Leave it to a legend in the rap game, Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, to give us all the insight we need to get into the mind of some of the key players in the sports entertainment game.

In his latest album, American Gangster, Jay-Z celebrates success in a song called, “Roc Boys.” He gives a shout-out to everyone involved in making his hustle in the “game” possible, helping him vault straight to the top.

The same song could be used to describe what is likely going through the mind of many players implicated lately in the Mitchell Report — an investigative document pointing out alleged steroid and performance-enhancing drug users in professional baseball.

The professional sports “game” is similar to the “game” Jay-Z speaks to. Both games involve people who would do seemingly whatever it takes to make money, even if rules must be bent every which way.

The Mitchell Report only scratches the surface of what appears to be a very widespread amount of PED use through not just professional baseball, but also in the entire pro sports realm. Players of all ranks and classes have been implicated, showing us that not only are the minor leaguers doing what it takes to get rich, but also, players at the top are trying hard to maintain their already high-end lifestyle.

Just looking deeper into the first verse of “Roc Boys,” we get a glimpse of the modern performance-enhanced athlete’s mind, as it runs a parallel to Jay’s version of his “game” –

Line:

“First of all I wanna thank my connect,
the most important person with all due respect…”

Translated: BALCO’s Greg Anderson, Brian McNamee (former Yankees strength and conditioning coach) and Kirk Radomski (former Mets clubhouse attendant) have all served as a main connection for athletes to gain access to supplies of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. Without theses connects, there may not have been as much “juice” to put into the various players’ backsides. The connects were the initial door needed to enter into the long hallway of enhancements that led to fame and success for quite a few players.

Line:

“…thanks to the duffle bag the brown paper bag
the nike shoe box for holding all this cash.”

Translated: Know all that money getting placed in the pockets of the users? The money changing hands via FedEx packages or checks to purchase the enhancement drugs? Who knows where they stored it, but cash was more than likely the deciding factor in both ends of the decision to use PEDs — it was needed to access the PEDs, and was the main goal by which the PEDs were supposed to help attain.

Line:

“…boys in box who put greed before the badge…”

Translated: This is a shout-out to the owners, general managers, union leaders and anyone in a position of power who turned their head while the steroids flowed like champagne at one of Jay-Z’s 40-40 nightclubs. According to ESPN’s Peter Gammons, from 1995 to 2006, the industry grew from $1.3 billion to $6.2 billion; including the years in question in the Mitchell Report. The one thing we can agree on in this whole mess is that greed motivated people on all fronts, even the watchdogs whose job was to keep the game clean.

Line:

“the first pusher who ever made the stash”

Translated: Chemists, the BALCO lab folks (Victor Conte & the gang) and that initial person who thought that, “Hey, I bet I could make a little change of my new innovation called Human Growth Hormone…” I’d like to see the increase in revenues of those companies! Surely they’re bobbing their head to this song.

Line:

“the roc boys in the building tonight
oh what a feeling I’m feeling life”

Translated: This is the cheer for all the users listed not named Clemens or Pettitte, as well as those listed. The Mitchell Report essentially rehashed a lot of what we already knew about steroids and PEDs in baseball — it exists, and is widespread on all levels of the players of the sport. The report was enough to have the court of public opinion bring down cries of outrage, but no one really knows how to proceed from here, including Bud Selig. He opened Pandora’s Box and now, whatever move he makes to punish players will come back and haunt him.

Line:

“thanks to the lames ni***s with bad aim
thanks to a little change I’ll tear you out the game”

Translated: Thanks to those who tried to stop the steroid game, but failed; those initial whistle blowers who went unheard or ignored. There had to of been plenty of these types around, other than Jose Canseco. Or was it up until recently, when salaries skyrocketed (thanks to all the Scott Boras types out there!), along with game statistics, where people began to allow themselves to take notice? At any rate, greenies, steroids, PEDs and general enhancers to boost energy are around, they’ve always seemed to be around in some way, shape or form, and really, what can the league do to regulate them?

Line:

“bullet wounds’ll stop your buffoonery
thanks to the paster rapping at your eulogy”

Translated: The Chris Benoit situation brings pause to anyone who wants to think of the most extreme link to what could be the downside to using steroids or PEDs. We don’t know enough about the situation to make a direct connection. On this front, we will just say that no professional baseball player has been linked to gunshots related to using PEDs. But because many of the various forms of steroids are considered illegal drugs, we never know how far some people would go.

Line:

“to little kim and them you know the women friend who
carry the work cross state for a gentleman”

Translated: This covers agents, clubhouse managers, and “clubbies” who do whatever they can, as go-betweens, to cover for the actual steroid and PED users. Of course, some of the players mentioned in the Mitchell Report wrote direct checks or used their own personal credit cards to make these shady transactions – idiots. If you’re going to use and abuse, at least have the brains to use a middleman/middleperson so you don’t get burnt if, say, your own professional sports league investigates itself, despite allowing the chaos to run rampant for years.

