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It was once about scorecards, home runs and hot dogs. Bobbleheads, mascots and funny-smelling urinals at Wrigley Field.

Fan giveaways, thousands of identical Derek Jeter jerseys, and the odd "Kiss Cam" that would pair two swamp ogres and force them to smooch.

Baseball used to be about all of those things. It was fun. It was part of the game. A tradition that had withstood the test of time.

A testament that could draw a smile from Babe Ruth himself. Baseball was always warm and fuzzy.

That's how most of us viewed baseball. Bud Selig's ratings may have dropped while the NFL played leap frog, but at least we knew America's pastime was intact...even if the steroid era is the thorn in baseball's paw.

Yes, believe it or not, baseball was "just a game." But performance-enhancing drugs is the least of the game's concerns right now. MLB has blood on its hands, and for all the wrong reasons.

On Opening Day, Dodger Stadium filled to the rafters for a rival game against the Bleacher Report - Sports & Society
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