by Zach Bigalke

Created on: May 28, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The beauty of athletic competition is that it is a showcase of the abilities of the human body. Whether the explosiveness of the hundred-meter dash, the grace of grabbing a fly ball or touchdown pass, the accuracy of a tee shot or slap shot, the power of a home run or the endurance of a marathon or bicycle stage race, sports illustrate the potential of humans to achieve physical feats. Also inherent in competitive sport is the potential for any athlete to persevere on a level playing field with his or her competitors.

The entertainment for a sports fan is in being able to watch the play unfold between these closely-matched athletes. At its root, it is the physical achievement which is celebrated by the fan. Whether the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, the fan identifies with sporting figures precisely because they are human; the seeming ease of athletic accomplishments stand aside images of pure exhaustion.

Steroids, human growth hormone, testosterone, erythropoietin, endogenous and exogenous blood transfusions and other performance-enhancement measures are all attempts to skew this playing field. Whether an attempt to build stronger muscles, improve oxygen intake, or to relieve suffering, any instance of performance enhancement cheats the sports fan of the knowledge that the athletic achievement was legitimately achieved.

Cheating cheats everyone. The history upon which our current sporting events was founded is by no means completely devoid of such indiscretions. Asterisks for steroid use could just as easily be placed by the names of past amphetamine users. But the perpetuation of performance enhancement is always geared toward finding stronger results. The athletes of the present are inevitably stronger than those of the past, and the athlete of the future will trump anything which can currently be accomplished.

Clean sport is a laudable goal and the only honest appraisal of what we as human beings can physically accomplish. Once needles and pills and balms replace and supplement training and nutrition, we are no longer witnessing human accomplishments. Rather, we are looking at a virtual chemistry lesson with potential long-term adverse effects for the guinea pigs we call athletes. While doping will never be eradicated completely from our sports (after all, the search for advantage is also a very human trait), we should never excuse any deplorable attempt to cheapen the pursuit of physical excellence.

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