DEDICATED DOPERS

                As a child, I remember always being told that Barry Bonds, along with several other professional athletes, was a cheater. I was told that he did performance enhancing drugs, but I never really knew what that meant. Going to a Giants vs. Cubs game with my dad in 2007, I was surrounded by people who were giving him verbal abuse in the stands, which I did not understand was such a big deal at the time. The recent story of drugs that really put everything into perspective for me was Lance Armstrong being caught doping.

                Lance Armstrong overcame cancer, and motivated millions of people to keep pushing through whatever they are struggling with, as he also always bragged about being dope free. There is a Nike commercial that shows Armstrong training, and in the background talking about how he is drug free, to advertise his “Livestrong” brand. When he was caught doping, his credibility was immediately diminished, as millions of people felt cheated. Thousands of people were out of jobs and hope because of him, which is when I realized how detrimental doing drugs in sports can be. With all of this being said, it is also important to mention that all of Armstrong’s opponents were also cheated by this scam, as he had variables helping him improve that other athletes did not.

                Looking at Armstrong’s story, as well as looking into how strict the World Anti-Doping Agency is, it is astonishing to imagine the lengths Armstrong must have gone through in order to get away with these drugs being in his system for such a long time. As learned in class, athletes are often tested for drugs monthly, or within a very strict time period, leaving very little room for professional athletes to remove the illegal drugs from their system.

                There is often controversy over whether drugs in sports should be made such a big deal, as many can agree with. Personally, I feel strongly that steroids and other performance enhancing drugs should not be used in sports. For one, players who dope are putting harm on their bodies, which most people can attest to. Also, if only a few athletes are using the illegal drugs, then they are taking the once in a lifetime chance that someone else may have deserved. Look at Lance Armstrong, for example. Other elite athletes trained for the Tour de France, and could have won the race if Armstrong was not doing steroids that were allowing his body to do more. Finally, professional athletes are paid an extreme amount for being the best at what they do; every young girl or boy dreams of becoming a professional athlete, but a miniscule amount actually make it there. If so many people aspire to become a professional athlete, then it does not make sense for the competitive sports and society to pay the individuals who take short cuts to reach their goals rather than the players who work hard to reach their goals.