The steroid issue has been headline news for what seems like an eternity now and I have to admit, I am fed up. Steroid use across every sport has not only increased, but the coverage and media attention it is getting is out of hand. While reading through Sports Illustrated, I would much rather see an article about the unbelievable hitting of David Ortiz rather than yet another whiny article regarding Barry Bonds obvious steroid use. At this point, is there even a point? What does telling someone that one of their favorite athletes, not to mention of of the best in his sport uses steroids accomplish? For me, what is lost is respect for the entire sport as well as for the men on top, who are too interested in winning to play fair.

I have heard enough to be certain that steroids are found in every sport...there will always be people who are willing to get ahead by any means necessary. However, now that nobody who reads the news can be in denial anymore, why all the controversy? What every sport needs to do is make a black and white policy. While some sports, such as track and cycling have a no tolerance policy, the MLB and NFL constantly allow obvious use slide and are in control of the testing. If an athlete choses to cheat by any means, steroids included, he or she should not be able to compete...plain and simple. In every sport there should be mandatory testing which is administered not by the league, but by some organization which presides over every test. The drugs which are tested for should either be consistant throughought sports or specific to which drugs are most common in that sport. EVERY athlete needs to complete the test before he or she is allowed to compete. If you miss a test date you should not be able to play in a game or practice with the team until the test is completed and the athlete passes.

As much as I want to believe this is possible, we would need to be living in a utopia (or at least a world without corruption and greed in every major department, league or organization) for it to be at all possible for every athlete to be subjected to such "invasion". I believe that a no tolerance policy could eventually be administered across every sport, but until someone is actually going to do something about it, let me read about the game, not about what goes on in the locker room.