Best Athletes On Pedestals By William Moller

In “We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals,” author William Moller presents his explanation for the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Moller begins by telling a story about his past experience with PEDs. During his sophomore year of high school, Moller was under immense pressure from himself and others to achieve a standard of excellence and secure the top spot in his class. After pulling three all-nighters in a row and forcing himself to stay awake for more studying, he willingly took a PED to improve his focus. It was easy for Moller to make the decision of being rewarded with a good test grade and risking the consequences of getting caught, instead of doing the right thing and falling to his competition.
In his story at the beginning of the essay, Moller provides information about the setting he was in, his peers and the emotions he was feeling. This information brings the reader into the story and allows us to better comprehend his argument. Moller also provides information about how individuals within the game of baseball have tried to get an advantage over their competition, “This game is all about getting an edge--whether it be the front offices using BABIP to pick the right players, Sammy Sosa corking a bat, Johnny Damon using maple instead of ash bats, K-Rod putting resin on his baseball cap, Pete Rose mixing Adderall in with a cup of coffee, or Mark McGwire’s unabashed andro use (549-550)” He uses these examples as a source of information in order to portray the idea that all of these attempts at getting an edge are related to the pedestals that professional athletes are placed on. Discussing another facet of the game, Moller tells about the three attributes that all general managers possess, “They’re very smart, and they know exactly what’s going on-but act as if they don’t” (551). In other words, managers are very aware of the PED use, but they act clueless because they know that if they address the problem their success and money would diminish. Another way that Moller provides information throughout the entire essay is with footnotes
I believe that a lack of personal accountability is to blame for the seriousness of this issue. PEDs are undoubtedly a temptation for baseball players due to the physical and mental benefits that they provide, and I agree that “Given the perceived link between offense and popularity, and the roster decisions that gave preference to offensive potential, it cannot be surprising that players would conclude that their individual success as professional baseball players was linked to their offensive potential and productivity” (Solberg, 98). This idea that the culture and values existing within sports gives players a skewed view of success is in the essay, “Performance-Enhancing Drug Use in Baseball: The Impact of Culture” which is written by authors Joe Solberg, Department of Finance Insurance and Law at Illinois State University, and Richard Ringer, Department of Management & Quantitative Methods at Illinois State University. However, regardless of the “benefits” of PEDs, they are illegal and dishonest. Each person faces temptations in life, but our morals and values decide whether or not we give in to them. Baseball players need to be held accountable for their wrongdoings rather than being regarded as innocent because they have the same opportunity to resist temptations as everybody else. In my opinion,