Pierce 1

The human body should produce a one to one ratio of testosterone; but
according to the world of sports, anything under a four to one ratio is
perfectly legal (Quinn). In order to create an equal environment for athletes,
steroids should be legalized in sports. According to many athletes and
doctors, there are many ways for an athlete to beat the steroid test. Jos
Canseco a former professional baseball player one said that The challenge
is not to find a top player who has used steroids. The challenge is to find a
top player who hasn't (Canseco). This is proof that the greatest athletes in
the world are not as legendary as they claim to be. The stance on the use of
steroids would totally change if one day there is a big news story that breaks
saying that the baseball greats like Jeter, Ruth, Mays and Mantle have all
used steroids. If that would happen, everyone would just accept steroids and
just move on without any questions. Legalizing steroids would change the
game; it would make using steroids safer, all of the players would have equal
opportunities and the fan base of sports will grow like in 1996 with the
Steroid Era in baseball (Koslosky).

One might ask themselves this question, why do I care if athletes use
sports and how does it affect me? That is a great question because there are
many different answers to this question. It affects the economy, the health of
others and the spirit of the game. It is time for the fans to take a stand and
tell the leagues and legislators what we really want to see and that is
steroids be legalized.

Pierce 2

Firstly, it is important to talk about the health and safety of using

steroids and also the benefits that will never go away. The steroid used by
athletes majority of the time is an anabolic steroid. An anabolic steroid
promotes muscle growth and strength (Rogers). Anabolic steroids are
primarily composed of testosterone which is a naturally produced substance
by the human body (Rogers). Many steroids that athletes use such as
erythropoietin and human growth hormone are natural chemicals in the
body (Savulescu). Since the technology has advanced over the years, the
drugs now mimic the natural processes that the body undergoes (Savulescu).
This means that these steroids are safe because the human body undergoes
the same process as it usually does, but it has just been accelerated. If
steroids were legal, they could have saved one hundred and twenty lives
from 1985 to 1995 (Savulescu). During this time period, one hundred and
twenty United States athletes directly after or during their training session
(Savulescu). The rigorous competition among athletes and also the fans
expect a lot of their favorite athletes, this makes the trainers push their
athletes to their breaking point. The sad truth is that athletes need to take
steroids just to say relevant in the world of sports but to also just live another
day. If steroids became legal in sports, then they could be regulated and
would be overall safer. Steroids may have side effects like any other drug,
but if it was legal it would put pressure on the drug companies to develop a
safer drug (Savulescu). There is a basis in the world of performance-

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enhancing drugs and that is with classical musicians. Classical musicians
commonly use beta blockers which lower their heart rate and blood pressure
to help them perform (Savulescu). Although elite classical music is arguably
as competitive as elite sports, and the rewards are similar, there is no stigma
attached to the use of these drugs (Savulescu). Anabolic steroids could
improve muscular strength by five to twenty percent (Savulescu). The
benefits from steroids last about six months after the user has stopped using
them (Quinn). This creates an uneven playing field for athletes who do not
take steroids because when an athlete gets caught, they are allowed to play
after a short suspension depending on how many times they were caught.
Now the athlete who followed the rules of the league just lost his job because
the other player just came back from his suspension and took his job; if
steroids were allowed then he would still have his job.

Secondly, professional sports may not seem like it but they are an
entertainment business. Their sole purpose of the sports industry is to make
money. The only way to make money is to make the fans excited and root for
their favorite players or team. The Steroid Era saved the game of baseball
from crumbling apart. Some fans say that steroids destroyed the game of
baseball, but if they would do their research they would realize it had the
opposite effect. In 1994, the owners and players in the MLB were unable to
reach a deal and went on strike (Koslosky). The following year attendance
dropped twelve percent compared to the 1993 season (Koslosky). Then there

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were seventeen hitters who hit forty home run in a season in 1996 and then
the home-run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998
(Koslosky). All of those athletes with the exception of one took steroids
during that time period. The game changed in 1995 to 2001, attendance
increased forty-four percent, the average ticket price increased seventy-eight
percent and the revenue for Major League Baseball increased one hundred
and fifteen percent (Koslosky). Without all of the players juiced up on
steroids, the league would have never regained popularity.

