Drugs the World of Professional Sports: Alcohol and Steroid Use
Do the Consequences reflect the Severity of the Act?
Drugs
are no stranger to athletes. There are many instances where drugs have
been detrimental to an athlete’s well-being, as well as career. One of
the main drugs used by today’s athletes is alcohol. We have heard it
time and time again, that an athlete has just been arrested for a DUI.
Last year Dallas Mavericks Guard Deshawn Stevenson was arrested for
public intoxication after winning the NBA championship. Surprising? Not
really. Stevenson is not the only professional athlete that has been
busted for a DUI. Hines Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers,
was pulled over for a DUI in Georgia.
Here's a list of just a few who have been taken in over the years
according to “International Business and Time ‘Sports and Stars’. Former
Rams all-star, Leonard Little was also convinced of a DUI manslaughter.
He served four years probation and 1,000 hours community service. Jets
receiver Braylon Edwards was busted for a DWI in September of 2010 in
New York City. As a result of the DWI, Edwards was forced to sit out the
first quarter of the next game. Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was busted
for a DUI in season in April of this year. Lowe was pulled over in
Georgia when an officer spotted him racing another car.”
I
really don’t know if the cops are attracted to professional athletes or
that the athletes have personal issues, and keep putting their lives
and careers at risk, as well as innocent bystanders. What amazes me is
that the penalty for their drunkenness is a little slap on the butts,
paying measly fines, when they are millionaires. Come on. If I was an
athlete and had to pay a measly fine and do some community service
hours, I would probably do it again. Which begs the question, are these
athletes learning anything from law enforcement or are they learning
that they are rich and famous and can do wrong and basically get away
with anything? I understand that they are humans like us all, but there
is a fine line between having fun and being safe. Alcohol is a common
trend amongst athletes whether they are on the field/court or at a party
or behind the wheel of a vehicle there need to be awareness to the
damage that alcohol can cause. It’s a drug, not juice. It impairs ones
abilities and I’m sure these athletes know the effects.
In
the exploration of drugs within the sports industry, one must examine
perhaps the most prevalent form: steroids. Does steroid use take away
from the integrity of the sport, and furthermore, if sports are in fact
based on the concept of ultimate meritocracy as Young proposes, how does
steroid use hinder the applicability of this concept?
It
is my personal belief that the increasing popularity of sports
entertainment within the United States has directly contributed to, if
not created this dilemma. The demand for and fascination with better
athletic performance has perhaps generated an atmosphere which pressures
athletes to transcend optimal performance, and to strive to obtain (or
break) unrealistic records.
Thus,
when considering Young’s ultimate meritocracy, steroid use (which aids
in physical and performance enhancement) provides an unfair advantage,
debasing what should be an equal playing field. Moreover, does this
enhancement make the accomplishments of steroid-using athletes less
notable? Undoubtedly, the unveiling of steroid use demotes athletes
from a god-like status.
Is
this then why cases of steroid use are made a legal matter? Pertinent
within this debate, are the legality and penalization for failure to
abide by the rules. Prominent cases include that of Tour de France
rider, Lance Armstrong, and MLB player Berry Bonds. Perhaps steroid use
is viewed as a violation of the association’s and fan’s trust. Use may
also be seen as a violation of what is supposed to be an equal
opportunity for physical expression.
For
this reason, many argue that steroid use is justly banned. Certainly,
drugs detract from the integrity of the sporting world, tarnishing the
pristine light in which athletes are portrayed.
Jeffrey
Katz further explored the concept of the unfair performance advantage
in sport, questioning whether steroid use should be accepted. Several
sports figures argued for and against the proposal, citing interesting
reasons for its ban or for its acceptance. The article and relevant
excerpts can be read here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18299098.
Athletes
are put under a lot of pressure every day to perform at a high level.
If you achieve success at a high level you’ll receive a lot of fame and
money. Athletes work hard toward this at a young age mainly because
they know physically they will not be able to keep up with the game
while they are old. Some athletes look for performance enhancement drugs
to increase their game so they’ll increase their status as a player.
My only problem is that these athletes are so selfish to just think
about the rewards and fame but not about the future of the game and
their families. Barry Bonds was one of my favorite athletes of all time,
but after the news about him taking steroids to enhance his game made
me angry. Imagine all athletes never took drugs to enhance their
performances; all the children growing up would use their idols as
motivations to work hard every day without the use of drugs.
Barry
bonds home run king, was sentenced to two years’ probation with home
confinement, plus a 4,000 fine, for giving evasive testimony to a
federal grand jury eight years ago during an investigation of doping in
sports. Bonds was charged with several counts of perjury and obstruction
of justice for lying during the grand jury’s probe of the Burlingame,
Calif. –based Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, or Balco, which sold
banned substances to athletes. Federal sentencing guidelines recommend
15 to 21 months in prison for obstruction, but probation officials told
Judge Susan Illston that Bonds offense warranted much less: two years’
probation, a $4,000 fine, 250 hours of community service and “location
monitoring or home confinement”.
