Hi, Class. Please establish an account so we can get started. If you already have a personal Blogger account, I'd suggest getting one for use in this class, unless you have no objections to using the one you already have. It's totally up to you. This is address of the first story we'll read:
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_9757248
Please give a two paragraph response to the article and the comments of your peers. I know I don't have to tell you to be polite to each other, but I'm going to do it anyway.
If anyone has suggestions for future topics, let me know via email. Good luck!
44 comments:
We should allow doping. When a cyclist chooses to use any illegal substance to increase performance it is a shame for that sport, however I believe that doping is an unavoidable reality. The shame lies in the fact that one athlete is performing an "illegal" action. Perhaps allowing responsible use of certain performance enhancing drugs would take the focus off cheating, and put it on the competition. Even at the “low revenue” sport level, money plays such a role it makes me lose interest in watching sports.
Whether it be wealth that affords one racer an “altitude tent” to sleep in every night to replicate training in Colorado when he races in California, or wealth that allows another racer to afford "epo" to enhance his performance, both make a marked performance increase. One is legal, one is not, but both have safety risks. And for those who would argue about safety, there are many factors that hurt health in the long run for pro athletes. If someone chooses to step on the football field and have their knees destroyed, is it really that much worse of a health choice for someone racing bicycles to use epogen to increase their endurance?
Every cyclist does not choose to use an "altitude tent" just like every athlete is not going to choose to use epogen. You will still have to be at the top of your game to win.
Robby Rose
This is an unfortunate battle between ethics and technology. Is it wrong to use technological advancements in sports - what if certain athletes can afford them and others cannot? Where is the line drawn concerning the legality of scientific gain and ethical sportsmanship?
If the products are on the market it should be assumed that athletes will use them (this is the case in the argument over swimmer's new "shark skin" speedos) to enhance their performances, thus heightening the competitiveness of the sports. In a similar way, if the products are not on the market that would warrant any enhancement as illegal.
As with anything, people will always find a way to cheat, it may not be as drastic as Tara Lipinski or as monetarily demanding as Floyd Landis but integrity is not always the first rule of competition. In the end, why are we investing money in new drugs and programs if they will be counted as illegal in the world of athletics? New technology requires new rules and new exceptions.
Simone Mullinax
Edit: Tonya Harding...not Tara Lipinski
Sorry for the confusion!
Doping is at the forefront of the sporting world, and no matter how many laws our governments want to impose, steroids and other performance enhancing drugs are now more popular than ever before. Much can probably be accredited to the never ending media coverage of the subject, but I have to admit to myself "Why would I not want to be bigger, stronger, and faster than my opponent, and be able to beat his ass down on every single play, I mean just own him?" Exactly.
Anyone who competes wants to win. If not, then why even play the game? I didn't say cheat but win. The sports will never be clean, because you can't test all athletes, nor can you keep it all clean because the juicers are always coming out with new substances that will fly under the PED testing radar for awhile until some scientist realizes that some new element keeps showing up in everyones piss tests. Until then, its not cheating right? Nothing was illegal at the time so no harm, no foul. In the end, it all comes down to an ethical issue. Be the cheater or the cheated. Or in this case, be the winner or the loser.
In our society, moral issues are measured on a scale of hypocrisy. I would think that a natural event, such as wind, would be less controversial than a technologically advanced shark suit. Yet, Tyson Gay is snubbed from a world record title, and Michael Phelps wins eight gold medals.
If doping is on the market than obviously some athletes are using it and getting away with it. If doping were strictly outlawed, not only would athletes still find a way to use, but others with legitimate medications would be restricted as well. For example, hair loss supplements will show positive for steroid use in a drug test.
If everyone were given the opportunity to use doping, then athletes wouldn’t have to lie about it. As long as you’re upfront about what your using, why not? I don’t see anything morally corrupt about this system. The novelty of sheer human ability may be lost, but that went out the window a long time ago.