Line:

“yea, thanks to all the hustlers, and most important to you, the customer”

Translated: The baseball clubhouse unwritten code is what kept the players from outing each other until recently. But even when the issue of steroids or PEDs came up, or became controversial and in the public eye, we fans continued to buy tickets, team gear and watched games on TV. We continue to do so, despite all of the accusations of baseball being “tainted” by superhuman athletes.

Without us, their efforts would be worthless. We have enabled them to carry on in this “arms race” to be the most entertaining at what they do. We, the customer, will continue to because we seem to like watching superhuman athletes take on fellow superhuman athletes. They can do what we can’t. Although we may sometimes ask who’s behind the scenes pulling the strings and causing the amazement before our eyes to happy, in reality, we don’t care. We just want to be entertained.

*This article was originally posted on www.mindritesports.com

Fashion designer Marc Ecko dropped $752,467 on the table in order to “democratize” the decision whether to ship Barry Bonds’ record-breaking no. 756 to the Hall of Fame, or to the moon — quite literally.

On Ecko’s new website, he gives visitors the option to vote between three options of what fate the historic ball will have:

1. Bestow It: “Give the ball to Cooperstown. The ball that broke Hank Aaron’s career home run record belongs in the Hall of Fame.”
2. Brand It: “Burn an asterisk into the ball, with a branding iron, adding a permanent footnote to the record. Then, send it to Cooperstown.”
3. Banish It: “Put the ball into a rocket ship and launch it into orbit, a moon shot for the ages. Out of sight, out of mind.”

A fun assortment, but the vote should be simple: Brand It.

If you’ve read my pieces on Bonds and the record-chase, you may be confused. Hear me out.

By branding and shipping no. 756 off to Cooperstown, the ball serves its purpose whether or not you believe Bonds is reached the historic mark legitimately.

Those who view Bonds as the ultimate villain in the world of performance enhancers in baseball, and believe his mark should be tarnished forever, get their wish. What better a way to be tarnished than to have his record-breaker in Cooperstown with a people-branded asterisk on the historic ball?

Those who view Bonds as the ultimate scapegoat in the world of performance enhancers in baseball will have evidence of how one man was “burned at the stake” in order for major league baseball to attempt to save face and detract onlookers from the larger issue that goes well beyond one man.

What you choose to believe is up to you. Call Bonds a cheat or a scapegoat, but either way this goes beyond one player.

Since the BALCO investigation, numerous high-profile players have been linked to rings of steroids, including Yankees first-baseman Jason Giambi who admitted to using “stuff” during his playing days but has yet to receive a punishment or reprimand from the league. In fact, he received a free pass!

At this point, if the public wants to vilify Bonds for allegedly reaching no. 756 in an illegal manner, it needs to do more research into the league and determine whether or not they will be consistent with the scrutiny. Mark McGuire is another famous player who has been accused of steroid use but had never tested positive, yet it appears as if he will need a miracle to make it into the Hall of Fame. If the MLB chooses to put an asterisk on Bonds’ records, will they put one on McGuire’s season of 70 home runs? The Oakland Athletics pennant winners where he and teammates, including admitted steroid user Jose Canseco, won the World Championship? What about Gaylord Perry’s 314 wins and 2 Cy Young Awards, despite admitting to doctoring baseball throughout his 22-year career?

Baseball cannot choose to give a pass (neither the public nor the MLB has yet to cry out for the aforementioned records to be asterisked) to hundreds of admitted and proven cheaters for years but then pick out the most disagreeable, hated player linked to cheating – who just so happens to have broken the most hallowed record in the game – and crucify him in the name of “cheaters” now and forever more.
It doesn’t work that way.

Baseball needs to find out where the line is between fair play and cheating before they can move on and not been seen as hypocritical.

At the rate they are going, dragging their feet about a new testing policy which may out some of baseball’s most profitable stars, the MLB might as well either put an asterisk on the entire Hall of Fame if they plan on doing so to Bonds’ real records. Otherwise, they should move forward and look to improving the league and its integrity from here on out.

So, Marc Ecko, please go ahead and brand the ball with a large asterisk. Fans and, more importantly, all of major league baseball need to never forget the chase for Hammerin’ Hank’s 755. It marked one of the most important times in history where confusion, celebration, division and hypocrisy surrounded one bitter man’s attack on one bitter league’s imperfect — yet somehow still sacred — record books.

• Barry Bonds hired two heavy-hitter lawyers to eye suing those who’ve trashed his name recently. Watch your back, Curt “The Dirt” Schilling!
• Imus is making a comeback with WABC radio, surely glad his name isn’t “Vick”.
• Bob Herbert at the New York Times points out that since 9/11 100,000 murders have taken place inside the U.S. yet no heightened awareness has followed from the national scale.
• Damnit, I have to give back those hundreds of Batman collection toys I bought the other day…
• A send-off to the “Good Ol’ Boy” Karl Rove from the WaPo great, Eugene Robinson. Good riddens, you say?

