Where is the love?

Since we can not physically stop an athlete from swallowing a pill, injecting a syringe, applying a cream or so on we have to try to prevent the use of these illegal substances in ways we can control. As fans we have a lot of power that I do not think we are aware of. We are the ones that purchase the tickets and sell out all the games that these athletes play in. During Bonds’ hunt for the all-time home run record the Giants sold out 27 consecutive away games. That means fans from different cities were paying to see and support this known cheater as he pursued a record held by the great Hammering Hank Aaron. I highly doubt this would ever happen, but imagine if when Bonds’ hit the road in pursuit of the record he played in empty stadiums, would he have kept playing if no one was watching or cared?

Also, as fans we have the power to vote and select which players make the All-Star games. Shawne Merriman has been voted into the Pro-Bowl every year since his positive drug testing for steroids, including that season. Bonds was also voted to the 2007 All-Star game after he was proven to be a cheater. How can we complain about nothing being done to punish these players for cheating when we are rewardi7ng them and choosing them to be among our most praised and favorite players?

Therefore, if we want these substances to stop being used in sports we have to try to take the little steps we can and hopefully they will add up to miles of progress. We can stop buying these specific players jerseys, don’t go to a game just because they’re team is in town and don’t vote them into the all-star games. The players fuel off the attention and fame we give them. These players are being paid millions and praised as heroes even after they are cheating. If we take away their fame and popularity, it will not be so glorious anymore. Look at how Barry Bonds’ career ended. Everyone got sick and fed up with his antics and after the 2007 the leagues All-Time slugger could not find a contract with any of the 30 teams in the MLB.

Last week I talked about Lance Armstrong and how he has been accused of using performance enhancing drugs because of his amazing athletic accomplishments. Armstrong is just one of many athletes that are accused of using performance enhancing drugs regardless of never testing positive. So since we have fallen into the trend of blaming athletes that do spectacular unbelievable things how come we haven’t questioned Michael Phelps?

Phelps won an unprecedented 8 gold medals while setting 7 World Records in the Beijing Olympics this summer and no one is accusing him of using performance enhancers. Usain Bolt won 3 Olympic Golds in 3 World Record performances 5 golds and 4 world records less than Phelps but he is already being accused of cheating. So this makes me wonder, how can we accuse athletes like Bolt and Armstrong and then think Phelps 17 races at the olympics in only 9 days could not of been assisted by performance enhancers? Think about it, Phelps’ body had to recover in time between all 17 races he crammed in during those 9 days. And what have some athletes resorted to using when they try to do extraordinary things that a normal human body could not recover from? Yup that’s right, performance enhancing drugs.

Now, once again to set the record straight I do believe that Michael Phelps is 100% clean and legit and has not used any form of performance enhancers or banned steroids. But I am simply making the point of how biased and ridiculous our accusations have become. How can we simply accuse one person of cheating only on the basis of them setting 3 World Records and then turn around and say someone that set 7 is clean?

It is simply unfair and unacceptable for us to do this as fans. By blaming athletes like Armstrong and Bolt we are welcoming and allowing the use of these banned substances to become a part of the game. We need to completely reject them and only reject the proven users. If you’re going to be arrested and thrown in jail for robbing a bank regardless of if you ever did it or not, might as well rob the bank and get the money right? Unfortunately I feel as if these trends continue this is how athletes are going to start thinking and we can help stop this.

So far we have examined and discussed the prevalent use of banned substances in sports and the results that they have helped the users achieve. Also, last week we briefly touched on why testing agencies are so far behind on catching the cheaters. So now I want to talk about what impact we the fans have had on this whole situation. As the use of these banned substances has become more and more accepted and known about it sports we, along with the media, have been taught to assume that anytime there is an amazing athletic performance these banned substances have had a hand in the athlete getting to that elite level. The perfect example is 7x Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong.

