Mark Cuban seems like he’s a fun guy to hang around with and to work for.  I think the players on the Dallas Mavericks are probably the best taken care of (spoiled) players in the NBA and he would have made things interesting if he bought the Chicago Cubs.  His actions as a maverick – pun intended – owner in the NBA are a good thing.

However, Cuban is way off base when he says that steroids could be used responsibly under a doctor’s supervision to improve athletic performance.   I’m sure the East German sporting authorities thought the same thing, and we all know how well that turned out.

Supervised doping in sports is a ridiculous idea for so many reasons that it is ridiculous to spend the time rehashing the obvious. Saying steroids can be used in a positive manner is kind of like saying Mussolini may have been a brutal dictator, but he did get the trains to run on schedule.

Now there are some folks who have spoken out and said that Cuban’s statements are – somehow – refreshing.  You can’t help but think those in this quarter are made up of two types; the ignorant and the cheaters/former cheaters who want some cover.  Anyone who truly understands what steroids are, what they do and how they are used understands that legitimate medical professionals would never endorse or supervise the use of steroids. Furthermore, anyone who thinks that humans possess the capacity to handle this responsibility, responsibly, is tragically out of touch.

Perhaps someday, decades from now, there will be a pharmaceutical elixir that delivers fantastic performance with zero side effects.  Maybe Huxley’s “Brave New World” will be realized in sports and a side-effect free Soma will be developed.  But when that day comes, everyone will be using and nobody will have an advantage.  Improved performance will lack context and there will be an effort to find something that will give athletes a leg up on the competition. And the skulking around in the shadows in the pursuit of a new advantage will begin again.

The romantic concept of the level playing field as it is supposed to exist in sports is a myth, as competitors have always looked for an edge over the competition. Anyone who doubts this just need look at the goings on in the world of cycling to see exactly what athletes are willing to do to win.  A world class boxer is willing to drink his own urine in order to get an edge.  Steroids are a wee bit more potent than urine and the taste is much better.

Back to Mark Cuban. Be quiet, you’re out of your depth and you’re wrong.