Here we go again. Another bullet added to an ever-growing list of "bad guys" (and, why of course, girls) in the sports world. These days it's pretty hard to dodge the List. In fact, it's really quite easy to find yourself on the List. If you are an athlete, check to see if you meet any of the following criteria: A) Your athletic performance has shown massive improvement in a short time span (at high risk are those whose stats have risen significantly between two consecutive seasons), or B) Your body weight, shape and strength have changed substantially (preferably the appearance of rippling biceps, back acne or sprouting of considerable facial hair, Evan Almighty-style). If so, it is more likely than not that you will find your name on the List at some point in your career.
At this time, many of you may be catching on to what the List is all about. For those of you a little slower (blame it on a long weekend), the "Bad Guys (and Gals)" on this list all share one commonality -- at some point in their careers they have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs and known as "SSJs" -- suspected steroid junkies.Think of your favorite professional athlete and the chances are he or she too has had a run-in with the List at some time. Potential Hall-of-Famer Barry Bonds, Tour de France champ Floyd Landis, track superstar Marion Jones, WWE intimidator "Canadian Crippler" and recently Wade Wilson, NFL Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach, all have experience with the List.
Long gone are the days when athletes truly believed that practice, hard-work and a little dedication were the only essential ingredients needed to improve their game. Why are more athletes instead turning to steroids to gain an edge over competitors?
With the rising prevalence of steroid use, one cannot help but wonder, is a list of shunned athletes really necessary, or should performance-enhancing drugs just be legalized? Okay, okay, I know what you're thinking. Yes, you heard me correctly. Maybe the solution isn't eliminating steroid use but better managing steroid use. Think about it. If performance-enhancing drugs were legalized, athletes could be more candid about what exactly they took. Team trainers could then monitor players' intake and use, looking out for abuse and misuse.
With seemingly more athletes using steroids than not using them, does the concern for unfair advantages really apply today? Because everyone has an advantage, no one has an advantage.
As countless celebrities, athletes, actors and politicians flirt with illegal substances, one thing remains clear: As unfortunate as it may be, drugs and other illegal substances are here to stay. The question then becomes, what must society do to preserve the purity of one of America's greatest loves, our sports, while incorporating "cheaters"? With so much focus on the banned athletes List, many Americans have lost love of the game. When Saturday mornings spent watching tennis matches or Monday nights spent in front of the tube no longer bring joy into our hectic, overly competitive lives, something has gone seriously wrong. If we can't turn to sports to escape the realities of this rat race we call life, what can we turn to?
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