Doping in Sports

WARNING: Non-Politics Related Topic

Although I don't think many of you follow professional cycling, I'm sure by now you've heard of the controversy surrounding Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and his failed drug test. (For the record, his test showed a high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone--Floyd's was 11:1, the highest allowed ratio is 4:1--as well as traces of synthetic testosterone.) This comes on the heals of news that US sprinter, Olympic gold medalist, and world record holder (100m) Justin Gatlin has also tested positive for a banned substance. Throw into the mix the whole BALCO scandal and rumors that players in the NFL, NHL, and MLB are habitual juicers and you start to wonder if there are any clean athletes out there. Which begs the question: does it really matter either way? What's the difference between an athlete using a performance-enhancing drug and using technologically advanced equipment to better their performance? Both give the athletes an advantage over their competition (whether it's fair or unfair is up for debate.) Why not make drugs legal and level the playing field? You can regulate how much of an advantage you can take--for example, in cycling you can use high-tech materials to make your bike lighter up to a certain point. Of course, you have to be concerned for the health of the athlete. But, those of you who would argue against mandatory seat belt law would most likely agree that it's up to the individual to decide if they want to potentially ruin their bodies in the name of increased performance on the sports field. There are also issues of fairness, purity of the game, etc. But, one could argue that people cheat because they know it gives them an unfair/unequaled advantage over their opponents. So, if everyone had equal access to performance-enhancing drugs, maybe fewer people would actually use them since their advantage would be considerably lessened and perhaps the health risks would begin to outweigh the benefits. Personally, I'm disgusted by 'dopers.' Not that I'm a world-class athlete, but I've put in the hard work, sweat, tears, and blood to complete a few running and cycling races, and I can't help but feel that these cheaters somehow diminish the accomplishments of casual athletes like you and me. Not to mention the feeling of betrayal you get when you find out your favorite athlete is a cheater. Of course, I've never been placed in a situation where I would have to make this choice, so it's easy for me to pass judgement... what say you?