Sports PED cheating?

     It's opening day for the World Champion, San Francisco Giants, and I couldn't be more excited to get this new season under way. As a fan, "we" are favored to make it all the way back to the World Series but we are suppose to lose to the Boston RedSocks. I'll take having a shot in the World Series anytime! Besides opening day, Barry Bonds is in court for perjury. He is accused of lying about taking PEDs or performance enhancing drugs. I understand being in court for lying but the real question I have is; are they really spending all this time and money over PEDs in a sport, a child's game, Baseball?

     Of course, I could be biased because I am a huge Giants fan and a Barry Bonds fan. He was on my team. He hit 73 home runs in 2001, the year of the 9-11 events. He captivated the entire country with his quest to top Mark McGuire's home run record. When so many people were in a dazed and confused state due to the attacks, Barry was chasing a record and redirecting those fears to the game of baseball. I remember watching the news, it was full of "terrorists" and "preparing for war" stories. The attention of Barry chasing the record was a break from the fear and sadness that was on every TV station. 

     So my question is, are today's PEDs in really cheating? I listen to sports radio on my commute to and from work every day. This topic has been brought up countless times over the years. Many fans, former players, and so called specialists have come out and voiced their opinions. People have cheated in sports from the beginning of time but I don't know if I'd call PEDs cheating. What is cheating to me? Pitchers in baseball have been caught putting different types of things (tar, vaseline, grease, sweat) on the baseball to give them an advantage.  Batter's have corked bats so the ball pops off the bat when hit. Runner's have cut corners or snuck in during the middle of the race. People have lied about their age to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents. Those are examples to me of cheating. You are doing something or using something physically that gives you an unfair advantage.

     Foddy and Savulescu (2007) discuss the benefits of PEDs such as it aids in recovery, increases strength, increases eye sight, just to name a few. So why is that cheating? There are many "legal" supplements designed to do all those same things for an athlete. Why aren't those considered cheating? Does getting Lasik Eye Surgery make you a cheater? If you weren't blessed with 20/20 vision and you get your eyes worked on, wouldn't that be cheating? Does taking protein shakes, designed to give you maximum protein in an easy to drink shake make you a cheater. It sure is cheaper than ordering mounds of steaks and chicken. You need protein to build muscle. What about caffeine, it has been proven to improve alertness and concentration and improves time to exhaustion? Over the years, I have heard doctor's call into the radio station claiming that PEDs and Human Growth Hormones (HGH) are the future of the medicine and health. These drugs that only rich athletes can afford now will become standard "supplements" that will enhance and prolong the lives of the average joe. So how can you cheat when you are taking something that will be considered normal in the future? 

Keith Burgess-Jackson, JD, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Arlington, wrote the following in a Dec. 5, 2004 article titled "Performance-Enhancing Drugs," posted on his website www.analphilosopher.com:

"Part of me--the libertarian part--says that people should be able to use whatever substances they want when they compete. Those who don't want to risk their lives or health should take up another line of work. People who don't want to watch supercharged athletes can find another form of entertainment."

     Baseball is a form of entertainment. Movies are also a form of entertainment. Are we going to take all these actors to court because they lied to us. They used a body double for stunts. They didn't really fly or dodge real bullets. No we are not. There have been so many athletes who have been caught taking PEDs, we don't know who is so-called clean or who's not. At the end of the day, we are really trying to imprison a man who was an entertainer, who played a children's sport, and an athlete who's feats gave us  a break from everyday life.    

Works Cited 

Foddy, Bennett & Savulescu, Julian. "Ethics of Performance Enhancement in Sport: Drugs and Gene Doping." N.p. 2007. Web. March 31 2011. <http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/Staff/Director%20Julian%20Savulescu/Publications/BC_Healthcare/Spirit_of_Sport.pdf>

Sports and Drugs. N.p. 2010 Web. April 1 2011. <http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1200>

Gas headaches

Today Alan Silverleib of CNN reported on President Obama's plan to cut oil imports.

Silverleib highlights the following:


The president proposal says we will focus on domestic production, conservation, and shift to biofuels and natural gas. 


The president also announced he will direct all federal government vehicles be hybrid, electric, or alternative fuel cars by 2015.


He will reveal higher fuel standards for cars and heavy duty trucks. 


     As an owner of a large gas guzzling SUV, lately it has been very painful stopping at any gas station to refuel. The price of gas is absurd. My wife and I feel like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, we drive a big SUV for protection, storage room, and comfort. With a toddler in the house, we feel a sense of safety traveling with him in the SUV. It is roomy and there's plenty of space to carry all the things a toddler requires. On the other, we recycle everything we can and care so much about our environment. Our other cars are fuel efficient and economical. So what do we do? Are we setting a bad example? We have a lot to think about. 
     I may not agree with President Obama on a lot of his other policies but this one is something I support. For one, my family cannot afford to pay these gas prices. With turmoil and instability in the middle east, it seems we are at the mercy of those events. As a country we "cannot afford to bet our long-term prosperity and security on a resource that will eventually run out. " Obama told an audience at  Georgetown University. He warned America "will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we get serious about a long term policy for secure, affordable energy. "
      I am worried about long term effects of burning fossil fuels. Will we leave my kids and future grandkids a healthy planet?  Burning fossil fuels is responsible for environmental issues; greenhouse gas, air pollution, water pollution, damage to ozone levels.
     With the president's proposals, he touches on points that my wife and I talk about all the time. How can we afford to keep paying these gas prices? Should we get rid of the SUV because we refuse to pay the high gas prices and because it is not environment friendly? We may not have to make a choice. We may get to drive a SUV that provides safety, comfort and storage room all the while being fueled by an alternative fuel. 

Works Cited

Silverleib, Alan. 2011, Mar 30. Obama Rolls Out Plan to Cut Oil Imports. Cnn.com. Retireved on March 30, 2011, from http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/30/obama.energy/index.html?hpt=T1#