Marvin Barnes reveals he torched what could have been a promising pro basketball career by using and dealing drugs. After going broke, being homeless, spending about 7 years in prison at various times, working the rotating door at drug rehab clinics, he “slipped” in 2007 and was busted on a cocaine charge. One year of probation served, deeming himself clean and sober, now telling his story to anyone who cares to listen at a major Internet sports site.
Marion Jones became one of the best track stars in the world by combining natural talent, years of training, doping up with steroids and lying through her teeth with the ease of any good con artist. She lied bald-faced to anyone who would listen for more than eight years about her drug use, then cried about it after being nailed by her sport and the Feds.
Former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield dodged major prison time in 2009 by cutting a plea deal with the Feds to reveal all he knew about steroid and related drug use in the locker room. Stubblefield was backing up a 2006 interview where he noted about 30% of his fellow player were dipping into human growth hormone and other substances.
This is, as the saying goes, merely a tip of the iceberg when it comes to drug use in sports. Often the end result is the crash of a promising or long career for many who could barely pass a driving test or know where to sign their tax returns. They are coddled and shielded by so-called friends, family, and leagues themselves. A fair percentage eventually let off the hook by their chosen sport, the fans, and in time the media.
This is nothing new, of course, going back almost three decades and likely many more.
All of which brings up a difficult question.
Why should we care?
I’m not trying to be flippant here about breaking the rules of both society and organized sport. And I am not downplaying nor ignoring the dangers of drug use.
The World Health Organization finds that the United States has the highest level of illegal drug use on the planet. More than 42% of our friends and neighbors use marijuana. Cocaine remains the second most popular illegal drug here in the States, and we remain the world’s largest consumer of nose candy.
Despite the best, and often misguided, efforts of lawmakers, clergy, federal and local governments and various TV reality shows making a buck off the personal destruction of addicts and their families, almost 700 metric tons of cocaine made the trip from South America to the U.S. and are eagerly snorted up. Quite often by what many would call respectable members of society and those we foolishly call “role models” in sports and other high profile celebrity gigs.
And steroids are a lot easier to get than coke. I can drop the addresses of more than two dozen web sites where anyone of any age can have “top grade pharmaceutical anabolic steroids” shipped directly to your home. “The clear”, “the cream”, testosterone, dianabol, pituitary growth hormone, you name it. And with the use of steroids and such painfully damaging supplements still on the rise in high schools, gyms and pro sports locker rooms, no amount of Federal government intervention or investigation has notably and convincingly stemmed their tide.
To the rest of the world, we are a drugged-out, coked up, toking, pill popping addicted culture which learns absolutely nothing from premature drug deaths, long periods of incarceration, and continued cheering of our sports heroes while knowing a good number of them have not only dabbled but made a regular part of their lives the use of almost anything illegal and, to more than a few, immoral.
I don’t and never have believed in holding up athletes as “role models”. It’s inherently flawed and fraught with the danger of belittling the accomplishments and efforts of those who should be the real role models in life. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, teachers, you get the idea.
And while I’m certain more than a few critics of my stand would point out how necessary and valuable it is to bring these famous transgressions to light in combating the still-growing tide of drug use and abuse in this country by both kids and adults, the numbers reveal otherwise.
I’m not saying we should give up fighting the battle. It’s more than necessary. It’s the task of every thinking human being to do something about it from his or her own level of influence.
Contrast that with stories such as those noted earlier. Of wealthy spoiled morons making their own decisions to become addicts and ruin their lives while openly flaunting their deceit and laughing it about until caught and publicly shamed. Weeping tears of angst and nailing down their final 15 minutes of fame to tell the truth only after public humiliation. The media lapping up yet another story about famous athletic drug addicts while failing to address and attack the problem at the root.
The time has come to stop caring about these liars, cheats and frauds. Refuse to give them another second past their 15 minutes of fame. To treat them with the utter disdain and contempt with which they treated their lives, their talent, and the well-meaning people around them who sought only to help.
And yes, many who read this will say I'm doing exactly what I'm railing against. Giving these liars the attention they so desperately crave.
Indeed. But only to make this final firm and unwavering point.
My well of sympathy has run dry for those who continually seek to tap into forgiveness.
Over. And over. And over again.
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