The Use of Illegal Substances To Enhance Performance on the Playing Field

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One of the fastest growing conflicts in major league sports is the use of illegal substances to enhance performance on the playing field. Players have forgotten the roots of the sports they compete in and tend to think more about themselves and money rather than their young fans and family who admire them. Questions are being asked, about the testing system and how many athletes are getting away with injecting steroids into their bodies. However, steroids do not seem to be as destructive as previously thought. Steroids should be allowed because they are so common, the MLB shows little concern, and they improve the game. Steroids should be allowed in the MLB because they are so common already. Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Curt Schilling thinks twice before giving a teammate the traditional slap on the butt for a job well-done. “I’ll pat guys on the a**, and they’ll look at me and go, “Don’t hit me there, man. It hurts,” Schilling says. “That’s because that’s where they shoot the steroid needles” (Totally Juiced P1). Steroid use, which a decade ago was considered a taboo violated by a few renegade sluggers, is now so rampant in baseball that even pitchers and wispy outfielders are juicing up and talking openly among themselves about it. According to players, trainers and executives interviewed by SI over the last three months, the game has become a pharmacological trade show (Totally Juiced P3). Steroids should not be allowed because the players are role models, and the side effects are harsh. Ken Caminiti, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, and Jose Conseco are among the most popular names when linking players to steroids. Ken Caminiti, revealed to SI that he won the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player aw... ... middle of paper ... ...hould steroids be legalized if that many athletes use Lawrence 6 them? America’s sport is now surrounded by question marks. At the end of the season the fans are satisfied and that is all that matters. What the players do in order to be at the top of the game and impress the fans should stay with them. Until they cause more problems and become a serious issue I see no problem with steroid use in 2011. Works Cited Lester Munson, et al. “TOTALLY JUICED. (cover story).” Sports Illustrated 96.23 (2002): 34. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. Sowell, Thomas. “MLB Steroid Scandal: Say It Ain’t So.” Human Events 63. 43 (2007): 16. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. Verducci, Tom, Kostya Kennedy, and Mark Bechtel. “Five Strikes and You’re Out.” Sports Illustrated 99. 20 (2003): 23. Middle Search Plus. EBSCO. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.

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