After yesterday’s post, I’ve had a chance to read a little more and think about the issue. This is so obviously a free market issue to me. If baseball fans demand a clean up, we’ll have one. Frankly, I don’t think many of the baseball fans that are left really care one way or the other.
HungryMother brought up health issues in yesterday’s comments. Admittedly, a health issues exist, but are the health issues of baseball players a concern of Congress? Should Congress also step in and do something about the years shaved off of pro football players’ lives? Average life expectancy for football player is 55 years, and only 52 years for linemen, according to this article, and the NFL has arguably the most stringent drug policy of all the professional leagues in the U.S. Consider boxing and stock car racing.
Should Congress investigate every time someone’s chosen occupation is a risk to their life and health?
People make personal choices, some of which shorten their lives. Athletes are people too. Some choose to use steroids and risk their health and lives in doing so. Others choose to participate in a sport that takes years off their life by itself. How much resolution to we really need in federal regulation and oversight?
By the way, you might want to read this: http://austrianeconomists.typepad.com/weblog/2007/12/naming-names.html
I also worry that when my two grandsons are ready to play high school football, will they have to juice to make the team? I agree with letting adults decide whether they want to take drugs or not, but when peer or coach pressure is forcing kids to make bad decisions, then I want someone to step in. The local school board or the state athletic association would probably be the best “someone.”