'Long Gone Summer': ESPN docuseries on '98 season garners mixed response, fans say 'steroids saved the sport'
Soon after ESPN's 'Long Gone Summer' ended, the network on its Twitter handle posted an image with the caption reading, "Kerry Wood thinks that Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa may have saved baseball back in 1998."
This statement stirred a debate among fans if McGwire and Sosa actually did save the game considering the fact that both sluggers were accused of using performance-enhancing drugs. The fans' tweets were mixed responses with some content to just relive an unforgettable '98 season.
"We need a section of the H of F that includes all these guys. Call it the asterisk section or something, but put these guys in there and let em be a part of the baseball museum," a tweet read. "There is no reason to “think” they did. Baseball was dead. They 100% saved baseball. Without them, fans were not going to tune in and the way the @Cubs, now the Ricketts have ignored Sosa is disgusting and disappointing," a fan wrote. "NO DOUBT. Steroids or not... it was awesome," a fan opined.
"No doubt. 2020 is going to need a Sosa and McGwire," a fan remarked. If these were some tweets that suggested the pair indeed saved the sport from dire straits, a major chunk of the comments called them "juicers". One hate tweet read: "Wow baseball players saved baseball? What a concept. So not the owners then? I guess they should get paid then because there isn't going to be a steroid-fueled home run chase that saves this sport if it doesn't come back soon."
"Bring back the roids... baseball needs saving once again," a fan wrote. "@MLB knew they were juiced & closed there eyes cuz it brought fans back in every stadium when that guy's played," another exclaimed. "It didn't 'save baseball'... maybe all of the illegal dingers helped 'grow baseball'" another remarked. "One juiced, the other used a corked bat. Sure. That was it. Cheaters," a fan tweeted. "Steroids saved baseball and made them so much money," a fan said.
The best tweet was yet to come. "Their home run race was a sham and so were they. Hank Aaron is the Homerun king," a fan tweed read. However, despite the mixed opinions, fans still termed 'Long Gone Summer' as one of the best watches as far as sports documentaries were concerned.
'Long Gone Summer' is available for streaming on ESPN+.