“BREAKING NEWS: (Athletes Name Here) has been caught using Performance Enhan… ” *Turns off TV*
Haven’t we heard enough about the use of PED’s over the last few years? Yes, it’s illegal, and yes, it does give a player an unfair advantage over other non-using players who work their cans off to stay in the show, we get that. What I don’t get is why it is such a big deal in the media still. In this generation there are so many advancements in medicine and technology that some try to take any means necessary to get ahead of the game. It may be wrong, but it is done more than some people know.
In early 2010, almost every news and sports network gave day by day updates, live shots, and specials of the Federal Grand Jury investigation on baseball’s top performers, we were all intrigued. It was a subject that we all wanted to learn more about and it allowed us to see which of our “heros” used PED’s. Three years later, most, if not all, of us are getting tired of the subject getting such great attention.
The San Francisco Giants won the World Series last season, you would think the media would headline the story of how they succeeded even though their shut-down closer, Brian Wilson, was out all season after having Tommy John surgery and Tim Lincecum, their ace, had a very off year, but no. Although the previous headline was used almost everywhere, there was one that seemed to overshadow it. That headline being that one major first half contributor in Melky Cabrera would not even make the postseason roster after being suspended 50 games for violating the MLB Drug Policy. In the end, the absence of Cabrera would not harm the Giants chances; it still was placed in our heads.
(Side note: We, in the Tri-State area know this situation from how the media hyped the fact that even though Cabrera was suspended, he still had a hold of the NL Batting lead for most of the second half over Andrew McCutchen due to MLB rules stating that in a suspension the player still holds his average with a small percentage taken off)
Another example is what has been brought up this week (Super Bowl 47 week) where the Baltimore Ravens are continuing their unexpected run towards a championship in linebacker, Ray Lewis’s final season before retirement. Again, instead of stories told of a team rallying around its signature player in his farewell tour (See: 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers and Jerome Bettis for correct way to do it), the media is swarmed in accusations of Lewis using deer antler spray (yes, deer antler spray), which contains a substance banned by the NFL’s drug use policy, to help repair a torn muscle that he injured in Dallas earlier this season.
It seems nowadays that any major sporting event that occurs has to be linked with the use of PED’s in one way or another. I can bring Lance Armstrong into this conversation as well but that certain subject shall be left alone due to a numerous amount of reasons.
Could all of this hoopla be because it is the easy story to get in the hectic atmosphere of a major event? Or could it be because that is what the major heads of these networks want and if reporters don’t appease their bosses, they will be alongside me working in a restaurant to pay the bills.
A main reason that caused this rant today is the fact that there are so many amazing stories out there right now that are being put to the backburner or even taken off the board completely because of this. One is how Colin Kaepernick, who played at the University of Nevada then was backup for Alex Smith, never had a start until the heart of this season when the 49ers were battling for an NFC West Title. Instead of being “The Rookie”, he took the bull by the horns and led the 49ers to Super Bowl 47, the first for San Francisco since 1995.
Again, this fact has been displayed in the media a lot, but it isn’t in the spotlight because they want to know if Ray Lewis used illegal Deer Spray to help a torn muscle. Once the Super Bowl ends, focus will then be shifted to baseball and the ongoing Alex Rodriguez story on steroids. Will it ever end? That’s what bothers me.
It has been three years and all we have seen is does he use this? Or did he say this guy used too? Or why is he lying when clearly he looks like he juiced? Yes, the steroid era has run its toll on everyone, but why does the fan have to suffer too?
Worth Noting
One issue about all of this that I did find interesting was what Andrew Perloff of Sports Illustrated, also known as “McLovin” on the Dan Patrick Show, mentioned on Tuesday about this issue. He stated a fellow SI writer said that in 20 years he wouldn’t be surprised if some types of PED’s would be legal in the NFL to help players get back from injury faster. Would anyone be against something like that? Personally, I may be up for the idea if there could be a way to monitor the use strictly for rehab purposes.