Chrissy James
The question of whether athletes should have the legal right to dope while participating in sports is in continual controversy throughout our nation. Despite the fact that doping exists in all sports, it is not fair for the honest athlete to be questioned on doping due to his success, primarily due to his fellow athletes that partake in this illegal act. I don't agree with the fact that doping is a matter of acceptance, because it should be a matter of morality, and following legal rules that one's contract thoroughly states. There needs to be continuous investigation on doping in order to teach athletes that they aren't above the law, and need to abide by the same rules as his fellow athletes.
The act of cracking down on doping athletes is hard for society mainly because they do not want to believe that their countries stellar athletes and role models are cheating their way into victory. However, society is beside the point. How can athletes actually feel good about themselves when their success is only created upon consuming illegal outside substances? How can one not realize that gaining personal victory on their own would mean so much more? Athletes need to realize that their time and commitment should be focused on maximizing their game in legal ways, rather than focusing on what doping agent will best help their performance.
Erin Moskos
Wow, everyone's post up to this point has been pretty solid. Robby made a very good argument on why performance enhancing drugs should be legalized. I also think Blane made a good point in that athletes will do all they can to be better than the competition. Erin sees performance in enhancing drugs as morally wrong, as do many people, unfortunately, the people who use them do not have this problem. I will also add that even if an athlete finds performance enhancers amoral watching their competition catch up and surpass them could be incentive enough to go against their better judgment and start to abuse performance enhancers.
My solution to the problem would be to inflict much harsher punishments to athletes caught doping. For example, if an athlete knew that they would be banned from competition for life this might provide enough incentive to not use banned substances. I also am all in favor for having commissions who are in charge of nothing but the apprehension of dopers in professional sports. Testing shouldn't be done by staff who have an interest in the teams performance.
Jonathan Armour
America is built on the premises of equal opportunity that anyone can succeed. However, this is not always the truth. People in America are raised to believe that settling for less than the best is losing. This concept is expressed not just across America, but the world. The fact that our society continually influences others is a blessing and a disappointment, with doping in sports falling into the latter category. People will do desperate things under the pressures of competition, and doping should not be an exception. The athlete who dopes is not only cheating others, but they are cheating themselves. Can a “false” win really boost an athlete’s morale? I’m certain that anyone with a conscience would feel the pangs of guilt upon winning an undeserved award.
What about the justification that doping aids in an athlete’s already predisposed athletic ability? It sure sounds nice, but doesn’t make up for the fact that it is unethical. As a student, you would feel cheated if your fellow classmates all consumed Adderall (not prescribed to them) as a means of enhancing their focus during a test. If caught taking prescription drugs that are not prescribed to you, you would face disciplinary repercussions by the University of Arkansas. Why would this inequitable act differ from doping to enhance athletic performance?
Just because unethical actions, such as doping, occur and will continue to occur, it doesn’t give society the means to not regulate unwarranted behavior. Being stagnate in a response fosters unrest in a situation and can, and will, only lead to more problems.
If doping is going to be considered illegal, what is next? The idea of trying to make sports even and standardized is good in thought but how far will it be taken? Will everyone have to train in the same location so as to prevent advantages in climate? Will women have to get off of birth control since some can subdue bloating and other can't? How would Olympic testers be able to make sure the athletes aren’t receiving blood transfusions, “blood doping”, if they aren’t using EPO? Where will the line be drawn with what exactly is cheating and what is not? Like smullina said, “This is an unfortunate battle between ethics and technology” and there will always be a race for an athlete to find the new enhancement drug before the drug testers discover it. But, the thought we as the athletes, the fans, and the people gaining from economic strength due to sports revenues may be concerned with is who will really be hurting by the end of all of this? Will the athletes loose a job, the fans loose hope, and the cities loose their income?
