A different take on drugs issue

A Framingham, Mass., attorney thinks the hoopla surrounding baseball’s steroids scandal is a joke. In fact, he thinks sports fans should be upset that baseball is trying to stop its players from taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Rob Meltzer, writing in Framingham’s MetroWest Daily News, contends that regulating what athletes put in their bodies is “government by nanny.”

“For their money, the fans are entitled to the best show that organized athletics can offer. If that means that the players want to shoot up vast quantities of steroids for exciting home-run derbies and 75-yard touchdown passes, which ultimately adds to the thrill of the game, then fans should be outraged at sport managers who ban the drugs that make these events worth watching.

“Bring on the East German women swimmers, who used to braid their beards, but who swam like dolphins. The Olympics haven’t been the same without them.”

What’s so silly about it?

They call it golf’s “silly season” -- end-of-the-year events that don’t count toward a money list or the world ranking -- and, OK, maybe some financial advisors are giggling.

Masters champion Zach Johnson was shut out in the Skins Game and still won a tidy $1.1 million in four silly-season tournaments, compared to the $3.9 million he earned in 23 regular PGA Tour events.

Then, of course, there’s Fred Couples, the sultan of the silly season. A chronically bad back limited him to two tour events, but he managed to play three times after the season ended and won $572,000.

Just a silly little half million.

Name value

Johnson might have made his financial guy even happier this year had he kept all the Masters flags he signed after his victory at Augusta.

“I got to Hilton Head the week after the Masters and signed I don’t know how many flags,” he told the Associated Press. “Later that week, some friends of mine went on EBay and found 40 them for sale.”

Trivia time

Golfer Tiger Woods, whose autograph is probably the most coveted in sports, has asked for the autographs of only two sporting greats, and he keeps the signed mementos that he received from them on display in his home. Name them.

Soul bared

About three hours before the Mitchell Report came out, New York’s WNBC-TV posted an “exclusive” list of 75 players expected to appear in the report. Forty-one of those players, including the Yankees’ Johnny Damon, were not mentioned in the Mitchell Report.

Understandably, Damon, who found out he was on the WNBC list when reporters showed up at his father’s house, was furious, a little paranoid (“There seems to be some people who don’t like me”), and maybe a little confused.

“I walk around with my shirt off,” he said. “If I had anything to hide I wouldn’t do that.”

Huh?

Seems likely a few pro wrestlers might have tried steroids and they never seem to have their shirts on.

Trivia answer

Woods has an autographed pair of boxing trunks signed by Muhammad Ali on his wall and a baseball signed by Sandy Koufax in his bedroom.

And finally

Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey was upset that he had to spend Christmas Day in 2004 on the field playing the Tennessee Titans instead of home with his family enjoying the traditions of the season.

“I don’t think we should be playing,” he told the Colorado Springs Gazette, “but if I was home and not playing football, I’d want to see a game.”

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john.weyler@latimes.com