Drug Policies of the Four Major Sport Leagues Essay

Introduction The four major sport leagues in the United States consist of the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Hockey League (NHL). All of the leagues have some similarities in their implemented drug policies, such as the need for testing athletes. Although the policies have similarities, there are many differences within the leagues, as well. Drug testing in professional sports has increased, due to the rise of players using illegal substances and Major League Baseball currently has the best drug-testing program. Drug-testing programs have become very complex and have many unique legal aspects that these leagues must face. Policy Similarities There are†¦show more content†¦The NFL suspends its players without pay for any use of illegal substances based on the number of offenses and the suspensions are four games, eight games, and one full season suspension (Dolich, 2013). Each league has improved its policies in recent years, but the support for increased and better testing continues to grow. The MLB can require players to provide blood samples and the NFL had talks of taking blood samples during training camp in order to test for Human Growth Hormone (HGH), but the NBA and NHL have not applied these procedures in their programs (Calcaterra, 2013). Best Drug Policy The policies and procedures for drug testing within the four major sport leagues are changing rapidly, due to the rise of players using illegal substances. Major League Baseball currently has the best drug-testing program of the major sport leagues. Many of the substances athletes are taking can only be detected through blood testing. Major League Baseball is the only league that has fully executed blood testing to detect and deter those whom are using, or wish to use, HGH and other banned substances. Not only has Major League Baseball applied blood testing at the elite level, it has also implemented it in Minor League Baseball, as well (http://sports.espn.go.com). The league has taken a dominant stance on â€Å"stamping† out all banned substances and the penalties for an athlete testing positive are the most severe of anyShow MoreRelated Steriods in sports Essay1301 Words   |  6 Pages Steroids in Sports nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In my opinion, the initial reason a person starts to play any sport is to either to have fun or mainly to emulate their favorite sports figures. So many kids want to swing a bat like Barry Bonds, or rush the football like Jamal Lewis, or play soccer like Pelle’. When I was younger, I wanted to tackle like Lawrence Taylor. Since these children like to do what they see their role models do, what happens if they find out that their favorite person boostsRead MoreThe Use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Today1583 Words   |  6 Pages Performance enhancers are very prominent in professional sports today. A lot of players are facing suspensions and other penalties for using them. The sport that gets scrutinized the most for this is Baseball. Many former users in the MLB (or formally the NABBP) have come out saying that they were using these drugs while playing. Some of these players are Jorge Sosa, Antonio Bastardo, and the famous Alex Rodriguez. A lthough these drugs have been prohibited, players are still finding ways aroundRead More Steroid Use in Major League Baseball Essay example1596 Words   |  7 PagesSteroid Use in Major League Baseball Steroids are unhealthy for baseball players and they are giving the game of baseball a bad reputation. Since steroids have become such a hot topic in Major League Baseball (MLB) fans have had nothing but bad things to say about the sport and its players. When sports illustrated asked some of its readers to give reaction to the steroid controversy in the MLB here is what baseball fan Howard Langsner from New York had to say Horrible, just horrible. We takeRead MoreThe Effects Of Steroids And The Impact On Athletes974 Words   |  4 PagesFor my supporting article, I will be researching the drug abuse in sports. There are numerous aspects within this topic, some of which will be highlighted within my research. Firstly, I have chosen to write about steroids and the impact they have on athletes. I decided to choose this topic as I consider myself an athletic person and believe this is a perfect subject for me. I found a lot of my information on the topic from www.health.ny.gov/publications/1210 which has helped with my research.Read MoreEssay on Steroids Effects on baseball and the Players1441 Words   |  6 Pages Steroids have taken over the game of baseball and more players are starting to get involved with them. Steroids are a big part of the Major League today in 2014, yet they entered the game of baseball through trainer Curtis Wenzlaff in 1992. Players and the game’s images are ravaged when they become caught up in steroids. Some of the best players to ever play the game of baseball have been caught up in steroids, including Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire. Players with this level of skillRead MoreEssay on Steroids in Baseball1012 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Today in the United States, millions and millions of kids, teens, and a dults watch and play in the sport of baseball. It is probably the number one sport looked upon and what is happening to it is a bit discouraging. Players have started â€Å"cheating† by using steroids to help them play stronger and better. They are in league where you have to be the best at what you do to play, and if your using drugs to cheat your way in, then it ruins the ethics of the game of baseball. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;BaseballRead MoreThe Impact of Steroid Allegations on Sports Heroes and Their Fans1037 Words   |  4 Pagesat any other time in the history of professional sports, todays contemporary sports climate provides an intimacy of details about the usage of steroids and performance enhancing drugs for some of the worlds most popular athletes. Whereas once the uncovering of an athletes illicit use of such substances was shocking and anomalous, contemporary stories of steroid use are fairly routine and even commonplace in certain sports, such as Major League Baseball. Allegations levied against athletes likeRead MoreSteroids : Steroids And Steroids1425 Words   |  6 Pagesalso happening in the Minor Leagues. The entire sport of baseball has been infected by the virus of performance enhancing drugs. The definition of steroids is a synthetic steroid hormone that resembles testosterone in promoting the growth of muscle. Such hormones are used medicinally to treat so me forms of weight loss and (illegally) by some athletes and others to enhance physical performance (Dictionary). â€Å"The Steroid Era† refers to a period of time in Major League Baseball when a number of playersRead MoreSteroids : Steroids And Steroids1162 Words   |  5 PagesThere something about Baseball that is just astonishing. Most people in the world have grown up baseball in their life, and families share the love for the sport throughout generations. However, there are also people that overlook baseball because of one thing: steroids. The Steroid Era has caused a lot of problems with baseball; it has hurt it so much to this current day. Since the steroid era started, there was a huge boost from the offensive side. Everyone who had a love for baseball enjoyed theRead MoreIs Punishment A Major League Baseball?3332 Words   |  14 PagesTo what extent has punishment in Major League Baseball since the Chicago Black Sox scandal in the 1919 World Series? Extended Essay in History Word count: 3073 Richard Moseley Moseley Abstract To what extent has punishment in Major League Baseball since the Chicago Black Sox scandal in the 1919 World Series? This investigation was done through numerous baseball reference websites, with ESPN being the primary source for the more current scandals such as Biogenesis. This investigation