From the sidelines
I am so tired of hearing about steroids.
But Thursday a report came out that listed more than 80 names of past and current Major League Baseball players who are linked to using the drugs.
They have once again become a relevant topic.
While there is no video or testing proof, receipts of purchases, information from shady clubhouse attendees, and other means were provided to the public Thursday by former Sen. George Mitchell.
Mitchell, a Boston Red Sox adviser, has been investigating the topic for the past year and a half, and finally released his report.
He said it was not complete, mainly because the players' union and MLB did not want to talk to him, but it says one thing: steroid use, like most of us thought, is prevalent.
But he didn't say it only was prevalent at the MLB level.
He said anywhere from three to six percent of U.S. adolescents have used performance-enhancing drugs.
Even at the low figure, he said, that means hundreds of thousands of teen-agers.
That is shocking to think about.
And while there are all kinds of performance-enhancing drugs available, some much more dangerous than others, it's not a good idea to try any of them.
Especially teens, since their bodies react more harshly to the steroids.
The sad thing is, many professional athletes may argue it is worth it because of the money it has made them.
Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, two athletes named in the report, have made millions of dollars since they were said to have used steroids, and some think that is because the steroids prolonged their careers.
The problem is, no one knows yet if it shortened their lives.
The long-term effect is not known for many of the steroids, but the short-term ones aren't that great either.
Back hair, acne, fits of rage, and overall moodiness have been linked to steroid use.
The ironic thing is, it seems like so many people are using them (athletes in track and field, cycling, football, and other sports also have been caught using) it doesn't give as much of an edge to a user anymore.
Wanting, needing that edge is how usage spread, and it's sad that athletes around the world went down that path.
Hopefully the report will open the eyes of youngsters who have used or thought about using steroids.
If not, unfortunately, something else, when it's too late, will.
