Steroids in sports have a very controversial issue because there are so many athletes who use these performance-enhancing drugs. Authorities, high ranking officials in sports, seem perplexed when it comes to this issue because they do not know what to do to those who take these drugs. One side states that steroids are the new and enhanced formula for peek performance while the other side states that steroids are unethical as well as unfair. Then there’s the parent side that’s worried about their children who play sports because they don’t want them taking these performance enhancement drugs either. Even though there are conflicting opinions on the matter, the only reasonable thing to do is ban these drugs permanently and create harsher punishments for those who engage in such activities. These penalties might even include a jail sentence, larger fines, greater suspensions and even expulsion from the sport that athlete is involved with.
The reason why steroids are the most controversial issue in present athletics is because of its potency and effectiveness. With steroids, athletes can increase their strength insurmountable amounts within a very short time. They want results as fast as possible and the quickest way to get these results is through performance-enhancing drugs. The speed, energy, endurance, agility, strength, power and explosiveness it can provide an athlete, proposes the argument over the legality of steroids. One-article states, “The Mitchell Report fingered 89 professional ball players, but many of these allegations were nothing new for baseball watchers.” One side believes that steroids should be a part of the game because they make better athletes, which will make the crowd happy. For example, the year Mark McGuire hit 70 homeruns, baseball ratings were at an all time high that year because of the excitement of all the homeruns Sammy Sosa, ex-Chicago Cub, and Mark McGuire were hitting.
However, the other side of the picture presents the statement that states steroids are unethical as well as unfair. People still believe that these drugs are a form of cheating and in that case should be banned completely. Most people are all about the natural athlete that engages in hard work to increase his/her performance. According to the article, “Steroids, Sports and the Ethics of Winning,” “Society cares because steroid use is a form of cheating. Since steroids work so well, they create an unfair advantage for those who take them, and this breaks the social contract athletes have implicitly agreed to: We are going to have a fair contest.” A majority of the fans that watch athletic competition always want things to be fair so when a person takes these drugs, they really have a problem with it.
Parents are actually the most concerned with this issue because the whole reason they got their kids involved in sports is to keep their children away from bad influences such as drugs. How can they now, with all this hype on steroids teenagers are going to want that edge too so they can get drafted into a professional sport. The old perspective on sports was that parents highly enticed their children to play sports because they wanted their children to stay away from bad influences and bad behavior. Sports were where all the disciplined kids were, according to parental thinking, but not anymore because steroids play a huge role in tarnishing that reputation for sports.
There really is only one thing to do when it comes to preventing steroids from scattering anymore. Harsher penalties should be instilled so players will be deterred from ever using them again. More frequent drug tests should be placed in the system along with hormonal level testing so players cannot get away with human growth hormone use. There is nothing ethical about these drugs because they are just forms of cheating. So for those who try to cheat, should be admonished for their actions. Penalties that even reach a governmental level can be in store for the player who decides to take illegal substances of this extent. Also, larger fines as well as greater suspensions can really affect a player because they’ll feel ashamed of themselves, which will positively reinforce them to never d it again. Expulsion can be placed in the system as well but only when extreme measures call for it.
Overall, steroids are a negative aspect of sports that we, as a society, will not have to deal with if we increase the punishments for those who decide to take these drugs. Even though there are many arguments, which persist, people should definitely know that steroids never existed originally and therefore should be completely vanquished from the game.
