Competing vs Cheating

Tom Brady leading the game winning drive in the Super Bowl. Michael Jordan pulling up for the 17-foot jumper to win the NBA title. Kirk Gibson limping off the bench in the 9th inning to hit a back door slider for a home run to win a World Series game. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Joe Montana, they all have one thing in common. They all love to compete. They live for competition. They want the ball in their hands when the game is on the line, when the final outcome is still in doubt. They thrive in that moment. They believe in themselves and their ability to win the day when the pressure is on.

But then, there are athletes like Lance Armstrong with his 7 Tour de France “wins”, and Barry Bonds with his 762 Home Runs, and Roger Clemens with his 354 wins, and many of the pitchers who throw 100 mph fastballs these days. They also have one thing in common, they don’t want to compete. They need a rigged game. Whether it’s injecting illegal substances into their bodies, or placing illegal substances on the baseball, they all rely on creating unfair, illegal advantages, so their success in rarely in doubt. They know if they competed on a level playing field, they would lose, so they turn to PEDs, HGH, steroids, EPO, or “stickum” to create an unfair advantage to ensure their victory.