Hitting the Jackpot

The 2007 Sports world began and ended with one word — steroids. Beginning in Jan. with the report of Bonds’ failed drug test and ending in Dec. with the Mitchell Report, steroids have been the hottest scandal since Monica Lewinsky. From A-Rod to Zambrano, almost every player in MLB has been implicated in baseball’s so-called steroid epidemic. It’s enough to make a grown fan cry. I will never forget the look on my father’s face when he discovered that his hero, Roger Clemens, may be a farce.

In response to the onslaught of allegations and league-wide admission of performance enhancers, a number of proposals have been made to curtail the use of steroids in baseball, the most plausible of which seem to be the insertion of an asterisk in the record books, suspension, revocation of bonuses and even exemption from the hall of fame.

The question is how harsh a penalty should be inflicted when, for so long, a blind eye was turned? The problem was obvious, but remained unaddressed. Everyone knew, when long-standing records began to be trampled on, that something had changed. And you can bet your house that it was not just a plethora of greatly improved natural talent. It was not until fingers were pointed that the league took any action whatsoever. Unfortunately, the prospect of more home runs and higher scoring games make the game more exciting. And more excitement means more money for the league.

It’s indisputable that the point of any competition is to win. So when a player is offered an edge (especially one that the league has not yet banned), why wouldn’t they take it? Especially when there is a heightened need to even the playing field because teammates and competitors are abusing performance enhancers. Players on a 40 man roster of major league teams were exempt from testing until 2004. Can we blame these players for simply wanting to win?

It’s apparent from that inherent health risks and the overall unfair advantages experienced by steroid using players that testing must be more stringent, and the league must take a strong stance against PED use.

So, will less PEDs mean less RBI? Probably, but every true fan should want to see the game go back to its purest form, when the outcome was based on raw talent and players were only labeled alcoholics and wife-beaters, not cheaters.

Rebecca is a New York based entertainment and intellectual property attorney, an agressive fantasy player and an avid Knicks and Jets fan. Got a question for Answer Gal? E-mail her at: answergal@fantasysportsupdate.com