In today’s sports news, the hidden truth about steroid abuse is slowly surfacing into various media outputs. Top names of professional athletes are making these headlines which make fans wonder if world records are now being skewed. But why cheat the system? From a business perspective, records prove that once athletes started using steroids to enhance their skills, fame and fortune became evident.
This controversy is becoming evident especially in Major League Baseball. Take for ex
ample, Troy Glaus, the third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. Glaus began his career with the Anaheim Angeles in 1998, and for the first two years he had a solid and stable career. However, in 2000, he had a breakout season becoming the all time single home run leader for third basemen in Angels’ history and led the entire American League in home runs. For the next three years, Glaus became more popular by earning valuable awards such as being a three time All Star (2000, 2001, and 2003), the Silver Slugger Award two times (2000, 2001), as well as helping the Angels win the World Series for the first time in team history in 2002 and earning the Most Valuable Player Award for that series.
Sadly, the fame slipped away once Glaus suffered a shoulder injury and missed most of the 2004 season. Since it was his last year under contract with the Angels, the team chose not to offer him a contract extension. The Angels decided to invest in a less expensive third baseman and Glaus went on to play for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, Glaus’s fame began to diminish. His statistics showed that he was creating major league lows. His lack of production forced the Diamondbacks to trade him to the Toronto Blue Jays. From a business perspective, companies do not want to sponsor a person that is unproductive and does not have a marketable image. Fans want to follow athletes that improve on a consistent basis. Sadly for Glaus, he went from being one of the greatest third baseman to just becoming a mediocre player.
Society tends to believe that high statistics equals success. Unless an athlete is able to
continuously produce solid numbers, fans will stop supporting that athlete and as a result their marketability will drop. For this reason, players feel pressured to resort to the extremes such as using steroids in order to get that “competitive edge” in order to salvage their career. By taking these pills for a certain amount of time, players have the ability to enhance the body in order to make a drastic change in the way they play. With this new change, players have the capabilities to rise to the top and at the same time enhance their marketability.
Along with all the media coverage comes fortune for the players. In the Glaus case, it is important to track his salary change. According to Baseballcube.com, during his first six years, his salary gradually increased each year from $170,000 in 1998 to $7,250,000 in 2003. However, during the year of his injury in 2003, his salary dropped drastically to $725,000. This change called for extreme measures. According to SI.com, Glaus has been reported “[receiving] performance-enhancing drugs from a
Consequently, Glaus’s reputation now remains questionable. He refuses to comment on the situation, but the media is confident that he has used steroids because of the evidence accumulated against him. One assumption that has led many to believe that he had to use performance enhancing drugs was his quick recovery from such a serious injury.
Therefore, the Glaus story is just one example of the controversy involving steroid abuse. Sports are becoming much more competitive, and more money and fame are being rewarded to those athletes that have the capabilities to reach the top. With those incentives, players are willing to risk their reputation and take steroids to succeed. If money buys happiness, then athletes are willing to do whatever it takes to get that money. However, when the truth is revealed, not only do they ruin their own reputation, but they also tarnish the team and more importantly Major League Baseball.
1 comment:
You have a really interesting post here that makes really question the abilities of some of sports greatest. You argue that athletes feel pressure to stay on top because otherwise they will lose fan and media support. This pressure is too much for athletes and even some of the most revered and successful athletes are falling victim to steroid use. I think you argue this well. I think that it would be really interesting for you to examine why steroid use is so common, or at least publicized in the media, among baseball players. Why not basketball or football or soccer?
You have some really great links but maybe adding some larger pictures would add to the aesthetic part of your blog.I like the pictures but they are sort of small and placed on the same side of the blog. Switch it around to give the reader something to catch their eye a little bit easier.
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