Shame on the fans!

[kupman]

Where is blame on the fans in this whole steroid issue? I see the players getting raked over coals and to a lesser extent the commissioner, the owners and the player’s association. Meanwhile, the fans are made out to be the innocent victims.

This is backwards in my opinion. I feel that it is “we” fans that are the heart of this matter. We are the ones who make this situation, not only possible, but likely. We are guiltier than the rest and when I hear fans become all indignant about the issue I just shake my head.

Who is it that makes being a professional athlete so lucrative? Us. Who is it that makes being a professional athlete so prestigious? Us. Who is it that demands championships be won or else we stop going to games, watching the team on TV, or buying t-shirts etc? Us. Who is it that practically worships record breakers? Us.

We demand and worship all these things, but once a player uses a PED we become all indignant? Give me a break. Further, we ask these guys to play 162 games in addition to spring training and play-offs. After doing this for a few years, guess what, a body starts to break down. This schedule is not natural, or even close to be healthy. The schedule itself is probably far more harmful than using PED, so don't preach about the harmful side-effects of PED.

The consequences of over-the-top schedules are that careers are put at stake for this over-extension. Players are faced with the loss of a livelihood and a career they love. They will probably be replaced by someone who has decided to use a PED. If a player uses some “medicine” to help themselves through a grueling career – guess what? You receive the wrath of the fans - the biggest hypocrites of all.

The steroid era will never end as long as we place the extreme value upon winning and record breaking that currently exists. This is not only true for baseball, but for all sports. Athletes and their trainers will just become sneakier and more sophisticated.

Today, it is about baseball, but next week it could be any other sport. It may even be basketball in the near future. Has any tried to play 82 games a year in addition to training camp, pre-season and post season? Do it for a few years and get back to us on how your body responds. See what kind of break-downs happens. See how a career can be threatened. Also, be careful when you talk about how a young NBA player needs to get stronger or an “NBA body.” Ask yourself how a young player is supposed to accomplish this while playing a NBA season. Are they supposed to do this during a 4-5 month off-season? How can that be accomplished?

I do not think that taking steroids is right. But I sure as heck understand it and believe that “we” fans are the biggest part of the problem.

 

[VF21]

Did you write this, kupman, or is it copied?

 

[kupman]

I wrote it. Why?

 

[VF21]

To determine whether or not a link should be posted for proper attribution.

 

[VF21]

Now, my comments about the post...

The fans are responsible? Sorry, but that doesn't fly. There are all kinds of players who HAVEN'T cheated; who didn't find the lure of PED or HGH irresistable. Were they just stupid?

Yes, the fans want peak performances, etc. from their athletes. And the salaries these guys get should make it clear the fans are willing to pay exhorbitant prices to see them perform. BUT there should be some kind of accountability. The players are the ones who made the choice, not the fans.

The players aren't the victims. The game of baseball itself is the victim.

 

[Rockmeister]

We the fans are responsible? Why on earth would you say this? The fans have nothing to do with this. We didn't make the choice to use steroids, the players did.

 

[kennadog]

Regardless of drug use, our culture makes too much of athletes (and others, like movie actors) and overly rewards them financially. We also seem awfully willing to overlook even egregious transgressions as long as they're winners.

I turned off to baseball a long time ago and I won't be spending any fan money there anymore. I do care whether an athlete is cheating to win or not. The fans that should be ashamed are the ones (like many Bonds fans) who said they didn't care if the athletes were using these drugs, if it made them a better player.

Still, the athletes are the ones who made the choice. Regardless of their reasons, it was a bad choice and they can't really blame anybody. Is there a lot of money and status? You bet. If something is wrong, it's wrong. The size of the reward doesn't excuse the choice to cheat and break the law.

 

[kupman]

It's just my perspective on the issue. As long as we reward athletes for extreme human performance with our admiration and oodles of money, the "steroid era" will never end....not in baseball or any other sport.

 

[VF21]

That's an insult, kupman, to every athlete (and there are lots of them) who didn't cheat. kennadog is entirely right, IMHO...

 

[kennadog]

When I was very young, I didn't understand the meaning of the statement that "virtue is its own reward."

As an adult, however, I soon realized that most of the time there is no reward for doing the right thing. As a matter of fact, a person is often "punished" for doing the right thing.

