On March 17, 2005, Mark McGwire was subpoenaed by Congress to testify on baseball and steroid use. Looking at a the situation a week later, it appears McGwire did not help his public image by refusing to answering questions about possible steroid use in the sport. Before the hearing, I did not know anyone who would stated that Big Mac was not a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Two things stick out at me from Mark McGwire's testimony in front of Congress. He stated repeatedly, "I did not come here to talk about the past, " and also, ""My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family and myself." If McGwire could go back into time, he would not have given either one of these answers. These hearings held by Congress were to embarrass certain players including Big Mac. If McGwire did not use anabolic steroids, which has been banned since 1988, then he would have been served by just stating that as the truth. Everybody knows he used Andro or androstadienedione, but it was outlawed by an act of Congress and signed into law by the President until January 20, 2005. So if all Mark McGwire is guilty of using a substance that was not illegal to buy in the US and legal in baseball at the time, then issue a statement and vindicate yourself, so you can still a first ballot Hall of Famer with 583 legitimate home runs. I really wonder if people understand by denying the truth or some it, you self-incriminate yourself in the court of public opinion. Let's face it, if Mark McGwire wants to make money selling baseball memorabilia, then he needs to fix his current public image.

To be honest, I would not dare say McGwire used an illegal substance while playing baseball. However, he received some bad advice from his lawyer, concerning how questions should be answered in front of Congress. Basically Big Mac should have stated that he used substances which were legal at the time, but have since been banned for sale in the US and baseball. By refusing to talk about the past, Mark McGwire has made it harder for people to believe that he is innocent of using steroids that were outlawed during most of his baseball career in the US.

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