Skillz or Pharm?
It's an age old debate: which of the two contributes more to superstardom in sports, skills or pharmaceutical interventions?
Many atheletes are found to take performance-enhancing drugs (very evident in cycling). But in the case of Barry Bonds, how much improvement is the drug adding to his baseball skills? I read that supposedly that some drugs can enhance vision acuity, reaction time, and of course, muscle power (at a heavy cost, no less). But hitting a baseball coming at 90mph that has lateral to vertical movements requires the skills. Abilities required for each sport are different. Would steriods help a NBA star shoot better, pass better, rebound better, steal better, or even, jump higher? Would a blood transfusion enhance the batting or fielding ability of a MLB player on game day?
In this advance age of technology, custom-designed drugs are just a step away, if not already available to the priviledged few. Many argue that Barry Bonds already had great skills, and most likely, the pharmaceutical enhancements gave him an edge over the competition. After all, that's what you really need to win, an edge. But I think regardless of having an edge, one must have the skills and the determination.
I have read many sport columnists over the past few days and the consensus is this: you don't have to like what Bonds did, but you have to give him his due.
After all, he is causing changes in the sports, for better or worse.
It's an age old debate: which of the two contributes more to superstardom in sports, skills or pharmaceutical interventions?
Many atheletes are found to take performance-enhancing drugs (very evident in cycling). But in the case of Barry Bonds, how much improvement is the drug adding to his baseball skills? I read that supposedly that some drugs can enhance vision acuity, reaction time, and of course, muscle power (at a heavy cost, no less). But hitting a baseball coming at 90mph that has lateral to vertical movements requires the skills. Abilities required for each sport are different. Would steriods help a NBA star shoot better, pass better, rebound better, steal better, or even, jump higher? Would a blood transfusion enhance the batting or fielding ability of a MLB player on game day?
In this advance age of technology, custom-designed drugs are just a step away, if not already available to the priviledged few. Many argue that Barry Bonds already had great skills, and most likely, the pharmaceutical enhancements gave him an edge over the competition. After all, that's what you really need to win, an edge. But I think regardless of having an edge, one must have the skills and the determination.
I have read many sport columnists over the past few days and the consensus is this: you don't have to like what Bonds did, but you have to give him his due.
After all, he is causing changes in the sports, for better or worse.
