So it looks like Manny Ramirez is back with the Dodgers. He’s served his 50 game suspension and rejoined his teammates for a game against the San Diego Padres. He was hitless in his return and came up to the plate to a chorus of boos. It’s interesting, though that he was applauded by many in the stands as well. It seems as though if he has paid the price for his “crime”, he’s absolved of all guilt….Now I’m not trying to toot the horn of morality, but in this situation, it’s almost the same thing as a golfer kicking a ball back into the fairway with his foot….they’re both cheating if they’re doing something that is against the rules. Anyway, in the MLB, they let the players know ahead of time that they’re going get tested for steroids. So either Manny is incredibly stupid and didn’t think he would get caught, or he just didn’t care enough about the rules and took the steroids anyway with the knowledge that he would be caught. Either way, this doesn’t look good……but the truth of the matter is that he’s not alone. There are many other who have tested positive and just didn’t care much about the rules. The example that this sets for the kids isn’t that great either…what they see is a bunch of guys making millions and having great seasons while on steroids….and if they get caught, they apologize and are held just as highly in regard as they were before. What kind of example is that? I think that the only way for baseball to really clean up the game is to make an even bigger example out of one of it’s stars that is caught.
Check out these links and you’ll find some articles on possible solutions (or possible solutions that won’t work) to the problem of athletes using steroids…
(This article was written a few years back when steroids were first just becoming a known problem. I chose this because it shows how things have changed in a few years, but this writer was on to it earlier…It suggests that athletes may never learn and that there may be no quick solution to this problem. It also shows that people were taking for granted that steroids were being used in athletics. It seems as if everyone was so caught up in the entertainment value that no one bothered to think what was going on behind the scenes. From the athletes’ point of view, it would make perfect sense to enhance their own performance and earn even more money if they weren’t even going to get caught for it.)
(This article talks about steroid testing within cattle. The animal testing has begun, which means that this may soon transfer to humans as well. This could be a possible solution to the problem of “masking agents”. This is a novel solution because it shows that people are taking steps towards fighting this problem. It also could be a message to athletes that if they cheat, they will soon be caught. I think that this is the first step in eliminating steroid use altogether because before we can stop it, we have to detect it.)
(This one was from a few years back, but it’s actually important because this is the current system of penalties within baseball. Before these penalties, steroid use was much more. By imposing stiffer penalties, the idea is to curb steroid abuse. Manny Ramirez was recently suspended for 50 games….in my opinion he should have been suspended for the entire season. Alex Rodriguez wasn’t suspended at all….he should have been suspended too. It shouldn’t mean anything if the guy apologizes after the fact….the fact of the matter is that he still cheated and he should be punished. It’s quite widely known that many athletes retire with a shortage of money and a lengthy medical history, so if they were to risk losing a full year’s pay they may not temp fate.)
(This is by far the most interesting article I’ve come across so far….It claims that steroids should be legalized within all sports. The argument is that since we always have doubts whether any athletic feat is “real”, we should remove all of it and just legalize steroids. I don’t neccessarily agree with this solution because it will just encourage everyone (even those who are clean) to take steroids and it will send the message that the only way to get into professional sports is by taking steroids. Plus, it will ignore the physical toll that steroids take on the body by saying that it is ok to take them…this obviously hasn’t been tested yet, but it’s still an interesting idea for a solution….)
1. This first solution calls for “tailor made” approaches to deal with steroid addiction. There is usually a set way to deal with steroid use and set penalties. However, because of the psychological side effects of steroids, one can’t be so sure that everyone will react in the same way. It is because of this that I believe that every individual be treated uniquely so that they can be given the proper attention and can be dealt with in the best way possible. On top of that, because so many high schoolers take steroids for self esteem issues, it would help to see that someone cares about them and wants to help them……check out the link to the site that sets the program up….until now there hasn’t really been an approach like this
2. Continuing with the intervention approach, the ATLAS (Adolescents Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids) program has been instituted in high schools around the US to educate kids about steroid use and provide alternatives to using steroids. It includes a classroom component where they learn about nutrition, the effects of steroids, and strength training alternatives. The seven in-class sessions are also used to hone decision making skills as well as drug refusal skills by having kids talk to kids. There is also a weight training component to the program. Seven sessions are conducted to teach athletes proper weight training and strength techniques so that they can get the maximum out of their training without having to resort to steroids. 1,500 high school football players from 31 schools in the Portland area were tested and the 1-year resutls show that compared with the students from the control group, those who participated in the ATLAS program knew more about excersie, nutrition and the side effects of steroids. This can only mean that they have a lesser chance of taking steroids in the future because they know the full story….
I truly believe that in order to stop this problem, it is important to educate kids about steroids and show them that it is not all fun and games….there are real consequences. Nothing radical can be done about this problem because it is similar to drug use in the sense that cracking down harder may make it more appealing for people to do it. If we educate the kids properly, they will be able to make a more informed decision, and at this point, that’s all we can hope for….
