As scandal surrounds Alex Rodriguez this week, many feelings I have toward his story and steroids in general have been resurrected.
First of all, I do not think steroids are wrong.
According to aresteroidslegal.com and usdoj.gov, steroids are legal with a valid prescription in every state but Arizona, where they are considered dangerous drugs.
I understand that some enhancers are illegal, but others aren’t.
These enhancers are bringing baseball back to a high level of excitement. Nobody cares what’s going into their bodies, as long as they’re hitting further and throwing harder than ever.
But it’s a rule, and everyone has to abide by it, unfortunately.
Everyone always associates steroids with cheating.
Is it cheating? No. Cheating is sleeping with another woman when you’re married, or stealing the answers off your teacher’s desk for an exam.
Steroids are not cheating. They’re more of an aid, like getting a tutor for a challenging class.
And although I don’t think what Rodriguez took was wrong, I think the way in which he admitted everything was a bit lousy.
It all starts with the high podium on which fans and media put him on.
The “Rodriguez was supposed to prove that clean players can succeed at a professional level,” podium.
He ruined that and only admitted to using steroids because of the negative rep that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are now getting.
Anyone can admit something after it’s already known. Why don’t we just forgive terrorists, as long as they apologize?
Rodriguez said he only used performance enhancing drugs for three years with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03. And he said that estimate is pretty accurate. Either it’s accurate or it’s not.
Although he swears these were the only years he used it, Rodriguez hasn’t always been known for telling the truth.
Like with his wife for instance.
Or that time “A-Fraud” told Rangers owner Tom Hicks he “would never abuse his body in that way,’“ when asked about steroids.
That turned out to be fiction.
It doesn’t make sense to me why A-Rod would begin using steroids after he’s already averaging around 40 home runs, 100 runs batted in and batting around .300 per season.
That seems like something he would do as a teenager to try and reach the pinnacle of baseball, not to get ahead in a league in which he was already the best.
There may be more to the story than we know, but people are looking past that because of his honesty.
Obviously, Rodriguez and I are on the same page when it comes to steroids, but he broke the rules and has to live with the consequences.
But its OK, A-Rod. You were young. Plus, you own a nice sweater.
-MJ Casiano is a broadcast and electronic media sophomore.
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eightbitgirl 3 years, 3 months ago
"Cheating is sleeping with another woman when you’re married" - cool, so A-Rod did, in fact, cheat. Please, I think this witch hunt is ridiculous, but let's call a spade a spade here.
dildal 3 years, 3 months ago
In A-Rod's case, his testing should have remained anonymous because when he was tested, those were the conditions that he agree to, therefor he should not be punished. But the report was released, a mistake by the players union, and as a result, he will be viewed by the public as a cheater and a criminal.
The steroids that A-Rod used during this time is not legal in the United States...period. They never were legal, nor will they be. He was using hard-core steriods that he obtained illegally and in another country. Is this not considered cheating? It would be wise to investigate the facts before you compared A-Rod shooting illegal steriods into his system to a tutor one would have for math class. A-Rod is at risk losing his endorsements because there is evidence of him acting as a criminal, not because the media swings negative conotations with the word 'steroid'.
carney 3 years, 3 months ago
Using performance-enhancing drugs is certainly a savvy business decision, provided the athlete using them doesn't get caught. The more home runs you hit, the more velocity on your fastball, the more games you play, the more likely you're going to ink a long-term contract with a ton of cash.
They also certainly make the game more interesting--more offensive production, better pitching, the everyday players recover with more ease, etc. Nobody wants to pay to see a team play when the star player is on the bench.
BUT, a serious problem develops during the recent (late-80s-90s-2000s) era of baseball conflicting with a major component of the game. Unlike football or basketball, baseball is a game of numbers. There are far more statistics and methods of measurement utilized in a baseball game than there are in any other athletic event. This is a major part of its lure, and allows for the game to be more accurately calculated and compared over time.
Historians love baseball for this reason (these are the people who do care what goes into the athletes' bodies), because it's been around for over a century, and the problem presents itself when the suspicion is cast over the recent numbers, skewing them, and preventing them from accurate measure against time.
The other major gripe is this: That because using performance-enhancing drugs are against MLB regulations (as opposed to state/national law everywhere but Arizona), a majority (a reasonable assumption) will follow these regulations. As Roy Oswalt said to reporters recently,
"It does bother me (A-Rod's use of performance-enhancing drugs). Especially for the guys that went out there and did it on talent. We're always going to have a cloud on us, and that's not fair at all."
A few (notably big-name) players who use steroids cast suspicion on all of them, even the ones who work hard in the weight room to maintain their 98-mph fastballs and base-stealing speed.
Also, A-Rod's sweater is divinely awesome. It apparently gives his skin the power to turn bright red at a moment's notice.