Charles P. Pierce writes in Slate about the media obsession with steroids. My position is evolving on this. On one hand, I'm concerned about illegal drug use. On the other, steriods are a lot less harmful than alcohol or crack, especially if used properly. By penalizing steriod use, it's pushed underground, and trainers, rather than doctors are administering the drugs. Do they know the proper dose? More importantly, do they know how to bring the players off the drug properly? My late mother took steriods to help her breathe during asthma attacks. She did not react well to them, but once she started taking them she had to be brought off of them very slowly to prevent an even worse reaction. I'm afraid abusers take doses that are too large and do not come off them properly.

It could very well be that used properly, steriods are a good way to maintain and build strength. It could very well be that players who use an off-season regimen of steriods and strength training are better hitters and better pitchers, and that the short time period of exposure does not cause long term health problems. And with new drugs being developed all the time, steriods are probably going to get safer to use. So my position is becoming, why not let players who want to use steriods under a doctor's care for a short time period during the off-season? It has to be better and safer than what's going on now.

(Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for the link.)