesterday, F and I were talking about some of the female surgical residents in his program when Ayay asked, “Girls can be doctors?”

“Of course! Your Nana Joy is a doctor. You can be a doctor if you want to be,” I said to her.

“No,” she answered. “I’m going to be dancer!”

“That’s great. Follow your heart. You can be anything you want to be.”

“No…I just like to think about pretty stuff.”

Future Dancer and Lover of Pretty Stuff

You gotta love what goes on in the minds of 4-year-olds!

Well, he at least was arrested on suspicion of assault. Assault with a deadly weapon at that. To clear up what I’m saying, The son of Barry Bonds allegedly assaulted his mother Sun Bonds. Reportedly he threw a door knob at her. I guess the door knob was the deadly weapon? Nikolai Bonds, 19, also was charged with vandalism because he broke some pictures and vases during his tantrum. Sounds like ‘roid rage to me!

I figure it’s only fair that I chime in on this arrest since I did so when the son of another former PED user was arrested. That would be Koby Clemens, son of Roger for disorderly conduct on August 31, 2008. So I think we now see a conclusive correlation between PED using fathers and violent sons. Or maybe it’s just superstar fathers and sons who feel they’re entitled. Or maybe it’s just people being people.

In the news . . .

Sprint providing law enforcement with subscribers GPS information.

Is Wikipedia becoming an oligarchy?

Disabled mayor prepared to bring ADA claim against Disney World for treatment over four-wheeled iBOT at Magic Kingdom. German tourist arrested at same park for making security checkpoint bomb joke.

Apple’s purchase of LaLa could be a sign that iTunes is moving to the cloud.

Openly gay Idol runner-up Adam Lambert getting no love from ABC after performance at American Music Awards. Here, too.

Ex-husband’s home video of J-Lo determined not to be of a sexual nature; J-Lo still suing for breach of contract over ex’s plan to release as part of a documentary.

Freedom of religion? Critics attack PETA for most recent nude advertisement.

Federal Reserve launches plan to warn movie-goers about risk of credit card abuse through 45-second PSA.

New reality television show involving competition amongst disabled is raising a few eyebrows.

Pfizer buys rights to “groundbreaking” Israeli technology for $115 million; will use plant cells to make protein-based drugs rather than the more unsafe animal cells.

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency reveals program to fight sale of steroids commonly distributed through legal dietary supplements. Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency releases new guidelines for monitoring athletes’ blood profiles.

Defamation lawsuit dismissed against Dixie Chicks for lack of proof of actual malice.

Damaging deposition from friend of Jon Gosselin adds twist to TLC lawsuit.

White House may not be all Michaele Salahi has crashed recently as reports surface about Washington Redskins cheerleading intrusions.

Ayay participated in her 2nd ballet performance of her dance career! The winter show was entitled Rudolph and included all the key characters including Rudolph, Clarice, Misfit Toys, Yukon Cornelius, the Abominable Snow Monster and most importantly, the Baby Reindeer.

The Baby Reindeer kicked off the entire performance. The lights went down, the curtain rose and greeting the crowd with black noses and perky antlers were the baby reindeer! Ayay spotted us immediately, as we were in the front row, and her beaming smile never left her face. She pranced, smiled and waved at us over and over again. It was precious!

Can you spot our baby reindeer?

3rd from left

Although the MLB season ended almost a month ago, and many fans have since directed their full attention to other professional and college sports, for me, the offseason is where the magic happens. Since my Philadelphia Phillies fell just short of glory, I have been recurringly checking for a holiday miracle signing at third base. (If by chance the Phillies brass is reading this, all I really want for Christmas is Chone Figgins.) But this offseason is notable for reasons other than a second straight year of slow activity and economy-effected salary decreases. There will be a new face around baseball this year as one man officially ascended into some pretty important shoes this week–and, no, I’m not talking about TBS’s replacement for absurd, former announcer Chip Caray, who was let go after too many botched play calls and silly catch phrases, i.e., “pensman” and “fisting”.

Legal Counsel Michael Weiner becomes the new head of the MLBPA

Donald Fehr, who served as head of the MLB Players Association since 1986, announced his intention to step down this past October, and his retirement became official this week. Michael Weiner, a Harvard Law graduate and long-time general counsel for the union, will take his place. Fehr’s departure caused some short-lived controversy as he was awarded an $11 million compensation package. The immediate reaction failed to consider that the hardworking Fehr had refused a salary increase each year since 2001 when he began receiving $1 million annually. Compare him to everyone’s favorite Scrooge, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, who reportedly takes down $18 million per year, which would make him roughly the tenth highest paid player before considering other perqs/perks. But I digress.

