that is the question. . .well, more like, should doping be legal or illegal?
There are some really hard issues, no matter which side you’re on.
If we legalize doping. . .what validity is there to the statement “he/she’s the best.” The best what? The best at doping? Or the best athelete? Suppose Smith beats Jones because he’s better doped, but not the better athlete. Smith makes more $ and can afford to get even better doped. Jones can’t pay as much so he’ll never be able to “enhance” himself enough to beat Smith, despite the fact that he kicked the crap out of Smith before they got on the dope.
Does it not change the meaning of sports hero or idol or favorite athlete (whatever you call the athletes you like best), if you know that possibly the only reason they are that good is due to “enhancement.” What about the fact that, even if you happen to have superior talent, that the only way you can ever get to where your idols are is to dope?
What about keeping it illegal. We’re entering territory now where one does not have to “test” positive to be considered guilty and punished accordingly. What about testing? How can you ever hope to catch those on the cutting edge of doping when testing is doomed to be at least one step behind the dopers. You can’t test for something that doesn’t exist. Well, you can, but why? How would you know you’re looking in the right place? A bit like looking for a speck of dust in the void of space.
I’d like to hear some serious and well considered discussion from folks out there. Please keep the knee jerk reactions, no matter what side you fall on, to a minimum. Statements like “Hell no, dopers are criminals and should be crucified” or “They’re all doing it so just let them do it.” don’t add anything to the debate on the serious implications of choosing either course of action. I personally find merit in certain aspects of both sides of the coin.
I lean heavily toward keeping them illegal. The trouble is that every day we hear more and more of our favorite (or not so favorite) sports stars are partaking. Hell, how do I explain this situation to my kids? At least one of my sons is a talented runner and soccer player who might find himself one day running collegiate level or beyond. Hiding my head in the sand is not an option.