Boli Steroids Discussed in A-Rod Press Conference (video)

New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez detailed his use of performance-enhancing substances during his time with the Texas Rangers, in a press conference this afternoon.  He described how an unidentified cousin introduced him to boli, steroids that were obtained in the Dominican Republic and smuggled into the U.S.

Rodriguez claims that he didn't know that boli steroids were actually, um, real steroids when he was taking them, and that "all these years I never thought I did anything wrong."

Riiiiight.  That's why he shortly went on to say "I knew it potentially could be something that perhaps was wrong," when explaining why he had been so secretive about his use of boli steroids, and another now-banned product called Ripped Fuel ("rip fuel" or "ripfuel" for all you Googlers out there who didn't hear it right).

FYI, "boli" stands for Primobolan, an anabolic steroid which can be taken as a pill or injected.  It apparently gained popularity because at one point Arnold Schwarzenegger called it his favorite steroid.

My Take: If Pete Rose can't be in the Hall of Fame for wagering ON his own team, then A-Rod shouldn't be allowed in either.  But Pete should be allowed, and I suppose Alex should as well.  Figures like these two, along with Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, are a big part of the popular culture and lore of the game, for better or for worse.  To keep them out of the Hall just to spite them does a disservice, I think, to the effort to memorialize the FULL warts-included history of the game.  However, I don't believe that any player who has been proven to have used any banned performance-enhancing substance should be allowed to hold statistical records.  We were all hoping that A-Rod would be the one to tear down Bonds' records and restore a certain sanctity.  I think it would be nice if we could just eliminate them both from holding any.