Generally, I would not make it a habit to pass judgment on others or condemn people for the personal choices that they make in this life. After all, everyone makes mistakes and nobody is perfect (especially yours truly). Far be it for me to stand high upon my soap box, casting stones at the masses.
It wouldn’t take very long for someone to throw one right back and knock me off as well (it’s happened).
But with that being said, I do have one small issue that has recently been giving me a lot of trouble and concern:
The use of anabolic steroids in athletic competition and the message that it is sending to our young children.
Now before I go on and on about how steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs (PED’s) “shouldn’t” have a place in sports, let me just say that I am not a naive person. I am already quite aware of the problem that exists in today’s sporting culture, which is that anabolic steroids are far more common than most people either realize or care (I have heard it from both sides of the fence).
The issue of morality can be very tricky, but that’s typically because those who declare their opposition as having immoral behaviours are almost always measuring other people by their own personal standards. Not everyone believes in the same thing (using religion as an example) and just because someone doesn’t agree with my view that steroids should not have a place in athletic competition does not automatically make them an immoral person if their opinion differs from mine.
We would just have to agree to disagree.
Like most of you, I learned my values from my parents. They did their best to teach me the difference between what was right and what was wrong. Many of the opinions and feelings that I now have about certain things in this world are as a result of those teachings. Luckily for me, I had the benefit of two wonderfully loving and educated parents who always let me make my own mistakes. Often I would fall down before my parents would attempt to help me back up again, which almost ensured that I would have learned my well-needed lesson – which I did, many times over.
Quick Breakdown:
Values are the qualities or ideas which each of us cares about. It is how we base our actions.
Morality is one’s individual perception of right and wrong and does not directly affect others. Someone who is moral is someone who makes decisions based on what he or she feels is right (based on their own values).
Ethics are a product of society. Someone who is ethical is someone who struggles with his or her decision, trying to decide if their actions will have a negative effect on others.
This may sound crazy, but a person can be unethical (perceived anyway) without being immoral.
A person who takes steroids may believe that it is their right to take them and genuinely feels that they are not doing anything wrong. In this case, they are not being immoral (but of course, there are always exceptions).
Society says that by taking performance-enhancing drugs, it is giving an athlete an unfair advantage over his competition (although in some sports, steroids have become the standard – not to give an athlete an advantage – but to simply allow them to keep up to all of the other athletes who they believe to be using PED’s as well). The sale and use of steroids for personal use is illegal and as such, society says that anyone who uses anabolic steroids is being unethical – and in this particular case, society would be correct.
Do you think that when Ben Johnson (1988 Olympic sprinter) or Jose Canseco (MLB baseball player) decided to take steroids, they knew that it was wrong to take them? Of course they did. But did they believe it to be wrong because they knew deep down in their souls that it was wrong or only because society said so?
“Johnson and hundreds of other athletes have long complained that they used doping in order to remain on an equal footing with the other top athletes on drugs they had to compete against.”
“His claim bears some weight in light of the revelations since 1988. Including Johnson, four of the top five finishers of the 100-meter race have all tested positive for banned drugs at some point in their careers.”
“Of these, only Johnson was forced to give up his records and his medals. He was the only one of the four who tested positive or admitted using drugs during a medal-winning performance.”
“Johnson’s coach, Charlie Francis, a vocal critic of the IOC testing procedures, is the author of Speed Trap, which features Johnson heavily. In the book, he freely admits that his athletes were taking anabolic steroids, as he claims all top athletes are.”
Right or wrong, all of us are now faced with a heart-wrenching reality. Steroids have become a ‘must’ in our society where most (not all) athletes are willing to cross over the “bridge of ethics” in order to achieve their dreams as highly paid and recognizable athletes/celebrities.
I am trying my best to get my head around all of this because when my son gets older, I know for a fact that he is going to face this tough issue for himself and right now, I honestly just don’t know what to tell him.
I guess if I had to stick to my values, I already know what the answer is: DON’T DO STEROIDS!
Unfortunately, so many others believe: DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!
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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them… I have others. Check them out at www.coachjamesryan.com
The highest paid NFL player as of 2009 according to average salary is Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers who is paid 16.683 Million a year.
The rest is in order as follows:
• Carson Palmer, Cin $16.166M
• Eli Manning, NYG $15.285M
• Nnamdi Asomugha, Oak $15.155
• Ben Roethlisberger, Pit $14.664M
• Peyton Manning, Ind. $14M
Note that because of salary cap manipulations, an individual's salary in a particular year may be much higher or lower. For example, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was paid over $27 million in 2008.
PLEASE NOTE: I am in no way suggesting that any of these athletes use steroids. This is merely to demonstrate that in the eyes of the athletes, there is much to be gained financially. The reward would certainly seem to outweigh the risk. JR
i disagree with steriods in the olymipics, baseball, boxing, soccer etc…in wrestling i'm totally in favour of it. the best paid althletes and superstars are pretty much all on it. it makes the look better and sets them apart from the others. steriods definety improve your game but in wrestling its all fake so no one is getting hurt or losing out. there topless in front of millions so body image is important.
I found this today in Yahoo!…
FBI probes Canada sports doctor over doping
NEW YORK (AFP) – A Canadian doctor, who helped treat Tiger Woods during his eighth-month rehab from surgery, is the subject of US and Canadian probes for selling unapproved drugs, The New York Times reported.
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Anthony Galea is suspected of providing prominent American and Canadian athletes with performance-enhancing drugs, according to the Times.