On the issue of cheating I know a large controversy with my friends and I was cheating in the Olympics but it had nothing to do with drugs. Our concern with cheating was about all the women Chinese Gymnasts and their questionable ages. Even the oldest girl on the team barely looked of age and she had competed in the previous Olympics four years ago. How is someone supposed to question that area of cheating without offending a national government and causing hostility between countries? When scientists can’t test for drugs, is the next step invading personal homes and lives?
I understand my post is filled with a lot of questions but I feel that these sorts of topics raise questions in everyone. Like I said earlier, it’s an ethics issue and everyone will have a different problem, approach, solution, etc. Trying to see the issue from many pairs of eyes though helps to understand the concerns and thoughts of a group instead of an individual.
Sorry, I forgot to say I'm Evan Harsh. Thanks!
It is unfortunate that doping is so prevelant in sports today. It is unfair because it allows some athletes to have a major advantage over others. This advantage would not exist if doping did not take place. Doping should remain illegal and athletes should not take part in it.
Unfortunately, this is not what happens in the real world. Doping happpens every day in every sport. Congress recently held an investigation into doping in major league baseball. This investigation showed that doping does in fact take place, something any American who is remotely involved in sports knows. Should congress really be spending tax payers' dollars to investigating something like this? I don't think so. We have bigger things to worry about, such as the war in Iraq and the terrible economy. Doping is something that we all know shouldn't happen, but it does, so we are just going to have to accept it and hope that athletes will someday see that its wrong.
Zack Shearer
Doping can not be legal in any sport. It is the easiest way for an athlete to become physically superior. Doping can really help an athlete to improve in his/her resistence, speed and many other aspects.This is a way to cheat and take advantage of other athletes who work hard and really deserve all the recognition.
We also should consider that doping can be completly against the athletes health. These kind of products that some people (athletes) consume can be very dangerous. It can make the person have a dangerous high level of red blood cells which can create serious health problems to the athlete.
Because of these two reasons and probably more, doping can not never be legal in any sport. It should be punish severely and be look as a big shame.
Jorge Villanueva
I believe doping should be illegal unless the sport agrees that the athletes who are doping will not compared to athletes of the past. If athletes are allowed to dope, then they all would probably do so which would create an even the playing field for all athletes in the sport. However, if doping is made legal, then athletes that dope should not be comparable to athletes that did not. The athletes of the past did not have to take these drugs to enhance their abilities. I get really pissed when people try to compare Barry Bonds to Hank Aaron because Mr. Bonds had to use drugs to beat Hank Aaron. There was no even playing field between the two.
If athletes are not allowed to dope, then the issue becomes how harsh should the punishment be. The punishment should reflect the crime. Thus these athletes need to feel the harshness of doing drugs in the sport to get ahead. I believe the athletes that are caught should be banned from the sport for a minimum of 5 years. This would make it harder for athletes to re-enter the sport and would discourage athletes from taking them.
Bhavin Patel
The use of any drug to give an athlete an unfair advantage is morally wrong. There are athletes out there who work very hard to become successful, and doping has all but discredited them. Several other students have mentioned Michael Phelps recent success at the Olympics, and their doubts that he is clean. Mostly, I feel that doping severely damages the reputation of the sport, and other deserving athletes while the user practically get away scott free.
As a solution, I feel that there should certainly be more harsh punishments for athletes who are caught doping. If athletes were permanently banned from the sport, I believe dopers would think twice before reaching for the needle. I also believe it is up to the people around the athlete to be moral and honest even though the athlete may not be.
Kelley Frost
Although Robbie makes a valid point in the fact that legalizing performace enhancers, especially for a "low revenue" sport, might take the stress off the fact that its cheating. Yet to me, Jorge's point that enhancers are the "easiest way for an athlete to become physically superior" makes a stronger arguement for me.
