Monday, March 29, 2010

RJA #9 b Argument

Should We Accept the Use of Steroids in Sports by Adults?

There is proof that the health risks are high for those who use steroids and that the longer you use them the higher the risk is. The risk along with the ethical questions of right and wrong about the advantage that athletes get over those not choosing to use steroids is enough reason to not accept steroid use by adults in sports. This drug use should not be the norm. The use of performance enhancing drugs should not be given as an example to younger athletes as the right thing to do. Therefore: The use of steroids by adults in sports should not be accepted. Athletes need to be tested more often and have stronger punishment for using performance enhancing drugs. This statement will be denied by some who say that the risk of taking the drugs is less than the risk of actually doing the sport itself. They will bypass the ethical problem by saying you are not going to stop it so we need to accept its use. They will further say that it is not cheating but the right of an adult to use drugs to enhance their skills just like others use drugs to enhance their beauty or their personalities. However I believe that the evidence given by people with proper authority to provide it will show that this is not the case.

RJA #9 c Presentation Plan

Should We Accept the Use of Steroids in Sports by Adults?

I. Athletes who use steroids are breaking the rules.

A. Athletes know the rules ahead of time they are not without that knowledge.

B. Athletes know the consequences of breaking the rules

II. Athletes who use steroids are getting an unfair edge

A. Define sports and what the word sports implies

1. Sport is comparing apples to apples not apples to oranges

2. The orange is juicy and sweet a bright color (steroids are easy and appealing)

3. The apple is appealing but harder to bite into (it takes more work to get ahead in sports without the drugs they are the easy way out)

B. Show examples of athletes later testing positive that beat out other athletes

1. Olympic examples

2. Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis

3. Personal examples

4. High School Wrestlers I have seen

III. Athletes who use steroids are endangering their health

A. Health risks that have been touted in articles and other news and information arenas

1. Doctors

2. By those who have taken the drugs

B. Personal interview or summary of an interview of a person who has taken steroids

1. Bruce (has cancer had strokes and his brother died both on steroids heavy use)

2. Article from sport magazine about someone who has taken steroids

IV. Athletes who use steroids are setting the wrong example for young athletes

A. They see the results without the risks

B. They see their peers on steroids excelling while they are struggling

V. Athletes should be allowed to use steroids and we should change the rules

A. The rules are made to lessen the danger yet the sport itself is more dangerous than the taking of the drugs.

1. More deaths of players from participating than can be proven from steroid use

2. How many famous athletes have died from steroid use

B. The rules are made to make society happy that sports is kept pure but all sports are plagued with problems with ethics we should be more honest.

VI. Athletes should be allowed to use steroids because the health risks have been exaggerated

A. Facts about the health risks from doctors and others who think it is ok to take steroids

B. Number of articles against versus those published for due to health risks they believe are many

VII. Athletes should be allowed to use steroids like other adults use drugs for depression, appetite control, beauty enhancement, etc… it should be their choice.

A. Over 18 with the ability to decide

B. Could mean the difference in their lifestyle for years to come

VIII. Athletes will not stop using drugs they will find new ways to hide the use so we should accept that and go on

A. Those that manufacture the drugs are one step ahead of the testing ability

B. It may be more dangerous to the athletes if they have to come up with more and more new chemicals in order to hide the use at least we know what the current chemicals are and what their possible side effects could be

IX. Athletes should not be punished more than they are now it is strong enough

A. The athlete already looses scholarships, sponsorships, etc…

B. If jail time was added then it would have to be added for using weed, or other drugs that currently the athletes get help with and can still play their sport

X. The risk of using drugs and the example it sets is ethically wrong and should be punished in order for the use to not be the norm but the exception by a cheater.

A. The above arguments will show that the risks are many

B. The above arguments will show that it is an ethics question and if based on good ethics it is wrong

C. The above arguments will show that the example that adult athletes set is followed by younger athletes and this is not what we as a society should let young people think is the acceptable behavior.

RJA # 9 a Thesis Statement

Research Question

Why should steroids not be allowed in professional sports? What makes steroids so beneficial and harmful?

Claim

Steroids should not be allowed in any aspect of sports, especially professional sports because of the edge it gives you. Steroids should not be used because after using them there is many health issues that follow.

Reasons

1. Steroids is not a safe way to exceed in sports, due to the regulations and laws against steroids in sports.

2. Steroids are used by people trying to get an edge on everyone else, this is the fastest way of cheating others and your own health.

3. The health issues that come with steroids are tremendous, and very dangerous to the human body.

4. There needs to be more testing and laws against steroids in sports, and a severe punishment on the users.

Thesis Statement

The use of steroids by adults in sports should not be accepted. Athletes need to be tested more often and have stronger punishment for using performance enhancing drugs.