Simple example: Some people cheat on their income taxes. They get rewarded with lower taxes and honesty is "punished" in the financial sense. Big example: Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life for doing the right thing.

Most of the time, the only reward a person gets for doing the right thing is peace in their hearts.

The players who chose not to break the law or cheat may only have been rewarded with knowing they did the right thing. It's not fair, but it is the way of the world. To me, knowing I've upheld my beliefs and morals is worth any amount of money or fame.

Unfortunately I can't remember a bad decision I made (and I've made plenty of wrong choices) that was actually rewarded. Most made me miserably unhappy in the long run. I must be doing something wrong.

 

[Kingzrool]

Further, we ask these guys to play 162 games in addition to spring training and play-offs. After doing this for a few years, guess what, a body starts to break down. This schedule is not natural, or even close to be healthy. The schedule itself is probably far more harmful than using PED, so don't preach about the harmful side-effects of PED.

The consequences of over-the-top schedules are that careers are put at stake for this over-extension. Players are faced with the loss of a livelihood and a career they love. They will probably be replaced by someone who has decided to use a PED. If a player uses some “medicine” to help themselves through a grueling career – guess what? You receive the wrath of the fans - the biggest hypocrites of all.

Kupman has a point here. But the fans should not be blamed as the NBA and Stern are the ones making the rules and the majority of the $$. The NBA season is too long and there are too many teams. It has diluted the excitement IMO. The NBA needs to have fewer teams and a shorter season in order to be exciting.

 

[Superman]

I understand the point the OP is making. Point taken.

I disagree, though. Wholeheartedly.

Your opinion is correct when you talk about the way fans view professional athletes. There is definitely a level of veneration, probably unhealthy in most cases, that fans (short for "fanatic") have for their favorite players and teams. What that contributes to is fans putting trust and faith in professional athletes, taking them at their word.

So when Raphael Palmeiro sits in front of a grand jury, wagging his finger, adamantly denying ever using any PED, we believe him. When crazy Jose Canseco writes a book about 85% of players in MLB using PEDs, and then the baseball world shrugs him off as "Crazy Jose Canseco", we shrug him off, too. When there is no effort made by the sport in general to identify the players that might be using PEDs, we figure that not too many are using, and it's not important to find out who is.

It's blind faith. It's unrealistic to believe everything that a multi-millionaire has to say in their own defense, we are naive and star-struck as fans, and perhaps that's the reason we continue to spend money supporting professional athletes. But we didn't stick needles in them, and we don't share the blame for the illegal practices they took part in, because we took them at their word that they were clean.

We have professionals in the industry that have inside information confirming to them that steroid abuse is widespread in MLB. Then we have the owners and Player's Association who are also aware of it and haven't pushed to get it taken care of. Then you have the players/agents themselves who think of nothing but a) making a name for themselves as professional athletes, b) making money, and c) living the dream. They are the ones who actually did the illegal PEDs.

And then, you have the naive fans, enjoying America's Favorite Pasttime. Being lied to so that we would continue to spend our money on the sport. I don't see how you can hold the fans responsible for what's gone on with steroid abuse in MLB and other professional sports.

 

[kennadog]

Kupman has a point here. But the fans should not be blamed as the NBA and Stern are the ones making the rules and the majority of the $$. The NBA season is too long and there are too many teams. It has diluted the excitement IMO. The NBA needs to have fewer teams and a shorter season in order to be exciting.

I understand the point and I think there should be fewer games, too. Remember, though, the money for all those games is also the money the players salaries come from. Would they agree to lower salaries for less games?

I think pro athletes in most sports know their careers are not likely to last long, no matter what they do. If they are counting on that as their livelihood, they are certainly relying on the wrong career. Is it unfair that a player who loses his job due to injury might lose it to someone who uses PED? Absolutely. That's why MLB needs to actively attempt to root out cheaters. Furthermore, if some PEDs actually help heal injuries, then a person should be able to get them short-term, legally with a prescription. Problem solved.

 

[Superman]

Kupman has a point here. But the fans should not be blamed as the NBA and Stern are the ones making the rules and the majority of the $$. The NBA season is too long and there are too many teams. It has diluted the excitement IMO. The NBA needs to have fewer teams and a shorter season in order to be exciting.

I disagree with the point though. Especially when it comes to baseball. You don't have to take illegal PEDs in order to make it through the season.

The problem is when players (like Clemens and Bonds) want to continue to dominate well past their primes. No, a 40+ year old isn't going to be able to play a full season they way they used to be able to. And a 35 year old is going to start slowing down. That 90 mph fastball is going to slow down, and that curve isn't gonna dip like it used to. What used to be a tape-measure HR now might only make it to the warning track. It's called aging.

When professional athletes try to defy nature and stick around for one last big contract, or one last run at the record, etc., is becoming a big problem. There's no way Bonds would have 700+ HR without PEDs, but he didn't need them to be a dominate home run hitter. Clemens wouldn't have 350+ wins, but he didn't need PEDs to be a dominant pitcher. They made the decision that they wanted more, and did illegal PEDs to get more. That's their choice.

The saying goes something like "If you can't stand the heat..." If you need illegal PEDs to last the season, then you should bow out. That's your decision to make. Not the fans. Be content that you had your time in the spotlight. It's the greedy going for more that likely caused players like Clemens and Bonds to start using and continue using illegal PEDs, not their fans.

 

[VF21]

I disagree with the point though. Especially when it comes to baseball. You don't have to take illegal PEDs in order to make it through the season.

The problem is when players (like Clemens and Bonds) want to continue to dominate well past their primes. No, a 40+ year old isn't going to be able to play a full season they way they used to be able to. And a 35 year old is going to start slowing down. That 90 mph fastball is going to slow down, and that curve isn't gonna dip like it used to. What used to be a tape-measure HR now might only make it to the warning track. It's called aging.

When professional athletes try to defy nature and stick around for one last big contract, or one last run at the record, etc., is becoming a big problem. There's no way Bonds would have 700+ HR without PEDs, but he didn't need them to be a dominate home run hitter. Clemens wouldn't have 350+ wins, but he didn't need PEDs to be a dominant pitcher. They made the decision that they wanted more, and did illegal PEDs to get more. That's their choice.

The saying goes something like "If you can't stand the heat..." If you need illegal PEDs to last the season, then you should bow out. That's your decision to make. Not the fans. Be content that you had your time in the spotlight. It's the greedy going for more that likely caused players like Clemens and Bonds to start using and continue using illegal PEDs, not their fans.

Exactly. Very well said, Supes.

 

[Kingzrool]

I disagree with the point though. Especially when it comes to baseball. You don't have to take illegal PEDs in order to make it through the season.

The problem is when players (like Clemens and Bonds) want to continue to dominate well past their primes. No, a 40+ year old isn't going to be able to play a full season they way they used to be able to. And a 35 year old is going to start slowing down. That 90 mph fastball is going to slow down, and that curve isn't gonna dip like it used to. What used to be a tape-measure HR now might only make it to the warning track. It's called aging.

When professional athletes try to defy nature and stick around for one last big contract, or one last run at the record, etc., is becoming a big problem. There's no way Bonds would have 700+ HR without PEDs, but he didn't need them to be a dominate home run hitter. Clemens wouldn't have 350+ wins, but he didn't need PEDs to be a dominant pitcher. They made the decision that they wanted more, and did illegal PEDs to get more. That's their choice.

The saying goes something like "If you can't stand the heat..." If you need illegal PEDs to last the season, then you should bow out. That's your decision to make. Not the fans. Be content that you had your time in the spotlight. It's the greedy going for more that likely caused players like Clemens and Bonds to start using and continue using illegal PEDs, not their fans.

My comments were refering soley to the NBA, I do not follow any other professional sport except snowboarding.

 

[Superman]

My comments were refering soley to the NBA, I do not follow any other professional sport except snowboarding.

The same point could be made about the NBA. I don't think you need illegal PEDs to make it through a season.

I do get what you're saying, and agree with you to a certain extent, but it's like another poster said, the players are not willing to take proportional pay cuts and the owners are certainly not willing to part with additional revenue. Let's say you shrink the season to 65 games; that's 20% revenue lost, every year.

It should happen, but it won't.

 

[Kingzrool]

The same point could be made about the NBA. I don't think you need illegal PEDs to make it through a season.

I do get what you're saying, and agree with you to a certain extent, but it's like another poster said, the players are not willing to take proportional pay cuts and the owners are certainly not willing to part with additional revenue. Let's say you shrink the season to 65 games; that's 20% revenue lost, every year.

It should happen, but it won't.

Ahhhh. But it would be so much more exciting. The new expanded NBA is just not as exciting, to diluted.

 

[kupman]

Most fans say all the right things - “we do not support the use of PEDs in anyway shape or form.” But those are really just words. Our actions speak much differently. Our actions say “we want to see extreme, freaky athletic accomplishments by extreme, freaky athletes.” I have no doubt that many athletes have taken the high road and have said no to PED. However, many of those athletes may have lost their careers due to such a courageous decision. In fact, we may have never cheered or paid these athletes at all because we are too busy cheering for the freaky performers. Even worse, we may have cheered when the honorable athlete was cut from the team in the name of getting more “studs” into the line-up.

I do not think that fans make a conscious decision to support the use PEDs. However, when we reward extreme accomplishments to the extreme we should not be surprised when extreme measures are taken by athletes. If the Mitchell report shows anything, it shows that the PED problem is prevalent. Should we just assume that MLB is filled unsavory, morally corrupt slime balls? Or should we say, wow, what kind of situation has been created that so many guys would make such a decision?

We the fans have created the situation. We say that we put honor and integrity over achievement, but again our actions speak differently. We do not give out championship rings and billions of dollars to the most honorable; we give that stuff to the guys who are able to win and set records at such an extreme level of competition.

I am not saying that we should stop watching and rewarding the extreme. I think that it is human nature to do so and unrealistic to think that it will ever stop. The whole situation is admittedly pretty sleazy, but we created it out of our instaiable desire for the extreme. We, as fans, must accept this and stop pointing fingers.

 

[Superman]

Most fans say all the right things - “we do not support the use of PEDs in anyway shape or form.” But those are really just words. Our actions speak much differently. Our actions say “we want to see extreme, freaky athletic accomplishments by extreme, freaky athletes.” I have no doubt that many athletes have taken the high road and have said no to PED. However, many of those athletes may have lost their careers due to such a courageous decision. In fact, we may have never cheered or paid these athletes at all because we are too busy cheering for the freaky performers. Even worse, we may have cheered when the honorable athlete was cut from the team in the name of getting more “studs” into the line-up.

I do not think that fans make a conscious decision to support the use PEDs. However, when we reward extreme accomplishments to the extreme we should not be surprised when extreme measures are taken by athletes. If the Mitchell report shows anything, it shows that the PED problem is prevalent. Should we just assume that MLB is filled unsavory, morally corrupt slime balls? Or should we say, wow, what kind of situation has been created that so many guys would make such a decision?

We the fans have created the situation. We say that we put honor and integrity over achievement, but again our actions speak differently. We do not give out championship rings and billions of dollars to the most honorable; we give that stuff to the guys who are able to win and set records at such an extreme level of competition.

I am not saying that we should stop watching and rewarding the extreme. I think that it is human nature to do so and unrealistic to think that it will ever stop. The whole situation is admittedly pretty sleazy, but we created it out of our instaiable desire for the extreme. We, as fans, must accept this and stop pointing fingers.

Yes, there is a level of "responsibility" that fans have to accept, as we pay their salaries.

But I still disagree with you. When an adult makes a decision to break the rules and the law, you can't blame the individuals who put him in a position to do so. He made the decision. I mean, it's not like hiring an alcoholic as a bartender. These athletes went out of their way to take illegal PEDs, their trainers encouraged it, the coaches and owners turned their heads, the Players' Association ignored it, Baseball pretended it wasn't a problem. Those are the people/organizations who were in a position to take this seriously and try to prevent it from ballooning into the problem it has become.

So when those "responsible" people projected the idea that illegal PEDs were not a problem in Baseball, what were fans supposed to do? "Well, I don't believe that anyone could ever hit 70 home runs in a season, so I'm not supporting MLB until Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are dealt with." That's not reasonable. All indications were that those players (and not just those players) were clean. You have a guy like Ken Griffey, Jr. who was right there behind those two guys in '98, and he's never been linked to PEDs, even after the Mitchell report. So it's not totally naive to think that an athlete can excel without resorting to using banned substances to gain an edge.

My point is that MLB and all associated groups and entities propagated the idea that steroids weren't a problem by not doing something about them. They brushed it under the table, likely because the numbers were good for the sport. (For example, androstenedione, also known as Andro, was banned by the NFL and IOC in 1998, but not by MLB. McGwire admitted to using Andro during the 1998 season.) What are the fans supposed to do?

Again, I disagree that the fans are responsible for illegal PEDs and the affect they've had on professional sports. It is empowering to get paid millions of dollars to play a game, and because of that, these athletes sometimes feel like they're above the law. We see that more and more. But when an adult makes a conscious decision that they know is wrong, the blame can't be placed on anyone but that adult. Trying to pass the buck to the fans is irresponsible and tacky.

 

[kupman]

But I still disagree with you. When an adult makes a decision to break the rules and the law, you can't blame the individuals who put him in a position to do so.

Your statement succinctly sums-up our different perspectives.

I will say that if my actions "A" result in undesirable consequences "C", then I may want to rethink doing "A" - no matter how innocent "A" seems. Furthermore, if I continue doing "A" knowing full well that it will likely result in "C", how innocent can I really be?

I also try not to make this about baseball, because the issue encompasses all elite athletics.

 

[VF21]

Most fans say all the right things - “we do not support the use of PEDs in anyway shape or form.” But those are really just words. Our actions speak much differently. Our actions say “we want to see extreme, freaky athletic accomplishments by extreme, freaky athletes.” I have no doubt that many athletes have taken the high road and have said no to PED. However, many of those athletes may have lost their careers due to such a courageous decision. In fact, we may have never cheered or paid these athletes at all because we are too busy cheering for the freaky performers. Even worse, we may have cheered when the honorable athlete was cut from the team in the name of getting more “studs” into the line-up.

I do not think that fans make a conscious decision to support the use PEDs. However, when we reward extreme accomplishments to the extreme we should not be surprised when extreme measures are taken by athletes. If the Mitchell report shows anything, it shows that the PED problem is prevalent. Should we just assume that MLB is filled unsavory, morally corrupt slime balls? Or should we say, wow, what kind of situation has been created that so many guys would make such a decision?

We the fans have created the situation. We say that we put honor and integrity over achievement, but again our actions speak differently. We do not give out championship rings and billions of dollars to the most honorable; we give that stuff to the guys who are able to win and set records at such an extreme level of competition.

I am not saying that we should stop watching and rewarding the extreme. I think that it is human nature to do so and unrealistic to think that it will ever stop. The whole situation is admittedly pretty sleazy, but we created it out of our instaiable desire for the extreme. We, as fans, must accept this and stop pointing fingers.

Speak for yourself. This fan walked away from baseball after a lifelong love of the game because of the players strike and then the fascination and emphasis on the home run, especially when it started becoming apparent (and even mentioned by Bob Costas, who was harrassed for his insinuations) that some kind of performance enhancement was involved.

I would rather see a good game with base hits, stealing, squeeze plays, hit and runs, etc. than an oversized jerk sitting there swatting ball out of the park.

To me, people who think baseball is just about home runs are the same people who think basketball is just about dunks.

 

[VF21]

Your statement succinctly sums-up our different perspectives.

I will say that if my actions "A" result in undesirable consequences "C", then I may want to rethink doing "A" - no matter how innocent "A" seems. Furthermore, if I continue doing "A" knowing full well that it will likely result in "C", how innocent can I really be?

I also try not to make this about baseball, because the issue encompasses all elite athletics.

I'm a store owner. I put merchandise on display in front of my store. 9 out of 10 people who walk by don't even think about trying to steal it. 1 out of 10 may think about it and maybe 1 of out 100 actually does it.

So, by your theory, I should quit putting things in front of my store because my action ("A") is directly responsible for "C"?

Sorry, kupman, there's such a thing as a basic conception of right and wrong. And there's also accountability. The players who cheated didn't have to cheat. They justified it to themselves for whatever reason but they cheated. They cheated themselves, they cheated their team owners, they cheated their fellow players AND they cheated the fans. And they knew they were cheating as they did any number of covert things to keep the public and the league from finding out what they had done.

Now they have to pay the piper.

 

[kupman]

So, by your theory, I should quit putting things in front of my store because my action ("A") is directly responsible for "C"?

Again, the Mitchell report IMO shows that PED use was not rare. So yes, I think you should (and think that you indeed would) change the arrangement so that fewer items would "walk."

 

[Superman]

Again, the Mitchell report IMO shows that PED use was not rare. So yes, I think you should (and think that you indeed would) change the arrangement so that fewer items would "walk."

