I'm increasingly amazed at the arguments that spring from this thread in regards to someone "taking back" something they said. It's as if the world is going to end if the person does not comply with some argumentative standard instead of just moving on.
The thread gets hung up on one statement and people can't let it go...
RE: Steroids in Sports.
IMO, Sports are like this Forum. If the owners do not want them using steroids, they can ban them from the sport. If the regulators do not want teams that allow steroids, they simply remove the team from the lineup.
Except that sports are absolutely nothing like this forum. We're not in competition (most of the time) for who can make the best post. Toady doesn't stand to make money based on how many people come to read our dick-waving in the forums. He also doesn't pay us large sums of money to post. Really, there is almost no way in which your analogy makes sense.
Eh, it's not about the competition and more in line with the "property" aspect. If the owners don't want it, they can always ban the players... it's that simple. If the owners are allowing it and you don't approve, don't buy the merchandise and fight to remove all funding from taxes.
But what you're ignoring is the inherent conflict of interest that arises from having the owners and players self-police. It's in the self-interest of owners to look the other way if it means more productive players, hence more wins, larger fanbase, higher merchandise sales, and ultimately more money.
It's in the self-interest of players to juice up if it means better individual performance and a higher contract. And even for those who don't, it's a classic prisoner's dilemma. If Player A abstains from performance-enhancing drugs, and Player B doesn't (and isn't caught), then Player B has a higher chance of beating Player A on the field, which hurts Player A's earning potential and career.
It's not as easy as just saying "the owners can fire a steroid-using player" if that player is the #1 reason fans are attending games. And it's certainly not as easy as saying "regulators (not even sure who you're referring to here) can remove a team from the lineup". Sports franchises are multi-million dollar enterprises. You can't just say "Oh, three Oakland players all tested positive for banned susbstances, so the entire Raiders franchise is banned from the NFL this season."