Drug use in the Olympics is not a new idea. Dating back to the runners and javelin throwers of ancient Greece and Rome, athletes have been looking for supposedly magic potions (Corelli, par. 1). With competition growing stronger and stronger throughout the years, athletes have tried to beat their opponents by any means necessary.
Back in 1904, American Thomas Hicks won the marathon fuelled by a combination of brandy and strychnine, a nerve stimulant (Corelli, par. 1). Soviet weight lifters of the 1950’s discovered the benefits of steroids (Cowley and Brant, par. 4). The 1956 hammer-throw champion admitted to taking muscle-building steroids for the previous eight years (Corelli, par. 1). But when an autopsy found amphetamines in the blood of Danish cyclist Knut Enemark Jensen when he fell and fractured his skull, the I.O.C. had seen enough of drugs in sports.
The I.O.C. introduced testing in 1968 at the Mexico City Games and made it all-inclusive at Munich in 1972 (Corelli, par. 1). Even though the tests have been put in place, forty-four athletes since 1972 have still been caught at the Olympics.
Considering the fact that the Olympics are the most tested sporting event in the world, the situa…
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…ney.
Will The Games Be Clean? Not A Chance.” “Time.” 156.11 (11 Sept. 2000): 90 . Infotrac Web: Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale Group. 16 Oct. 2000 .
Corelli, Rae. “The Drug Detectives: Technological Wizardry Will Try To Keep The Olympics
Clean – But Is It Enough?” Maclean’s. 109.30 (22 July 1996): 28. InfoTrac Web: Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale Group. 16 Oct. 2000 .
Cowley, Geoffrey, and Martha Brant. “Doped To Perfection: Can Cheaters Be Stopped?”
Newsweek. 128.4 (22 July 1996): 31. Infotrac Web: Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale Group. 31 Oct. 2000 .
“Stoned On Ice.” The Economist. 306.7537 (13 Feb. 1988): 81(2). Infotrac Web: Expanded
Academic ASAP. Gale Group. 13 Oct. 2000 .
Pro Athletes and Violent Crimes
The competitive nature of today’s sports associations calls for athletes to be aggressive and forceful , both physically and mentally. This aggressive mentality stays with some athletes off the field, and may explain why so many athletes are committing violent crimes.
Society calls for athletes to give flawless performances in the stadiums and arenas. The fans have grown accustomed to high flying, hard hitting shows of athleticism and finesse, and oftentimes an athletes success gains them a elevated status in society with special privileges that you and I can only dream of. As there careers get bigger and bigger they fell that they should be shown a certain respect by fans when not on the field, and many athletes become angered when they feel that they’re status isn’t being respected, oftentimes leading to confrontation. So the question becomes whether or not the nature of today’s sports holds the explanation for the rising number of sports stars being convicted and accused of crimes.
The aggressive nature of the athletes who deal with the emotions brought about through the competition in violent sports, such as ,Football, Boxing, and Rugby lies within the conditions or circumstances which they were raised.
Aggression is defined as a form of animal behavior characterized by an assault or attack by one animal on another. In humans aggression is a learned behavior as opposed to an instinctual behavior, it is learned in childhood, and as one matures into an adult, these aggressive behaviors develop and become part of one’s personality traits.
Children learn aggressive behavior by watching others behave aggressively, and acting on or imitating those observed behaviors, such as a young child bullying another to get a…
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…ing violent crimes today, reaching from drug abuse, and stress to deep psychological issues , and although many sports organizations are setting up workshops an counselors to talk to the athletes about drug abuse and domestic violence issues, the responsibility lies within the athlete themselves to make a change for the better and get rid of the negative perceptions associated with today’s athletes .
Works Cited
“Aggression.” Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia.. 1998.
Bender, David, and Bruno Leone. Sports in America: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven press, 1994.
Brubaker, Bill. Violence follows some in football off field. Washington D.C: The Washington Post, Nov. 13, 1994.
Khon, Alfie. “No Win Situations”. Women’s sports and Fitness Magazine, July/August 1990.
Leo, John. “Phys Ed, or Self-Esteem?”. U.S. News