Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees took steroids. So did Barry
Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, though he claims not to have
known what they were.
Ho-hum. These revelations are of interest only to fans who deify
athletes and to politicians who use any excuse to increase their
power. Like Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in this case.
Steroids have long been used by gym rats to create bulging
muscles and professional wrestlers to build bulk. It was long
assumed, obviously with good reason, that other sporting pros,
particularly baseball and football players, often sought artificial
aid in adding muscle.
Real scandal typically comes only when top athletes violate
competition rules to gain an advantage. Olympic champions Ben
Johnson and Marion Jones were disgraced by revelations that they
used steroids to improve their performance. Blood doping and
injecting human growth hormones are similarly forbidden by many
sporting organizations as artificial enhancements.
Nevertheless, observes Charlie Francis, who aided Johnson:
“Steroids are so ubiquitous, so omnipresent in sport; they have
been for decades.” Thus, he adds, “There is a level playing field
out there. It just isn’t the playing field you thought it was.”
That’s probably not good. But it hardly constitutes a national
crisis.
Steroids can hurt the taker. That’s a particular concern when
the users are young. Thus the need for more parental involvement,
improved educational efforts, and better rules enforcement.
Reliance on steroids also undercuts the perceived fairness of
sports competitions. Cheating begets cheating, as athletes are
loath to fall behind their peers. The most important enforcers here
are associations and leagues which fear losing support, both fan
and financial.
But in many cases the best response is neglect.
DOES IT MATTER, FOR instance, if professional wrestlers take
steroids? Hardly. Where adult athletes are willing to risk their
health, fans don’t care if their role models have feet of clay, and
athletic integrity is irrelevant to the sport, why should anyone
care?
In none of these cases should Washington be concerned. But
apparently Sen. McCain is.
After the revelations involving Giambi and Bonds, from leaked
testimony before a grand jury, Sen. McCain declared that he was
“dismayed though not surprised.” Major League Baseball had better
set up “a minimum standard of drug testing,” or, he threatened, he
would introduce legislation to do so. If MLB does not act, “clearly
we have to act legislatively, which we don’t want to do.”
Obviously he wants Congress to act.
Why? “Major League Baseball and its players insist on turning a
blind eye to the misconduct that threatens to undermine the
legitimacy of their sport,” said Sen. McCain. “There are many fans
disturbed,” he added.
But that’s not obviously true. A lot of fans might believe that
Barry Bonds has hit a couple extra home runs because he used
steroids. Surely no one thinks that the Boston Red Sox dramatically
dispatched the New York Yankees because players used steroids.
Anyway, the legitimacy of MLB is MLB’s problem. Congress is
already doing a horrible job trying to do far too much.
Social Security is heading towards insolvency. Federal laws and
regulations have helped create an expensive, inefficient
“cost-plus” medical system.
Tens of millions of people use illicit drugs even though
millions are imprisoned for drug offenses. The war in Iraq has
become an interminable guerrilla imbroglio.
Federal welfare programs have encouraged family and community
break-up. Washington has wasted untold billions on failed
development and training programs.
Corporate welfare pervades the budget. Government efforts to
“manage” the economy have invariably backfired.
So now Uncle Sam will protect the integrity of baseball?
SENATOR McCAIN ALSO announced: “I don’t care about Mr. Bonds or Mr.
Sheffield or anybody else. What I care about are high school
athletes who are tempted to use steroids because they think that’s
the only way they can make it to the major leagues.” House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) made much the same claim: MLB officials
“have a responsibility, not only to the sport, but to the children
of America who look up to these players.”
Whether or not there’s a MLB testing program, some kids are
likely to look for any competitive advantage to get there. But who
can best combat that temptation? Parents, teachers, and counselors
or legislators?
Moreover, this argument proves far too much. Some athletes
drink. Some smoke. Some drive fast cars.
Should the federal government ban all of these activities lest
some young person somewhere foolishly follow their example?
Washington should not treat responsible adults as irresponsible
children in the name of protecting children.
Washington already has foolishly criminalized steroids use. Now
Sen. McCain proposes creating a federal testing regime.
Instead, the government should leave adults free to do as they
wish. Craig Masback, chief of USA Track and Field, complains that
“Giving up is not an option,” but leaving education and enforcement
to private bodies is not giving up. Not everything that is bad
should be illegal.
A free society is inevitably a messy place. Some people do
things that others don’t like. Some people make mistakes.
So it is when athletes take steroids.
They may be making bad decisions. But it is far more important
to preserve a free society than to stop athletes from making bad
decisions.
