The tragic story of Icarus as told by Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles).
"...with melting wax and loosened strings Sunk hapless Icarus on unfaithful wings; Headlong he rushed through the affrighted air, With limbs distorted and disheveled hair; His scattered plumage danced upon the wave, And sorrowing Nereids decked his watery grave; O'er his pale corpse their pearly sea-flowers shed, And strewed with crimson moss his marble bed; Struck in their coral towers the passing bell, And wide in ocean tolled his echoing knell."
I often think of the athletes accused and eventually found guilty of using PEDS (performance enhancing drugs) as being a modern day version of tragic Icarus. A "Icarus complex" if you will. Icarus already had flight, but it wasn't enough, he had to fly as close to sun as possible ignoring his father Daedalus' warnings. Similarly, these athletes were already gifted and yet just excelling in their sport wasn't enough, they had to break records sooner than later. One of the tragedies, however, was in the fact these records would have been guaranteed later for most who decided to resort to PEDS. This PED "shortcut" not only cost them their careers but also their reputations.
Here's a perfect recent example, On July 23, 2013 Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun was suspended by MLB (Major League Baseball) for the remainder of the 2013 season ultimately due to failing a blood test. Braun, was ranked number seven by the Sporting News in its 2012 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball, and was the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2011. The obvious question here is whether if Braun was a legitimate MVP in 2011, or was this feat accomplished under the influence of PEDS? Either way, here's a obviously talented player, who just had to reach a little bit higher, stretching out his hand yearning for that sun and even though the warnings were in place, he was burned.
Barry Bonds is considered of the greatest baseball players of all time, and he consistently hit over 30 home runs and stole over 40 bases each year before any alleged use of steroids. A 14 time All Star, 8 time Gold Glove winner, won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player 7 times, 4 of which were in consecutive years, not to mention most career home runs (762), and the most home runs in a single season (73). Surely here's a first ballot Hall of Famer if ever there was one. One of the most gifted athletes of his generation and yet he too had a "Icarus complex". He just had to reach out for that burning sun and the end result? He was convicted of obstruction of justice where he lied to a grand jury by testifying he never knowingly took any illegal steroids. This "sure fire" first ballot Hall of Famer as a result did not make it in...yet.
This isn't just a issue with the MLB, the problem with PEDS extends to nearly all sports in one form or another.
From "Hero to Zero"...
Who can forget the "interview" with Oprah? Lance Armstrong, a man who was widely admired, 7 time Tour de France winner, a cancer survivor and he even founded "Livestrong" a worldwide charitable organization which supports cancer patients. Lance Armstrong really was seen as this iconic hero, a symbol portraying that any obstacle can be overcome, even testicular cancer. However, he lied about his use of PEDS (in his specific case "doping") from the 1990s to 2005. The larger betrayal for his fans may have been more in the fact that he continued this lie for as long as he did and how hard he fought against these allegations, further duping those who supported him, than his actual use of PEDS.
Going Global...
It's the 1994 World Championships in Rome, unbelievably China wins 12 out of 16 total gold medals. This immediately began to cast suspicion among the international community as this was a team whose dominance didn't begin until the 1990s. And, even more notably, this domination wasn't a gradual buildup through decades of training programs but rather, this was sudden. This "super" team went on to steal the 1994 Asian games as well. Eventually, the suspicions were confirmed and the team was stripped of all medals. This example of an "Icarus complex" doesn't just lend itself to individuals, but entire countries apparently.
Bouncing ball turning into "Bulging" ball...
The NBA has been known to be generally free of PEDS, however, some suspect this is because testing has been weak. Yet, in February 2013, Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu was suspended for 20 games by the NBA after testing positive for steroids. In 2011, Chicago Bulls' point guard, Derrick Rose, when asked about a potential PED problem in the NBA, gave this answer "...it's huge, and I think we need a level playing field, where nobody has that advantage over the next person." However, in a follow up a couple hours later, Rose then stated, "But, let me be clear, I do not believe there is a performance enhancing drug problem in the NBA." Really? Which is it? I suspect NBA players aren't immune to this "Icarus complex", or at least Hedo isn't.
Why does having a "will to win" translate to some as "by any means necessary"? This isn't just about a "risk versus reward" scenario, with PEDS it's more about taking a risk where none is warranted. Shouldn't being a great athlete also have an equal measure of character as well as ability? How is having to lie about taking a PED a standard of having a good character or even common sense? How does this set up a good example for those who follow in their foot steps?
Wisdom of Wooden...
Indeed, as John Wooden (legendary UCLA coach) said, "character to keep you there". Even with PEDS, an athlete's career is brief, it's this strength of character that can truly sustain him/her long after their career has ended.
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