The story finally came out regarding Jason Giambi and his benign tumor. This story, broken by the NY Daily News' T.J. Quinn, is one of a couple versions of the story that had been circulating over the past weeks. I chose not to pursue the story vigorously due to a couple reasons:

1. I had reasonable concerns about both HIPAA and Giambi's right to privacy. These aren't new; I have them on every story. For this one, due to the sensitive nature of the tumor and my sensitivity to cancer, I elected to err on the side of caution. There was a chance that the privacy concerns were a smokescreen for steroid usage, but again, with such serious charges, I err on the side of caution. Without strong evidence from multiple sources, I wasn't running with it.

2. I didn't want the heat. Simple choice.

T. J. Quinn is a regular recipient of leaksinformation from the MLB offices, so signs point to this coming out of there. The story points to this, saying league approval was needed for the cortisol-replacement therapy. The story looks accurate and the "no comments" work as a confirmation.

So, what does this tell us? Not much, really. Giambi has a tumor, he's getting treatment, there's leaks, and the Daily News ran a story that has some ethical questions. All we know now is a location. I'm not faulting Quinn; I struggle with what to go with and what not to almost daily. What this doesn't tell us is how a pituitary tumor will affect his comeback. That's what I feel is missing.