Steroids in Baseball
Steroids have been in use since last many decades despite criticism and objections about their usage from some quarters of the society and gaming bodies. There has been almost no single sport that has been left untouched by the usage of steroids in the recent years. With games such as baseball and athletics often been in the limelight for usage of steroids , game lovers are left with nothing but to make an outcry.
In today’s world, when no one expresses intent to watch a dead rubber match or average-performing sportsmen, things are not easy for sportsmen and their coaches when it comes to use of steroids for achieving the invincibility factor. Audience of today are no longer keen to spend a single dollar to watch a boring game but at the same time more than keen to spend huge sum of money to watch a game full of aggressive players, often under the influence of steroids.
The game of baseball has been the most affected sports in this respect. With so many steroid incidents like that of Lyle Alzado and William Thomas Romanowski, the game has taken several jolts in its armor. The infamous BALCO scandal in which William Thomas Romanowski (Romo) confessed taking untraceable steroids, given to him by Victor Conte, BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) Owner, took the game and game lovers by complete shock.
It is not good when incidents like these are brought to the public attention as spirit of the game takes a backseat and sportsmen who are willing to compromise on their ethics get publicity, even if that is a negative one. It also lead game lovers and others to think that the usage of steroids is common and quite prevalent at all - high-school, collegiate, and professional – levels and the gaming bodies are also involved in that. The true love of audience gets a bog jolt by such disgusting accusations and the game is left commercialized and hurt with even the non-steroid users feeling the heat of such accusations and seen with doubt. If that was not true, why every great performance by a modern-day sportsman comes directly under the suspicious eyes of sporting bodies, competitors, and audience.
As per the latest figures from the National Collegiate Athletic Association , no less than one percent of all NCAA baseball sluggers failed to clear drug tests at the bowl games while three percent of sluggers confessed to using steroids once a while in their lives.
In addition to that, it has been noticed that the success and popularity of steroids in baseball have grown over the last few decades, especially from 1991-2003, in the context of high school baseball. One of the most worrying facts in the world of high school baseball is that only a meager four percent of the high schools in the United States have one or other form of drug testing. This is the biggest reason why budding state or national level players are taking up steroids to either earn or consolidate their place in their teams besides earning good name and money.
If these incidents were not enough, the accusations on big-famed baseball players namely Shawne Merriman, Tyrone Wheatley, Barrett Robbins, Chris Cooper, and Dana Stubblefield have done enough to put the followers of baseball in complete tears and reduce popularity of this amazing game. These are some of those names who were respected very much but they soon lost the respect due to their name appearing in the list of probable steroid users.
The biggest reasons behind sportsmen following steroids are easy availability and affordability. With steroids such as Anavar, Equipoise, Cialis, Deca Durabolin, Winstrol Depot, Dianabol, Anadrol, Sustanon 250, Testosterone Enanthate, Nolvadex, Clenbuterol, and Testosterone Cypionate being easily available for a modern day sportsman in today’s times, the demand for steroid in baseball has been on an all-time high today.
In addition to that, the fact that sporting careers of sportsmen are getting shorter with each passing day is more than enough for sportsmen to make big money by using steroids to become invincible and stay ahead of the competition. It is even seen that sportsmen went on playing even though they are down with serious injuries by taking steroids fearing that they will lose their positions from the list of their teams if they miss a match.
Though sporting bodies have already came up with many plans and policies to curb the use of steroids in sports, things have not been easy for the gaming bodies when it comes to identifying the “culprit” sportsmen. This is because as soon as a steroid becomes traceable, a new steroid hits the market and by the time, the second steroid can be traced, a third one enters the market.
It is essential for every sportsman to understand the pros and cons of steroids else he will always be in a doubt about steroids. And, there might be times in his life when the waves of failure bring him closer to steroids. This is the time when success attained through steroids looks so appealing and addiction for the same starts growing to a considerable extent.
It is very important for a sportsman to realize that no one but his own body will lose the battle of life if steroids are administered. No one has the right to play with his own body, including a sportsman.
In short, if the sporting bodies are really serious to curb the use of steroids in baseball , rules need to be made real quick and no culprit should be allowed to stay in the game for a single second so that the budding players can learn the hard lessons of sports without actually facing them. If that time can come, the game will bag the unconditional love and affection of its followers and players, all again.
