By comparison, only 3 games have been missed by Pittsburgh Steelers players due to suspension, while the Indianapolis Colts dwarf that number with 54 games missed. Meanwhile, in the NFL, teams vary widely in the amount of drug-related suspensions enforced by the team. For first offenses, the Commissioner’s Office often keeps the substance involved undisclosed, putting the onus on the player to withhold or share that information with fans. Under Section 5.C of the MLB’s drug policy, the Commissioner’s Office may issue a statement announcing the suspension of a player that includes the length of the suspension and the specific substances(s) and the category of prohibited substance that the player tested positive for or used, possessed, sold, or distributed. Notice that roughly half of these suspensions are attributed to “undisclosed” substances. Of the 47 suspensions, 12 were for a mere ten days, while 19 were for 50 games only three were for 100 games or more. In Major League Baseball, 47 players have been suspended for using banned substances (including steroids, HGH, testosterone, and amphetamines) since 2005, with penalties ranging from ten-day suspensions to 162 games (or the entire regular season) in the case of famed infielder Alex Rodriguez. In 2005, Major League Baseball introduced a new, stricter drug policy that significantly increased the severity of penalties for steroid and amphetamine use, signaling the end of the so-called “steroid era.” In order to accurately judge the prevalence of drug use in sports, the graphics below use this new policy as a benchmark date and summarizes ten years’ worth of suspension data across the National Football League and Major League Baseball, which have much higher incidence rates than any other sports. It begs the question - are athletes who use PEDs slackers looking for an easy edge that can lead to extra money, or, are they simply rational gamblers? How Prevalent is Drug Use in Sports? But to come to terms with a risk, athletes need to evaluate not only the upside and the downside, but also their probability of being caught. It can make a super athlete incredible.” Ultimately, for certain athletes using performance enhancing drugs is a calculated risk. As Jose Canseco said, “I don’t recommend steroids for everyone…but for certain individuals, I truly believe, because I’ve experimented with it for so many years, that it can make an average athlete a super athlete. The upside of PED use, especially in the short term, could literally be a multi-million dollar windfall, whether it’s making a roster, or signing a huge contract.
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For sports fans, it’s often an impossible thing to understand why would a professional athlete with millions of dollars on the line risk using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? It’s seen all too often these days: the meteoric rise of an athletic superstar, with fans that marvel at his strength, quickness and agility - and then, in an instant, the accusations of drug abuse and the subsequent investigations, probations, suspensions, and even permanent bans from the sport bring that rise to a screeching halt. Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports | Northwestern SPS.Learn more about the School of Professional Studies. Resources for Instructors Go to faculty page Information for Current Studentsįind out what your classmates are up to and how you can stay involved with Northwestern. Information for Prospective StudentsĪccess the tools and information you need for success at Northwestern. Learn more about the exceptional learning opportunities at SPS.