Are steroids the new boogeyman?

By Alex Guzman  |   Thursday, April 14, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

NFL Football News
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Ever since Jose Canseco opened the proverbial "Pandora's Box" with his tell-all book of alleged steroid users in baseball, the National Football League has been forced to take public action to punish anyone tempted to cheat in any shape or form.

As a result, new measures have been taken to root out any potential "bad guys". The league and its union have addressed steroids, testosterone, and other chemicals used to enhance the performance of players.

Who knows when they'll stop? Maybe they will ban the use of Sudafed or caffeine before games. These chemicals are used by some to get "hyped-up" prior to contests. Though a bit extreme, other sports organizations already have banned their use. It is impossible to gauge to what extreme the NFL will go to stamp out cheaters.

The real issue is that all athletes are competitive by nature. As such, some will always be willing to stretch the rules in order to get an advantage. This can take the form of chemicals or equipment; sometimes, people resort to the sabotage of an opponent. No matter how illegal or not, competitors must weigh the risks of taking such a course action versus any inherent benefits. Risks include a guilty conscience, disqualification from an event(s) or worse, including unknown long-term health issues. Either way, the desire to do anything to succeed will never cease to exist.

My feeling is this issue will die down once the season starts. There are far more pressing issues, such as the appalling rate of minorities in management and head coaching positions. Even the seemingly-harmless ban on touchdown celebrations merits more discussion than any attempt to stifle the spirit of competition.
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