So why is Weiner’s position so important? Because he represents a pretty powerful union (one where the average salary of its members is over three mil) that butts heads with its employer every few years, with potentially monumental repercussions for America. The next such conflict is set to occur in 2011 when the current labor agreement expires. I’ve previously discussed why fans should be fearful when that time comes, a theory bolstered with the Yankees’ recent championship–I’m telling you, it was bad for baseball! And while payroll disparities may take front stage, Weiner has other considerations to start resolving.

Some are rather mundane and uncontroversial. It seems there is already unanimous support for expanding the division playoff series from best-of-five to best-of-seven, while removing some off-days from the postseason schedule. And the union is unlikely to battle the owners on their demand for a draft overhaul that would subject new, foreign players who are currently considered free agents to the same status as amateur, domestic players. This would mean all teams would have the opportunity to sign international talent, if they could afford the expected contract. While an international draft may only attach to Latin America, it would be great if the MLB would also eliminate the posting system currently in effect with Japan. Consider that in 2006 the Boston Red Sox paid over $51 million to the Seibu Lions of Japan just for the right to talk to Japanese superstar Daisuke Matsuzaka–he then signed a contract with the Sox for $52 million over six years.

But for the foreseeable future, the pair of elephants everyone is looking at are named money and drugs.

Money is always a sensitive issue. Poor owners argue there should be a salary cap, as the Marlins’ $36 million payroll is no match for the Yankees’ $201 million investment. Meanwhile, wealthy owners are calling for a salary floor and a revamping of the system to ensure that small-market teams are actually using their revenue sharing funds for the benefit of the team. Opposition to a salary cap is no surprise when you represent the players, but Weiner is not expected to push for a minimum payroll either: “If a club legitimately trying to compete has a plan that calls for them to be at a particularly low payroll for a given year as part of a longer-range plan to compete the following year or years after that, management should have that flexibility.”

In addition, Weiner said the union will be against any sort of hard slotting system for draft picks, in which new players would receive fixed signing bonuses in accordance with their draft rank, rather than possess the ability to receive something above and beyond the “recommendation” the league currently imposes. “This union has always stood for the proposition that, you know, players should have the right to bargain individually for their compensation,” Weiner stated.

The accusation of owner collusion to drive down salaries is always a threat during agreement time as well. As of Wednesday, only nine of 171 free agents had reached deals. (Although, make it at least ten now with the Phillies’ pick-up of third baseman Placido Polanco occurring moments ago. There goes my wish list…) That makes it difficult to set the market for free agents and salaries may decline as a result. But any such drop is tough to segregate from the downtrodden economy’s effect even on professional athletes, so threats of collusion are pretty empty.

As for the steroids issue, there may be some more changes to the testing policy as each passing season reveals a darker tale of performance-enhancing drug use. This year belonged to Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, and, presumably, others will follow. The MLB also slightly increased its number of drug exemptions this year for players claiming to be affected by attention deficit disorder and thus in need of amphetamine-like substances. The number of players totaled 108 this past year, which is roughly 9% of the league and 5% more than the national average for 18 to 44-year-olds. That’s only five more players than in 2007, but it marks another incline from the “mere” 28 that claimed an exemption in 2006. Weiner, however, takes solace in the “healthy percentage of applications for new [therapeutic use exemptions]” that were rejected. Jingle bells.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has launched a new program that seeks to reduce the number of steroid-laced supplements that are available over the counter. Many players that test positive for performance-enhancing drugs claim they picked up something from GNC that they thought was harmless, only to find out later that it contains a banned substance. The agency, apparently in cooperation with the MLB and other sports leagues, is pushing for more effective state and federal legislation that will keep supplements with hidden steroid components from reaching consumers’ bodies. This would be a small move in the right direction, and hopefully Weiner and the union will push for even more regulation–like testing for human growth hormone, for which the league currently has no valid method of screening.

All in all, Weiner has his work cut out for him when it comes time to deal with the owners. The current collective bargaining agreement, negotiated in 2006, made history as the first to be reached before the previous agreement had expired, and joining hands again in 2011 will be difficult unless such critical issues continue to be addressed now.

– Andrew Cunningham

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Bud Selig is planning on leaving the position of Commissioner of Major League Baseball in 2012. (Sign of the end of times?) He says he wants to pursue other interests. I’m wondering what this means for Major League Baseball. My first instinct is that his departure will be good for the MLB. It is impossible to be certain though. Whatever things he’s done or failed to do has led up to baseball being where it is right now. And where is that? Well it’s still a very profitable place to be and it’s still a very popular place to be. While these two facts don’t necessarily mean he was awesome, to me they at least mean he did a fine job.

