Satisfying a new crowd

For athletes, one question is always on their mind, "How can I get one up on my competition?"

Some athletes answer this question by training hard in the weight room or by studying their opponents via film. They work hard for the experience and earn whatever outcome falls into their hands.

Other athletes, whom I consider "boneheads," on the other hand, take steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs instead of putting in the hard work necessary to become a better athlete.

Each professional league has its own drug policy, which prohibits the types of supplements athletes can use; however, there is one drug that is not on any list, which is slowly creeping its way into the sports world.

Viagra.

Yes, the little blue pill that was created to "help get it up" is now being used by athletes to enhance other bodily functions.

According to the New York Daily News, studies have shown that Viagra has three benefits to athlete. It helps build endurance, deliver oxygen to muscles and also counteracts the impotence that is generally associated with testosterone injection side effects.

So who is taking it? According to BALCO founder Victor Conte, all of the athletes he supplied, such as Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, Marion Jones and Roger Clemens, have either used Viagra or the over-the-counter equivalent.

What else do these athletes have in common? They all have either admitted to or allegedly used steroids.

Viagra use has not just been limited to athletes. According to Dan Toomey, a spokesman for the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, three racehorses have tested positive for Viagra since 2000.

The problem with taking Viagra or any other performance drug is that it sends a message to everyone that hard work and dedication is no longer enough to be successful in sports. How many times have you heard a coach tell his or her players that they can be the next Roger Clemens or Marion Jones if they put in the effort?

Instead, coaches should tell them the truth. You can be like these athletes with hard work and a daily Viagra intake!

When I played high school football, I often tried to compare myself to NFL offensive linemen to see if playing at the national level was a realistic possibility for me. I noticed that I was the same height and weight as most of them, but there was one thing that separated us: their huge muscles.

I would work out and get frustrated because I didn't see the results quickly enough. I often joked around and said, "I'm going to take steroids and my life will be straight." Obviously I was kidding, but I knew that this very idea is floating around in the minds of high school athletes everywhere.

It used to be the case that athletes were role models and they accepted that responsibility. Now, performance-enhancing drugs are tainting the reputation of the athletes that we grown to love and admire.

Athletes like Roger Clemens do wonderful things for their community and they maybe genuinely good people but he from now on will be known for his questionable drug use.