The Steroids Debate

There has been a lot of discussion lately about whether or not baseball players, or even athletes in general, should be able to get into the hall of fame if they have taken steroids. First, let’s look at the history of anabolic steroids.

Testosterone (which helps strengthen bones and muscles in both men and women) was first synthesized in the 1930s, and was introduced into the sporting arena in the 1940s and 50s. By 1958, a U.S. pharmaceutical firm had developed anabolic steroids. Physicians soon learned its unwanted side effects, but it was too late, because it still spread into the sports world. Early users were mainly body builders, weight lifters, football players, discus, shot put, or javelin throwers. Other athletes wanted the steroid by the 1970s and even non athletes were wanting the drug.

There are obviously a lot of people who don’t want people who have used steroids to get into the hall of fame.

“Whether it made you just a little bit stronger or faster, you still cheated.” Athletic Director Gregory Hall said on the topic.

“It’s not fair, and you don’t deserve the Hall of Fame.”

There is a side that thinks that players should be able to get into the Hall of Fame, actually. In fact, Hank Aaron spoke to ESPN about it.

“It’s hard to say the reason you hit a home run is because you’re on steroids. I don’t believe that. I believe your body can recuperate quickly to come on the field. But I certainly don’t think you can stand up there and hit a Nolan Ryan 100 mph fastball just because you put something in your arm or took a pill,” Hank Aaron said.

I don’t think people who use steroids should get into the Hall of Fame. Even if you had it in you a long time before you became an athlete it still might be in your system.

“If you’re an average person and you’re injured, and you take a steroid to heal or rehab, that’s okay, but once you use it to help you, you are cheating,” Hall said.

So why do stars use steroids?

“I think with some guys like Barry Bonds were greedy and selfish. With guys like (Mark) McGwire, it was pressure to do well, and impress fans, maybe make more money, too.”

Although steroids are proved to strengthen your muscles, Mark McGwire says he could have hit home runs without them.

‘”I truly believe so,” McGwire said. “I believe I was given the gift. The only reason I took steroids was for health purposes.”‘

In conclusion, I really think people who use steroids should not be admitted in the Hall of Fame, period. They should still be in the stats book though, with an asterisk by their name.

For more on steroids, check out: http://dwb.unl.edu/Teacher/NSF/C10/C10Links/www.tcada.state.tx.us/research/facts/steroids.html