MARK CUBAN ENDORSES "SAFE" STEROID USE -- FINALLY SOME COMMON SENSE!

FINALLY someone with the kahonas to say what is obvious.\

(Are you listening Sportswriters?)

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says steroids could have a useful place in sports as long as they are administered under a doctor's supervision and can help athletes recover from injuries with no risk of long-term health effects.  Cuban, speaking at a University of Pittsburgh forum on Tuesday, addressed the topic when asked about it.  "We do performance-enhancing things all the time, just not steroids," Cuban added. "If you administer them properly and fairly and set the rules strictly, as long as in doing so we recognize there are no negative long-term health-impact issues…  If somebody thinks it's controversial, fine.  To me, it's just common sense. I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids.' "

is he right?

If you or I get into ANY fall/collision like NFL players endure on EVERY PLAY "we" all are immediately given steroids as STANDARD recovery from such trauma to help us heal. (Even our DOGS get steroids from a vet!)  Yet, because of the "its cheating" rhetoric, ONLY these guys are sacrificed to HAVE TO take punishment NO human body can endure on a consistent basis. But we can't let them take steroids because it helps "enhance their performance" - right?

BUT, Realistically, aren't OTHER medical advancements ALSO a form of "performance enhancement?"   Example:  If anyone saw Gale Sayers play, many agree that NO ONE EVER ran like THAT. But he blew his knee out in a few short years; some say BEFORE he even hit his peak.  In the end, the "fishing line" knee repair surgery of the '70's left him HALF a knee, and he was never close to the same.  Yet with modern knee reconstruction today's players come back with a STRONGER knee - some even FASTER!

So, then would it be right to prohibit today's players from modern surgery so that it doesn't "taint" the "integrity" for them to compete with Sayers record "on an even plane?"  For THAT we say "no, it's not the same."  Yet, we readily accept the fact that yesterday and today can NEVER realistically be equally compared. Whether its modern tennis racquets allowing harder hits; graphite golf clubs; NASA inspired track shoes; swimming suits and weightlifter garb that literally "help nature."

Why don't we just call it what it is - PROGRESS.