SOAR Blog

With the 2007 Tour de France wrapping up yesterday under a dark cloud of suspicion, allegations and forced rider withdrawals, I can think of no better way to open this SOAR blog than with some thoughts about the question about the use of performance-enhancing substances by athletes.

As a long-time baseball fan who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I found myself in awe of childhood heroes at the S.F. Giants, including Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Bobby Bonds. Their towering homerun shots were amazing to behold, and I was, in fact, privileged to be in the stands to see McCovey hit a line shot out of Candlestick Park during the 1971 National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates – the Giants only win of the series.

Since moving out of the Bay Area I’ve followed baseball from afar, catching the Giants position in the standings in the local paper and catching a Giants game on the tube or in person when I could. But I’ve always been a Giants fan.

Hence, the addition of Barry Bonds to the Giants roster in 1993 led to a renewed interest in the Giants franchise. Soon his long-ball drives in Candlestick (and then to PacBell Park) were attracting fan attention around the globe, including mine.

I won’t take the time to review Bonds’ history with the Giants or his resurgence at the plate that began with the 2000 season. Much has already been written about this and will likely see much additional commentary in the future.

Nevertheless, the allegations about Bonds’ potential use of steroids or idea that professional athletes might be using steroids or other performance-enhancing substances did not bother me. Heck, I thought, they’re adults. Other professional athletes have used performance-enhancing and/or mind-altering substances throughout the years. If they want to do so, as long as they don’t try to foist their ideas of drug use on me, that’s their decision.

And I’ll tell you – unless you’ve seen Barry Bonds hit a homerun in person (and I’ve been such a witness twice), you have no real idea what an amazing baseball slugger he really is.

That said, my own awakening to the very real second-hand risks of blood-doping and performance-enhancing drug use (illegal or not) came a few years ago when I realized that my own son could be negatively influenced to try such substances in an effort to succeed as a football player on the gridiron, a sport he has played competitively since he was 8-years-old.

As most readers are no doubt aware, the substances of choice among football players looking to get stronger and faster are steroids. And although Jonathan has done well in his still-young career, he plays for the largest high school in Utah. In fact, his sophomore team alone started out last year with 100 players fighting for 22 starting positions, and the varsity squad lost by two points in the state 5-A championship game. (Obviously, it’s a very competitive environment at Alta High School.)

And so it dawned on me (three years ago) that I did not believe that my then 13-year-old son was old enough to make an informed/reasoned decision about taking steroids and the long-term deleterious effects of steroid usage. How could he? In fact, since nearly every teenager and pre-teen I have ever met feels that he/she is invincible, will live forever, and generally has no concept of time beyond the here and now, I now believe we should do all in our power to fight anything and anyone that might negatively influence our young athletes.

Coach Poppa P and his son

Luckily, my now 16-year-old son is a good kid – a young man who adheres to our Mormon health code (The Word of Wisdom), and hence eschews tobacco, coffee, tea, alcohol and illegal drugs. And he’s also promised me he will not use performance-enhancing substances either, a question I revisit every couple of months.

So . . . do I feel quite strongly about this issue? Absolutely, for all the reasons outlined in the attached statement. But mostly, for the kids. And to me, that’s the reason that NOBODY can argue with. And anyone who does will look like a fool.

Strong language, I know. But I’m also convinced that on this point I’m right.

That said, will I take every opportunity to watch Bonds’ attempt to set a new record for most homeruns hit in a major league baseball career? Yes.

Then again, will I call for such a record to be stripped away if he is ever convicted of using illegal drugs or performance-enhancing substances? Absolutely.

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