Steroids

[Pete]

Well, if any of you follow baseball (and I'm guessing it's not that likely) or watch the news, you guys would have heard about the Mitchell Report. Essentially it's this giant investigation into steroid use in professional baseball. It's named quite a few names that were both expected and unexpected, and will no doubt play a key role in cleaning up the sport.

The bottom line here is what do you think about roids? Do you or have you ever used them? If you were in the role of a professional athlete would you even consider taking them to get an "edge" over your opponents, or would that make you nothing but a cheater?

Personally, I'm anti roids. I don't see how the benefits outweigh the risks, and I don't see how you could be willing to put a career on the line just for a slight edge. Sure, you might be a winner, but that's not all natural talent and ability. Plus, you wind up in worse shape if you're a heavy user. Your muscles may be able to lift more, but your bones and joints might not be. Plus, it gives guys tits and shrinks the ole testes...

[James D.]

I had a Civics teacher that told me that, no matter how many steroids you take, you still have to hit the ball. Its obvious, but its a good point.

As far as baseball, the risk seems to be worse than the benefit. Now, we all saw the tremendous season that Shawne Merriman had in the NFL last years when he was pumped up. Look at him now, significantly less. But in baseball, so much more goes into it.

The issue regarding records is going to be around for a long time. Baseball is going to recognize all records, but there will always be purists that want to see asterisks. I would like to see the steroid issue disappear, but frankly, it won't and is only getting worse. They will find legal ways to get around it.

Rolling Stone did a comparison of NFL players from the 60's to now. Human anatomy states that a man can't get that much bigger and that much faster.

[Mistress Sheena]

I'm personally anti-roids as well. I prefer to play sports with natural skill and talent, providing I had any in them at all. I used to play baseball when I was younger, but I have bad knees now so I can't really play anymore.

I can still pitch an awesome gyroball though.

But seriously, I don't know if it's a gyroball, but the fastballs I pitch, I put a rotation on them as I throw, so by definition it should be, but I'm not sure. I used to bowl, too. But I don't think you need 'roids for bowling. =P

I honestly don't understand why people use 'roids at all. Especially pro wrestlers. So many deaths are by overdose or symptoms caused by taking them. It's sad, really.

[Pete]

I agree about the skill level, but for those of us who can hit the ball, roids add anywhere from an extra 10-30 feet to a fly ball. Now, those balls that would usually just be flyouts to the OF are just clearing the fence.

For a pitcher it can add 3-5mph on a fastball. Considering that the average MLB pitcher is tossing in the 85-90mph range, 3 to 5 mph is a lot! Naturally you could make the argument that it's all cyclical; the batters are all juicing, so pitchers have to be able to throw the ball faster and harder to get it past them. Or, the pitchers are all juicing, so batters have to be able to swing faster and hit the ball harder. It's things like that that ruin the game.

And yeah, the human physique really can't become as absolutely ridiculous as it seems in football, naturally. A lot of those guys just have to be juicing to be as ripped as they are. Even linesmen... they just pack on muscle and fat, to become as large and as strong as possible.