beating up on ourselves...

[jhc68]

Does it seem to you folks that we beat up on ourselves a lot in the world of track and field vis-a-vis drug testing?

What I mean is that we continue to try to catch drug enhanced performers and when we are successful the result is horrendous negative pr for the sport rather than congratulations for keeping after the cheaters. Granted there is too much forgiveness and too much swept under the carpet by track authorities, but is there any other sport where standards are as high and testing is as extensive?

Does anyone doubt that several other professional sports are at least as contaminated but avoid negative fallout simply by not testing at all or (as in power lifting) simply acknowledging drug use and creating separate categories for clean and juiced up athletes?

Maybe instead of wringing our hands at how many major athletes we catch, we ought to be applauding our own efforts at reform and appreciating clean performances.

[Guest]

There's an old aphorism which says that if you went to a sausage-making plant and saw what went into it you'd never eat another sausage again.

I get a feeling that modern sports is pretty much like that, so I just sit back, squirt a lot of mustard on the sausage to kill any bad taste that might be lingering and enjoy it.

[Guest]

Is that why the sport is so full of weenies?