Police arrested the 50-year-old Galea in Toronto on October 15 just a month after he was stopped on another occasion at the US-Canada border with human growth hormone and Actovegin in his suitcase.
Besides Woods, Galea has treated hundreds of professional and amateur athletes over the years including Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, Olympic runner Donovan Bailey and NFL quarterback Chris Simms.
He is also the former team doctor for the Toronto Argonauts, the Times said.
It is illegal to import or sell Actovegin in the United States. Actovegin is a drug extracted from calf's blood.
The newspaper says the FBI investigation of Galea is based on medical records discovered on his computer.
The sources did not reveal the names of the athletes Galea allegedly supplied with the drugs.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have launched a separate probe which is looking into smuggling, criminal conspiracy and the selling of unapproved drugs.
Galea has denied providing athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.
Woods, who announced on Friday he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from golf, saw Galea four times at his home in Florida in February and March.
Woods' team called in the doctor because they were concerned about the speed of his recovery from knee surgery in June 2008.
When contacted by the Times, Woods' agent Mark Steinberg asked the paper not to write the story, “I would really ask that you guys don't write this?” he said in an email. “If Tiger is not implicated, and won't be, let's please give the kid a break.”
The world's No. 1 golfer announced his leave from the sport following allegations of infidelity which have surfaced in recent weeks.
Galea is known in the sports world as a pioneer in helping athletes recover from serious injuries. The Times says he has developed a blood-spinning technique (platelet-rich plasma therapy) to help speed post-surgery rehabilitation.
Torres said he treated her for a simple tear in her quad tendon but nothing more.
“Excluding draining my knee, he has never treated me, but I did see his chiropractor who did soft-tissue work on my leg,” she said in an e-mail to the Times. “That was the extent of my visit with him.”
Lawyer Brian Greenspan insisted his client will be vindicated.
“Dr Galea was never engaged in any wrongdoing or any impropriety,” Greenspan said. “Not only does he have a reputation that is impeccable, he is a person at the very top of his profession.”
Here is another article on the Canadian Doctor who is suspected of providing PED's (TSN news)
Please pay special attention the final quote.
NEW YORK — A Canadian doctor who has treated sprinter Donovan Bailey, figure skater Patrick Chan, golfer Tiger Woods and NFL players is suspected of providing athletes with performance-enhancing drugs, according to a newspaper report.
The New York Times reported on its website Monday night that Dr. Anthony Galea was found with human growth hormone and Actovegin, a drug extracted from calf's blood, in his bag at the U.S.-Canada border in late September. He was arrested Oct. 15 in Toronto by Canadian police.
Using, selling or importing Actovegin is illegal in the United States.
Galea is also being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for smuggling, advertising and selling unapproved drugs as well as criminal conspiracy. He is tentatively scheduled to make a court appearance in Canada on Friday.
In a Globe and Mail report published Oct. 29, RCMP confirmed they raided Galea's Toronto-area offices on Oct. 15 but would not comment citing a continuing investigation.
None of the accusations against Galea have been proven in a Canadian or American court of law, and his lawyer says he is not guilty of any criminal activity or impropriety.
The FBI has opened an investigation based in part on medical records found on Galea's computer relating to several professional athletes, people briefed on the inquiry told the Times on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation.
The anonymous sources did not disclose the names of the athletes, and Galea told the newspaper “it would be impossible” for investigators to have found material linking his athletes to performance-enhancing drugs.
According to the newspaper, Galea has developed a blood-spinning technique — platelet-rich plasma therapy — to help speed post-surgery recovery.
Galea visited Woods' home in Florida at least four times in February and March, the newspaper reported, to provide that platelet therapy after his agents were concerned by his slow recovery from June 2008 knee surgery.
Asked about Woods' involvement with Galea, agent Mark Steinberg told the newspaper in an email: “I would really ask that you guys don't write this? If Tiger is NOT implicated, and won't be, let's please give the kid a break.”
Woods announced Friday he is taking an indefinite leave from golf to work on his marriage after allegations of infidelity surfaced in recent weeks.
A message was left by The Associated Press late Monday night seeking comment from Steinberg.
U.S. swimmer Dara Torres told the newspaper Galea found a previously undiagnosed tear in her quad tendon.
“Excluding draining my knee, he has never treated me, but I did see his chiropractor who did soft-tissue work on my leg,” she said in an email to the Times. “That was the extent of my visit with him.”
Her agent, Evan Morgenstein, told the AP that Torres was not available for comment Monday night.
Brian H. Greenspan, Galea's criminal defence lawyer, said an investigation will vindicate his client.
“Dr. Galea was never engaged in any wrongdoing or any impropriety,” Greenspan said. “Not only does he have a reputation that is impeccable, he is a person at the every top of his profession.”
Galea, who acknowledged he has used human growth hormone himself for 10 years, told the newspaper he never gave any athletes HGH, which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. And Galea told the Times he has never combined HGH or Actovegin with his platelet treatments.
“All these athletes come see me in Canada cause I fix them, and I think people just assume that I'm giving them stuff,” he told the newspaper. “They don't have to come to me to get HGH and steroids. You can walk into your local gym in New York and get HGH.”
To add context to that final quote, please read:
Anabolic Steroids: An Olympic-sized Impression
http://mrjamesryan.com/2009/12/07/anabolic-ster…
[...] read: Anabolic Steroids: An Olympic-Sized Impression Also: Anabolic Steroids: A Quick Lesson in Morality and Ethics [...]
[...] Anabolic Steroids: A Quick Lesson in Morality and Ethics [...]
[...] Read: Anabolic Steroids: A Quick Lesson in Morality and Ethics [...]