As you probably already know the first high profile star has been suspended under the MLB's new drug program, and that star is none other than Manny Ramirez. Ramirez who just signed a 1 year deal worth 25 million dollars now has been suspended for 50 games. It is unknown what substance that he tested positive for, but it sounds like it was prescribed to him from a Dr, so you can be sure that he will appeal. However it is unlikely he will win.
All of this steroid talk has my mind racing and I want to raise a couple questions to my readers. I find it very interesting what the MLB calls performance enhancing drugs, and why in sports these are so frowned upon. I had this conversation with a buddy and he quickly pointed out that baseball and track are games in which people really compete against themselves to try and break records. Since many of the biggest records in sports were around before PEDs, those that get caught using are looked at like cheaters. But I want to look at sports like baseball a little differently, what if you consider baseball the job of these many athletes. Would we still frown on them using PEDs?
My argument is basically this. Millions of people every day get up for work, and have to slam three cups of coffee in order to be able to do the simplest tasks. Caffeine is not a banned substance, but it does have health risks, and nearly every place of business serves coffee for there employees. Now take a look at US soldiers, I read an article recently talking about how many soldiers use steroids, and how the govt has basically turned a blind eye on steroid use. I cannot find the specific article I read but basically it said the military does not test for anabolic steroids just drugs that would be used for recreation or that deteriorate your mind. If you are a soldier that is risking his life every day, when your physical ability may allow you to survive another day, than why wouldn't you use. These people are well aware of the risk, and they are willing to risk it to be better at there job, and I don't think anyone has a problem with the people protecting our country using a PED?
Lets take this one step further and look at all the students that pop and snort aderol like it is candy because it helps them focus, stay up late, and improve there work ethic. I mean I wish I knew about the drug because it would have made my life a helluva lot easier. I mean I would consider this a performance enhancing drug, you can do things a lot easier than you are normally able to. The frat boy that parties all night can stay up all morning and study no problem by snorting a few pills. Where the typical student has to have the discipline to study, get a good nights rest, wake up early to continue to study, before taking the exam. I would say the student who had help focusing through all that would have a distinct advantage. If you look at college as a job in which I think you can with how competitive schools are getting than I think you should consider that people that use this drug are cheaters, and they should be looked at as cheaters. Yet it is probably one of the easiest drugs to get your hands on, and I have yet to hear about many big aderol busts, or congressional hearings to figure out if Johnny got a straight A's on his own accord or whether or not he was using a PED.
Now this is where it gets even more fun. Lets look at all the artist, sculptors, and musicians who use Hallucinogens. Now it is easy to say that marijuana or mushrooms do not make you a creative person that is something you are born with. However I would argue that if you take a look at music or art as there profession, than I think you can name several instances where people have made more money because they used drugs. I do not think anyone would argue that some musicians that use drugs like LSD, Marijuana, and Mushrooms are more popular than those that don't. I don't think Curt Kobain would be as popular today, if he didn't have to battle drugs. Same could be said with Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Hendricks, the Beatles, hell wasnt Da Vinci a regular absinthe user? I think you could argue that drugs helped them make more money, and in that case they could be considered as PEDs. However in all these cases drugs are not frowned upon the way they are in baseball. Hell in this example the are downright part of the norm.
I guess why are we willing to allow musicians, soldiers, and hell just your average IT guy who drinks 12 glasses of Joe a day, damage his body for the good of his job or to better further himself. Yet we make a huge deal when some athlete is putting this stuff in his body to extend his career? I just find it freaking hilarious that again we focus are attention to this problem in a spot where it is probably least prevalent. I would guess the amount of people that use aderol to get a leg up dwarfs the amount of baseball players that use steroids , but I have yet to see many congressional hearings regarding this. It is just interesting to me, and now I want to open the floor to the readers to give there opinion. Please let me know how big of an idiot I am.
5 comments:
I do agree with you in points, but thing that gets me and makes me so mad is its just baseball that gets so shit on, for a guy who loves baseball more then any sport i hate to hear and see all this.
Im not a person who can argue what is cheating and whats not, like im sure anyone who has its an endless battle. there are so many well is this or is this not, people can go back and forth for days. im just saying a guy gets caught in football and your lucky if it makes the back page in the usa today, but as your reading this you cant pick up a paper without manny being manny all over.
baseball is held to this higher standerd and it pisses me off, its like people are dying for football to become americas new past time, (and in many was it already is) that when i want to sit at a bar and talk some good old baseball p.e.d our everyons first topic, not that pujols (although i hate him) has a pace for a triple crown something that hasent been done since 1967.
I know im off the subject and im sorry if ive wasted anyones time, i just want people to realize like tasty said drugs are an everyday thing for millions of people in all sorts of professions, so GET OFF baseballs nuts..
I think the problem is that the rules prohibit it. So if you use them, you are cheating. Cheating generally isn't considered very sporting. If the legal profession banned coffee, and I drank it anyway, I'd be a fucking cheater, too.
A lot of the outrage stems from a misconception in the public. I think the public has a hulk superheroesque view of steroids. The baseball player steps up to the plate and strikes out, then the next at bat sticks himself in the ass with steroids and hits one onto Waveland.
When what is really going on here is, yes some bulking up, but mainly repairing. Baseball is 162 fucking games a season. If you are playing 4 nights in a row, your shoulder might be sore on game 3 of that series and your stats have gone down. But if your popping some steroids before you go to bed, then maybe you're repaired a bit better and overall your stats slightly improve. There is a big $$ difference between a .330 hitter and a .290.
In regards to Manny, I think Manny is good, and seeing Manny at bat shows he's good. Maybe some of that power was from some drugs, but Manny sets up camp on that plate. He is consistently deep into counts fouling balls off waiting for his pitch. Say what you want about the drugs, it's just one dimension.
I agree, I could take all the steroids I want and I'd still be a shitty hitter.
Still, the fact that a guy with a massive contract is willing to break the rules for an edge, then the shit must help. A lot.
Chuck,
I agree that the biggest problem is the conception that steroids would turn an average player into a great player. It is funny becuase most of these players linked were the best of there generation before roids, i think what happened is people started using and closing the gap, and they didnt like that so they started using as well. Dont get me wrong steroids is cheating I dont condone it, but I dont understnad why this is a huge outcry in baseball when other PEDs are just as prevelant yet you hear nothing about it.
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