110 mile per hour fastballs. 720 dunks. 50 inch verticals. The possibilities are endless in the realm of sports if Performance Enhancing Drugs were made legal. Performance Enhancing Drugs, or PEDs, are substances that can improve the physical ability of athletes. They also help muscles recover faster, making it easier to become stronger or to return from an injury more quickly. Currently, professional sports in the United States all ban PEDs from their leagues. However, sports leagues are making a big mistake. PEDs need to be legalized in professional sports because they help athletes to support their family and make leagues more popular and exciting.
According to Harvard Education, one of the main reasons athletes use PEDs is to recover quickly from injuries which allows them to continue supporting their family. The word “professional” in professional sports implies sports are how the athletes make their living. Furthermore, contracts are not always guaranteed, meaning if a player is cut, their contract is void and they don’t get paid. Professional sports are a business, so team management won’t hesitate to cut players if they are not performing to expectations or are injured. Many professional athletes don’t come from privileged backgrounds, and are under immense pressure to keep their spot on the team to continue to support their family. Why are leagues punishing its players for trying to provide for their family? In the novel Les Miserbles by Victor Hugo, Jean Valjean gets arrested because he stole bread. However, he did this because he needed to provide food to his starving family. It is morally unjust that Valjean was punished. Likewise, it is unfair for the leagues to punish their players who use PEDs to return quickly from injury and support their family. These players can not afford to be injured for a long time. They can not afford to get cut. They can not afford to lose their next paycheck.
Legalizing PEDs in professional sports would also raise the popularity of the game. Many of the most exciting aspects of sports would be pronounced. A past example is the time period known as the “Steroid Era” in baseball. The steroid era began in the late 80s and lasted about 20 years. During this time, many MLB players were taking steroids which made them stronger, and home runs were becoming more frequent than ever. Since homeruns are one of the most exciting parts of baseball, the MLB’s popularity rose. The height of the steroid era is often considered to be in 1998. In this year, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire both were hitting homeruns at a faster pace than had ever been seen before. The duo was both chasing the record for home runs in a single season. Undoubtedly helped by the excitement of the Sosa vs McGwire showdown, baseball’s popularity skyrocketed. According to fangraphs.com, the MLB averaged 30,000 people in attendance per game, more than a 20 percent increase than just 5 years prior. In today’s game, if PEDs were allowed, the MLB would presumably have another popularity spike and the league would become more successful.
It is clear why the MLB was so popular in the Steroid Era. People want the excitement of witnessing things that they’ve never seen before. Why is that millions of people pay to watch an NBA game rather than going to a local gym to watch a recreational league? They play the same game but, obviously, the competition and skill level are much higher in a professional league. The players are bigger, faster, and stronger. They are doing things that most people can only dream of. These aspects would be amplified with the help of PEDs. It is exciting enough to watch a 5 foot 7 man, Spud Webb, dunking a basketball. Now imagine the thrill of watching a player of Webb’s size being able to do a windmill dunk. Jaw dropping, seemingly impossible moments like these would be common in a league that allows PEDs.
Overall, the benefits of legalized PEDs in professional sports eclipse the potential downsides. Leagues would become more popular and generate greater sales allowing players to make more money. PEDs would not be damaging to athlete’s health since they would be carefully monitored by their team doctors. What the sports world currently views as improbable or impossible feats would occur more frequently, giving fans a thrilling experience. More importantly, athletes would be better able to continue making their living and supporting their families. Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs is the key to unlocking the full potential of what athletes and sports have to offer.
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