Athletes and Steroids

Turn on the TV or pick up a local newspaper and there’s a good chance you’ll find a story surrounding athletes and steroids. Athletes and steroids, it is and has been a hot topic for years and shows no signs of slowing down and as far as legitimate journalism are concerned, sorry, when it comes to athletes and steroids you’ll hardly find a trace. In the end the cry is loud and clear “Think of the Children” it is the oldest cry known to mankind and truth be told, it’s not a bad one. Every sane adult knows there are some things in life that are simply not for children but they’re OK for adults. If we’re not careful we’ll get off on a tangent regarding another topic but you get the point.

The argument is simple and breaks down as follows; athletes and steroids do not mix because it sends the wrong message to impressionable children. Of course this isn’t the only argument against Anabolic steroid use in sports but it is a big one; we might say it’s the strongest one due to the fact all other arguments haven’t a leg to stand on. “Save the Children” they cry but is the world of athletes and steroids really having this negative affect many claim?

Let’s go way back in time, all the way back to the dark ages, all the way back to 2005. In a 2005 national survey it was estimated 41% of current 8th graders, 63% of current 10th graders, 75% of 12th graders and 87% of college students were drinking alcohol; we’re talking about illegal underage drinking. Now let’s compare this to adolescent Anabolic steroid use; we know professional athletes and steroids go hand-in-hand, we know athletes have been using anabolics regularly for nearly a century but in levels most would be shocked to learn. We also know, and no one would argue against it, adolescents have no business taking anabolics for any reason related to performance enhancement; again, let’s review to be clear before we hit the high hat.

-Facts:

• Athletes and steroids have for the most part always coexisted and seem to coexist fine without intervention
• Individuals under the age of 21 from the ages of approximately 12-20 the majority drink alcohol, a strong majority
• According to “Experts” a leading reason for vilifying anabolics in sports and the association of athletes and steroids is to prevent impressionable minds from falling into the grips of temptation.

Those are the fact and we do know children are impressionable but how has this played into the Anabolic steroid game? Are you ready for some numbers, some big high percentages? Sorry, they don’t exist; estimates show at best, meaning these are the highest estimates found that between the grades of 6th and 12th grade 6% have tried anabolics and most estimates have the number at 4%. Granted, 4% or 6% no one would argue these children should be using anabolics but is it really a problem? Honestly, is it? Look at the alcohol statistics above and with a sober voice claim steroids are a larger problem, with assurance in your voice claim athletes and steroids pose a larger threat to your children than alcohol; you can’t do it because it’s not true.

The truth of the matter is very cut-and-dry; you’ve been sold a bag of lies for many years and you’ve swallowed every one of them with a smile on your face; don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Athletes and steroids, this isn’t the problem; the problem is much simpler than that and it includes heavily the following:

• Lack of personal education
• Taking a corrupt media seriously with who most couldn’t tell you the difference between an Anabolic steroid and a jug of whey protein powder
• A corrupt government
• Relying on others to tell you what’s what instead of getting off of your fat lazy ass and doing some of the digging yourself.

I know, this is crazy right, athletes and steroids really is a problem and a new one two, right? Wrong; Anabolic steroid use stretches back all the way to the Golden Years of modern sports; things we know:

• Testicular extract was used in baseball in the 1800’s and even the late great Babe Ruth took part in the practice
• Since the 1950’s anabolics have been used in the Olympic games
• The use of synthetic anabolics can be traced back to the 1960’s and very heavily ever since the 1970’s. All though there is no hard evidence, even Mickey Mantle himself has been rumored to have partaken.
• We know in the 1980’s the NFL was so ripe with Anabolic steroid use that more than half the players were using them and we know the number hasn’t gone down; if anything evidence points to an increase despite the hysteria.
• We know for over 30 years the MLB at best had half of its population using anabolics and this is the low end of the estimate.
• We know that every sport of every type has a connection to at least some degree regarding athletes and steroids.
• what’s funny and you may not have noticed it, the two sports where it is most prevalent, baseball and football, these are the two biggest sports on earth; what does that tell you? I’ll let you decide.

There’s something somewhat humorous about this list of “what we know” above and I’m not sure if you caught it. The two most prevalent cases where athletes and steroids exist in the highest numbers are in baseball and football; is it any coincidence they are the two most popular sports on earth? Food for thought.

Even after all of this most will be angered and I understand; when you’ve been sold a bag of potatoes you only want that particular bag of potatoes but I digress. The cold truth, the only truth; anabolics and children, they do not mix; athletes and steroids have very little effect on encouraging children to use anabolics, look at the statistics. The bottom line, steroids are part of professional sports, for crying out loud just let it be.