Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Just Say No to Steroids

Marion Jones, the former track and field star who admitted Friday in federal court that she used performance-enhancing drugs leading to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, relinquished the five medals she won at those Games to the United States Anti-Doping Agency yesterday...

One of Jones’s gold medals came in the 4x400-meter relay. Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the U.S.O.C., said that Jones’s teammates in that relay would probably have to return their medals because the race had been won unfairly. He said that he hoped they would return them voluntarily before the I.O.C. acted to force them to do so. (from the NY Times - October 9, 2007)

******

One of the truths of steroid abuse is that it robs not only the athlete but their teammates and the sport itself of the true joy of competition and the love of the game.

Steroids and illegal performance enhancing drugs are ways to cheat the game and cause so many of us to stop watching. What's the fun and entertainment if the athletes can't do it with their God given talent? But the truth is, we as a society have turned a blind eye to the abuse of performance enhancing drugs because of our wanting victory at all costs for our teams and athletes.

It's time as a society that we just say no to steroids.

(Note: Having a son who has asthma and from time to time needs a steroid to help his breathing, many drugs including steroids having their beneficial uses too. Its the abuse of them in non-medicinal ways that we need to stop.)



Powered by ScribeFire.

No comments: