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Regulating Steroids in Sports with Spectators

Sam Wertheimer | Friday 17th July 2009

American baseball fans don't mind steroids. At least according to Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford. In his NPR sports commentary this week, Deford describes baseball fans' seeming indifference to doping indiscretions by pointing to the spectators in San Diego that wore replica Manny Ramirez dreadlocks to the park in celebration of the player's return from a 50-game, steroids-related suspension.

Deford also mentions that U.S. baseball fans' laissez-faire attitude resembles that of European cycling spectators. Alex Wolff, another SI writer, recently catalogued this European acceptance of doping and dubbed it the, "but-of-course" mentality - as in the response to the question, did another athlete take steroids?

In closing, Deford laments the prevalent "but-of-course" view in sports and foresees doping escalation. He implies that accepting fans perpetuate and encourage athletes' steroid use. Rather than the All Star Game we should begin looking forward to the "All-[Steroids] Game," says Deford.

With this commentary, Deford provides an interesting follow-up to my last post. On Monday, I wrote that regulators should control performance-enhancing drugs like cigarettes. The post argued that regulatory bodies such as major league baseball or the players' union should impose steep financial penalties on steroid users just like the federal government places taxes and other economic disincentives before cigarette users.

Deford offers a different perspective. By emphasizing fans' role in perpetuating steroid use, he also suggests that fans can help prevent doping. This is a valid argument. As a part of the social environment surrounding an athlete, spectators influence a player's health-related behavior and can encourage or discourage steroid use. (This understanding of the environment as a determinant of health comes from the Evans-Stoddart field model).

While Deford's conclusion - that fans can help prevent doping - encourages spectators to speak out against rule-breakers, I'm not sure if leaving the dreadlock wigs at home will keep steroids out of baseball. Preventing an All-Steroids Game will require discouraging the "but-of-course" mentality in fans, players, and league leaders alike.

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