DOPING IS RAMPANT - JUST LEGALIZE IT

b

would anyone want drusg to be legalized if effective doping controls could be instituted? or does the push to legalize drugs emerge or get pushed forward because effective doping controls seem impossible?

I can understand your logic and viewpoint but unfortunately it is not reality in todays sports. Cheaters do care about accolades and a large percentage of the elite athletes use PEDs to achieve this status. The use of drugs does cheapen performances but so does the constant suspicion and the constant guessing if a performance was truly that of a great athlete or with the help of PEDs.

I cannot sit and watch a track meet without wondering which athletes are juiced and what they are taking. So the entire sport is already cheapened.

I would love to institue doping regulations that were full proof but unfortunately at this point that seems impossible.

I am reminded of Charlie Francis' statement that the only athletes that can persuasively speak out against drug cheating are the athletes who are using PED's themselves insofar as they had to use them to reach a level of performance sufficient to permit them an effective public platform. Upon first hearing this, I was really skeptical because his guy, Ben Johnson, got caught red handed (yellow-eyed?) at Seoul and it seemed like such a cheap rationalization. But Francis may simply be a guy ahead of his time, as shocking and cynical as that may be. If enforcement is so weak and the joke that I think that it is, it is a serious question to be asked as to whether to junk the entire enforcement scheme and legalize it. I do think it would further dilute interest in the sport - but the hypocrisy that exists today is at times even more disturbing. I am glad I ran in the late 70's/ early 80's - when only Cierpinski and a few others were thought to be drug cheats.

Very well said and I guess that is my point of view on this issue too. I don't necessarily like the idea of PEDs but the current state of the sport is not good. You are so right about the hypocrisy that exists today and I could not agree with you more on how disturbing it truly is.

If they do continue testing for PEDs then it should be uniform for all athletes EVERYONE. It should not matter what country you run for. If you run for Kenya and compete on the international level then they should have stringent testing in Kenya where their athletes are training. This goes for all countries. Currently this is not the case. Testing is inconsistent, some of the tests are unreliable and some of the methods used to test are even questionable.

If our sports are going to surivive then they need to revamp the entire testing process. At its current state it is not even close to being effective or even fair in terms of athletes being tested from country to country uniformly.

Sorry meant to say EVERYWHERE. I got all fired up when I was typing.

LouSiffer said " batter given a base becuz the ump thinks the ball hit him when it actually hit his bat... does ANY fan ever think the batter should actually correct the ump and stay at the plate "

I don't think this is a fair example. An umpire making a bad call is human error. Conciously taking drugs is not; it is a premeditated decision.

Furthermore, as far as ethical conduct of the batter is concerned, is it CHEATING for him to take the base?

When is the last time a pack of runners stopped for a contestant who tripped and fell? Would a runner who continues to run his race in the presence of a fallen opponent be cheating?

It is one thing for unfortunate events to happen on the playing field, blown calls, falls etc. It is quite another to knowlingly break the rules and disrespect your sport.

Lastly, sports do show human greatness. Watch Kip Keino's move on the 3rd lap of the Olympic 1500 final to win over Ryun. Tell me that's not great.

This just in - absolutely concur that sports can reflect human greatness and Keino's 1500 may be one of the finest races ever - along with Herb Elliot's in Rome.

But at some point if PED's so dominate the sport that only the truly stupid or unlucky get caught, and enforcement is a perpetual illusion because the rewards for performance are sufficiently high that athletes can effectively evade testing, then it is a fair question to ask whether no holds barred should be the rule that applies. I can say this - there are some clean athletes out there - but what I am watching right now is not, in a sense "real" - science is artificially inflating the performance of many - and that is meaningless to me. Some bloke like Cathal Lombard gets on EPO and lowers his PR by at least 90 seconds within a short span of months? One can only imagine what the truly talented runners are doing with this stuff - and we know it is happening, at least to a fair degree.

it is INDEED a conscious decision on the batters part to cheat. he knowingly takes advantage of the umps error.

just as it is when a receiver knowingly traps a ball but pretends it was caught.

like it or not cheating is rampant and a part of sport.

i would LOVE to see professional sport leagues spend a tenth the time and energy they devote to the 'drug problem' on fixing the cheating that has become an acceptable part of the game.

Not giving a rat's arse about PED's sure hasn't hurt the NFL and MLB only started to care after they got caught up in BALCO.

Alan

I was debating this point last year with some officers in my running club. Many if not all pro sports are now 'dirty' to one degree or another.

That's the way it is guys and gals. Legalize them? Well, why not? If people are willing to run risk, and go for the financial rewards and fame that come with winning AND risking, what can you do?

It's akin to money in politics. Morality is like victory: its' in the eye of the winner.

A sad commentary or an acceptance of reality?

Those with the lowest morals should not set the standards for society. Quite the reverse. Those with the lowest morals should be combated by society.

Accepting drug use seems like the path of least resistance. In the end, however, it will cause far more serious problems than it promises to end.

Yeah like politicians since they hold morality at such a high regard. Give me a break!

NP, you got your fifteen minutes of fame. Good night.

LouSiffer

When Bekele miscounted laps indoors and Cragg took advantage of his error, was that cheating? Or was it unsportsmanlike? Or does one necessitate the other?

I do agree with you on the point that cheating occurs regularly in sports. I realize that.

The intent of my first post was to disagree with the original poster on his argument that drug use should be legalized because its widespread.

Also, sports leagues are trying their best to get calls right. The NFL now has instant replay, refs in the NBA can replay close shots to verify whether they should stand, and if so, for how many points. Hell, even baseball umpires get together and try to ensure they make the correct call.

These measures may not be enough to call a game with complete accuracy, but they're a step in the right direction.

The governing bodies of sports are trying to catch cheaters. And increasing their support to catch cheaters is the appropriate response to increased cheating.

Killing is rampant... just legalize it

Here's your problem. The more PEDs you do. The better you get and more you risk death.

Kids will start in middle school. Kids will die in high school and college. I'm serious, if average people have more access to this stuff, it would be bad bad news.

I think thise guys who have done lots of drug in their 20s 30s and early 40s are really going to pay for it.