Plus, we have to remember that he came at a very difficult time, with the steroid era and the strike of 1994. But maybe it can be argued that he made it a very difficult time. Surely steroids weren’t his fault but he could have pursued them aggressively when the whispers in the clubhouses began. Not when Canseco’s book, Juiced, dropped. Or maybe the blame lies with Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and all the others. (Don’t you love how we praise McGwire for helping resurrect baseball after the 1994 strike and then, out of the other side of our mouths we tear him apart for hurting baseball with his steroids use and the unethical way he rewrote the record books?)

I do firmly believe that Fay Vincent should have never been forced out of the commissioner’s office. He was a great leader and he truly put the best interests of the game first. Selig? I believe Selig put money and the owners ahead of the game. But it is what it is. And it’s not that bad.

So where will it go from here? I’ll be content if it maintains the status quo on most levels. I don’t want to see any large steps taken toward reaching parity. I don’t want to see increased revenue sharing or salary caps. I don’t want expansion, but I really don’t want contraction. I don’t want the length of the season altered in anyways except to make there less days off during the playoffs. I would love to see a commish dedicated to making sure that the public understands that baseball games are important even when a team from the Northeast or West coast isn’t involved. I would also like to see limited instant replay introduced in the postseason.

All that to say I’m leaning towards being excited. But baseball is thriving when companies all over America are failing. So maybe I shouldn’t be too excited to see Selig leave.

While traditional hospitals seem to slow down around the holiday season, this year they are moving full steam ahead.  There are new jobs opening and interviews taking place while we’re eating our turkey.  If you’re on vacation for the holiday, don’t forget to have your phone with you so that you don’t miss any new travel nurse positions that might be just right for what you’re looking for.  Also, as we talked about last week, you don’t want to miss that phone call from the nurse manager!

This Week’s New Positions Include:

ICU in Fort Worth, TX

Peds in Miami, FL

ER in Wynnewood, PA

ICU in Gainesville, FL

L&D in Orangeburg, SC

PICU in Mesa, AZ

MS/Tele in Conroe, TX

L&D in Modesto, CA

ER in Chinle, AZ

ICU in Sebring, FL

MS in Billings, MT

NP in Columbia, SC

ER in Tampa, FL

ICU in Grants, NM

OR in Ketchikan, AK

In the news . . .

Wired writer tries to find out if it’s possible to disappear in the digital world.

England’s proposed new copyright laws are extremely controversial.

Insurance company takes away Canadian woman’s long-term sick leave benefit after Facebook photos indicate she wasn’t suffering from depression.

Sony e-Reader attempts to compete with Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, but appears to be unavailable for holiday season. 

The MPAA aggressively pushes protective legislation.

City of Los Angeles wants $3 million repayment for Michael Jackson memorial.

Barnes & Noble blocks hostile takeover by billionaire Ron Burkle.

During latest off-shore pirate scuffle, soldiers resort to bullets after Long Range Acoustic Device proves ineffective.

TLC seeks Jon Gosselin’s secret, hand-written contract with personal assistant in breach of contract case.

Olympic gold medalist Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain stripped of 1,500 meter title for PED disqualification. Meanwhile, Time.com highlights the top sporting cheats of all time.

FDA approves Pfizer’s updated pneumococcal disease vaccine for children.

The Large Hadron Collider is back online.

American Airlines fires web designer for responding courteously to online complaint.

Sixty-nine-year-old online predator in Wales busted by wife, who posed as minor from computer in next room.

Every year about this time, some travel nurses head home for the holidays saying they will return in January to start another journey.  What this means is that the first Monday of the New Year has the highest starts for agencies and hospitals.  If you wait until December, it may be too late to grab one of these assignments and then you may have to wait until February for the next one to come around.  While you’re home with family and friends don’t forget to keep in touch with your Recruiter for new January needs.  What better present than the peace of mind knowing where you’re headed to in January? Areas like Florida and California are known to open their January positions in November while some other states open at the beginning of December.   Enjoy your holidays but remember to keep the communication line open with your recruiter so that you get the best pick of January assignments.

ER for Las Vegas, NV

PICU for Amarillo, TX

L&D for Honolulu, HI

Tele for Hudson, FL

Peds for Tulsa, OK

PICU for Englewood, CO

ICU for San Jose, CA

Peds for Amarillo, TX

ER for Oakland, CA

CVICU for Aventura, FL

PICU for Salt Lake City, UT

In two days I will begin to work in the area that I could only dream of as a new grad: Pediatrics.  I never thought that I could enter into pediatrics this early in my career.  I figured that I would put in my year in adult med-surg and hope for an opening somewhere.  I thank God everyday that I have this opportunity.  Out of the 300+ applicants, I am apart of the 21 chosen to be in this new grad program.  Gawh! Most of the time, at least for me, I don’t know why certain things happen to me.  You know? People ask, and I’m like “I don’t know! But I’m so grateful!” I”m positive there were more qualified people than me, but someone gave me a chance.  Someone saw something in me that was great.  And so, I’ll run with that. I am completely humbled.  Ah, here’s to no vacation for a LONG time!