Lance Armstrong whom is proclaimed to be the most tested athlete in all of sports cycled under a cloud of doubt and suspicion of using illegal substances throughout his entire career regardless of never ever failing a drug test. As a huge Lance Armstrong fan and after reading both of his amazing and inspirational books, It’s Not About the Bike and Every Second Counts, I choose to believe that from his training and unsurmountable amount of times he has been tested that he is telling the truth when he says he has not used performance enhancers. He has become a victim of fans and media assuming that someone that dominates a sport and rewrites the record books, like Armstrong did, had to of done so under the influence of illegal aid.

This is where we as fans are contributing to the loss of integrity and prestige in sports. By accepting and assuming the use of illegal substances we are lowering ourselves and welcoming the cheaters. If an athlete is going to put in hours, days and years of endless pure hard work and be accused of a cheater, why not just take the easy way out and cheat? We need to commend and praise athletes such as Armstrong who have been proven to be clean possibly thousands of times (I couldn’t find any approximation of how many times he has been tested). Therefore, hopefully showing younger athletes that the right way is the way to go and that there is all the glory and rewards behind it they will choose not to use these substances.

There is not much we can do in actually physically stopping athletes from taking these substances, if they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it. But it is unreasonable and pathetic of us to blame every athlete of using performance enhancing drugs when they perform at a spectacular level because someone has done it before. It would be like every time a student writes an exceptional essay the teacher accuses them of plagiarism because it has been done before and gives the student a bad grade. We can rise above these assumptions and give credit to those that have earned it and punish/frown upon those whom have cheated to do so.

Remember, we the fans are the one’s who fill the seats, buy the merchandise and praise these athletes. If we start rewarding the ones who deserve it and oppose the ones who cheat, cheating might become not so glorious.

In the past few months we have examined and debated the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs by athletes in many different sports. Also, on my fact sheet I listed the punishment by organizations if an athlete is tested positive. Therefore, now I want to discuss how and why athletes are still getting away with the use of these illegal performance enhancing drugs. And the answer is simply…to the labs testings these athletes the drugs they are using DO NOT EXIST. How can these scientist and testing agencies find something that they do not know exists?

This is where the integrity and honesty of athletes needs to come in. As discussed in my profile with Pitt Track & Field team Trainer Jim Cerullo, the underground labs providing these athletes with drugs have basically unlimited funds to create new drugs that cannot be detected. The drugs Barry Bonds was using known as “The Cream and The Clear” would have taken scientific labs YEARS to discover if they would have never been given a sample of the substance after BALCO was caught and shut down from operation.

Unfortunately there is not much we as sports fans can do to alter or change the minds of these professional athletes from using these illegal substances. But I as a collegiate athlete have tried my best to help maintain the level of integrity within my team. I know for a fact that no athletes on my team use any type of illegal performance enhancing drug or substance. Also, we are very proud and verbal about our achievements and what we have attained through our own hard work and ability without any extra illegal help. Hopefully, if you are an athlete yourself you can express the feeling of achievement and success that you feel when reaching your goal purely from hard work, determination and personal skill. We need to punish and put down athletes we have reached athlete milestones and accomplishments by breaking the rules and send a message to everyone else that there should be 0% tolerance towards anyone cheating and diminishing the good of the game.

As a member of a leadership committee for student athletes at Pitt known as SAAC we have discussed the use and prevention of performance enhancing drugs and how we have the individual power to stop and educate our teammates to not use these illegal substances. If you are a team leader or apart of a team on any level High School, Collegiate or Beyond step up and help make sure your team is doing the right thing.

The past 2 months we have talked about and discussed how athletes use steroids and illegal substances, but how dangerous are these steroids? A document from the government was released in the 1960’s stating that steroids are ineffective and do not work, in hopes that people would not use them. But very soon it was proven that steroids do work and work very well, but they should not be used because they can be extremely dangerous and harmful to the users health. Even though steroids have not been proven to be linked to causing cancer from NFL Pro Bowler Lyle Alzado was 100% convinced his heavy steroid use was the reason he died from brain cancer at the age of only 42.

