At what cost?

I want to make a brief return to the issue of doping and post a link to a really interesting article I just read. It's very easy for all of us to joke about the size of Barry Bond's head, and I've heard plenty of people propose that we simply allow performance enhancing substances in sports. The common refrain that I hear is, "If everyone's doing it, why not just make it legal. Plus, that way we'll get the very best performance possible, and that's what we really want, isn't it?"

Personally, I think that response is shortsighted and misses the point entirely. As much as I love the ethic behind "fair competition," I am forced to admit that the real reason for banning these substances isn't for the sake of fair play, but because of the health risks involved.

http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/13149.0.html

This article is an interview with Joe Papp, who is a former pro cyclist who has admitted to using corticosteroids (asthma inhalers, typically) as well as EPO at different stages of his professional career. He openly discusses some of the medical effects of his use and the injuries that resulted.

Doping in any form, whether steroids, growth hormones, blood doping or any other practice pose very serious risks to the athletes who subject themselves to them. As Joe points out at the end of the article, the risks seem worth it when there's a cash payout at the end of the day. We need to clean up professional atheltics, not just for the sake of the sports, but for the sake of the athletes.