The nanny state?

I have not followed the steroids debate too closely, but was listening to Wolf Blitzer earlier today, and also to some Crossfire the day before yesterday.

And, really, I don't think that this is something for Congress to subpoena athletes and others. Sure, congresspeople and senators can mention this as a resolution: whereas and whereas.. but is this the most important thing facing us?

Among the witnesses today was, so I've heard, a father whose son committed suicide after taking steroids. Well, I am sorry for your loss, but where were you when your son was experimenting? Seems that when young men take steroids their bulk up. Well, if you see that your son all of a sudden balloons, why aren't you looking into it? If coaches and teachers notice kids getting big - why not alert the parents?

I really think that this is one area where parents shirk responsibility expecting... what, exactly?

So politicians can strut around and play the moral outrage for the cameras.

"... Well, if you see that your son all of a sudden balloons, why aren't you looking into it? If coaches and teachers notice kids getting big - why not alert the parents? "

Greed.
"Yeah, the kid could die, but then again, he could sign a $225,000,000 contract with somebody, too..."

The idea comes from another thread but it rocks! Drug test the delegation. I'd like to clear out all tweakers first. I've seen these guys in action when the debate and, how shall I say it, some are a bit more adamant that one would expect under normal circumstances. Then get rid of the coke heads and the benzo addicts. I'm sure none of our members are dropping acid since there is a total lack of 'cosmic consciousness' and only a hand full probably smoke up 3:16.

When I was in HS, my football coach offered me and a number of other kids steroids. He wanted a bigger line. My father did catch this and got me great medical advice, fugedaboudit! We need laws to stop the sale of these drugs. I heard survey data tonight that in some schools 4-11% of the students are taking steroids. That is truly frightening. With an adult, e.g., McGuire or Bonds, you can infer excessive growth is a sign of drug enhancement. With kids, you have growth spurts which, for a while, can mask steroid use. I had the same response as you when I first heard this but then realized that the kids are sitting ducks for "moran" coaches and that parents have a right to send their children to schools where the faculty is not pushing dangerous drugs.

It seems to me that some fathers - and even some mothers - become quite emotionally involved in the emergence of their sons as star athletes at school. Parents' derive a lot of status for that and not many of them turn down the admiration they get in their community when their son is the star hitter on the baseball team or the star quarterback, etc.

I'll bet many fathers especially, know their sons do steroids and probaaly even encourage them knowing they will not be competitive at the college level unless they do. They have that all-American, win at any cost - cheating is OK if you don't get caught Republican attitude.

And I'm sure many of them are more than ready to pass it on to their sons.

Have you ever been to a meeting of the local high school sports boosters club (fathers of the athletes)? If you do I'm sure you'll see where this comes from.