Lastly, athletes have gotten smarter of the years and they have been
able to beat the test. When someone mentions steroids in baseball, everyone
focuses on one player and that is Barry Bonds. Every baseball fan knows
about Barry Bonds and what he did. He ended his career with the all-time
record of seven hundred and sixty-two home runs (Koslosky). The thing is
that he never failed a steroid test once. Barry Bonds hit seventy-three home
runs one season and that wasnt enough proof, the only other players to
come close all took steroids. Now many players take steroids, but they have
good enough doctors to get away with it. The only athletes getting caught
with steroids is baseball players in the minor leagues who cant afford
expensive doctors. Dont believe it, Jos Canseco once claimed that that up
to 85% of major league players took steroids (Canseco). The National
Football Leagues steroid policy has a few loopholes to allow athletes to take
steroids. When teams do not make the playoffs, they do not get tested for a

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whole two months which could allow enough time for a player to take
steroids and get bigger without getting caught (Quinn). Also, players are only
allowed to be tested at the stadium during the season (Quinn). This allows a
player to leave the stadium and put on a testosterone patch or steroid
cream, by the next day all of the players levels return to normal and they
will not fail a drug test (Quinn). By having these loopholes, the league is
basically advocating the use of steroids because they only care that the star
players are healthy to bring in viewers.

It was mentioned earlier that

anything under a four to one ratio of testosterone is legal and the average
human produces a one to one ration. If someone is lucky and they are born
with high levels of testosterone, they would not even be at a two to one
ration. If the leagues were actually concerned about stopping athletes from
taking steroids, then they would make the number more practical.

There are many lies and fallacies about steroids and the effects they
have on people. Some try to say that steroids are life threating and people
die from them. This is unfair because if you abuse anything in life you could
die. If a child gets into a bottle of aspirin and eats them there is a high
chance of death; but if the baby would accidently ingest steroids, then
nothing would happen. Some steroid users do die because they do not use
clean needles, but that has nothing to do with the steroid. Some say that
when you take steroids you automatically get bigger muscles; this is also
untrue because steroids only increase your recovery time and the user still

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has to put in the hard work to do so (Fost). Some analysts also say they fans
will lose interest, we know that to be false because the Steroid Era saved
baseball. Fans love to see records broken and see the impossible become the
possible (Fost). In the end, there are many common misconceptions hurts its
ability to be accepted.

The thought that steroids are still not legal in sports is sad. There will
always be technological advancements that will be created in the world and
some things take long for people to accept than others. It is time for steroids
to be legalized in sports. The steroids are safe, the benefits will never go
away for using them, the fans love them and the test to try and catch users
is faulty. The fans want them; it is time to make a difference.

Works Cited
Canseco, Jose. Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big.
New York: Regan, 2005. Print.
Fost, Norman. "Steroid Hysteria: Unpacking the Claims." AMA Journal of Ethics 7.11 (2005): n.
pag. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. <http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2005/11/oped20511.html>.
Koslosky, John-Erik. "How the Steroid Era Saved Baseball." The Motley Fool. N.p., 14 Jan.
2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. <http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/01/14/we-cantignore-the-steroid-era-it-just-might-have.aspx>.

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Quinn, T.J. "Baseball's Steroid Era: Going ... Going ... Here to Stay?" Men's Fitness 23.6 (2007):
128. Health Reference Center - Academic [Gale]. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
<http://go.galegroup.com.molloy.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?
p=HRCA&u=nysl_li_molloy&id=GALE
%7CA166693645&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&userGroup=nysl_li_molloy&authCount=
1>.
Rogers, Paul. "What Is an Anabolic Steroid?" Verywell. N.p., 14 June 2016. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
<https://www.verywell.com/definition-of-anabolic-steroid-3498392>.
Savulescu, J. "Why We Should Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport." British Journal
of Sports Medicine 38 (2004): A3-1. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.
<http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/38/6/666.full>.