Sports were originally a celebration of athleticism displayed through speed, strength, skill, and endurance. As sports evolved into the highly competitive atmosphere that is witnessed today, athletes of all sports became bigger, faster, stronger, and more competitive. From high school through the professional level, athletes trained strenuously to be or to remain competitive. Paralleling this increased competitiveness was the advancement of sports medicine. While some athletes increased their strength, speed, and size through diligent training, others wanted the quick solution. This quick solution was found in the world of performance enhancing drugs. Cheating athletes from the normal hard work and preparation for competition, performance enhancing drugs question weaken (??) the integrity of sports.

Throughout the world of contemporary sports, athletes are constantly pressured to excel. Winning championships, bringing home Olympic medal(s), or breaking a record brings instant fame, and in many cases, fortune. Therefore, athletes feel that they must gain some edge over their competition. Some are motivated to train religiously for competition; others supplement their training with performance enhancing drugs. In their mind, the use of these drugs is a necessity to remain competitive. Using steroids to play through injury, Ken Caminiti- the Major League Baseball most valuable player in 1996- broke every one of his previous records. He hit forty home runs compared to his twenty nine or less in previous seasons; he hit 36 more RBIs than the best season of his career. This MVP accomplishment, however, is tainted because of his use of steroids (CNN). Risking their reputation, the reputation of their team, and the reputation of their sport, these athletes are the only ones who believe that their choice of drug use is fair. If exposed, however, an athlete’s talent as well as his team’s talent will be doubted. Although the fans and the media are against the use of drugs in sports, they indirectly pressure athletes toward this use. Drugs also harm the health of athletes, fatally. Negatively affecting the health of an athlete, the reputation of an athlete, and the sports community, performance enhancing drugs are only seen as fair by the athletes taking them.

Sports are said to promote fair play and teamwork. However, athletes using these drugs eliminate the fairness of sports. The use of drugs to improve skill level is cheating; moreover, a competition in sports is meant to be judged by the natural ability of an athlete, not an ability brought out by the use of drugs. Recently and more frequently, the scope of these drugs has filtered down from the pro level to Olympic athletes and eventually high school sports. The strength and effect of these drugs on athletes has quite literally “raised the bar” and made “a level playing field,” {Delete the comma.} a thing of the past.

Because the drug use throughout the past was not as evident or as effective as it is today, the use of these drugs tarnishes the history of sports. No longer can most present day athletes accurately be measured to the past athletes and record holders. Because performance enhancing drugs deliver a level of athleticism that would not naturally be achieved, one cannot relate past records of raw ability to the new records caused by the powers of drugs.

Breaking Roger Maris’ homerun record, Mark McGuire changed the record books -of baseball history-. Soon after his colossal success, however, McGuire’s use of a testosterone releasing drug, Androstenedione, was revealed. Although McGuire had shattered Maris’ record by nine homeruns and was using a legal drug, how valid was McGuire’s record compared to Maris’? McGuire saw nothing wrong with his actions or use; however, he was highly criticized by the media and his fans. Not too long after, Barry Bonds broke McGuire’s record. Like McGuire, Bonds also used a performance enhancing drug--steroids--to increase his success and talent. Athletes, like Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds,skew the record books when comparing the past and present sport scene.

Drug use is unfair to athletes who go through preparation “the hard way” and especially athletes who endeavor to play at the college or pro levels. Pressure is exerted internally by the athlete to get that scholarship, or likewise externally by parents or coaches. Constant media attention pressures the athlete to excel, to be better, or to sign the big contract. Eventually, it becomes a question of character. Will sports build character or reveal it?

A true winner endures the pain of hard work by motivation. Making it to the professional or most elite level of a sport, an athlete gains tremendous notoriety, fame, and fortune. What if that athlete succumbs to the pressure of using performance enhancing drugs to stay competitive? Many amateur athletes idolize the superstars of their sport. If a role model sets an example for younger generations to take the easy way out, that is to cheat, the future of all sports is jeopardized. Hearing of his influence on children because of his use of “Andro,” McGuire announced his discontinued use of the drug. Moreover, he said “I don’t like the way it was portrayed like I was the endorser of the product, which I wasn’t. I don’t like how its portrayed, but young kids take it because of me. I don’t like that” (Furek). While some younger athletes will follow in the corrupt footsteps of their idols, others will not. However, all sports and every athlete will be increasingly scrutinized.

Performance enhancing drugs are mainly seen as unethical and cheating. The use of these drugs questions the morality of the sports community by changing the meaning of the past, of the present, and of the future of every record, game, or competition. The thought of winning at any cost and taking the easy way out demeans sports. This cheating in sports, or any aspect of life, is perceived in a negative way. Not only are athletes using performance enhancing drugs risking their reputation, but they are also risking the reputation of their team, their program, and their sport. While these drugs have increased the performance level of many athletes, they also ruin sports. Every new record set raises questions, speculations, and allegations. Because of these cheaters, the honor and traditions of sports will be forever ruined.

Bibliography

Furek, Max. Mark McGuire Swears Off Andro. 1999. NaturalStrength.com. 19 June 1999. http://www.naturalstrength.com/steroids

Are Steroids Ruining Baseball. By Bob Fiscella. With Ken Caminiti and Kenny Rogers. CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports. CNN. 28 May 2002. http://transcripts.cnn.com

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