Sammy Sosa and Steroids

[NewUserName]

I was watching something the other day and there were 2 talking heads complaining about steroids and calling it cheating and blah blah blah. Anyway this is were I really think that the media and fans are missing the whole picture. Steroids are not banned because they make you a better player, they are banned because they are bad for your health. It is not cheating to use steroids. It is self-mutilation. The culture of winning and getting paid at all costs needs to be changed. Personally I think this has to start with ownership caring more about their players as individuals than as commodities that create revenue.

 

I am not trying to take personal responsibility away from the players, because they are ultimately the ones who decide to take steroids. Quite often though we will give someone a break for growing up in an environment that encourages alcohol and drug abuse. Well that is a very similar environment that was created for athletes in the last 30 yrs that encourages steroid use.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Steroids are not banned because they make you a better player, they are banned because they are bad for your health.

 

This is where things get murky. We'll soon have some major PEDs that are almost unequivocally good for you.

[wade]

Steroids are not banned because they make you a better player, they are banned because they are bad for your health.

 

This is where things get murky. We'll soon have some major PEDs that are almost unequivocally good for you.

 

It would be more accurate to say they are banned because they're illegal.

[Soul]

Steroids are not banned because they make you a better player, they are banned because they are bad for your health.

 

This is where things get murky. We'll soon have some major PEDs that are almost unequivocally good for you.

 

It would be more accurate to say they are banned because they're illegal.

 

True. Kyle's point is interesting though. What happens if a PED is invented that pumps people up and there really aren't any serious side effects? You could have a situation where it is banned in professional sports, but everyone on the street is popping it like candy.

[wade]

Steroids are not banned because they make you a better player, they are banned because they are bad for your health.

 

This is where things get murky. We'll soon have some major PEDs that are almost unequivocally good for you.

 

It would be more accurate to say they are banned because they're illegal.

 

True. Kyle's point is interesting though. What happens if a PED is invented that pumps people up and there really aren't any serious side effects? You could have a situation where it is banned in professional sports, but everyone on the street is popping it like candy.

 

If it's legal for everyone, why would it be banned from sports?

[Jehrico]

Ryne Sandberg averaged 15.5 homeruns a season for his first full 7 seasons, then entering his 30's, hit 30, 40 (!!!), 26 and 26 a year. THEN he started to breakdown and hit just 14 over the next two years before retiring, possibly to dodge drug-use suspicions.. Realizing that steroid testing was over a decade away, he came back and hit another 25 dingers. AND he most certainly put on 25+ lbs from his rookie season to his last season.

 

I don't have baseball card links to point to head size, but it seems pretty cut and dry to me- Sandberg must now be lumped into the "hmm, maybe he did do it, should we take him out of the HOF" crowd.

 

I think you're being sarcastic, but one of the fallouts from the 'scandal' is that what you described is what will happen- guys with these huge outlier years will be scrutinized a little. And you know what, I'm for the most part cynical anyway, so I don't see a big problem with it.

 

 

Unless I have the guy on my fantasy team and he can't repeat the numbers.

 

Baseball brought it upon itself and it is fair to question everyone.

That's the really unfortunate consequence of this whole thing. I feel like there is no one I CAN'T question.

 

Heck, I question Jose Macias now.

To be fair, we were all questioning Macias the day they signed him.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Steroids are not banned because they make you a better player, they are banned because they are bad for your health.

 

This is where things get murky. We'll soon have some major PEDs that are almost unequivocally good for you.

 

It would be more accurate to say they are banned because they're illegal.

 

True. Kyle's point is interesting though. What happens if a PED is invented that pumps people up and there really aren't any serious side effects? You could have a situation where it is banned in professional sports, but everyone on the street is popping it like candy.

 

If it's legal for everyone, why would it be banned from sports?

 

Two issues I could see:

 

1) We're growing as a species quite rapidly. When football is played with athletic 400-lb. linemen and 6-9, 350 pound linebackers, the results are going to be ugly. We're already seeing this to a degree.

 

2) 90 HRs in baseball will make "purist" fans shoot themselves in the head.

 

Okay, so only the first one is really an "issue."

[wade]

But, in this hypothetical, everyone has access (offensive players too), and the hypothetical supplement is legal, so there's no reason to ban in the sport.

 

Weightlifting alone makes a huge difference on the field, and while some coaches in basketball and baseball resisted it, I think we're moving toward all of them doing it (if we're not already there). If there's a legal way of being a better athlete, they all will do it, and I guess should be allowed.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

But, in this hypothetical, everyone has access (offensive players too), and the hypothetical supplement is legal, so there's no reason to ban in the sport.

 

Not if it's a safety issue. This isn't about competitive balance. The difference between two 225-lb. athletes running into each other and two 350-lb athletes running into each other is huge.

[wade]

But, in this hypothetical, everyone has access (offensive players too), and the hypothetical supplement is legal, so there's no reason to ban in the sport.

 

Not if it's a safety issue. This isn't about competitive balance. The difference between two 225-lb. athletes running into each other and two 350-lb athletes running into each other is huge.

 

But I don't think any sport's gonna put a cap on that.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

But, in this hypothetical, everyone has access (offensive players too), and the hypothetical supplement is legal, so there's no reason to ban in the sport.

 

Not if it's a safety issue. This isn't about competitive balance. The difference between two 225-lb. athletes running into each other and two 350-lb athletes running into each other is huge.

 

But I don't think any sport's gonna put a cap on that.

 

If the PEDs get good enough, I think it'll become a discussed issue at least. And we're getting close.