Fairness and Purity Why American Baseball Players Should...

Fairness and Purity: Why American Baseball Players Should Know Better Max P. Farhi Keuka College February 2013 Fairness and Purity: Why American Baseball Players Should Know Better Reading the recent articles â€Å"We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals† by William Moller, and â€Å"Cheating and CHEATING† by Joe Posnanski, I found occasion to consider the use of steroids in baseball for the first time. In these essays, Moller and Posnanski tapped into the running commentary about performance-enhancing substances and their relative acceptability in the baseball arena (no pun intended). â€Å"We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals† proclaimed that â€Å"the entire steroid outcry is pure hypocrisy† (Moller, 2009, p.548),†¦show more content†¦What it really comes down to is that the reason Alex [Rodriquez] did steroids is you and me. We, the public, put the best athletes on pedestals, gods on high. And Alex is a prime candidate for such treatment. He’s an archetype, carrying the look of someone who will one day be cast in bronze . . . And at the deepest level Alex Rodriguez wants, craves, fame . . . Really, it was no question whether Alex would take steroids once they were offered. They promised wealth and fame above his wildest dreams (Moller, 2009, p.547 amp; 548). Moller was quick to relieve steroid users of responsibility, and quick also to relieve himself from the same as he revealed his use of Ritalin during his early years at a competitive boarding school. Yet his thesis, and the title of his article, both arouse an important point about how divisive public pressure and values can be; public opinion can move someone to risk their own health, well-being, and ironically, their reputation for the sake of accomplishment, or (and here is the take-home) it can inspire a person to push the limits of their own natural ability, and achieve excellence through virtuous and traditional hard work and purity. Taken in context, I can understand why despite Moller’s social pressure, someone might think that using steroids is wrong. Without prescription, steroids are illegal drugs; with or without prescription, their use presents serious health risks