Abstract

Symptoms of a Deeper Malaise

The article focuses on the use of drugs to enhance athlete's performance. As long as the drugs involved in sports were only phetanilnes, steroids, painkillers and a little marijuana, it was no reason for discomfort. Stories of cocaine abuse moved the drug issue to another level. They outraged the public, made TV advertisers nervous and caught the interest of the sporting press. The use of drugs was limited to enhancing one's performance, and in the anything-goes world of athletic competition no one cares about how players excel, as long as they excel. Testing is not the simple answer in sports. There are questions about the testing procedures themselves that have not been answered. The tests are hardly infallible. The public must realize that athletes are not heroes. Simply putting on a uniform does not make them better people or give them a greater standard of behavior.