In the United States and around the world, athletics are considered a staple of culture dating back to ancient Greece. The athletes participating in the competition are considered icons that represent their city, state, and even their entire nation. This admiration of athletics stems from our basic human instinct of race, and every athlete that competes wants to be the best at what they do. By being an athlete, one carries the burden of expectation set forth by the average citizen, who by no means can dunk a basketball or throw a one-hundred mile an hour fastball. Fans watch these sporting events as if they were part of the team. For example, if you asked any Red sox fan who won the World Series last year, they would simple respond, "We did." The connection fans feel with their favorite team is not simply on a geographical level, but also on an emotional level. The tension of a close game, the hope of a victory, the helplessness of defeat, and the immense joy of winning, are all examples of what makes athletics so great, and why athletes are set on such high pedestals. This pressure, however, can influence athletes to try anything for that extra edge, even if it is cheating.
             The most common form of cheating in sports (professional sports in particular), is the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids. To become an elite athlete takes countless hours of practice and preparation. Some athletes, unfortunately, choose the quicker, less competitive way of development by taking drugs to boost performance. The drastic increase in steroid use of athletes has gained national attention, moving from a side story on the sports page to national news coverage. The Steroid scandal reached new heights with the release of Jose Conseco's book "Juiced." In his book Conseco list players, he came into contact with over his sixteen-year career who he saw take steroids. He also makes open allegations of players he suspected of ta...