Steroids Controversy is Spelled H-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y!
Gimme a “H”. Gimme a “Y”. Gimme a “P”. Do you know where this is going? My guess is that you have no clue.
The three letters above start the word “hypocrite”. However the question is, “who is the hypocrite” in this modern day MLB steroid controversy. Is it Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball itself, the consumer, the agents; who?
The answer is “all of the above”.
Of course Alex Rodriguez was a hypocrite when he told Katie Couric that he never felt inferior on the baseball field and never was even tempted to use steroids. However the bigger hypocrite is the sports show talking head that says these players should be banned from the Hall of Fame, branded the cheaters they are, etc.
My real questions about this modern day steroid controversy are:
What’s the big deal?
Why is doing steroids “bad”?
Why is taking a substance that “enhances performance” considered “bad”?
The most common answer one will hear when asking these questions is that taking performance enhancing drugs like steroids and HGH is bad because it gives the modern players and “unfair advantage” that past greats did not have and therefore may inflate their season and or career stats.
So, let me get this straight. The reason taking performance enhancing drugs is bad is because the older players did not have access to them and/or because they may give the modern players and unfair advantage and pad their stats?
Abstaining from beer, eating organic foods and hitting the weight room once in a blue moon is also “performance enhancing” and something that an old-time great like babe Ruth never did. Does that mean modern players should not be allowed to do such because it gives them an unfair advantage over the Babe?
Taking herbs like Echinacea, Saint John’s Wort, etc could also be considered “performance enhancing”. Why are they not illegal?
Modern day players have access to top of the line exercise equipment, personal trainers, medical staffs, etc that old-time greats could only dream of. Does this not automatically give all modern day players an “unfair advantage” and a slew of “performance enhancing” items?
I do not believe that steroids is a big deal in regards to the “performance enhancing” or “unfair advantage” arguments and think both arguments are utter foolishness and hypocrisy at its best.
If all modern day players need to be on an even keel with the Babe, then they should all be made to drink to much, eat to much, exercise less, party more, etc!
Now, the only other real argument against modern day players taking steroids is that the steroids themselves are harmful to the athlete. However this argument is also hypocritical and falls apart when weighed against common practice in all sports.
Why aren’t players called cheaters and condemned to be banned from the Hall of Fame for smoking cigarettes, getting drunk, eating trans fats, etc, all of which could be even more dangerous to the human body then taking steroids a few times.
Why are NFL players praised as being true team players and “taking one for the team” when they get a shot of Novocain and play on a badly injured ankle but MLB players are considered cheaters for taking a substance that speeds up the natural healing process, or for taking steroids to become stronger and/or faster players to help their teams? If anyone was truly a “team player” or taking one for the team, it is the athlete that takes steroids, knowing full well that while it may help him fuel his teams victory, it will have damaging effects on his body.
All of the above said, I most definitely am not condoning athletes taking steroids, far from it. I personally wished all athletes along with all human beings would eat all-natural and organic foods that are good for their bodies and abstain from harmful foods, drinks and drugs. However, I aslso recognize hypocrisy when I see it!