While growing up, children usually try to find a hero in society or a fictional character to idolize. Children sometimes tend to idolize popular sports athletes. Sports athletes are regarded highly in American society for their performances in their respected sports. The high recognition of athletes can sometimes be a cause or be effected by drugs. The use of drugs plays a role in the sports world by either shaping an image or putting pressure on an athlete to perform at a higher level. The use of drugs in American sports has been profound since the 1950s. The spike on the use of drugs came when the Americans discovered during the “1954 Olympics that the Soviet Union weightlifting team was using anabolic steroids” (Scott 2013). The Americans…show more content… During an episode of “A Football Life: Jimmy Smith and Kennan McCardell”, Jimmy Smith went over his burden of drugs during his time as a Dallas Cowboy from 1992 to 1994. Smith said that during the teams Super Bowl runs they were susceptible to many drugs and he took advantage of them. The drug addiction carried with him throughout his career and was even suspended for four games in 2003. He retired from the NFL in 2006 and his drug abuse effected his life outside of the game which led to multiple drug charges and is now on house arrest. When people look back on his career, they won’t remember the Super Bowl runs or all the achievements he got in the NFL but the way he fell off in societies eyes from drugs. Jimmy Smith was able to be rehabilitated on his drug abuse, but some athletes don’t get a second chance. Terrence Kiel didn’t receive a second chance when he was addicted to codeine and died in a “car crash going home from a party in 2008” (Tabone 2010). Kiel was known for over using cough syrup as well as…show more content… Dwight Gooden was a part of the New York Mets in 1988 as a pitcher and the team made it to the World Series. Gooden didn’t perform well and the team lost to the Dodgers. After the 1988 season, Gooden turned to cocaine from his poor performance and reactions he was receiving from the people. Gooden began to binge on cocaine and was a problem throughout his life. Lance Armstrong didn’t dwell from his performance, but he was caught doping during his career. Lance Armstrong was beloved by the people for fighting the odds with his metastatic testicular cancer, but after he was caught using performance enhancing drugs the sponsorships left him as well as his supporters.
The effect of drugs on sports athletes does more harm than good for their image on society. The athletes start at nothing and then when they overachieve they are loved by the masses, but it takes one misstep for their whole role model persona to come crashing down. The problem with drugs in sports is it leaves the game tainted but at the same time it makes it more appealing to people. Athletes can be pressured whether its monetary, internal, or external to enhance their performance for the right
