Enough Steroid Articles - Move Forward - Not Back
Enough Steroid Articles - Move Forward - Not Back
Opened up the Sports section this morning and was once again greeted by yet another do nothing article about an athlete and their steroid abuse in the past. This time it was about Roger Clemens' lawyer making comments about an IRS agent attending hearings and the comments being perceived as threat to a law enforcement official.
What the @?$#%*!. Enough already. I certainly don't care about Clemens' lawyer, and I certainly don't care if Clemens is being, or may be, investigated, by the IRS. And I certainly don't care how many athletes used steroids back in their careers. All we'll end up with is a bunch of denials, tattlers trying to make a buck, and a lot of wasted time and money.
Whether or not athletes have used steroids, or other performance enhancing drugs (PED) in the past, is just that...the past. New programs and monitoring processes are in place and the use of steroids carries consequences. And let's face it, monetary consequences are the best type for professional athletes. But to actually have Congressional hearings on the matter is ridiculous. It is a complete waste of Congressional time and our tax paying dollars. We should be moving forward, not dwelling in the past. The present programs are proving effective and carry consequences. Tour de France winner + PED = stripped of title. Baseball players + PED = fines and suspensions. The athletes that Congress is investigating will not change the past. They have made their money, hopefully they invested it, and it could only hurt their future endorsements. What does Congress want, box seats and suite tickets?
I am more concerned about abuse going forward, especially among school age athletes, than I am about what some professional athlete did four or five years ago. Many school districts either have, or are putting into place, drug testing programs for student athletes. Whether they are involved in UIL sports or Club sports. I applaud these initiatives and am for drug testing of student athletes in travel associations, high school, or college.
I am in a business and that has been involved in drug and alcohol testing programs for over twenty years. Anytime time, any where, one of our "safety sensitive" employees shows up for work, they are eligible to have a random drug and/or alcohol test performed. The testing became a way of life and each employee knows the consequences of getting caught abusing. It is usually, depending on their contract, their career that ends.
It should be the same for athletes. Our Congress, professional athletic organizations, their unions, and the players themselves, should be concentrating on the here and now and looking into the future. Congress should spend more time approving and funding programs that could help prevent use of PED in our youth, not dig into the past. As of this morning, I am done reading, or even scanning, those articles. Move on.
__________________________________________________________________
Search the Web for Related Topics and Information or Whatever You Desire
Custom Search
Additional Site Sponsors
Comments