Professional athletes who cheat the game by using performance enhancers should be made as an example of to the general public. They should be shamed to the point of no mercy, be punished for their actions, and serve a certain amount of time for their behaviour.
It seems as if we now live in a society that wants to tolerate such nuances, that the respect of the game and culture no longer applies to the status quo, or that people who are creative find ways to hide their shameful deeds in the hopes that no one would notice their unusual indiscretions.
We need a system in place that emphasises the importance of fair play and personal respect, a system where everyone, regardless of salary, social status, marketing value, and lifestyle is held accountable, but also held to a higher standard.
The sport of baseball is an excellent example of wrongdoings and past misgiving that have carried on in a sport that know has a reputation of being a safe harbor of cheaters and pathological liars (excuse me).
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, and many more players in Major League have all either admitted or emphatically denied ever using performance enhancers.
It is an issue at one point that propelled the U.S. Congress to convene a hearing and investigate the disturbing allegations of steroid usage and ongoing cheating by the likes of some of the elite players of the sport.
Marian Jones, the once-famed runner, confessed to cheating throughout her entire Olympic career, a shocker for many who saw Marion as the iconic sportswoman in the sports of track and field.
However, there are athletes who have been falsely accused of cheating in their respective sports as well.
One being Lance Armstrong, who’s recent feud with French doping authorities led to rampant speculation that Armstrong was in fact using an hormone drug during his play in the Tour de France.
Armstrong emphatically denied the allegations—he went on air on CNN during a Larry King segment to explain his side of the story, and those who supported Armstrong believe he was the victim of a smear campaign by the French.
Athletes should not, under any circumstances, be treated as an exception when it comes to the rule of law, and on this principle alone, we all have to play a part in making sure that those commit offenses are held accountable for their actions.
Or we can simply face the prospect of living in a society that simply doesn’t care about its moral bearings and neglects the sanctity of personal responsibility.