The 6′3″ 253 pound Defensive End was much smaller than that in high school and begin experimenting with muscle building substances during his collegiate career at Yankton College in South Dakota. Alzado’s steroid abuse eventually grew to him spending $30,000 a year on steroids during his NFL career with the Broncos, Browns and Raiders. Alzado was known for his agressive play on the field and eventually his anger carried off the field where his 2nd wife divorced him for his mood swings. These mood swings were a side effect of steroids most commonly known as ‘roid rage’. Alzado denied using steroids for many years, as many cheaters do, and finally came clean in a Sports Illustrated article in July 1991, a few months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Even though doctors where unable to prove that his brain lymphoma was because of his steroid use Alzado was convinced his years of steroid abuse is what led to his death.

So my question and discussion for this week is why? Why do athletes take steroids if they know the potentially terrible things that can come from it. Sure you may have a few years of fame and glory on top of the sports world, but is it really worth it? Aren’t sports original purpose for fitness and to keep your body in good health? So why take something that has killed an elite athlete at the age of 42? This topic seems very similar to me as of why people use tobacco products. The use of tobacco products is proven, without a doubt, to cause great harm to the human body but yet the users do it for the short term high and outcome they get out of it. Just like athletes use steroids for the hopefully few years of glory and basically risk/give away a healthy life afterwards.

Steroids are just cheating from the integrity of the game but they’re cheating the athlete from a healthy regular life. But even the proven side effects and horrible outcomes and stories steroids has brought us athletes still choose to use them in hopes to become a better athlete. In a Sports Illustrated article in May of 1992 reporting Alzado’s death it quotes him when he said, “If what I’ve become doesn’t scare you off steroids, nothing will.” Unfortunately he hasn’t scared as many athletes as he and most wish it would have.

The Olympics is considered by many, including myself, to be the most prestigeous sporting event there is. Every Olympics there is one competition that has always been one of the main headliners, the 100 meter dash. Over the years the winner has been granted the title the World’s Fastest Man (and World’s Fastest Women for the ladies race). But in the past 3 out 6 of the “World’s Fastest Men” (counting Usain Bolt to be clean) used performance enhancing drugs to do so, and up until the 2008 games no clean winner has ran a faster time than the previous champion. Also, Marion Jones won 3 gold medals and 2 bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics under her admitted use of performance enhancers.

So my question for debate this week is should these cheaters be able to keep their gold medals if they are not found to be guilty until after the olympics? Marion Jones returned her medals and Ben Johnson (1988 Gold Medalist under Steroids) was striped of his gold medal. Why should an athlete have to return their medals up to years after the Olympic committee was unable to catch them for using performance enhancers? Shouldn’t it be the Olympics fault for not catching the athlete before they even competed or right after? If drug testing is as efficient as it is supposed or intended to be, shouldn’t they be able to?

My answer is that cheating is cheating. It does not matter if the person is caught 10 seconds after or 10 years later. The Olympics have been the stage for the world’s greatest athletes since its existence and it shall not be diminished by those who decide to place themselves above the Olympics and its rules. Even Michael Johnson returned his 5th gold medal from 2000 for the 4×400m relay almost 8 years later because a member of his team was found guilty of using performance enhancers. According to a Boston Globe article titled “Johnson will return gold medal,” Johnson states, “So difficult as it is, I will be returning it to the International Olympic Committee because I don’t want it. I feel cheated, betrayed, and let down.”

Luckily up until the point the Olympics have contained the integrity of the games and showed no mercy or exceptions to cheaters of any form, and striped any medalist proven to be cheaters from their prize. Hopefully, the MLB, NFL and all other sporting organizations will take notes from the Olympics and try to put a true end to the doping era in sports.

