We The Public Place The Best Athletes On Pedestals Summary

In his article “We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals,” William Moller, a frequent writer for sports blogs, claims that fans are to blame for the use of steroids in sports, namely baseball. He argues that professional athletes face pressure to constantly be the best while also aspiring for fame and money and the only way for them to be able to achieve this is to please the fans. In his eyes, the better a player is, the more fans will take notice and come to their games. Since fans must purchase tickets, the most popular teams make the most money. According to Moller, if a particular player is drawing in a large crowd, it is likely that this player receives a large portion of the profit. Therefore, Moller asserts that the players

I disagree with his view that the fans are to blame for this cheating because the only person to blame for drug use is the player himself. In blaming the fans, athletes are given a way to escape facing the consequences of their actions. Choosing to take drugs is personal and no one forces the players to do the drugs. When a player does make the choice to use steroids, then he must face the fact that he is cheating and making a dishonest

For example, Moller himself compares Alex Rodriguez’s pressure to use steroids with his own experiences using performance-enhancing drugs to succeed academically. However, Moller’s justification for his use of the drug involves a sweeping generalization that every person resorts to using drugs in order to obtain their goals. I know personally that this is untrue. I, too, have felt what seems like insurmountable pressure when faced with mounds of school work, and I relate to Moller’s account of back-to-back all-nighters full of cramming for day after day of exams and essays. The only difference between the two of us is that I never gave in to the pressure and broke the rules, and the law, just to get an “A.” Though it certainly would have been much easier to just take a drug to help me focus, I managed to do just fine academically without it. It took a lot more work and cost me a lot of time I would have spent elsewhere, but it was worth it. Moller seems to think that just because he and Alex Rodriguez used drugs in order to find success, then it means everyone else must, too. That is why he finds it hypocritical for fans to judge the players. However, just as I did not use any drugs to succeed in school, I would be willing to bet there are plenty of baseball players who also follow the straight and