Steroids in Baseball – Are the Players Really to Blame?
Over the last few years the numbers of sports people, particularly in baseball that have been accused of using (or abusing some would say) steroids in order to improve their performance, has risen sharply. It’s not an easy thing to try and prove that a certain athlete has been using steroids, but quite a large number of professional baseball players have come out and admitted to the use of these substances. A few names spring to mind, with those of Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi and Jose Canseco at the forefront. Other players such as Rafael Palmeiro strenuously denied, in public, that they used steroids, but in Palmeiro’s case incriminating evidence came to light afterwards.
But we have to take everything into consideration and have a think for one minute. Is it really fair to pass judgment on these sportsmen and women, do we really think that they go out and buy steroids just for the fun of it, or is it not a case that they are simply striving to meet the high expectations and strenuous demands that their professions place on them?
It can turn out to be very tempting to just ignore all of these so-called mistakes, especially if you have hero-worshipped some of these players for a great number of years. On the other hand though, these same athletes have stained their sports integrity and brought their game into disrepute. More importantly, are they having an influence on the newer generations of athletes that are coming to the fore and maybe helping inadvertently to put their health at risk? If this is the case, then we shouldn’t be so concerned when they are punished- should we? They may well be risking their own health, but these athletes are, after all, breaking the law and also appear to be having a negative influence thousands of young people. Furthermore, they could be lessening the value of a game that is important to Americans all over the country. Some people think it’s fair to hold them responsible when they infringe the law or cheat while playing a baseball game, others are not so sure…