Players Using Performance Enhancement Drugs to Gain Record Stats, Is it worth the Cost of Their Integrity and Careers?
The
nature of sports either by an individual or teams is to have an
atmosphere of competitiveness, physical activity, camaraderie &
desire to win which challenges the human spirit! From the novice to
the expert, Sports encourages its athletes to improve on their
performance. Ever growing in knowledge and skills, the desire 2 be the best athlete gets into their crawl. On different levels of competition from Little League, Pee Wee to Collegiate & Professional, the growth of an athlete comes
at a heavy cost. Jocks begin to make sacrifices that'll test their character and ethics which can lead to dangerous consequences & life-altering choices that's irreversible. Success thru using
illegal Performance Enhancing Drugs to increase their statistical
numbers. Knowing what could be lost to their personal careers and
the negative effect they can have on the sport they are competing in,
is it worth the sacrifice?
For the answer to that question comes down to the athlete themselves. Influences, ego and economic hardships can contribute someone to violate an individual's ethical & moral code assuming they had one to begin with. Let us see how and when these drugs were introduced into competition. Athletes starting back in the 1970’s were being experimented on with the use of P.E.D. (Performance-Enhancement Drugs) BKA Anabolic Steroids. Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, (a condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning). Not getting TOO Medical, but by the Seventies, the use of Anabolic Steroids was first done by bodybuilders then by athletes in other sports. Steroid abuse has become so widespread in athletics its almost impossible to know who's currently or has used these drugs.
Attacking every sport venue is way TOO time consuming so let us look at America’s Favorite Pastime, Professional Major League Baseball. Players and Owners in professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball since the late eighties have been dealing with the issue of P. E. D's. use & abuse. Initially players started using these illegal drugs as a way of quickly recovering from injuries or to get their numbers up , so raising their batting stats in the final contractual year. Looking to negotiate for a more lucrative contract extension from their current team or venture into free agency. Of course use of PED’s was going to increase due to a lack of policing. So in 1991, Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent instituted the first policy for dealing with steroids. Over the next decade, the policy due to more sophisticated and creatively designed drugs, seemed largely ineffective. This included random off-season testing and if caught, penalties from first to third time offenders range from 10-60 day suspensions and a year without pay for 4th time offenders. Many who enjoyed participating and watching baseball were not pleased with these ineffective punishments. So the United States Congress, yes Congress got involved in 2005, Congress and M.L B. pressured the teams front offices. Team owners and players were hit with tougher penalties on those who were suspected and caught doping. This included 50-game suspensions-1st time offenders; 100-game suspensions-2nd time offenders; Lifetime suspension-3rd offenders.
Amazingly players, their agents, trainers even drug companies got smarter with more sophisticated, ingenious designed P.E.D. In December 13, 2007, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig authorized an independent investigation into Performance enhancing use of drugs of suspected players. Former Maine Democratic U.S. Senator & Lawyer George Mitchell put out The Mitchell Report, a 21-month, 409 page detailed investigative report on the use of Performance Enhancement Drugs such as Anabolic Steroids and H.G.H. (Human Growth Hormone) by M.L.B. players, trainers and other drug producing facilities. In the report, exposed high-profile players and how their career, record-breaking stats, was directly affected by the use of these drugs. They included Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa , Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire among many others.
For the first 12 years of both the M.L.B. careers, Superstars San Francisco Giants Outfielder Barry Bonds and Boston Red Sox Ace Pitcher Roger Clemens blazed a trail only few can compare. From ages 21-33 both players had undeniable 1st ballot Hall-of-Fame stats that were by most untouchable. After 1997 for Clemens and 1999 for Bonds, their stats went from exceptional to suspiciously out-of-this world. At ages 34 when most players start to show signs of aging, their numbers (as well as their physiques) went to levels that was truly unnatural, setting seasonal records in HR’s, walks and O.B.P. (On-Base Percentage) for Bonds and Wins, Strikeouts and Cy Young awards for Clemens. Looking at the M.L.B. stats of Superstars Home Rum King Barry Bonds and The Rocket Pitcher Roger Clemens They both would have easy before the alleged P.E.D. use be deemed the Greatest Hitter and Pitcher of their generation. Chicago Cubs Outfielder Sammy Sosa and St. Louis Cardinal’s Mark McGwire’s Stats before and after P.E.D. use is evident of M.L.B. Superstars Athletes manipulating the 1998 single-season Home Run record books set by Roger Maris in 1961 with 61 homers. Sosa’s 66 and McGwire’s 70 jacks shattered record books until Bonds 73 HR’s in 2001.
