Reason Writers Around Town

Last week in New York, reason Senior Editor Radley Balko participated in a debate on the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports.

Watch video and read the text of his initial argument here.

Comments

Bob | January 23, 2008, 3:57pm | #

Only if it's enzyte, so they'll be the talk of the neighborhood.

TrickyVic | January 23, 2008, 4:16pm | #

They should create a new performance enhancment league.

javier | January 23, 2008, 4:17pm | #

i am not at all in favor of steriod use. but wtf is the gov't doing. take mma for example and the biggest organization in it, the UFC. There is some banned substance use in the sport, mostly diuretics to maintain weight. The UFC has a drug policy that is a million times harsher than the las vegas gaming commission. The UFC completely strips their pay so they make nothing!! The UFC has a self interest in not being branded as a WWE style obvious steriod use. I think all sports orgs have an inherent interest to not allow performance inhancing drugs.

*cough* UFC has no fighter's unions though *cough*

javier | January 23, 2008, 4:21pm | #

oh my main point was I don't think steriods should be illegal, but even so, sports orgs like the UFC will still ban them within their org.

J sub D | January 23, 2008, 5:02pm | #

I'm a sports fan. I hate the way athletes using performance enchancing drugs distorts and cheapens the competition. I'm all for the leagues/owners cracking down on this. The players unions will come onboard out of self interest.

This is a problem that requires congressional hearings and action? I suspect Congress is only making all of this noise for the free publicity it generates. The challenger for my seat has to use her campaign funds to get time on television. I get to grandstand for baseball, motherhood and apple pie at no charge.

But I'm a cynical bastard.

Michael Pack | January 23, 2008, 5:04pm | #

The UFC is Roman style brutality for the masses.But hey,they don't use drugs!I just don't see the problem of people in high injury sports taking drugs to make them stronger,more resistant to injury and heal faster.If a man can take a drug to improve in the sack what's the diff?

Nash | January 23, 2008, 5:20pm | #

As I said in the original post on this topic I think steroids are a "bad thing" in sports but congress intervening is totally absurd.

It's in the players best interest to ban it and get the league to strictly enforce that ban so NONE of them are compelled to take steroids to add another million dollars to their contracts.

If the union refuses to take a stand on this then that's their problem. The players should realize that if one player is taking them then 10 more are going to.

I mean for all intents and purposes you would think Congress would move to ban Free Agency too, since that's where a lot of the motivation comes from.

Curt Flood | January 23, 2008, 5:39pm | #

I mean for all intents and purposes you would think Congress would move to ban Free Agency too, since that's where a lot of the motivation comes from.

Don't even joke about that.

Brett | January 23, 2008, 5:42pm | #

What J sub D said.

But some artificial lines will have to be drawn, and I just accept this. E.g. caffeine can be a performance enhancer, but I wouldn't suggest it be banned in any league. Also, players should be free to eat all the live bees and sheep nads they want.

Michael Pack | January 23, 2008, 5:45pm | #

Nash,During the AFC game Sunday it was said Phillip Rivers[ SD QB] had surgery the week before to play in that game.He will need ACL surgery during the off season.Mean while,Tomlinson sat out most of the game to protect a hurt knee.One was called a hero,one selfish.Fans expect these players to risk there bodies in ways that would be outlawed in most work places.I'd say the sport is more dangerous than steroids or HGH.By the way,player are not employees,they are contract labor.Free agency is a tool used by all self employed workers.

Bingo | January 23, 2008, 5:49pm | #

Its a fact of life that not all baseball players are created equal. Some are stronger, some are faster, some are more aggressive. This gives some baseball players unfair advantages over others, and therefore some teams advantages. In order to foster true competition and sportsmanlike behavior, what we need to do is level the playing field.

That is why I am proposing that there be mandatory steroid use throughout the league. Each player will be measured according to his own physical abilities and receive an alloted dosage. The naturally weaker players will receive large doses (because they need more) while the naturally stronger players will receive less (since they need less).

In this way we will have true egalitarian competition, a level playing field where no individual and no team has an unfair advantage over any other team. Truly, the American Dream.

pgt | January 23, 2008, 9:51pm | #

Someone has to make a cheap pun here.

Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (think Barry Bonds) is if course known as BALCO.

Has the author of this column taken some cheap shots from his colleagues at Fox News (or elsewhere) over this name similarity and is he inviting them with this column?

bees and sheep | January 24, 2008, 9:42am | #

Hey, what did we ever do to deserve such harsh treatment?