For as long as we humans have been involved in competition, we've had to deal with cheaters.
There is something about the desire to win, the desire to be the best that brings out the best in some people and brings out the best con man in others. So while learning about Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez or even NASCAR's Jeremy Mayfield is disappointing and even, for some fans, heartbreaking, it is not really surprising.
It is the natural consequence of drug testing. If we have rules, some of the players we like, some of the players with talent, some of the players who inspire us, will unfortunately get caught in our efforts to enforce them.
For years there has been an outcry for professional leagues to do more to rid their ranks of cheaters, especially drug users. We've begged our legislators to get involved, called for commissioners to do more to catch drug users and then, once they do, punish them more severely.
But now that many popular players are getting caught, some of us are reconsidering our hard-line approach. Some of us are throwing around that old "Be careful what you wish for" line because, well, wishing we could rid Major League Baseball of cheaters, it turns out, could be extremely painful. Turns out a lot of likable people cheat. Turns out a lot of talented people cheat. Turns out cheating is a lot more common than we thought.
And this is where I keep hearing Jack Nicholson's memorable line from "A Few Good Men." When Tom Cruise's character tells him he wants the truth, Jack shouts back:
"You can't handle the truth!"
Maybe we fans can't handle the truth about athletes either, because now what I'm hearing more and more often is, "If they want to take drugs let them. They're the ones who will end up suffering the consequences of steroid or drug use."
But they're not the only ones who suffer.
If we abandon the rules, we subject those who don't cheat to an unfair system. We tell them to match physical skills with people who have no respect for their own bodies, let alone anybody or anything else. They have to compete for the same jobs and the same awards.
Sadly this is where we're willing to treat athletes differently than we would any other profession. We would never consider allowing teachers, lawyers or doctors to get away with cheating or using drugs just because it's disheartening and disappointing to know some of them will.
The one thing we should keep in mind when discussing steroid or drug use is that if a person lies about using illegal substances, he or she probably lies about a few other things. Do you really want to just ignore that lie so you can cheer for him on a football field or a baseball diamond?
What if I am a talented baseball player but I don't want to destroy my body to earn a living playing a game I love? Is it fair to ask me to be teammates with guys who don't care what's pumping through their veins as long as it might get them a few extra feet on their hits? Or even worse, why should I have to compete with that guy for a job? Isn't doing that even encouraging athletes to use illegal substances so they can make millions?
As much as I loved Marion Jones, as much as she inspired me and made me proud to be a woman, I am glad she got caught.
She cheated. She had real talent, real potential and her decision to break rules and lie about it sent her to prison and stripped her of the very medals she's worked for all of her life.
I was devastated to learn that she'd taken steroids and then lied about it. It made me sick to my stomach. I remember wishing it wasn't true. And then I realized this is what I wanted — and despite the fact that it meant the fall of one of the people I most admired, I still wanted it.
I want to live in a sports universe where we respect the game from Little Leagues to the Major Leagues. I want to cheer for athletes who know I expect them to follow the rules. I want to be inspired by people who understand I will pay money to see them play as long as they don't try to sell me something that isn't real.
Will I be disappointed again? Yes. Will I open the paper to read about another cheater caught and be devastated anymore? Nope. I wanted this. I begged for this.
Not only can fans handle this, but we should cheer the fact that the powers-that-be are finally giving us what we wanted.