Steroids have been used for decades in order to boost performance. Nobody can definitively prove when they became widely adopted, just like nobody can prove who used or is using them. Thus, our sports leagues were rife with steroid use during a period of rapid expansion. Baseball revenue has enjoyed double digit growth through the 90's and 2000's, and NFL franchises have enjoyed 5-10% growth rates in the same period. While these are looking at the corporations, the facts are simple: more people are watching baseball and football today, and paying more to do so, than they did before the steroid scandals became public. Arguing that steroids are bad for the sport is a weak argument against these numbers.
Steroids have led to many records being set, and many players enjoyed unprecedented longevity. It is indisputable that steroids can cause harm to a person, and create significant health issues that can shorten someone's life. However, the players that are taking steroids realize this. They take steroids in order to earn more money, set records, and be able to play for a longer period of time. Given that they are adults making a conscious choice, should the leagues regulate steroids? We, as sports viewers, take much pleasure in seeing new records set, and much of this is aided by the steroids that the media vilifies.
The chemists who create steroids are very adaptable, and can quickly synthesize new, undetectable, compounds. Because our detection lags behind those who create the chemicals, we can only catch the people using the steroids that we know about. We cannot find who is using current steroids, unless we save samples and test them down the line, when we discover the compounds of today. Because of this, we can only implicate people after the fact, if at all. This leads to denials, and thorny issues. For example, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were implicated as steroid users. Does this invalidate the Red Sox championships?(it shouldn't). Should they be stripped of any awards that they have earned since then? Do the Dodgers or Red Sox have the ability to invalidate their contracts? These issues are very subjective, and it would be difficult to resolve the legal and other concerns surrounding them.
This drive to create new steroids to stay ahead of detection also creates many more issues. The steroids that were used in the past were well-studied, and their risks well known. With new, untested, compounds come new risks and issues. Ironically, by testing for steroids and banning them, we could actually be harming the athletes that we are trying to help as they move to new, more damaging, chemicals.
Ultimately, we need a new system to regulate and manage steroid usage. The current system of occasional witch hunts does not work. By slowly revealing the names of players involved, the media networks keep their ratings high, and the issue visible. However, as the issue drags on, the public is becoming weary of the coverage. Congress has gone so far as to hold special hearings in which players lie under oath regarding their steroid use. Does this help anyone? The answer would seem to be no, especially given that very little progress has come out of these hearings. The players that use steroids simply lie and move on to newer chemicals, and the ones that did not continue to not do so.
The current situation benefits the media networks and only the media networks. Sports leagues are dogged by issues, and the public speculates wildly about whether or not their favorite stars are using steroids. Given the issues with the current arrangement, we need a viable solution.
Steroids should be made “legal” in sports, as long as players restrict themselves to safe, well-tested compounds, and reveal what steroids they are taking. As adults, players should be able to make the choice about whether or not they want to pursue the extra few million dollars that steroids can bring, or whether they want to live a healthier, more productive life. Athletes should be given all the information concerning steroids and the relative risks and rewards upfront. This way, athletes can make informed decisions about their own futures, instead of being involved in an outlandish soap opera that benefits no one. Testing should continue, in order to determine whether newer compounds are being used or not.
This system would be beneficial to the fans, because it would allow for records to be broken, and the games to remain viable and exciting. It would also let us know which players are using which steroids, so we would be able to make personal decisions about how valid each player's individual records are. This way, there would be no more speculation about whether a player's record is valid or not, and we would not have to take the media's opinion as gospel; we would be able to create an informed, individual decision.
The system would be beneficial to the athlete because it would screen out the more harmful compounds of today. With no penalties for revealing steroid usage, more players would admit their usage. The court of public opinion would also likely pressure some into discontinuing their steroid use, benefiting their health. The results from any drug test would be released to the public immediately, creating real time opinion shifts.
The system would benefit the sports leagues because there would no longer be a steroid issue. With individual fans able to decide whether or not their favorite players are cheaters or opportunists, the leagues would retain more fans. The leagues would also be able to work closely with players to educate them and be involved in the decision making process of whether or not to use steroids.
As we move forward into a new era of chemicals and genetic tinkering, we need to resolve this issue, and quickly. For example, in the future, if a baby is genetically altered to grow taller than normal, or stronger than normal, should they be allowed to play? Without a defined system for dealing with this, we face potential future bumps in the road, which will only be detrimental to the sports leagues, fans, and players.
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