San Diego Chargers Superstar, Pro-Bowl Linebacker Shawne Merriman also known as “Lights Out” was tested positive for the use of STEROIDS and the lights have seemed to have been shut off about it. Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire may never make the Hall of Fame, or will at least be heckled and criticized for the rest of their life for their accusations of steroid use. Lance Armstrong has a large cloud of doubt hanging over his head he has not been able to shake away from his 7 Tour de France titles, regardless of passing an unsurmountable number of drug tests, and Shawne Merriman proven cheater is being celebrated as one of the NFL’s best players. After Merriman served his 4 game suspension for his positive STEROID drug test in the 2006 season he was voted to the Pro Bowl as well as a First Team All-Pro Selection, regardless of his PROVEN USE OF STEROIDS.

Furthermore, Merriman maintained all of his sponsers and endorsements, even being selected for the cover of EA Sports NFL Tour video game following the season he was proven as a cheater. Also, shortly after his positive drug test he was featured in a Nike Television commercial performing extraordinary athlete moves and plays. Were these plays a result of his Nike Football cleats or his use of steroids? So what is the NFL, EA Sports and Nike saying to young children and the rest of Sports world?

Merriman Nike Commercial

Merriman with no argument served his 4 game suspension, but after that there has been no argument about Merriman’s outstanding performance and extraordinary combination of strength and speed. How can we sit here 7 years after McGwire’s retirement and diminish what he did for the game of baseball, when he has never been proven to use steroids and at the same time reward Merriman as a hero, a superstar and a role model?

Once again this brings up the issue of where has the integrity in sports gone? Where is the genuine love for the game? How can we criticize and diminish the entire game of baseball and at the same time celebrate and reward someone that is doing the exact same thing in another sport?

Now that we have established that the MLB has a large amount of players using banned substances and that not much punishment is implemented to those found guilty, what will happen 5 years after these players are retired and its time for the Hall of Fame? Should these proven cheaters or even players suspected of using banned substances be allowed in the Hall of Fame? What about players like Roger Clemens, with strong evidence and many testimonies claiming he used banned substances but he has repeatedly denied over and over again ever using any banned substances throughout his entire career. This is the issue is now becoming a common issue for the Hall of Fame for players, currently with Mark McGwire and will be an issue for years to come.

So should the “Big Mac” Mark McGwire be allowed into the Hall of Fame with his 583 career home runs placing him 8th all-time? And what baseball fan can forget his 1999 season where he broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record with an astounding 70 homers? McGwire was mentioned in the Mitchell Report along with Jose Conseco’s accusations of McGwire using banned substances in his infamous book Juiced. Also his decision to plead the Fifth Amendment against his allegations in a government hearing has led many to believe that he has cheated.

This is a touchy subject to many fans and hard to make a decisive choice of whether or not to let McGwire into the hall of fame or not. So far the Hall of Fame has denied Mr. McGwire’s admission because of the cloud of suspicion of his possible use of banned substances. My overall opinion on this subject is that if a player cheated they should not be allowed into the Hall of Fame, but with all the undetectable banned substances players use we may never find out exactly who is cheating and who is clean. This is why we need the integrity and honesty of athletes to be reinstated back into the game.

This is where I debate if a player should be innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent. So far it has seemed to have led towards guilty until proven innocent, but how do you test someone’s body for something they did 5 or 10 years ago? Unfortunately but in the past if a player has been proven to have gone against the rules of the game they have been kept out of the Hall of Fame no matter how great of a player they were. For instance, Pete Rose the all time leader in hits has been kept out of the Hall of Fame because of his gambling. Therefore, the Hall needs to maintain their consistency and keep these cheaters out of the game until they have proven to of never used any banned substances. As a result hopefully McGwire being kept out of the Hall of Fame will be an example to young and current players debating using illegal substances and they will choose to play the game clean.

Last week I specifically focused on Barry Bonds and his use of steroids and how his records still standing will influence the rest of the MLB. Unfortunately Barry Bonds is not the only superstar or player in the MLB that has used steroids. Senator George Mitchell investigated the MLB for 20 months creating a report known as the Mitchell Report, that listed the names of 89 current and former MLB players that use/used illegal substances. The sad thing is 0 of the 89 players listed in the report were punished for their use of steroids. The MLB’s drug testing policy states that with a players 1st offense to a positive drug test is a 50 game suspension, followed by a 100 game suspension for the 2nd, and finally lifetime ban if a 3rd drug test occurs. The players may not of officially failed a drug test but they have been proven to of used illegal substances over a period of time, therefore is that not at least worth the penalty for 1 failed drug test if not more?