Today’s munchies are Barry-centric. Surprised? As the new home run king, expect no standing ovations outside the Bay Area. Instead what will come is mixed reactions, including the following:

• Bonds has only been accused of steroid use, so in a state where “innocent until proven guilty” rules our judicial system, he is, hands down, the home run king.
• Bonds has been linked to steroid use, therefore he is a baseball cheat, and Hank Aaron remains the home run king at 755.
• Major league baseball made their bed with Bonds despite the steroid allegations, so now they have to sleep with him while he wears career home run crown.

Now, let’s bounce around the globe:

• Over at CBS Sportsline, Gregg Doyel calls the entire national pastime flawed and says Bonds doesn’t stand out but rather he fits right in perfectly.
• TheStartingFive’s Dwil muses that now, finally, baseball commissioner Bud “The Dud” Selig can carry on with his everyday duties again… and thanks Dud for not showing up for 756 to avoid yet another breakdown of his would-have-been-awful reaction.
• Very surprised the San Francisco Chronicle allowed someone other than “the book deal guys” write the piece about Bonds’ record-breaker. Gwen Knapp is handed the honor of piecing together both the speculation and recognition of 756. Wondering if Bonds belongs as a member of the disgraced players version of the Hall of Fame with Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Mark McGwire, she looks to Bonds’ own response: “Call God. Ask him.” Knapp’s fellow coworker Scott Ostler writes “We have a new home run king, so deal with it.”
• You knew the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jay Mariotti would have some bitterness to spew, and he does so in a piece entitled, “A record that shouldn’t be.”
• ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian sounds almost depressed when saying he wished, hoped and dreamed that this record were clean and clear of all the steroids mess. That way the record-breaker would be more fun for fans, baseball and writers such as himself.

Elaborate piece upcoming. In the meantime, take a look at what Bonds will see for the next… 302932039 days of his life on the road until the asterisk argument gets played out like the rattail and jheri curl.

• Bonds hit career number 754 Friday night, making it only a matter of time before he finally puts one out on the road, gets booed by everyone, including Bud Selig (quietly, under his breath anyway), and hates the world that much more. At least one teammate is calling for the Dodgers, the Giants’ lead rival, to show B-squared some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
• Tony Taylor, a co-defendant in the dogfighting trial involving Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick among others, took a deal today to plead guilty and work with the prosecution to pin down the NFL star. This is bad news for Vick, of course, not only because it’s pitting a former friend against him, but this gives another reason to the ”guilty until proven innocent” (PETA, Nike, Reebok, NFLShop, etc.) bandwagon to ride on. Heard it best this morning on Mike and Mike in the Morning from Michael Smith filling in, this is something we haven’t seen even in the trials of Ray Lewis and Leonard Little, star players who went on trial for taking the life of another human… and other than being amazed, I just want to say four important words: Don’t f*#k with PETA.
• Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn accepted their place in the baseball HOF this weekend, becoming two of the classiest men to ever be enshrined. C-Rip did his thing, showing 6-footers they could play SS and TG invented and abused the 5.5 hole (inbetween 3B and SS) until he hung up his cleats. 
• It wouldn’t be a day ending with the letter “y” if KG trade talks weren’t in the news
• Not notable to non DC folks, but the Wiz have given an offer to Andray Blatche, the young could-be-beast in the paint, somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 years, $9 mil - $12 mil (a few conflicting reports out). The young man’s got talent, he just needs to get more burn, via kissing up to Eddie Jordan and/or punching Brendon Haywood in the face Etan Thomas style.

• Mike Vick pleaded not-guilty yesterday in Richmond, Va. and was not held. Court date set for November 26.
• Is my beloved hometown newspaper, The Washington Post, headed towards the light? This CNN Money report speculates it may be so.
• The Simpsons Movie is finally here. Decades late, of course. Relive some old quotes here.
• The fate of my favorite current Nat, Dmitri Young, could be nearing a conclusion… in the form of a 2 year extension with Washington.
• An idea from an economist of how to solve the NBA’s gambling issues.
• Any Gilbert Arenas blog update is worth noting.