The reason I chose this paticular topic was because living in Vancouver and seeing how crazy Cancuks fans get during the playoffs has made me realize how big of role sports plays in everyone’s lives. It’s almost as if we’re living vicariously through these athletes. We choose them as role models and most of us would trade lives with them in a second. But the downside to all of this is the question of whether it’s clean or not. We dump so much of our hard-earned money into attending games and we spend so much time watching the games on TV. In a recession, every penny counts and time is money. Fans also can become so passionate about their teams that they can come to blows with one another, or even destroy part of a city (the 1994 riots in Vancouver). These two reasons alone would classify this issue as a social problem. Most importantly, young athletes who are watching these pros and who emulate every move may also pick up the negative things. The most common response would be to say “they made it all the way by taking steroids, so we should do it too”….well, this is why it’s a social problem…..it can evoke such different emotions and bring about such unique problems…..
This is something to think about: Imagine your favorite athlete or perfomer has been bending the rules to get ahead in whatever it is that they do….Would you be okay with the fact that they are doing something against the rules, or do you think that the ends don’t justify the means?
If you take steroids you still have to work out to get a buff body – they are not a “bod in a bottle”.
Steroids cause terrible acne and acne scarring, not to mention the dreaded “backne” (acne on the back).
“Roid Rage” exists and is scary not only for the anger recipient, but also for the person having the rage.
Steroid use in teens can stunt normal growth and development.
Steroid use can cause hair loss, excessive acne, formation of “mini breasts” or extra tissue around the nipples, impotency, penile shrinking and low to no sperm production in teen aged boys – many of these effects are irreversible.
Steroid use can cause facial hair, deepening of the voice, clitoral enlargement, breast shrinkage, hair loss, and menstrual irregularities in teen aged girls – many of these effects are irreversible.
Steroids cause liver damage, jaundice, high blood pressure, severe acne, trembling, heart arhythmia and inability to properly regulate body temperature.
There are withdrawl symptoms involved in quitting steroids including; illness, dizziness, vision problems, anxiety, depression and tremors.
Steroids cause behavioral abnormalities like; excessive anger, paranoia, ego centricity, frustration, mistrust and aggression and these changes can last even after the steroid use has stopped.
Steroid use robs you of the satisfaction of succeeding on your own athletic merits.
*note: this list was obtained from: http://www.listafterlist.com/tabid/57/listid/10213/Health/Top+10+Things+You+Need+to+Know+about+Steroids.aspx
Being an athlete myself, I want to make it clear that I’m not making this a personal attack on anyone who has taken steroids….I’m blogging about this because it is a serious problem that has serious consequences. You may be asking yourself “how is this a social problem?” Well, when you look at the fact that athletes are so overexposed and that so many people think of athletes as role models, (visit this site for more on that: http://www.geocities.com/~slopitch/drsquat/fredkids.htm) you’ll have situations where kids can take steroids as a result.
But the point is that this is a health issue as well. We can’t possibly accept our kids taking things that destroy their bodies so how can we accept “role models” doing the same. By showing them images like this:
the youngsters may realize that there are actually serious long-term side effects that are not taken seriously by athletes. It could also help curb steroid abuse by high schoolers (visit this link for more: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/teenage-steroid-use-a-disturbing-trend-amongst-high-school-kids-567041.html) which has become a growing concern. The article reports that 12% of high school boys and 2% of high school girls have taken steroids, with more than a half million kids using them across the US. It’s not hard to get steroids, they are availible in some health stores as well as over the internet. Some gyms also have “back rooms” where dealers sell steroids illicitly. It seems as though they don’t think that it’s a big enough problem to worry about. Winning at all costs seems to be the major motivation behind taking steroids (according to Ann Freeman in this article: http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/The_dope_on_steroids_Why_some_athletes_take_the_risk.html). Baseball seems to be the biggest violator of steroid abuse out of all the major sports….or maybe it is the only sport where the players aren’t quick enough to mask what they’re taking….Nonetheless, here is an article regarding a report that was published that named all active baseball players who were taking steroids (the Mitchell Report: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3153509). Maybe if they were scared straight by images similar to the one above, they would think twice….Here’s an article that could be a useful way for parents and coaches to talk to their kids about steroid abuse: http://www.aiaacademy.org/story/?id=77
Recently, Alex Rodriguez (considered by many to be the top player in professional baseball today) tested positive for steroids. He first denied it and then later admitted that it was true in an interview for ESPN, claiming that the pressure to perform was a major factor in his mistake. From the viewpoint of sponsors and fans, this is understandable because of the huge amount of attention on athletes (especially in New York) as well as the large amounts of money that sponsors give to the teams. Also, there is a responsibility to the fans to give them their money’s worth….take a look at the ticket prices (up to $375 USD per game!):
…In a recession, empty seats mean lost revenue for the team. In a facility that cost a reported $1 billion to build, that’s a lot of lost bread! But how can anyone expect to pay their hard-earned money to watch a game filled with players who are cheating by taking steroids-this is partially why it is a social problem.
The fault lies in the fact that he did not take responsibility for his own actions. Before, if he didn’t perform, he would have been labeled as overrated. But now, if he doesn’t perform, he’ll be labeled as overrated and a cheater. All of that is aside from the point: people will continue to idolize these athletes and claim their behavior is acceptable, which will alter the way that society judge actions…anabolic agents have always been banned (see the world-anti doping code of banned substances here: http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/2006_LIST.pdf) and unless we communicate that such behavior won’t be tolerated, the problem will surely grow. It seems as if every time someone apologizes for something they did wrong, it just goes away…..while I respect the courage it takes to apologize, it doesn’t mean that the wrong has been rectified. If he was suspended for a year, it would send a message to not only the rest of the league but also the general public that taking steroids wont get an athlete anywhere.
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