Why Steroids Are Bad
Andrew Perry
Prof. Blankenship
10/2/12
Core 1 Argument Paper
P.E.D’s of Life
*P.E.D: Performance Enhancing Drug On July 20th, 1976, Hank Aaron hit his 755th career homerun. On August 7th, 2007, Barry Bonds hit his 756th career homerun to break Aarons previously held career homerun record. While Hank Aaron hit all 755-career homeruns with pure talent, strength, and hard work, Barry Bonds hit his 756 homeruns while using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Although professional athletes are supposed to be role models, they are not taking responsibility for their actions when taking P.E.D’s. Big-time athletes, like Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Sammy Sosa, have all opened the doors to a whole new way sports will be played. So what are some of the most prominent people in society today telling all of America? They’re telling them two different stories that could mean life or death; two stories that could mean a promising career or no career at all. P.E.D usage must be stopped at both professional and school levels because the number of users is growing every single day. Performance enhancing drugs have slowly become a big part of professional sports. Many athletes are now relying on them to either boost their performance or help them recover faster from an injury; and it’s working too. Although they are getting better and recovering faster, they are hurting themselves, and the kids that look up to them. According to an article by Dr. Robert R Franks, Senator John McCain is worried about what affect that P.E.D usage in the MLB might have on high school athletes. “What these young athletes fail to realize is the damaging effect steroids have on a person’s physical and psychological health over time,” says Michael J. Sampson, DO, an osteopathic sports medicine and family physician at Virginia Tech and Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “The more we learn about these drugs, the scarier they become.” Sometimes I wonder, “Do professional athletes know
Prof. Blankenship
10/2/12
Core 1 Argument Paper
P.E.D’s of Life
*P.E.D: Performance Enhancing Drug On July 20th, 1976, Hank Aaron hit his 755th career homerun. On August 7th, 2007, Barry Bonds hit his 756th career homerun to break Aarons previously held career homerun record. While Hank Aaron hit all 755-career homeruns with pure talent, strength, and hard work, Barry Bonds hit his 756 homeruns while using Performance Enhancing Drugs. Although professional athletes are supposed to be role models, they are not taking responsibility for their actions when taking P.E.D’s. Big-time athletes, like Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Sammy Sosa, have all opened the doors to a whole new way sports will be played. So what are some of the most prominent people in society today telling all of America? They’re telling them two different stories that could mean life or death; two stories that could mean a promising career or no career at all. P.E.D usage must be stopped at both professional and school levels because the number of users is growing every single day. Performance enhancing drugs have slowly become a big part of professional sports. Many athletes are now relying on them to either boost their performance or help them recover faster from an injury; and it’s working too. Although they are getting better and recovering faster, they are hurting themselves, and the kids that look up to them. According to an article by Dr. Robert R Franks, Senator John McCain is worried about what affect that P.E.D usage in the MLB might have on high school athletes. “What these young athletes fail to realize is the damaging effect steroids have on a person’s physical and psychological health over time,” says Michael J. Sampson, DO, an osteopathic sports medicine and family physician at Virginia Tech and Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. “The more we learn about these drugs, the scarier they become.” Sometimes I wonder, “Do professional athletes know
Bibliography: • Snyder, Whitney. "Brent Musburger Of ESPN: Steroids Could Be Good For Pro Sports." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . • Franks, Robert R., Dr. "Growing Pains: Steroid Use Among Professional Athletes Influences Young Adults." Growing Pains: Steroid Use Among Professional Athletes Influences Young Adults. New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . • Sinko, Bradley. "Miami University." Steroid Use in Professional Sports: Punishment Too Little. Miami University, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. . • Stenson, Jacqueline. "Kids on Steroids Willing to Risk It All for Success." Msnbc.com. Msnbc Digital Network, 03 Mar. 2008. Web. 02 Oct. 2012. .