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these things tend to fade in one's consciousness when large sums of money and prestige are on the line. It is also easier to rationalize the decision to use performance enhancers when it becomes tacit knowledge that many others are already doing it. This in turn causes a ripple effect, where each player who successfully cheats puts pressure on the every other player in the league to do the same in order to remain competitive.

It is easy for us as fans to condemn each player caught using drugs - they are cheaters and frauds, ruining the game for everyone. I'm not suggesting these players should not be accountable. However, we need to remember that the high stakes system we so cherish might actually be equally at fault. My position, then, is that high stakes sports need to be aggressive in their education about the long term effects of drug use, and thorough in their testing and enforcement. Big time sports need to spend a lot more time and money on drug enforcement and prevention if they truly want to stay ahead of the curve. This might mean spending less money on advertising and promotion, or even reducing salaries. As it stands now, it is becoming more and more difficult to compete at the top level unless you are willing to seriously compromise your health and wellbeing.

Learn more about this author, Leo Bickelhaupt.
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