The Spector of Drugs in Sports: the NFL, Jason Taylor and Shaun Merriman

Evening everyone! I was about to head out to the gym and then blow some extra Christmas money and a Target gift card, I am going to post a non-baseball related item, but on a topic that will probably never go away as long as there are multi-million dollar contracts, agents, and the pursuit of glory and winning.

The issue of the steroids & ethics in sports.

Today's focus: Shaun Merriman. I don't like criticizing athletes, especially ones from my alma mater, the University of Maryland, but I must because someone has to.

Reading ESPN.com this evening, I read this article just now from the AP (Associated Press). Apparantly, Jason Taylor, a defensive end for the Miami Dolphins is not happy that Shaun Merriman, another defensive end got chosen over he to be in the Pro Bowl. In the middle of the season, Merriman served a 4 game suspension for being caught under the NFL's substance abuse policy, and got busted for a tainted supplement.

Jason Taylor asserts:

"You really shouldn't be able to fail a test like that and play in this league, to begin with," Taylor said Wednesday. "To make the Pro Bowl and all the other awards, I think you're walking a fine line of sending the wrong message."

Merriman, who plays outside linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, has denied he's a steroid cheat and blamed his positive test on a tainted supplement.

"A performance-enhancing drug is, obviously, what it is," Taylor said. "You enhance your performance by doing that. You fail that test, I think it's not right. It's against the rules and ultimately I think it's sending the wrong message to the youth in America and the people who look at this game not only as entertainment but also to learn lessons from it."

I don't like to play the role of the moral advocate, but in this case I will. Although being chosen for the NFL Pro Bowl is a honor and I'm sure Merriman will benefit financially, Taylor is right. With the millions at stake with contracts, endorsements and in a place as cuthroat as the NFL, there needs to be valor in performance and when a player is caught cheating, they have destroyed the integrity of a sport.

I really don't care about multimillionaires, or a fringe athlete who want to put their future at stake for a trophy and more money, or some recreational gym rat or bodybuilder who wants to look better, but it instills a "cheat to win" mentality and tricks those who are impressionable - kids and teens. Most that use performance enhancing drugs know that it will get you ahead no matter what the consequences may be 10, 15, 20 years down the road. However, most don't know what to when athletic or legal ramifications that may come about if they were ever exposed to be doing them.

The reality is that performance enhancing drugs do work, and people, no matter education or class will take a shortcut to win or get ahead. Rules are the rules, and Merriman broke them, no matter if he was responsible or not. In fact, I believe a man with his resources should know what he puts into his body at all times.

In the end, I sometimes feel this whole drug debate doesn't matter. MLB broke attendance records in spite of the talk and received record revenue, the NFL is just as profitable as ever, and we all still pay top dollar for a ticket and will go to ends of the earth for an autograph. Performance matters, and we all heap praise on the person who hits the most homers, hits the hardest and runs the fastest. Do we honestly care if they use drugs or not?

Take a look at Jason Giambi? Everything with him has turned back to normal, as he got booed, struggled and then started to perform again? Does it matter he was lumped in with the BALCO investigation?

In the end, even though cheats are exposed, and with the exception of athletes like Floyd Landis and Justin Gatlin, does anyone really get punished and pay for it dearly - I don't mean suspended or shamed in the media, but in terms of their lifestyle?

Do athletes lose their money? Do owners of sports teams, and corporate sponsors stop and become moral?

To be honest, does it really matter and will sports ever be clean? In the end, we honor and in a lot of instances reward bad behavior in all areas of our society, so does it matter that someone got caught using drugs?

Honestly, no.