with all the reports in the news about the latest baseball star getting caught taking steroids, it has made me stop and think a little deeper on the situation. why do these major leaguer take these "banned substances"? should it they be punished or pardoned? thought like these have been rattling around in my head lately and i just need to get some thought out in the open. first i want to come right out and say that i do not agree with taking any performance enhancing drug. i feel that if your are not as talented as the guy your competing with then you shouldn't try to take a pill or inject yourself just to give you an advantage; but i also believe in the motto "if your not cheating then your not trying". This topic has begun to conflict my to beliefs because some would say that these players must live with the side effect of these drugs and if they want to shorten their lifes for a few years of fame then by all means let them. personally this whole steriod era has become an major motivator for me to become bigger and better on my own with no assistance from any performance enhancing drug just to prove to these people that happen to take these drugs that its possible to accomplish the thing you want to without putting your body at risk ...