These players got caught or under serious suspension of violating M.L.B. rules and ethics policies that have done irreparable damaged to their stellar reputations. Now with stricter penalties and better policing, players will have a more difficult time abusing America’s favorite pastime. Unfortunately, drug companies are still developing more complex ways of making P.E.D.’s & of course players going to try to get around the policing. Will baseball ever get back the faith of the fans or reporters any time records are broken. Only time will tell.
For the answer to that question comes down to the athlete themselves. Influences, ego and economic hardships can contribute someone to violate an individual's ethical & moral code assuming they had one to begin with. Let us see how and when these drugs were introduced into competition. Athletes starting back in the 1970’s were being experimented on with the use of P.E.D. (Performance-Enhancement Drugs) BKA Anabolic Steroids. Anabolic steroids were developed in the late 1930s primarily to treat hypogonadism, (a condition in which the testes do not produce sufficient testosterone for normal growth, development, and sexual functioning). Not getting TOO Medical, but by the Seventies, the use of Anabolic Steroids was first done by bodybuilders then by athletes in other sports. Steroid abuse has become so widespread in athletics its almost impossible to know who's currently or has used these drugs.
Attacking every sport venue is way TOO time consuming so let us look at America’s Favorite Pastime, Professional Major League Baseball. Players and Owners in professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball since the late eighties have been dealing with the issue of P. E. D's. use & abuse. Initially players started using these illegal drugs as a way of quickly recovering from injuries or to get their numbers up , so raising their batting stats in the final contractual year. Looking to negotiate for a more lucrative contract extension from their current team or venture into free agency. Of course use of PED’s was going to increase due to a lack of policing. So in 1991, Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent instituted the first policy for dealing with steroids. Over the next decade, the policy due to more sophisticated and creatively designed drugs, seemed largely ineffective. This included random off-season testing and if caught, penalties from first to third time offenders range from 10-60 day suspensions and a year without pay for 4th time offenders. Many who enjoyed participating and watching baseball were not pleased with these ineffective punishments. So the United States Congress, yes Congress got involved in 2005, Congress and M.L B. pressured the teams front offices. Team owners and players were hit with tougher penalties on those who were suspected and caught doping. This included 50-game suspensions-1st time offenders; 100-game suspensions-2nd time offenders; Lifetime suspension-3rd offenders.
Amazingly players, their agents, trainers even drug companies got smarter with more sophisticated, ingenious designed P.E.D. In December 13, 2007, Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig authorized an independent investigation into Performance enhancing use of drugs of suspected players. Former Maine Democratic U.S. Senator & Lawyer George Mitchell put out The Mitchell Report, a 21-month, 409 page detailed investigative report on the use of Performance Enhancement Drugs such as Anabolic Steroids and H.G.H. (Human Growth Hormone) by M.L.B. players, trainers and other drug producing facilities. In the report, exposed high-profile players and how their career, record-breaking stats, was directly affected by the use of these drugs. They included Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa , Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire among many others.
For the first 12 years of both the M.L.B. careers, Superstars San Francisco Giants Outfielder Barry Bonds and Boston Red Sox Ace Pitcher Roger Clemens blazed a trail only few can compare. From ages 21-33 both players had undeniable 1st ballot Hall-of-Fame stats that were by most untouchable. After 1997 for Clemens and 1999 for Bonds, their stats went from exceptional to suspiciously out-of-this world. At ages 34 when most players start to show signs of aging, their numbers (as well as their physiques) went to levels that was truly unnatural, setting seasonal records in HR’s, walks and O.B.P. (On-Base Percentage) for Bonds and Wins, Strikeouts and Cy Young awards for Clemens. Looking at the M.L.B. stats of Superstars Home Rum King Barry Bonds and The Rocket Pitcher Roger Clemens They both would have easy before the alleged P.E.D. use be deemed the Greatest Hitter and Pitcher of their generation. Chicago Cubs Outfielder Sammy Sosa and St. Louis Cardinal’s Mark McGwire’s Stats before and after P.E.D. use is evident of M.L.B. Superstars Athletes manipulating the 1998 single-season Home Run record books set by Roger Maris in 1961 with 61 homers. Sosa’s 66 and McGwire’s 70 jacks shattered record books until Bonds 73 HR’s in 2001.
These players got caught or under serious suspension of violating M.L.B. rules and ethics policies that have done irreparable damaged to their stellar reputations. Now with stricter penalties and better policing, players will have a more difficult time abusing America’s favorite pastime. Unfortunately, drug companies are still developing more complex ways of making P.E.D.’s & of course players going to try to get around the policing. Will baseball ever get back the faith of the fans or reporters any time records are broken. Only time will tell.
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