The reasons that I have come to believe that performance enhancers of any kind are wrong is because I still feel that we shouldn't take away respect from other talented athletes who have done it right. I hate to compare it this way, but which would feel better: a 4.0 in college because you earned it, or a 4.0 because you cheated? Most may not agree with this example and say that "a 4.0 is a 4.0 no matter how you got it" but to me its not the same. As an athlete myself, I completely disagree with the use of performance enhancers because it is cheating. Athletes should take pride in there hard work and talent and most would say they wouldn't risk it on something so dangerous or risky as drugs/doping. To me, there is somethin to be said about the Micheal Phelps or the Micheal Jordans that they were great because they had a God given gift that was natural and because of that are respected more.
Heather Royal
It is sad that the competitiveness in sports has taken the extremity of doping and gone too far. Doping is solely for athletic enhancement but leaves harmful effects to the human body. This is serious and happens more often than you think. This method is unfair and provides major disadvantages to the opposing teams. But isn’t that the point? If you have to dope, you are not considered a real athlete. You are a fraud. What kind of athlete, a role-model to many, has the nerve to cheat? And for Landis, the Tour de France is a big accomplishment and all the hard work had to go down the drain because of the choice he made. How does the U.S. Anti-doping Agency prevent this? By conducting doping controls “without notice”. You think, well, is that it? Yes, it takes money to do this, but unfortunately, it has to be done. Athletes should be smarter than this, just don’t do it.
Millions should not be spent, out of anyone’s pocket, to defend this. Doping should be illegal and harshly regulated in every athlete. Let’s all have “clean” sports and play fair. Being the best athlete isn’t about cheating to win or beating records; it is about playing hard and becoming role models for the next generation of athletes.
-Mary Webb
For all those who are kind of on the fence about things, I mean there are tons of good points for and against having doping legalized, but what popped into my head was to compare it. For example, WWE, pro wrestling, people watch that because it is fake. It is obvious that those involved in that sport dope and take enhancements and etc, but many people are completely against for that reason, because it is fake and many say those men and women are not real athletes. Now think about if you were watching pro football or pro basketball or even the Olympics and you can see these medically advanced bodies, it wouldn't make the game as good. What makes the game entertaining is the fact that these men and women sweat and drive and overcome adversity to win.
Instead of thinking about is it fair or not fair, or its about who has money and who doesn't, the point of the game is to bust your butt doing what you can, using your natural talent and your trained talent to do the best of your ability. What kind of game would you want to watch?
Sorry, that was me!
Lindsay Scanlan
Personally, I believe that doping should remain illegal. That is the only way to assure that these sports are being kept 100% fair. It's a shame doping is even an issue in the Olympic Games and any other events.
However, in today's society there is no external control over what individuals do with their bodies. People are doping for many reasons...to be more physically attractive or to excel in other aspects such as a sport (Floyd Landis's case). As much as I want to believe that a law is going to prevent people from doping, it is not going to. In today's society, people are going to do whatever it takes to be the best at what they do. They will take any kind of measure to achieve their personal goals.
In conclusion, doping should be illegal, but although there are laws preventing doping, unfortunately, doping is going to be a continuing problem.
Jill Feimster
Why should we allow doping when it creates an unfair advantage for one athlete over another? It's like letting the other opponent have an upper hand while setting the stage for an unfair competition. Although some fans might enjoy seeing enhanced performance as it adds a sense of excitement, dedicated fans want to see the athlete's natural ability.
Athletes have a desire to win but the problem is they do so unjustly. They know the consequences of cheating but think that they will not be the one who gets caught. It's not fair for a player who trains and conditions diligently to lose to an opponent is stronger and faster than him from doping. As a result medals are stripped from the winner and records erased from the books. Fans, athletes, and the sport all lose when athletes dope.
kenneth tran
Doping is a topic that has been a problem for many years now. Nobody seems to be able to come to a unanimous decision on whether performance enhancing drugs should be allowed. Unfortunately, the athletes we admire also are not honest enough to abide by the rules that say these drugs are illegal. The athletes who do uphold the rules set by the sports commission still do not gain all of the credit they deserve when they win events. Every athlete is guilty of taking these drugs until proven innocent. This is not the way that it should be. Some human beings are just so talented that they do not need these drugs. Does this mean that those who are not quite as talented should be kept from taking these drugs to put them on the same level?