It wasn't rare, but it was swept under the rug so that fans wouldn't think much of it.

My honest assessment of the PED situation in MLB, prior to the past two years or so (admittedly due to ignorance), was that there were a few players in Baseball that were doing or had done them. I didn't think it was an epidemic. Most people probably thought the same way I did, based on what I've seen and heard.

It's not until recently that I realized how prevalent illegal PEDs were in MLB. Specifically, with regard to HGH, a clever person could use it regularly and never be caught. And MLB did nothing to inform or notify their fan base that it was a big problem. In fact, they downplayed the significance of it with regard to the impact it was having/could potentially have on the game. So, what does a fan do?

I just don't understand how the buck can be passed to the fans, when it's the players, teams, coaches, owners, agents, trainers, etc., ... all the professionals associated with the game, who knew about this and allowed it to escalate and become this huge problem. It's not reasonable to place the blame on the fans, especially when the fans weren't privy to this information until recently.

 

[kupman]

I just don't understand how the buck can be passed to the fans, when it's the players, teams, coaches, owners, agents, trainers, etc., ... all the professionals associated with the game, who knew about this and allowed it to escalate and become this huge problem. It's not reasonable to place the blame on the fans, especially when the fans weren't privy to this information until recently.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that players should be absolved of their responsibility. They should be hit hard for cheating.

I will also say that many of us were pretty confident that the league was very dirty. And once again, this is not just about baseball. I expect that all elite sport leagues are, or will be at some time, very dirty.

Athletes will do what they feel they must to make a great living and keep the fans happy.

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

If this was the only thing they could do to earn a living, then I will accept one iota of the blame. If what I wanted as a fan mattered a crap to the players or the owners in a sport, then I would accept one iota of the blame. The day I stick a needle in the backside of an athlete is the day I will accept one iota of the blame here.

Those (cough...FP Santangelo...cough) who use the "I'm just trying to feed my family" card AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLWAAAAAAAAAAYS do it to excuse themselves from responsibility for something they did that was stupid. A lot of us out in the real world raise families and/or support ourselves without doing something stupid or illegal or whatever.

 

[mcsluggo]

Am I really the only person that doesn't give much of a rats arse about the whole issue?


I'm glad they are moving to contain the intake of the enhancing drugs... but I view it as roughly equivelent to any other rules tweak. THe players weren't penalized for taking the drugs, so abunch of them did. That was the incentive structure that had been set up... and now it is changing going forward. The nba or the nfl changes the interpretation of the hand-check or the bump-and-run, defenders adapt to the new way of enforcing rules, and the game changes some.

violia.

 

[TheFifthMookie]

My post (below) is about PEDs and 'marginal' players. I believe the motivations of star players to juice to be different, and worth discussing in their own right.

Like most, if not all people on this board, I work for a living. In the PED discussion thats come around with the report, I noticed that a lot of the names in the report are the marginal players, which begs the following question that I think many of those players had to face:

If taking PEDs for a year meant you got to earn 20-40 times your annual salary for the rest of your life in one year, would you do it? Would you do it a second year?

Getting paid to play baseball,football or basketball can be like punching a winnning lottery ticket. It means a lot of money and a challenging moral dilemma for those marginal guys.

When I think about whether I would do something in an ethical sense, my internal dialog focuses on avoiding doing harm.

Who receives harm when a player uses a PED? The player's body, the player's family due to mood changes, The integrity of the game he plays. Beyond those three, I don't see additional harm done. If the player is single, then he's hurting himself and the institution.

So I consider carefully, would I hurt myself for a year and have some unknown impact on the institution for 40x my salary for a year?

When I phrase it that way, I can see why so many players juiced, and I find it hard to condemn them. I just might have done it myself.

 

[kupman]

So I consider carefully, would I hurt myself for a year and have some unknown impact on the institution for 40x my salary for a year?

Add to this that the media grossly overstates the health risks of using PEDs properly. Please don't throw rotten fruit at me for saying it, but it is true and most athletes discover this once they start doing their research. In fact, playing the game itself (whatever game that might be) probably carries more health risk than using PED correctly.

TJ Ford will continue to play basketball despite his spinal stenosis even though he is risking paralysis. Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe stated on the "Sports Reporters" last Sunday that we should understand his decision because he is young and basketball is his life.