• According to his agent, Kevin Garnett is not interested in being traded to the Celtics. His exact words: “The Boston trade isn’t happening.” I guess KG isn’t interested in a new city, new jersey but the comfort of the same losing record. Maybe if Larry Bird came out of retirement he’d reconsider… maybe.
• Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada is in jeopardy of ending his consecutive games streak after fracturing his left wrist when he was hit by a pitch Wednesday. the O’s left him in the lineup briefly yesterday to extend the streak to 1,152 but they are unsure whether he will continue to tough it out.
• Pacman surrendered to the Las Vegas police and was immediately released on bail. Let’s await the due process and see how this unfolds…

ESPN reports that Yankees slugger Jason Giambi — the tainted name you can trust — is set to talk. Finally. Will he use words other than “stuff” to refer to steroids and enhancers? Will he cry those “chick flick” tears as Mitchell brings in surprise guest interrogator Dr. Phil? Only Mitchell and the MLB elite will know for sure, and once they set-up the pow-wow, probably at a Dude Ranch somewhere, they can kick up their feet, relax and commence the bean-spillin’ and tear jerking.

Here are a few ideas of what Giambi is likely to tell George Mitchell, the man tagged as the czar of steroids probing.

1. The definition of “stuff” is…
This will be the number one question to come out of Mitchell’s probe. What enhancer did Giambi use? Was it mixed with another substance? Was there some sort of steroid pie or burger he used to consume it? Ingredient is key.

2. Who supplied your “stuff”?
Key to most investigations is the sniff-out for the kingpin of distribution. This comes by way of one rat snitching out another, then that rat snitching out another, until finally the top is met. Distributor is found and supplier is the next target. (References: Season 2 of The Wire, CNU Biz courses)

3. Who else took “stuff” alongside you?
The “long arm” of this particular investigation is about an inch long right now. If Mitchell can get Giambi to name a few big names — a certain one out west is the only one to make them shut down shop — the MLB’s plight receives instant credibility. Giambi will, after all, be shunned from many clubhouses and his respect level will sink lower than ever but on the plus side… well, ok there’s no plus side. Wait, I’ve got it! Consider his treatment a cakewalk compared to the reaction if his name were, say, Barry Lamar Bonds. Cound your blessings, snitch!

4. What is the future for “stuff” and all its evilness?
Vitamin water beware, lookout for “Stuff” water coming to stores near you! Scientists and marketing folks are already on the prowl looking for people to endorse their “healthy” beverage of choice. Work-out harder, feel more entergized, but as those who use it say: it doesn’t help your baseball swing! Here’s a question: If bringing look-alike drugs to school gets kids in trouble, how deep in “stuff” is a kid who brings a bottle of “stuff” water? Hmm…

• Pay your respects. “Slammin” Sammy Sosa hit career homer number 600 last night, cementing his 5-spot in all-time home run hitters, and becoming just 1 of 5 ever to reach the 600 mark.  Cubs fans don’t respect the feat. Rangers fans are excited. And Bud Selig is ecstatic that he can now shift his hate from one record-breaking alleged cheater to two. Whether or not Sosa had ”help” getting to this point — and be clear that very little evidence other than the “transforming body theory” exists — the feat is still quite amazing. No need to hate on the people who excel in a sport full of “one-uppers”.
• ESPN’s Marc Stein says the Kevin Garnett trade seems more likely to happen this summer than any with Kobe Bryant. The Lakers are holding strong to their “wouldn’t trade ‘em with your GM position.” What a fun, NBA rumor-filled summer this will be.
• Larry Brown needs more references to get hired, apparently. Makes me think he’s more diva-like than Meryl Streep in “A Devil Wears Prada”.
• Pacman Jones keeps getting implicated and now he’s been indicted on two felony charges. I will not defend his affinity to find trouble in every corner, but let’s not forget he’s “innocent until proven guilty” folks. Let the judicial process work.
• The Chicago Cubs traded catcher Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres for a backup catcher and a prospect. Here’s a timeline of what helped him catch the boot.

• He’s back! Harold Reynolds sits down for an interview with Deadspin to discuss his ESPN firing and his new MLB.com post.
• From coaching Anthony Anderson on Hang Time to coaching Ron Artest in Sacramento, now-ex New Mexico coach Reggie Theus picked as head coach of the Kings. Pretty surprising considering all the supposed Larry Brown interest.
• Old-school clip of a young Tony Kornheiser and Larry King in 1985 yapping about the Washington Redskins. 
• A round-up of Baltimore Orioles news, including placing the O’s woes not on now ex-coach Sam Perlozzo, but lots of hate thrown at owner Peter Angelos.
• Bill Plaschke asks Lakers fans to cut a hole in their Kobe-love and realize “He’s just not that into you.” Can’t wait for the Kobe rant to hit YouTube!
• TrueHoop gives us the latest on the KG-to-Boston trade rumors.
• Last year’s Wizards first-rounder Oleksiy “Pesh” Pecherov is back in D.C. to stay. Can’t wait to see he and Andray Blatch, two 7-footers, become the new twin towers… in 2010.
• Big Shot Bob, Robert Horry, says the Spurs could beat those old Lakers and Celtics teams. The question is: would Bruce Bowen injure injure the stars, Magic and Bird, in the first quarter or in the pre-game warm-ups?