I personally do not even have a solid opinion on whether these drugs should be allowed or not. I can see both sides. Everyone seems to have access to them, and it seems like anyone who wants to is going to take them. If everyone is doing it anyway should they just be legal? They are not exactly hurting anyone or putting anyone in danger. However, it is taking credit away from those who are truly talented. Should the ability to play sports be a natural talent, and those who are not athletically inclined become something else? I am leaning more and more toward the idea that they should be allowed, but I can see both sides of the argument. We do use technology to enhance every other job in the world, but maybe using drugs to make ourselves better, stronger, faster is pushing the idea of technology just a little far. For the time being it is a person decision of the athletes because there is no true way to determine who all uses these drugs.
-Brooke South
Doping in any sense is morally and ethically wrong. It is hurtful to the athlete as well as sports in general. I believe there should be tough screenings for these kinds of drugs and harsh penalties for those that test positive. I know I have lost the willingness to watch baseball and even cycling because I believe the athletes that have been found to be guilty of doping have ruined that sport for me. It has made me think about whether or not the athlete is good at their position or if the drugs have made them better, bigger and stronger, which isn't fair to their competitors.
I can not help to think back to the past when such great ball players as Babe Ruth, and Joe Dimaggio used to play and what they would have to say about this scandal. They did not have the ability to take these kinds of drugs to get better at what they did, they worked hard and put in long hours to get better. It is a disgrace to all of the players in the MLB that have stayed clean throughout their career and have done great things. It is not right what some athletes will do just to get a little better at their game, and it is certainly not healthy for them to do so either.
Lauren Fielding
Doping in any athletic circumstance should be considered illegal. Like others have said, it is morally wrong to enhance one's performance by injecting juices into the body to increase strength and ability. Although some of these drugs may greatly improve athletic performance, most do not contribute much at all, leaving the body as it came in and producing what dietitians like to call "expensive urine."
I understand that it may be nearly impossible to stop doping completely, but it would never hurt to try. I completely agree with Bhavin when he says he "gets pissed" when people try to compare Barry Bonds to Hank Aaron. Barry Bonds had to chemically enhance himself to beat the record. That, to me, shows that he was obviously not as talented as Hank Aaron. Didn't we all grow up learning that cheating is immoral?
-Molly Metrailer
I know there is a lot of controversy over this issue, but not being much of a sports fan personally, I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other. After I read the article, I presume there needs to be more severe penalties for athletes abusing illegal substances. For myself I know that if I was an athlete, or involved in some type of competition, I would be incredibly opposed to the occurrence of cheating. I feel that an athlete should be recognized for their natural, physical ability. I believe that when competing professionally it needs to be a contest judged fairly and honestly. There has to be strict consequences when these standards of cheating aren't upheld.
From reading the article and comments written on this site it seems the system in place is obviously not working. Jonathan made some nice suggestions as to how we could solve this dilemma by threatening to ban athletes from competing for life. He said this could give them enough encouragement to avoid doping altogether. Obviously, with today’s technology it would be nearly impossible to make the competition 100% fair. Unfortunately there will always be a demand for these illegal substances and there will most likely continue to be an issue of athletes using them illegally. Hopefully, we can find a way to get rid of this issue as best as possible.
Doping in sports will continue until there are swift and severe penalties in place for those who choose to use performance enhancing substances. Athletic competition is supposed to be between you and me, not you and your “roids” verses me and mine. Unfortunately, as long as there is a desire to be the greatest at all cost, there will be foreign substances to enhance an athlete’s performance. A sport or contest should be between teams or individuals doing their best without the aid of a needle. Keeping the athletes clean will help maintain sports in its’ purest form.
