Athletes and Drugs

With all the hub bub about the Mitchell Report on steroids, I have had trouble not thinking about the issue. Personally I think the report was very transparent so people would think that MLB was doing something about the problem. My way of thinking is if they really wanted to do something about it and find out to what extent players were using performance enhancing drugs they would have investigated every team in baseball.

But as I ponder the issue as it pertains to all of sports, whether it is football, baseball, cycling or even triathlon, I keep asking why do athletes do performance enhancing drugs. I know, I know, I am not that dumb. It is to get better. But why would you want to succeed by using false means? I love knowing that my hard work and nothing but my hard work is making me better. To know that my body is performing better with something other than hard work would be disappointing. As I get older I know there is a limit to how much better I will get each year. But the feeling that you can push yourself harder and harder because you worked hard is a great feeling. Imagine if you won your age group in a race and you were doping and you beat somebody who you knew was clean by a few minutes. Would you really feel good about your performance? Deep down you would have to realize that you are not actually faster and that it was something illegal that allowed you to win. You might as well have tripped the person to win. Think about Roger Clemens. He has tarnished his whole career if the report about his use of drugs is true. All those great years when he was first in baseball to me are diminished. How do we know he was not doping then. We don't. Also think of the shadow is cast on all athletes. How about Bret Favre? He is having a great season at age 38. Now I have to question if it is because of something illegal. I hate having to do that and I hate having to be so skeptical, but that is what performance enhancing drugs have caused.

OK I will get off my soap box for now. Time to get back to work.