“Sarah won. I’m glad we have someone that motivated and excited to be here on our team. God knows the rest of us want to shoot ourselves in the face.”—Dunbar

“Every time I win, I keep stacking the salad.”—Cohutta

Unfortunately, Cohutta’s salad is no more.* His massive bank account of over $18,000 was targeted by Darrell, who seemed unflappable in the elimination. Last week, we found out that he was a boxer, and now it’s revealed that he’s a personal trainer as well. It’s not all that surprising, then, that he was so calm while suspended above a tank of water holding 40 pounds of weights.

*Seriously, though, how cool are that guy’s idioms? Last week he talked about what kind of “shimmy” he had. This week he referred to money as “salad” multiple times. God, I’ll miss him. He added a whole new reason to watch the show.

It was more surprising, however, that Sarah was also so calm and collected. She hardly flinched while Johanna struggled to stay above the water and finally succumbed to the pressure. So now the teams remain technically even, if very lopsided in the boy/girl ratio.

Each team now has six players, but they are in completely different scenarios. The Champions have five guys and Susie, while the Challengers have two guys, three girls and Casey. It was unfair of Brad to call Casey out like he did for “not giving her A game,” but his frustration is warranted. There’s no evidence to suggest that Casey is not giving her best, but there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that Casey is just a very, very bad competitor. Is that her fault? Not really. We’re not all blessed with “natural”* strength and speed of all these competitors. But should Brad just carry Casey’s dead weight throughout the competition? No.

*At least the players on these challenges seem more open about PED use than baseball players.

There is really only one logical outcome now: Susie should start to throw the challenges. She is the only remaining girl, so she has to go into the Ruins now. The only variable is who she goes up against. Sarah, Kimberly and KellyAnne have all won at least once in the Ruins. On the other hand, Casey probably wouldn’t be the favorite against several inanimate objects. And while the Champions won’t send Casey into the Ruins, the Challengers would be all too eager to part with her. So if Susie throws the challenge, she gets the opponent she wants—since the Challengers would have the pick—in the Ruins and the Challengers can try to dump their albatross.

While this makes perfect sense, I doubt it happens. For one, not every challenge is throwable (although this week’s would have been perfect), as Wes found out in Week 1. Also, throwing challenges and eliminations brings on a severe scolding from TJ Lavin, and I don’t think Susie wants to deal with that. Mainly, though, throwing challenges is like giving up, even if it’s the most sensible option for a player.

Now I’m bobbing my head like yeah, ranking the teams like yeah…:

Eliminated: Cohutta (Challenger) Johanna (Champion)

I don’t want to imply that Johanna and Wes are meant to be together, but it’s awfully suspicious that she can’t get her head in the game once Wes goes home.

On the Chopping Block: Kimberly (Challenger) Susie (Champion)

Susie’s the only girl left on her side, and Kim’s the weakest girl not named Casey.

The Top Ten:

10. Casey (Challenger, NEW): I just don’t think the Challengers will be able to dump her before the final challenge.

9. Derrick (Champion, +1): The Alliance granted Darrell a free ride into the final for going in, leaving Derrick the most vulnerable Champion guy.

8. Johnny (Champion, —): He’s always been a secondary part of the Kenny-Evan Alliance, so he’s not totally safe.

7. Sarah (Challenger, NEW): She went into the Ruins, so she’s exempt next week. That’s just how the Challengers roll.

6. KellyAnne (Challenger, -1): She’s no longer immune, but she would probably be Susie’s last choice to face in an elimination.

5. Brad (Challenger, -2): Either Brad or Dunbar has to go in next week, and Dunbar’s bigger than Brad. Plus, even if the Challengers win, Brad might go after one of the bank accounts he was salivating over.

4. Dunbar (Challenger, —): I’m still eager to see him go in the Ruins.

3. Kenny (Champion, -1): Flirting with Sarah drops him a spot (although Darrell’s win had something to do with it too).

2. Evan (Challenger, -1): Gasp! How could he have forfeited the #1 spot?

1. Darrell (Challenger, +5): Beating Cohutta not only gave Darrell a bank account of over $31,000, but it also keeps him out of the Ruins until the final.

A friend blames Sosa’s pallid appearance on laser skin rejuvenation.