The side effects of doping can be very serious. Debilitating illness and even death can be a result from the use of performance enhancing drugs. Some may say so what? They are only hurting themselves. This is where they are wrong. Today’s athletes, whether they like it or not, are role models. Many younger athletes will do whatever it takes to be like their hero. And, in many cases turn to doping to achieve their athletic goals. As mentioned before, harsh penalties must be installed to both protect the purity of the sport and the athletes, both young and old.
Brittney Richardson
How embarrassing is it to find out an outstanding professional athlete has to use illegal substances to reach their desired peak? Well the embarrassment is now more common than ever in the never-ending world of sports. Not only do I agree with the majority of other bloggers when I say that it is wrong and illegal, but I might also add that it is stupid and dangerous! The expression "win at all costs" has obviously been put into effect, literally, especially through the acts of Floyd Landis and other doping athletes.
I understand that doping is the harsh reality of the sporting world, but I do not feel that these athletes should be let off of the hook or illegal substances made legal just to please these multi-millionares who are taking their fame, money, and sport for granted. I strongly agree with Jonathan Armour's comments on inflicting harsher punishments for these acts of stupidity. Stripping an athlete of a gold medal or banning them from the sport compared to making he/she pay $1million is much more of a hit below the belt and could possibly help stop athletes from doping.
My question is what happened to good old-fashioned hardwork and determination to win the golden prize? Who wants the embarrassment and label of being the athlete who doped? Just imagine who will go down in history as the greatest, Marion Jones who admitted to steroid use and was named the fastest woman in the world during her career or Jackie Joyner-Kersee called one of the greatest athletes of all time and not found using illegal substances? Integrity sure does make a big difference.
J. Ryan Duncan
Doping is an issue that has recently come up among many spectators and athletes in our nation and also across the world. Doping can give the majority of athletes a competitve edge in their particular sport. I believe that doping is unfair and should be regulated by commisioners, teams, and other individuals involved in sports. I feel that using juice is something that athletes should not be allowed to use because it takes the integrity out of the game. For instance if juicing is allowed and someone hits just as many home runs as a hall of fame player who could not use juice their achievments are not as good. there will always be a astract next to players who used juice vs. those who could not. People will not respect athletes as much if they are allowed to use these substances. Fans would not be able to relate to these athletes because they are taking substances that make them different from every other citizen.
By doping it takes all tradition out of the sport. For example a sport like golf which has a rich tradition going all the way back to the 1600's would be completly set back and players of the past would loose the honor and respect that they should have.I believe that it is the duty of commisioners to keep juice out of sports and regelate players on a regular basis to keep both integrity nad tradition.
Is doping morally wrong? Yes. Is making it illegal going to make it stop? No. Doping gives the competitor the advantage it his or her sport. It enhances athletic performance, no questions asked. Humans have been doping animals for years in order to increase performance all for the sake of entertainment. So in reality how is the doping of humans so different? Humans have the choice to put the drug into their own body and they pay the consequences. Animals do not have the choice but still pay the consequence. But people still enjoy watching both.
My biggest problem with doping is that the opportunity of equality is completely destroyed. People who respect their bodies and the sport chose not to use drugs to be the best, have no chance against those who do use drugs. The bottom line is that it is cheating. However, that alone will not put an end to doping. I think doping might be the future of certain sports because people like to be entertained and as long as there is an audience to watch it, the more it continues to grow. I do not think that it is fair to compare athletes who chose doping and those who do not.
Ann White
Athletes using performance enhancing drugs is likely to be a topic of controversy for a long time because I don't see the rules changing anytime soon. I can't say I have a strong opinion on the issue because I don't see it personally affecting me, since I will never be a professional in any sport.
Being a fan of sports however, I see both sides of the story. When I watch sports I like knowing I'm watching those who are the natural best. Isn't that why we admire these people? For the natural talent they posess? I'm sure there are pretty decent athletes who have gone pro only because of the performance enhancing drugs they've taken. I don't see this as unfair because anybody could take them, but I sort of feel scammed knowing it's not all the natural best out there. On the other hand, sports is about the entertainment. To be quite honest, a certain part of me doesn't really care how these people got there as long as I am entertained. Performance enhancing drugs also allows sports to be taken to the next level, which is in fact, entertaining.
