I got 1360 on my SATs.

"The argument made in the defense of the users being elected into the Hall of Fame centers on the supposition that most players from the last 15 to 20 years were on something, so if these were the best players of the era, then they should be considered the best candidates for Cooperstown."

I don't think that's the argument at all.  The argument is to assess the effect that performance-enhancers had on this particular player's career.

Sosa probably would have been Chad Curtis is he hadn't taken steroids.  Bonds, Clemens, and ARod probably would have been among the greatest players of their generation if they hadn't taken steroids.

I know this assessment requires actual thinking by sportswriters, but your general inability to do so has resulted in the shrunken credibility of the HOF.

"Let's say your son or daughter is caught cheating while taking his or her SATs. But let's say 80 percent of the class also gets caught cheating. If almost everyone in the class was cheating, it's OK for your child to have done the same, right?

And, let's say he/she scored in the top 5 percent of the class on those tainted tests. Well, Stanford, Harvard and other elite schools should simply overlook the fact that these kids cheated, because almost everyone else did the same."

The analogy is a bit weak, but I think the answer is, "it depends."

SAT scores are not the only factor used to determine college admittance.  

If a student was under understandably intense pressure to score well on the SATs -- if this student had a consistent 4.0 GPA in high school -- if this student was yearbook editor, class President, and captain of the debate team -- if this student's parents had enough money to avoid the need for a scholarship -- if this student was a legacy -- if this student apologized profusely and re-took the SATs and scored well -- then maybe Stanford wouldn't want to lose this student to MIT.  

Maybe Stanford wants the recognition when this student goes on to win a Nobel Prize.

"So, a reward is in line for these kids. It's not such an easy argument anymore, is it?"

"It's not such an easy argument anymore, is it?"

 What a prick.  Pedro Gomez is talking down to you. 

We all thought the steroids/HOF discussion was easy and straightforward, but now my world view has changed because of Pedro Gomez's infantile SAT analogy.

"The Hall of Fame is not something to be viewed lightly. Not everyone gets in because it is the ultimate honor and the ultimate reward for major league players. Plus, right there among the list of rules on the cover sheet of the ballot is the following sentence: 'Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.' "

Integrity.

Sportsmanship.

Character."

Too late.  

Gaylord Perry is already in the Hall of Fame.

Therefore, it's already the Hall of Shame.