Monday, March 15, 2010

RJA # 8 Evaluation check

http://melindaatmetro.blogspot.com/2010/03/rja-7a-evaluation-of-sources.html#comment-form

http://carolpilk.blogspot.com/2010/03/rja-7a-evaluation-of-sources_2269.html#comment-form

RJA # 8

"Absolutely," he said. "I truly believe so. I was given this gift by the man upstairs. My track record as far as hitting home runs ... my first at-bat in the league was a home run. They still talk about the home runs I hit in high school. They still talk about the home runs I hit in [American] Legion. They still talk about the home runs I hit in college [USC] -- I led the nation in home runs. They still talk about the home runs I hit in the Minor. This was all before the steroids but all I am seen as now is that cheater.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=7900244&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_mlb&ymd=20100111

People have many excuses for why they use steroids. Many say they did not know they were using it, others said that they did not think they were illegal, and last alot of people say they use it for health reasons."I did it [for] health purposes," (McGwire), this is the lamest excuse I have ever heard. I would rather hear him say that he just did it. This just astonishes me that he could risk his hall of fame just so he could play for a couple more seasons.

Mark McGwire was gifted since he was born to hit home runs. He proved that his whole life through by playing baseball and standing out as a elite player. McGwire home runs are still talked about to this day, in his high school, college, and the minors. McGwire is saying he is not a cheater cause all those home runs being talked about were before he ever used steroids.

The subject I picked for RJA # 8 is about Mark McGwire talking about his side of the steroids. He talks about how he did it for health reasons and that he was just as good at hitting home runs and playing baseball without steroids. He is in a interview with Bob Costas on HBO. He says even without the steroids he is still talked about for his legendary baseball skills in High school, college, and Steroids. I used this part because in my paper I am wanting to add the side of the athletes and their views and why they used steroids. I also want to add in a part of the excuses that athletes and other people use to try and make their image look better.

Monday, March 8, 2010

RJA #7 b. Comments

http://melindaatmetro.blogspot.com/2010/02/rja-6c-field-research-options.html#comment-form

http://carolpilk.blogspot.com/2010/02/rja-6c.html#comment-form

RJA # 7 a. Evaluation of Sources

Reference Article

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid

This is a reference article from wikipedia that i got off of my Zakata guide I made over steroids. The url is above and the information given is the information I already know. I like this reference because the bibliographic citations are from a well respected site, that site being wikipedia. The reading part of the evaluation is very helpful and gives the base information about steroids and what they are. This is a internet version of information easier to explore than a book that limits you to just whats in the book. I trust this internet sources. This is the evaluation of the reference article from my zakata guide.

Book

http://www.amazon.com/Game-Shadows-Steroids-Scandal-Professional/dp/1592402682

This is the evaluation of the book I found off of the Zakata guide. The books title is "The Game of Shadows", the author is Lance Williams. The keywords or key subjects of the book is about the steroids in professional sports, talking alot about barry bonds and roger clemens stories. I have not got a chance to read the whole thing but I do find the information in the book very helpful to my information. The information is very relevant too what I was looking for. This is the evaluation of the book source from my zakata guide.

Periodical Articles

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20050316/why-steroids-are-bad-for-you

This is my evaluation of a periodical article, this article is over why steroids are not healthy for you and what side effects could harm you. The title of the article is "Why are steroids bad for you", the article is on the web md website. This site is very well known and well respected. Th articles author is Daniel J. DeNoon. This gives me alot of information about what makes steroids so bad for you. This information is very relevant to my research subject. This is the evaluation of the periodicals article found off of my zakata guide.

Website

http://www.isteroids.com/

This is the evaluation of my web site I chose isteroids because it is loaded with information about steroids and many different areas of steroids. These areas going from the health issues, sports, why/when/how, it just has alot of inputs from actual people. It offers a class for information over steroids, this is the best web site that gives the most relevant information about my subject. I am very happy that zakata found this site because I really will use it a lot in my research.

ZAKATA Guide

http://zakta.com/zakta/view_1_1121_3039_steroids#sendtofriend_form_anchor

In the zakata guide I added two sections into the many of my sections. The ones i added were the steroids in professional sports, and penalties that come with steroids. In both of those sections I added two or three url sites over the information covering my two sections.

Monday, March 1, 2010

RJA #6 c. Field Research options

Online videos is going to be a big use for me to get a lot of information from websites like espn.com and sportscenter.com. There are many sites of various doctors that will be a big help with pictures and videos about performance enhancing drugs.

I want to do my field research through a interview either with a ex user or a specialty doctor about the benefits, risks, personal beliefs, harmful effects, stories of insights about personal life, and also external life. I do not have a name and will be further investigating to find the right person to interview.

I want to find a blogging site with insight of information I do not know about steroids. I am still trying to find the best blog site for the most information. I have found a few but the relevance of the sites is very poor to the information I need.

RJA #6 b. Social Media and Multimedia

Social Media

Resource- BlogCatalog

Keywords- Steroids

Search Strategies- Steroids in american pro sports

Date searched- March 1st, 2010

Number of hits-3,907

Relevance- 3 out of 5

Resource- One Riot beta

Keywords- performance enhancing drugs

Search Strategies- Steroids Use

Date Searched- March 1st, 2010

Number of hits-99

Relevance- 4 out of 5

Multimedia

Resource-youtube

Keywords- Steroids in pro sports

Search strategies- Pro sports and illegal drugs

date Searched- March 1st, 2010

Number of hits- 121