Today, we are better than ever at catching athletes who use performance enhancing drugs. However, cheaters continue to stay one step ahead and even when they no longer do, cheating in sports will continue. It’s just the nature of competitive sports. It’s one of the reasons why I am glad my three kids pursued performing arts in school rather than athletics.
In the early days, athletes used to unwind from games by consuming more alcohol than was healthy and then pop a few “pick me up” pills given to them by the team doctor before their next game. No one cared because everyone did it and the press never thought it was worth reporting.
Now we have tests that not only show what kinds of drugs our athletes abuse but also the specific amounts. We even know if the drugs were administered via an I.V. thanks to a test that shows the level of plasticizers in the blood. It also helps that we have a more inquisitive press who is more than willing to out the drug cheats.
But lets face it, athletes are still going to cheat. It’s just the nature of competitive athletics. Sure there is still “good sportsmanship” which only means not to complain about the other team’s cheating after a loss. You do not complain about them stealing your signs, filming your practice, or altering their equipment after losing. You publicly accept the fact they beat you fair and square and admire them for how they did it while privately stewing inside.
Back in high school, the refs used to check the padding on players during pregame warm ups to make sure they were not slipping anything illegal inside them. Then, we retreated back to the locker rooms for “final instructions” and went about “altering” our equipment. While we were doing this, we knew full well our opponents were doing the same thing. It was an accepted practice.
My brother, an ordained minister and high school quarterback, once taped cut off thumb tacks on the tips of his fingers and thumb on his throwing hand so he could better grip the football during a game played in the pouring rain. He was looking for that edge that would help the team win.
During my senior year, I badly injured my ankle and was pretty much no use to my soccer team. Still wanting to help, I limped around the sidelines during games and asked my coach if there was anything I could do to help the team. He asked me if I could go in and play long enough to get the other team’s best player to throw a punch at me, getting himself kicked out of the game. I gladly took on this task and when I succeeded and we won, the coach paid special recognition for my sacrifice.
There may come a day when there is a drug test that will make it impossible for any athlete to get away with the use of any performance enhancing drug. However, the cheating in sports will remain. Whether it is a corked bat, excessively curved blade on a hockey stick, or Vaseline rubbed all over a tightly tucked in football jersey, athletes will always look for a competitive edge. That’s why when one gets busted for a performance enhancing drug they are always welcomed back by their team mates after their suspension. Their team mates know they were only looking for an edge to help the team win and in our society, winning is all that matters.
In the early days, athletes used to unwind from games by consuming more alcohol than was healthy and then pop a few “pick me up” pills given to them by the team doctor before their next game. No one cared because everyone did it and the press never thought it was worth reporting.
Now we have tests that not only show what kinds of drugs our athletes abuse but also the specific amounts. We even know if the drugs were administered via an I.V. thanks to a test that shows the level of plasticizers in the blood. It also helps that we have a more inquisitive press who is more than willing to out the drug cheats.
But lets face it, athletes are still going to cheat. It’s just the nature of competitive athletics. Sure there is still “good sportsmanship” which only means not to complain about the other team’s cheating after a loss. You do not complain about them stealing your signs, filming your practice, or altering their equipment after losing. You publicly accept the fact they beat you fair and square and admire them for how they did it while privately stewing inside.
Back in high school, the refs used to check the padding on players during pregame warm ups to make sure they were not slipping anything illegal inside them. Then, we retreated back to the locker rooms for “final instructions” and went about “altering” our equipment. While we were doing this, we knew full well our opponents were doing the same thing. It was an accepted practice.
My brother, an ordained minister and high school quarterback, once taped cut off thumb tacks on the tips of his fingers and thumb on his throwing hand so he could better grip the football during a game played in the pouring rain. He was looking for that edge that would help the team win.
During my senior year, I badly injured my ankle and was pretty much no use to my soccer team. Still wanting to help, I limped around the sidelines during games and asked my coach if there was anything I could do to help the team. He asked me if I could go in and play long enough to get the other team’s best player to throw a punch at me, getting himself kicked out of the game. I gladly took on this task and when I succeeded and we won, the coach paid special recognition for my sacrifice.
There may come a day when there is a drug test that will make it impossible for any athlete to get away with the use of any performance enhancing drug. However, the cheating in sports will remain. Whether it is a corked bat, excessively curved blade on a hockey stick, or Vaseline rubbed all over a tightly tucked in football jersey, athletes will always look for a competitive edge. That’s why when one gets busted for a performance enhancing drug they are always welcomed back by their team mates after their suspension. Their team mates know they were only looking for an edge to help the team win and in our society, winning is all that matters.
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