re: #69 Obdicut

Depends what you mean by performance-enhancing drug. I bet a linebacker on PCP would perform well.

Performance-enhancing drugs should be a medical issue. If they’re medically safe to use— and in some cases, the drugs would actually be medically beneficial— then allow them.

Atheletes often destroy their bodies while playing sports. Sure, they’re highly compensated, but a large percentage of athletes in America’s favorite sports wind up bankrupt shortly after their career ends. They’re used to having a huge income, they don’t learn how to invest, and they’re often taken advantage of. So you get a lot of cases of guys with blown-out knees, cognitive difficulty from concussions, bankrupt at the age of thirty-five. Sure, they had a nice life while they were playing, but now they’re fucking screwed.

If there’s anything that’ll help them heal while they’re playing, we should promote it, not ban it. Most of these drugs have bad side-effects, but playing football has a fucking terrible side effect too. It should be a medical decision, not a ‘purity of the game’ argument.

There’s also a lot of athletes who are not in a sport that leads to a professional career, and also a lot who never get that far in the system. The blown-out knees, concussions, etc. happen in high school or college. And often with less talented medical care and trainers than the pros have.