Are Steroids Worth the consequences?
In the
last 20 years we have seen a great number of famous athletes that have been
accused or convicted of using illegal performance enhancing drugs while participating
in sports. Before 1991 it was legal for athletes to us performance enhancing
drugs, because these drugs were not popular and the harmful side effects from
them were not discovered yet. Since 1991, these drugs have been illegal to
purchase or possess under federal law and were banned in sports within a few
years of the law change. After many allegations during the 1988 Olympics about steroid
use, the government decided to outlaw the drugs and other sport organizations
followed. Many of us can remember in the
mid-nineties when many athletes in the MLB were accused or caught using performance
enhancing drugs. According to
ESPN, the following MLB players have been linked to the use of performance enhancing
drugs in the late 90’s seasons: Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Rafael Palmeiro and Gary Sheffield. All of these players have accomplished something
great for the game of baseball and many people were discussed to find out their
childhood heroes were actually drug abusers. On top of that they were all breaking
the law as well. During the great “Home Run” race of the 90s, these players had
attracted so many young players that looked up to them as some of the game’s
best athletes. I wouldn’t want my
children to inspire to be like someone who breaks the law and uses illegal
drugs. The pressures to compete along with other factors, burden these
professional athletes to the point that they turn to illegal substances for assistance.
A perfect example of this would be Lance Armstrong. Lance was considered to be
the best bicyclist in the entire world after he won 7 tour de France titles for
cycling. As many of us have heard in the last year, Armstrong admitted to using
steroids and other performance enhancing drugs during his participation in the Tour
de France races. He had also encouraged all his teammates to use the drugs as
well. He was stripped of his 7 titles and he was forced to surrender his famous
Livstrong charity. This story is extremely unique because Armstrong became a
hero to so many people who have struggled with similar health and athletic barriers.
What makes Lance Armstrong’s story so different is the fact that he was able to
beat cancer and prove that he was able to succeed no matter what obstacles needed
to be overcome. His courageous story along with his unbelievable cycling accomplishments
makes him a perfect role model for all athletes, in any sport. The thing that was
so upsetting is that Lance disappointed thousands of fans and young athletes
who looked up to him and he made people re-think about all the positive encouragement
that he generated during his career. Armstrong always stressed that no matter
what happens, if you keep on working toward something you can achieve it. To
find out that he “cheated” or was “dishonest” the entire time is like a slap in
the face. Many people were upset and disappointed to hear Armstrong admit to
using drugs during all his Tour de France victories. The question that everyone
has for these athletes is “Why?” What is the reasoning behind their actions?
Does the outcome from using the drugs outweigh the impact it has on the sport
and young fans? These drugs can help the athletes perform better and help them
build their reputation but when it is exposed then it can totally destroy everything
they have worked to accomplish. Like Armstrong, who lost all his Tour de France
titles, his reputation, and his Livestong charity, that he worked so hard to build.
So the big question is; Is using steroids worth all of the consequences for
athletes?
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