Once upon a time, as a naive, all-trusting sports fan I was shocked whenever a high-profile sports star was caught doping. When the news came out about Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Jose Canseco and Alex Rodriguez (the first time), my jaw dropped like I was Big Sean and Drake at a Kendrick Lamar listening party. I simply could not believe what I was hearing. I didn’t want to believe these huge stars cheated their way to glory, fortune and fame.
These days the script has changed. My inner sports optimist fled in frustration long ago and left me with a pessimistic point of view. The seemingly endless line of lying athletes caught up in doping scandals has changed my reaction into a proverbial shrug with each announcement. Lance Armstrong, Shane Mosley, Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Ryan Braun, Shaun Merriman and others have all shamed themselves and their respective sports with their fruit-free juicing.
While the cheating players must assume most of the blame, the collective sports bodies should also be considered as accomplices in these crimes against fair play. To be honest I’m surprised that some kid and his powerful attorney father hasn’t sued Major League Baseball for fraud for selling jerseys of these lab-created All-Stars. While the MLB has been the punching bag of the steroids storyline for allowing its most hallowed records to be broken by obvious PED users, it’s not the only sports league that has chosen to try to protect its own image instead of truly trying to rid its product from cheaters.
On the surface, the NFL seems to have a solid drug-testing policy intact. For the first offense, players are suspended for four games without pay. Four games may not sound like much, but for a league with with only 16 regular-season games, it adds up to one quarter of the season. On the second violation, players are suspended for an entire season. Third strike? Adios forever.
However, players are only generally only tested via urine samples, which in the world of doping is akin to using a dial-up modem or sending a telegram. Sure you can do it, but it’s not very effective or efficient.
The NBA and NHL also use urine analysis for their drug testing procedures. The NBA has a paltry suspension process of five, 10 and 25 games for the first three offenses. On the fourth, a small hammer finally drops with a two-year suspension.
The NHL hits players with bans of 20 and 60 games before imposing the lifetime ban after the third offense.
Let’s not even talk about boxing. The lack of a national commission makes uniformity in the sport all but impossible. Guys like Mosley, Roy Jones Jr. and most recently Andre Berto have been popped for PEDs without making much of a ripple in the national media or their fight schedules.
How strange is it to see the MLB, where Canseco once alleged that 85 percent of major leaguers were raging on the ‘roids, is now taking the lead against PEDs amongst American sports leagues? Bud Selig recently sent Alex Rodriguez home (which hasn’t yet taken place due to a pending appeal) for 211 games and Ryan Braun for 65 games for violating the league’s drug policy. The MLB has finally relented and began blood testing as well.
While baseball has certainly taken the biggest PR hits regarding performance enhancing drugs, it’s finally rehabbing its image. The NBA, NFL, NHL and others should take heed and get serious about eliminated PEDs from sports instead of just trying to keeping it out of the public eye.
The International Olympic Committee has had its fair share of shockers but has proven the most vigilant in at least trying to rid doping from its contests. The IOC tests athletes randomly 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. They also test the top five finishers of each Olympic event. If an athlete ‘drops dirty’ they eat a two year suspension on the first offense and a lifetime ban on the second.
That’s the type of punishment needed to dissuade athletes from seeking to cheat the system. Additionally, sponsors and teams should include doping clauses that allow them to immediately terminate contracts should one of their endorsers be disciplined for using PEDs.
No, that may not stop Armstrong from crying into his millions at being busted well after his career was already over, but it might convince the next Braun from inserting a syringe into his buttocks in hopes of cashing in on a multi-million dollar contract.
Will cheaters ever be eliminated from sports completely? Absolutely not. Still, as a sports fan, I’d feel much more comfortable forking over my $60 for a ticket, jersey or pay-per-view event with a reasonable belief that the athletes I’m watching are products of hard work and natural talent instead of walking, talking, lab-enhanced chemistry experiments. If I wanted phony drama, brawn and oversized, unnatural giants, I’d just tune in to “professional” wrestling.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk and Google+. Also tune in to his weekly boxing Hangout In The Clench, Sunday nights at 7 on YouTube.com/stlamericanvideo.