Regardless this has once again proven that it is alright to cheat in a game considered to be the national past time of the United States. If a Senator can take 20 months to investigate the game inside out and come out with strong evidence relating to the name of 89 athletes and essentially nothing further is done, where is the integrity and fairness in the game? Athletes such as Andy Pettitte came out publicly and held a press conference to apologize to the Yankee Organization, the MLB, and all fans of the game. Even though I credit him for his honesty and bravery to stand up and admit to what he did but at the same time it does not change the fact that he cheated. The shocking thing to me, proving how much the game has diminished is how the league and fans have seemed to just forgiven and forgotten about what not only Pettitte but a majority of the rest of the names of the list CHEATED. These players such as Miguel Tejeda, Jason Giambi and Pettitte along with dozens more compete against and play with the rest of the league and have basically gotten away with their steroid use without any serious punishment. Are you one of the fans that have forgiven and forgetten what these athletes have done? Where is the integrity? Where is the love for the game?

“Hammering” Hank Aaron 755 Home Runs throughout his storied career from 1954 to 1976. “The Great Bambino” Babe Ruth collected 714 Home Runs from 1914 until he retired in 1935. Roger Maris acheived what for decades was looked upon as one of the greatest single seasons for home run hitting with 61 Home Runs in 1961. Then came along Barry Bonds, setting records with 762 Career Home Runs and the historic 73 Home Runs during the 2001 Season. By simply looking at the numbers on a sheet of paper Bonds is easily the greatest Home Run hitter in the history of baseball. But what if “Hammering” Hank or “The Great Bambino” took steroids, then their 755 and 714 Career Home Runs could possibly of been 800 and 775 Career Home Runs. Or what if Roger Maris had “the creme” during his historic season in 1961, he possible could have hit 74 or 75 home runs. The fact is we will never know, but there is a great chance if they also were under the influence of performance enhancing drugs like Barry Bonds was they probably would have ended up with more Home Runs.

But the fact is there has been some noticeable differences from Barry Bonds over the years. Since Barry Bonds joined the San Fransisco Giants in 1993…

• his hat size increased from 7 1/8 to 7 1/2 (about an inch in circumference).
• his shoes size increased from a 10.5 to a 13.
• his jersey size increased from a 42 to a 52

These growth of these things are interesting in relation to Bond’s alleged steroid use because Bond’s accused of taking Human Growth Hormones (also known as HGH) are known to increase the size of the users head, along with its purpose to increase the persons overall size. And even though I am no expert in natural human growth but most 35 year old men’s heads do not grow in around an inch of circumference, foot size increase 2.5 sizes or gain 10 sizes in their clothes, due to muscle growth.

So what does this have to do with the integrity of the game? Barry Bonds’ a proved cheater is still currently crowned as the greatest home run hitter of all time. Even though there has been debates of placing an asteric next to his record there has been nothing significantly done to take away from his record. What kind of message does this send to the rest of league? What kind of message does this send to young fans sitting at home watching a superstar being praised for cheating and going against the rules? To me by letting Bonds keep his records of most home runs in a season and career home runs it tells kids its okay to cheat. Also, if I were an MLB baseball player I would be tempted to take performance enhancers just in order to keep up with the competition and if the only punishment is verbal criticism I’ll take the 762 Home Runs and a few insults. This is unfair to those following the rules and playing an honest clean game.

This is why drug testing needs to be more serious, the penalties need to be more severe. For the MLB a player can get away with 2 positive drug tests before they’re banned for life from the game. To me I feel as if this is not very intimidating at all to players debating using illegal substances. It would be like going up to bat and getting 6 free strikes before you can be called out, the batter will be swinging at anything those first 6 strikes.