So either way, legal or illegal,I'm happy.
Margaret Smith
Personally, I think doping is wrong and an athlete who commits the act is lying to his or herself. What is the point in studying and training for years for a sport that you love only to use performances enhancers? Doping defeats the purpose of even trying to excel in one's chosen sport. I think it is a weak attempt at bettering oneself and defeating the competition.
However, do all performance enhancers actually ENHANCE? Or does the effectiveness of such substances depend on the person? Whatever the case, if an athlete under the influence does perform better, it does give reason to question their judgement.
Doping should be banned in all sports. It's better to prove no one is doing it rather than to let the sport go on and question it only after the winner has won. Just look at former "Olympian" Marion Jones. She was found out and in return, lost her medals. What about the runners who came in second and third to Jones? They may have won had she not been on performance enhancers. It's better to know beforehand and take proper actions in removing the athlete than waiting until it's too late...waiting to where victory is stolen from one who rightfully deserves it.
Lauren Williams
The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports has been a continual controversy. These illegal substances have changed from stimulants to steroids to human growth hormones. The use has spanned many sports whether high or low revenue. Every sport has been affected at some point. Ultimately, doping is an issue of ethics versus profit. The better you do the more money you get.
When an athlete chooses to use an illegal substance to improve their performance, it is not only a crime it is a shame. It takes all competitiveness out of a sport. Why do we even have record books? Is it just to prove that so-and-so juiced up more than the other competitor? Let us not make this a trivial issue. Call it what it is, a crime!
-Courtney Bowman
I’m really indifferent with this topic. Everyone has great arguments and points whether if it’s to make doping legal or illegal, ethical or unethical, and morally or unmorally. I think that athletes spending loads of money on dope to perform better is as comparable to Hollywood stars spending money on plastic surgery to look better and younger.
Plastic surgery used to not be accepted by society and now its second nature to many people. Everyone wants to look the best and perform the best. Athletes have the pressure to perform well in their sports but so does stars; they have the pressure to stay young and skinny. Yes, I do agree that it’s not fair to other athletes who don’t take performance drugs but is it fair to the middle class who want that nose job, boob job, or that eyelid and they can’t afford it? Will it be fair to us when we are 50 and Nicole Kidman still looks 40? I mean really when was the last time someone told you life was fair?
Besides why are we investing money in new drugs if it’s counted as illegal? Technology does require new rules and new exceptions i.e. plastic surgery so I totally agree with Simone on that one.
Right now, doping may be morally wrong and not widely accepted in society but like plastic surgery, it may someday be second nature to many.
Dae Lor
There is an overwhelming consensus by spectators everywhere that doping in sports is illegitimate, immoral, and distasteful. Yet, as the article states, the technology that is used to detect doping is growing more precise and will likely keep pace if not surpass the advances in doping methods. And if the anti-doping agencies are allowed to do their jobs, then the debate over doping in sports will become less relevant. However, the debate over doping will dictate future controversies over "fair play" in sports, and it is critical that we articulate exactly what we find wrong with the practice of doping.
With current advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering, we will likely see individuals being born with superior athletic ability if their parents/guardians wish it to be in the not-so-distant future. Thus, the debate over doping must be used to set a precedent regarding what, or even "who", will be tolerated in sports. Should individuals who undergo surgery to enhance their rotator cuff be banned from pitching in the major leagues? Should the guy who was genetically "predisposed" to have better hand-eye coordination at his parents' whim be forbidden from from taking the field?
As Americans, we love the underdog. We like the baseball star who grew up in the inner-city playing sandlot ball. We hesitate to root for the rookie who took growth hormones in college, even though they were legal. But with the advances in medicine that we anxiously anticipate, we may not have too many sports stars to praise unless the doping debate turns into policies that we can all stand behind.