When
I heard about Sam Hurd getting caught selling large amounts of cocaine
to a federal police officer my first thoughts were “you idiot”.
Especially, when it came to light that over the next three years, Hurd
was set to make about 3 million dollars from the Chicago Bears. But when
I take a step back and think about how we draft young men into the NFL,
my first thought should have been “are you really surprised?”
The fact of the matter is young people participate in drug use. And
that fact does not excluded college athletes just because the consequences for them could affect their life in a greater way then the average 19 year old. Out of the 17 college students arrested in the Texas Christians University drug sweep, four of them were starters on the football team. And it’s been documented that drug use was widespread on the football team. I sometimes chuckle when I hear sportscasters talk about athletes with such disdain because they would “jeopardize their careers” in such a manner. In some respects I agree, but playing devil’s advocate I can see how student athletes can make these life changing decisions with such ease. If you are a die-hard Cowboys fan like me, then you saw our playoff dreams disappear when not one but two of the Giants linebackers hurtled our cornerback not once, but twice. As a fan you are now looking for Dallas to draft Dre Kirkpatrick or Janoris Jenkins as potential rookies to save our bleeding secondary. But Jenkins plays CB at Alabama because he was released from Florida State for his 2nd drug related arrest in three months. He is still expected to be a first or second round pick. CB Dre Kirkpatrick who despite his arrest for a marijuana possession just days before the deadline of college students to submit their official intent to join the League is still expected to be first round draft pick and interviewed with Jerry Jones this weekend. What kind of consequences are these kids getting? None. And I can see where coaches and owners are caught between a rock and a hard place. Of course, they would prefer to have a team full of positive characters, but the fact of the matter is they realize that’s not a reality. When sportscasters were debating on weather Dallas should make a move on one of these two corner, my thoughts trailed back to the Giants game and I thought “Heck yes! It’s just a misdemeanor. They won’t make that same mistake at the pro level”. But in all honesty, how can we expect these young kids to resist all the temptations around them, when they know deep down if a team has a need for them, they aren’t going to let a possession charge stand in the way of drafting them. These young men know if they are good enough then their “character” is going to matter very little on if a team selects them during the draft. Some of these kids are entering the NFL at the age of 20. They have money, power, and fame being thrown in their face and they’re expected to act like responsible adults. It’s almost a joke, that we expect such maturity at out of these young men. When in reality, by not giving consequences to players like Kirkpatrick and Jenkins, the NFL is just continuing to foster the belief that they are above actual consequences because of their marketable talent.
Mock Draft having both Kirkpatrick and Jenkins selected in the first round:
2012 NFL Mock Draft
that fact does not excluded college athletes just because the consequences for them could affect their life in a greater way then the average 19 year old. Out of the 17 college students arrested in the Texas Christians University drug sweep, four of them were starters on the football team. And it’s been documented that drug use was widespread on the football team. I sometimes chuckle when I hear sportscasters talk about athletes with such disdain because they would “jeopardize their careers” in such a manner. In some respects I agree, but playing devil’s advocate I can see how student athletes can make these life changing decisions with such ease. If you are a die-hard Cowboys fan like me, then you saw our playoff dreams disappear when not one but two of the Giants linebackers hurtled our cornerback not once, but twice. As a fan you are now looking for Dallas to draft Dre Kirkpatrick or Janoris Jenkins as potential rookies to save our bleeding secondary. But Jenkins plays CB at Alabama because he was released from Florida State for his 2nd drug related arrest in three months. He is still expected to be a first or second round pick. CB Dre Kirkpatrick who despite his arrest for a marijuana possession just days before the deadline of college students to submit their official intent to join the League is still expected to be first round draft pick and interviewed with Jerry Jones this weekend. What kind of consequences are these kids getting? None. And I can see where coaches and owners are caught between a rock and a hard place. Of course, they would prefer to have a team full of positive characters, but the fact of the matter is they realize that’s not a reality. When sportscasters were debating on weather Dallas should make a move on one of these two corner, my thoughts trailed back to the Giants game and I thought “Heck yes! It’s just a misdemeanor. They won’t make that same mistake at the pro level”. But in all honesty, how can we expect these young kids to resist all the temptations around them, when they know deep down if a team has a need for them, they aren’t going to let a possession charge stand in the way of drafting them. These young men know if they are good enough then their “character” is going to matter very little on if a team selects them during the draft. Some of these kids are entering the NFL at the age of 20. They have money, power, and fame being thrown in their face and they’re expected to act like responsible adults. It’s almost a joke, that we expect such maturity at out of these young men. When in reality, by not giving consequences to players like Kirkpatrick and Jenkins, the NFL is just continuing to foster the belief that they are above actual consequences because of their marketable talent.
Mock Draft having both Kirkpatrick and Jenkins selected in the first round:
2012 NFL Mock Draft
