I've found a lot of the commentary on this issue seems very naive to me. It's not that I'm so cynical that I cannot be shocked. When I picked up a gay rag in West Hollywood and found doctors advertising testosterone therapy to "give you the body of your dreams"--that shocked me. It shocks me that two of the last five guys I've been with have used steroids. I'm shocked that I've overheard guys in the gym talking about where they get "juice" as casually as they would where to go for Chinese food.

But professional athletes using steroids, in a sport where they're not banned, for whom improved performance could mean millions of dollars? I'm supposed to be shocked? There have been rumors of players using steroids for fifteen years, and baseball has not banned them--and until it does, it isn't cheating. Some reporters have suggested that since steroids are "illegal" (actually they're controlled), players could be punished for using them as they are for cocaine. Not a good idea to use that model--many players spend their offseasons in Latin America where steroids are legally available. Or they can find unscrupulous doctors to prescribe them. To ban only illegal steroid use really would create an uneven playing field. Baseball needs to specifically decide what constitutes a performance-enhancing substance. Do they only exclude FDA-controlled substances, so Andro and Ephedra are ok? By the Olympics which bans practically everything? They need to make rules before they can talk about testing programs.

Many reporters also profess to be shocked that players would risk their health in this manner. Well, hundreds of thousands of people are taking that risk with a lot less to gain. People do all kinds of things which are hazardous to their health--smoking, excessive drinking, unsafe sex. Will steroids kill more baseball players than chewing tobacco? The fact is that in baseball, steroid use is still permitted, and it's hardly surprising that given the possible rewards, that a lot of players are assuming the risks.