'Roids: not the only rage in cheating

By Mike Courson

All work and no play makes Mike a dull boy. That’s why I watch movies. Occasionally, work and pleasure intertwine, just as they did last week when I watched Bigger, Stronger, Faster, a documentary about steroid use and the competitive culture of the United States.

The movie was written and directed by Chris Bell. Bell and his two brothers, Mark and Mike, were into weightlifting from an early age. Chris dabbled with steroids for a short time, and his brothers maintained their use.

Since it is not a spoiler, I can tell you that Mike, a former professional wrestler of sorts, died shortly after the film was made, though an immediate cause was not know. He was 37.

It would seem, then, that the film carried a strong anti-drug message. That would be wrong. Instead, the film looks at some of the misconceptions regarding steroid use, and examines why some athletes choose to use the drugs.

First, there are the misconceptions. Like other popular drugs, it seems we have been scared out of using steroids more than anything. Though steroids can cause acne and testicular atrophy, links to heart disease, baldness, and “roid rage” are questionable. Furthermore, the symptoms seem to be reversible, though no long-term studies have been done or probably will be done due to the illegal status of the drug.

Then there are the reasons. For myself, I grew up wanting to prove that I could be bodybuilder big without using drugs--this coming from someone who did not hit 100-pounds until the eighth grade. I was incredibly naïve then, and now realize hard work and diet can go a long way, but not quite that far.

I could have used drugs. I’ve seen what they can do for muscle mass and strength. But that always seemed ridiculous to me. The point of working out is to increase health, not take drugs. Furthermore, there is pride in doing something the right way. Muscle mass as a byproduct of a daily injection is hardly something to brag about.

The choice, then, was very easy for me. I knew I would never play professional sports, and the need to be bigger and stronger simply did not exist. Why cheat for nothing?

But what about those who do rely on performance to support themselves and their families? Growing up, I had no bigger sports hero than Mark McGwire. Naturally, I liked him more later in his career, when he looked like a monster and hit the ball like one, too. It seems I was not alone in that regard as his chase for the home run record was known by about everyone and followed by many.

Though a few years separate these stories, it was clear why McGwire became a superstar. On the other side, I remember reading a Reader’s Digest story about a minor league catcher who played by the rules. He played in a few Major League games, but mostly played behind players who have been named on the infamous steroid list.

When I think of the silliness of injecting these chemicals into the body to increase performance, it seems even sillier that society has decided to pay the guys who can hit the balls the farthest the most money—more so than police officers, teachers, and just about everyone else. They say don’t cheat, but that’s a difficult message to take seriously when the cheaters reap all the rewards.

And where does performance enhancing begin and end? The movie features a genetically altered cow with twice as much muscle mass as a normal cow. Scientists are capable of changing humans genetically so they are stronger without resorting to drug use. Will this be an issue in the future?

If that seems far-fetched, what about surgery? Tiger Woods went winless in 16 straight tournaments before he had his vision surgically repaired to 20/15—not exactly natural. He won seven of the next 10 events.

There are other examples: it is legal for an athlete to train at a higher elevation to boost red blood cell counts. It is illegal to use EPO for the same purpose. What about contact lenses, such as those used by McGwire, that produce super-human vision similar to that of Woods?

America has long been hyper-competitive. We assign legal and moral judgments to certain behaviors, such as taking steroids, but never really consider other behaviors that have the same result. Furthermore, we as fans go out and pay big money to see the stars play. We buy jerseys with their names on the back. Essentially, we make them the millionaire stars they are, even when they cheat.

We say we want fair, but we say even louder we want exceptional. When athletes reach that level with the help of a performance enhancer, we all become the pusher.

Mike Courson can be emailed at mcourson@gbtribune.com.