Did you do a double-take, coffee spit like I did when you heard the report of a huge steroid bust in Florida of a couple who claimed they sold the stuff to Nats and Caps players? If you know me, you know my first thought was, “They couldn’t have been selling the same stuff to both teams!”

It may just be a case of Richard and Sandra Thomas getting caught and panicking to come up with the wildest explanation to throw off the hounds. I’d take it more seriously at this point if Jose Canseco was there at the bust to confirm it. Frankly, I don’t believe it, and I’m perfectly willing to wait for the investigations by the Florida police and Major League Baseball to play out. BUT, a fleeting thought crossed my mind – if it turns out that our Capitals heroes and the Nats we pray for (at least I do!) ARE tainted, are we going to handle it like the fans in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and, worst of all, New York?

Barry Bonds, Shawn Merriman, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemons are names that became synonymous with cheating. In each case, except perhaps for Merriman, the player was vilified by his sports’ followers – at first. Watch the video of their teams’ games after their exposure as cheaters and it’s pretty universal – no shortage of jerseys in the crowds bearing heir names or cheering fans wearing fake dreadlocks in the stands. The one case that was somewhat different was Rodriguez’s. His fans also love to hate him in NYC. BUT, when he comes back from shameful isolation and hits a homerun in his first at-bat, it all turns to unbridled love!

You see, fans in most leagues, today’s fans seem to be sending us goody-two-shoes/parents/old-school-fans a clear message – “If you cheat, and you’re good, and you use it for US, we’ll defend you to the end! Do it for the other guys, and then we’ve got a problem…”. It doesn’t matter how egregious the cheating is, just ask fans of Pete Rose, who violated the Golden Rule and Ten Commandments of baseball and lied about it. Cincinnati fans from the 70’s refuse to die until they see him in the Hall of Fame. Bonds’ and Clemons’ fans today will be saying the same thing 20 years from now. They all believe in right and wrong – their guy is right and any rule or official indicting him is wrong.

Are we different? I say “we” because I am a Wizards season ticket holder, an occasional Nat’s game attendee, and I got on the Caps’ bandwagon and intend to stay there (full disclosure – I’ve Rocked the Red in my autographed Mike Green Jersey more than once this season). If we learn that one of the guys who gave starved sports fans a reason to feel like this town has a future as a sports town during the recent blood-boiling hockey playoffs was a cheater, will we hold him and the team accountable? Or will we be just so appreciative of a few moments of civic sports pride that we’d forgive (and celebrate) anyone who cheats FOR us? What example would we set?

I don’t expect any of our current guys to be brought low, but I’ve got kids, and I want to prepare myself for their questions and my conscience.