Because they're not journalists in any true sense of the word.

"Impressive as the Globe article was, it also raised some questions. Why did it take the Globe the better part of a year to report on a bona fide steroid scandal that was brewing in its back yard? And whether that delay was caused by chumminess or cluelessness, did it cost the Globe a rare chance to rewrite Red Sox history?

...

Recall, for example, that 'Big Papi' was a serviceable player with the Minnesota Twins, but morphed into a latter-day Lou Gehrig (complete with a beefy new physique) after coming to Boston in 2003. In May 2007, he told the Boston Herald that he might have unwittingly used steroids in the past. And in February 2009, the New York Daily News reported that Ortiz had a relationship with banned trainer Angel Presinal, who also worked with steroid scapegoat Alex Rodriguez. These facts weren't unreported by the Globe, but they didn't cause great consternation, either. (Former columnist Jackie MacMullan in May 2007: 'The only connection between Ortiz and steroids is that he is a very big man and he hits very big home runs. And that's not fair.')"

I saw MacMullan on "Around the Horn" a few weeks ago flipping out on Bonds.


Now, I can understand the need for bona fide sources and I also understand the concept of presumptive innocence.

But the same rules apply for Bonds, whose case was dropped in a Court of Law and who hasn't admitted to anything.


"Maybe the Globe's sportswriters simply didn't know this stuff was going on. Maybe they did, but wanted to protect Jerry Remy, who's currently fighting lung cancer and is on indefinite leave. Or maybe they didn't think that digging into possible PED use by Sox stars was part of their job. Whatever caused this story to slip through, it was a costly whiff by the hometown squad."

Everybody knows what happened.

Boston fans and their writers -- and also quite a few New York-based writers -- and other writers whose names rhyme with Shmuster Shmolney -- ate up the story of the Gritty Dirt Dogs who finally dethroned the Daddy Warbucks Evil Empire Sissies.

The Curse of the Babe became the Curse of the Bam-Boonie (I'm still shocked that catchphrase never caught on).

They all got a chance to make fun of Alex Rodriguez, who does that guy think he is, anyway?


Yes, once the story dropped in their lap, they were mostly willing to feign some outrage.

But that's not journalism.

Bias is not usually manifested by what you write. It's what you don't write.