…if I were, let me state state with no equivocation, that I would not vote for Mary J. Blige’s induction into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. From the New York Times’ Mike Nizza (link courtesy Sam Frank)

(Marlo – not only could he do without being implicated below, but it really sucks waiting around for Jay Gibbons in the freezing cold)

According to a report in the Albany Times-Union, the names of well-known entertainers ” including Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Timbaland ” have come up among tens of thousands of alleged customers of a steroid and human growth hormone ring, though none are accused of breaking the law.A spokeswoman for Ms. Blige dismissed the report (which included a funny allegation: the drugs were sent to her under the alias œMarlo Stanfield, the drug kingpin on HBO™s œThe Wire), saying that her client œhas never taken any performance-enhancing illegal steroids.

The phrasing begged the question: What part of her performance would the drugs enhance anyway?

For these entertainers, the answer probably has less to do with the talent they rode to stardom and more to do with image. For example, 50 Cent often flexes his muscles for album covers, magazine spreads and music videos. In Ms. Blige™s case, the motivation would be tied to the unproven and doubted anti-aging benefits of steroids and h.g.h..