Whenever we discuss drug cheats on the Green Zone, somebody sends us a note saying, “Who cares? They’re athletes. They should be allowed to put anything they want into their bodies.”
Fortunately, most athletes don’t think the same way.
When Ottawa Redblacks long snapper Louis-Philippe Bourassa was suspended two CFL games upon testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, Winnipeg Blue Bombers safety Jeff Hecht chided him on social media for being “lazy” and trying “to buy an edge.” Every athlete should know what drugs are illegal, Hecht said.
At the world swimming championships in South Korea, fellow medalists have refused to get on the podium when China’s Sun Yang was receiving gold medals. They’re upset Sun hasn’t been disciplined for recently destroying one of his doping samples, a rules contravention that warrants a suspension.
Of course, Lance Armstrong used to berate cyclists who were doping before he finally got caught cheating in his drug-addled sport’s biggest scandal. But the message remains: Using PEDs is cheating. And the athletes know it.