Maybe I'm getting more numb to this whole steroid issue as I get older and more athletes are doing it, but I don't think he did anything wrong in taking them.
Do I condone it? I can safely say no! But, I can say no from not being in their shoes. I haven't played major league baseball, or even sniffed the big leagues. I don't know what pressure they are under to perform well. I don't know the pressure they feel that if they don't take steroids, they will lose their job. I don't have the competitive drive the have to be the very best at whatever cost.
A-Rod is arguably the best player in baseball and if HE is taking steroids, I'm sure there are a lot of other people that are taking them. I'm also tired of all these people getting on their high horse about how he lied to us and has disgraced the game, blah, blah, blah!
I'm sure all those people NEVER lied about anything in their lives. I'm sure if they did lie, they eventually told the truth on their own, NOT when they got caught.
I would have loved for A-Rod to say this, "I took steroids from 2001- 2003. I felt a lot of pressure to live up to my contract, so I took steroids. I don't feel it was a mistake because a lot of other players were taking them, MLB didn't have a steroid policy at the time, I won several MVP's, and quite honestly this information wasn't supposed to be leaked out to anyone, ever. I do not condone the use of steroids. This was my personal decision to use these drugs."
If we as the public were really that concerned about baseball players taking steroids, then attendance would NOT be at an all-time high in baseball parks.
What kind of message is this sending to the kids? Well, that is discussion each parent should be talking with their own children. I would say this:
The reality of the situation is at the highest level, there will be athletes taking these drugs. The cheaters will always be miles ahead of the testers. Understand, though, that these professionals are still very gifted athletes to be at this level. Your average schmo can't take this stuff and become A-Rod. You have to be gifted and lucky to even get to that level. If you are lucky enough to even make it to that highest level, you will have to have someone get the facts for you about this stuff to make your own decision.
I don't think any of us can sit here and say we would definitely not use the stuff, if we were faced with obtaining a multi-year contract that could set you up for life. Or finally making the big leagues or going back to the minors for another year. We can be mad that another baseball player has chosen that path and ruining the game, but I don't think we should say we wouldn't do it.
If you had asked me did A-Rod do anything wrong 10 or 15 years ago, I would have said heck yes. But, this box is open and is never shutting. I think he did something wrong, it just doesn't bother as much as it used to.
3 comments:
I'm really disappointed and shocked at your email!
Please stop sending me emails as sometimes my son looks at them. I don't want him getting ANY ideas that steroids are OK in ANY way! Steroids are illegal and have health risks and side affects when taken.
That is such a copout saying that it's OK because everyone else was using them! To say it was NOT a mistake because others were doing them and there was no policy in place makes me want to throw up!
Based on how you feel about illegal drug usage you can remove my name from you list of people who receive your emails and newsletter. The kid message is; it’s illegal, against the law, it’s cheating and he will have to pay the price for his mistake, not everyone is doing this, the majority of athletes succeed without it.
You obviously believe because he is competing at a high level he should use whatever means necessary to stay at the top level regardless of consequences all in the pursuit of a MVP title or maybe your message is because everyone else was you should too. The logic does not make sense if he did not need drugs to make the big leagues why would he need them to stay there as your email implies.
Your thinking/logic is not the environment I want my kids involved in. I will find a fitness environment where they focus on working harder, smarter, where they build mental toughness, confidence, commitment and message balancing life (i.e. god, family, education, career) so athletes can be best possible person they can be.
i am not sure i care anymore about the steroid issue, it is unfortunate that it is out there but cheating or doing something to gain advantage is not just exclusive to performance enhancing drugs. I remember guys like Gaylord Perry who had a hall of fame career as a pitcher constantly getting in trouble for doctoring the baseball and how many guys thru the years used things such as amphetamines that were not tested for and will never get caught. It would be nice to say it will never happen again but it will.
a couple of questions, without a good training regimen, will steriod use actual help? And is the benefit so much greater than just a really good training regimen and very hard work, an example of which would be Jerry Rice and Walter Paytons off season workouts running hills and running in sand, seems like those two guys did okay without them.
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