Saturday, July 5, 2008

Has The Steroid Probe Gone Too Far?

Recently, an ESPN columnist made an accusation about Dara Torres and her spectacular showing, pointing to his view that steroids must have been involved due to her age and obstacles she had to overcome before her recent Olympic trials showing. I will not include a link to this column nor give this person's name because I have to wonder if he is doing it for sensational journalism or truly is that skeptical of everything in sports. And also wonder, just when did we get to the point when anything someone does well in sports has to be steroid related, especially if they are above the age of 30?
He points not only to her age but injuries and child birth as reasons to support such accusations. He does not offer information on her supplier, used needles or any witnesses. I guess that would actually prove something. What's worse is that he takes his opinions and attempts to actually coat them as flattery, stating that if she is clean, being superhuman and linked to steroids is a compliment. Is this a built in lean towards an apology if he is forced to do such or attempting to say, well maybe she is, maybe she isn't?
Speculating on team records or performances is one thing but when it involves possibly immoral and illegal activity, then in my opinion, you have crossed the line. I hear varying opinions on future hall of fame assessments because we are in the "steroid era" but to me, unless confronted with proof on that individual, it is an ignorant blanket statement and I think some people should be very careful when making such statements. I could make such statements on ESPN employees as well since I have little or no respect for a few there but the truth is, I like and respect the work of some within that company so I won't. Even though articles like this support that idea in my mind, I am still content not judging everyone because a few bad apples rise up. Maybe others should wait before they make their assumptions as well and not just assume that because some people needed steroids to succeed, everyone does. There are people who worked hard to get where they are and you are short changing that for your baseless theories and how long before one of them proves you wrong or better yet, asks you for your proof.

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