Are Athletes Good Role Models? Essay

Famous athletes are often held to a higher standard than the average public. So much is heard about famous athletes from the television, radio, and newspapers. Young children look to the celebrities and follow their trends as they are seen as role models. Athletes live in the spotlight and their every move is followed and studied. Athletes should follow a strict code of conduct because not only are they representing the MLB Organization, but are also setting examples for our youth. Do we want our youth admiring famous athletes that use performance-enhancing drugs?
Jose Canseco played in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 2001. His name became well-known when performance-enhancing drugs became a hot topic in the sport. Canseco has admitted to steroid use during his MLB career. His 2005 autobiography, Juiced Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, labeled him as a snitch as his tell all book named numerous users within MLB. He says about 85% of players use or have used steroids during their time in the league. A few of those named in his book were Jason Giambi, Juan Gonzlez, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodrguez. Canseco, as well as those he named, are all big names within MLB and looked to as idols by many of the nation's youth. Some denied any steroid use however, some did acknowledge their involvement.
Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds are three of MLB's well-known homerun hitters. Just as performance-enhancing drug use in MLB entered the spotlight, McGwire and Sosa were competing against each other to break the record for number of homeruns in a single season. McGwire set the 1998 record with 70 homeruns while Sosa fell behind at 66 homeruns. Barry Bonds claimed the all-time record in 2001 with a staggering 73 homeruns. Bonds, McGwire and Sosa have admitted to steroid use during their careers.
Many athletes hide their use and look to the black market for performance-enhancing drugs. Buying from the black market means injecting themselves with the illegal substances. Dosing is not followed by a physician's order and may lead to using extreme amounts. Athletes using steroids would rather use the highest possible dose in hopes of achieving maximum performance faster. Hiding their doping poses yet another threat to their health as it hinders doctors from safely treating the individuals in emergency situations or in everyday treatment.
Players constantly strive to be the best, break records and win. The ban on performance- enhancing drugs from MLB prevents athletes from gaining an unfair advantage on those who choose not to use the drugs. Some strive to be the best no matter the cost. If athletes were allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs, the playing field would reach a new level. The majority of players would be using steroids and would still strive to be the best by finding the newest way to do so. If the majority used steroids, there would be no advantage because a new level would be reached.