What If Steroids Weren't Really Harmful or Illegal

[David Sklansky]

Actually I am postulating another substance. Say you discovered that taking five Advil mixed with two Zantac once a day conferred similar advantages. Would there be something wrong with using this discovery secretly to make the NFL? What about to move from 19 to 1 in the world tennis rankings?

[shaniac]

Just like with all drug scenarios and discussions, the legality of the substance has nothing to do with the ethics/value/danger of taking the substance.

So, in this case, if you think steroids are wrong for sports because they create certain physical advantages, so would be taking any drug combination that created the same advantages.

[sdfsdf]

of course there would be something wrong. its cheating. why wouldn't there be something wrong?

[wisehandpoker]

[ QUOTE ]
of course there would be something wrong. its cheating. why wouldn't there be something wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

How is it cheating?

[Peter McDermott]

[ QUOTE ]
of course there would be something wrong. its cheating. why wouldn't there be something wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

Taking steroids might be wrong because that's explicitly excluded, but there's no ban on the use of Zantac and Advil.

Why would using your discovery that the Advil/Zantac combination give you an edge be less ethical than using a discovery that a particular training method could give you the same edge?

In both cases, what's being rewarded is intelligence and initiative. Neither case is explicitly cheating.

And why is the use of performance-enhancing drugs regarded as cheating if the option is open to everybody, yet a genetic advantage which gives certain athletes a huge advantage from birth is regarded as completely acceptable and fair?

[TomCowley]

If "steroids" weren't harmful, then they wouldn't be any different from proper diet, vitamin supplements, exercise, etc, that atheletes use now to obtain an edge (or prevent others from gaining an advantage by doing it). And it's quite valid to use it even if you're the only one aware of its existence. The issue with real steroids, given that they confer serious advantage and cause serious harm, is that they force anybody who wants to be tops in the sport to sacrifice more than is considered acceptable. The line is arbitrary, but clearly an extreme case, where a player (as the only cheater) could win any given competition at the cost of dying a year later, is not a viable sport.

And can some mod uncapitalize the O in my name?

[The Dude]

No, of course not.

What's your real question?

[ALawPoker]

There would be nothing wrong with this because there would be no rule against it. If there were for some reason a rule against the Advil, then it would be the exact same thing (as taking steroids in the real NFL). The thing that makes the practice "cheating" is not the functionality of the pills, but the fact that others are discouraged from using them (and when others obey the previously agreed upon rules, they suffer a disadvantage, and in turn the rules themselves are undermined).

[Beermantm]

[ QUOTE ]
If "steroids" weren't harmful, then they wouldn't be any different from proper diet, vitamin supplements, exercise, etc, that athletes use now to obtain an edge (or prevent others from gaining an advantage by doing it). And it's quite valid to use it even if you're the only one aware of its existence. The issue with real steroids, given that they confer serious advantage and cause serious harm, is that they force anybody who wants to be tops in the sport to sacrifice more than is considered acceptable. The line is arbitrary, but clearly an extreme case, where a player (as the only cheater) could win any given competition at the cost of dying a year later, is not a viable sport.

And can some mod uncapitalize the O in my name?

[/ QUOTE ]

I suggest you read the book Legal Muscle and find out the real truth to what the risks of taking steroids really are. You might be shocked on how safe they can be effectively used.

Of course anything that gives an advantage over someone who has the natural talent or build would eventually be deemed illegal citing some form of BS risk. Everyone knows the general public doesn't know what is good for themselves because a handful of [censored] need to always do things in excess and screw it up for everyone else. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[eurythmech]

Would this make all professional athletes look like genetically modified super oxen one day? [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]