Doping in sports

In light of Barry Bonds homerun record chase, this post is dedicated to the use of performance enhancing drugs. There is tons of speculation around Barry and his alledged "cheating". There's no question that Barry has used some sort of performance enhancer. If you don't believe he is guilty, then, you are probably one of those that thinks that OJ Simpson is innocent as well. There is no possible way that Barry Bonds would have grown so dramatically during his career. He went from a lean 185 pounds when he broke into the league to 228 now. Although not impossible to gain that amount of weight, Barry is linked to BALCO, an organization linked to steroid and other performance enhancing drugs. His hand was caught in the cookie jar and his face is covered in chocolate. I wonder who's been stealing the cookies?

Despite my belief that Barry is a cheater, I believe he is getting a bad rap. He is surely not the only individual in baseball that cheats. During last years' playoffs, Kenny Rogers was pretty much caught red-handed for using pine tar to help him pitch. There are other individuals in baseball that have been caught using performance enhancers. In little league, teams lie about their players ages to help them win. Alfonso Soriano, a Texas Ranger outfielder, became 2 years older after a trade from the Yankees. In baseball, teams constantly try to steal signs in order to be successful. Baseball is a game of cheaters. Barry is just playing by the unwritten rules.

Barry deserves recognition for his accomplishments. He is not getting the respect he deserves because of his bad reputation with the media. Often, Barry is considered a jerk or an asshole because he expresses his true opinion to the media. Therefore, Barry is portrayed as a villain and has not been getting the hype his record breaking attempts deserve. Ty Cobb was a huge racist yet he managed to make it to the hall of fame without the same media scrutiny. Barry Bonds deserves better treatment than a racist.

I'm not trying to dump on baseball. There are other sports where performance enhancers are an issue. The tour de France is a classic example. Since the retirement of Lance Armstrong, the tour has been plagued with doping scandals. After Lance's 7 consecutive victories, one has to question the legitimacy of the testing procedures during that period. Lance provided the tour with much needed American support. American fans, and sponsorship money, were drawn to the sport after Lance's incredible story. His recovery from testicular cancer and his rise to the top of his sport is truly remarkable. It may just be too remarkable...

Finally, the most famous Canadian cheater (or should I say cheetah) Ben Johnson. He was so doped up during the 1988 Olympics he could probably outrun a horse. He got caught, and his life was relegated to poking fun at himself during commercials for a discount beer brand. He ruined his career and any chance at being successul in life. He flushed his life down the drain.

to be continued....