Doping should be illegal. It is unfair that athletes can enhance their performance by taking such substances to do so. If everyone took these drugs the athletes would eventually be out of control. What would be the limitations?
There has to be some more technoligicaly advanced form of drug testing for athletes that could better help dtermine if the athlete is using performance enhancing drugs. It is a shame that atheletes stoop to the level of using drugs that could harm their bodies to better their performance in athletic events. If doping isn't taken seriously it could inevitably lead to atheltes overdosing or even worse. Doping is unfair and brings a whole new level of competitiveness to athletics that is completely unfair and dangerous.
Amanda Rosen
For the past 15 years or more, many professional athletes or "wanna-be" professional athletes have chosen to use steroids to achieve their dream in whatever sport or competition they chose, there is no denying that fact. However I believe it should be illegal in all forms of competition because it is a source of cheating. Not only cheating in their sport, but cheating their bodies and damaging them in the process. And if someone wants to take that risk, for example a male, good luck having kids when it's all said and done. Yeah you might have a perfect body, but parts of you aren't going to be working later on.
A major problem I have with the whole doping issue is that many times the only people that get criticized for doping are the ones who excel in their sport. Which is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but there are still many others that are not excelling that should be punished the same way and those stories should be made public as well.
For example, the issue with Barry Bonds and his alleged use of steroids. Because of the steroids he broke Hank Aaron's home run record, and he was scrutinized for it because it was a historical achievement in the world of professional baseball. How about the pitcher that Bonds hit a home run off of days before he set the home run record, that pitcher got suspended for doping, but he wasn't a major story because to the media, he didn't matter. I'm not saying that Barry Bonds used steroids and I am not saying he didn't, but the guys trying to make it in the league are doping, but yet the public is not informed of such events because they have no significance to their selective sport.....yet.
I'm sorry I used a baseball reference rather than the Tour de France because I know a lot more about baseball than cycling. Anyway, my point is that doping should be illegal and no matter how famous you are or if you are just a rookie trying to make it big, the public needs to realize that doping is affecting sports and competitions around the world; and if we can catch these young guys before they start "juicin" then we can finally return to pure, clean, honest competition.
---Andrew Holt
It is sad that "doping" has become so popular with athletes. However, I feel like it is almost unevitable. As time go's on athletes strive to get better and better. Their goals are to set records and beat out the ones before them. Players can only get so good and eventually thats it. With these substances it allows the athlete to go beyond what they would be able to achieve naturally.
I feel as though it should be all or none to even out the playing field. It is not fair to the athletes that want to abide by the rules and do not use substances while other athlete are performing better than them because they are using. As we have seen over and over none does not seem quite possible because we are constantly catching athletes using substances. In order to solve this we need to allow the use of substances to some level. For instance just allow drugs pre-approved drugs that have been tested to be safe.
alex simpson
Yay Barack Obama!!!
As it looks most everyone believes that doping is wrong. My how the world has changed. Drugs in sports never used to be viewed as benefitting the players involved. For instance, some baseball players used to show up drunk or at the very least hung over. Even with their altered state of mind many still managed to out perform players today.
One main reason why so many people are hesitant about checking for doping in major sports and the Olympics, even though they see many new records being set, is that they want to believe. That is they would like to believe that humans are truly capable of achieving those feats on their own without the assistance of drugs. Once testing is done and the bonds of trust are broken there is really no way of restoring them. The article gives a perfect example of this with the amount of doping that has been found in cycling and the skepticism it causes.
Travis Woosley
Landis reportedly has low testosterone levels naturally. So, is taking synthetic testosterone giving him an unfair advatage, or just evening out the playing field?
People seem to hold sports to a nostalgic expectation of morality. It's kind of nice. Body modification, however, is part of the game. It may take place through vigorous training, doping, or a combination. I don't care if people use drugs to enhance their ability. I just want them to be honest about it.
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