Props: The Jim Rome Show
Quoteworthy:
"Every sport has a drug problem. The UFC is facing the same issue that every sport is dealing with. But it's nearly impossible to eradicate. As long as guys think the reward to use is always going to outweigh the risk, they're not going to stop. I'm not saying you stop trying, you have to educate these guys, you have to penalize these guys, but they are still gonna do it. Stakes are way too high, the rewards are way too great. Guys will always cheat."
By now everyone has had a chance to pile on Chael Sonnen and the issue of performance enhancing drug use in MMA. This even includes one of sports media's most prominent and well respected personalities, Jim Rome. While Rome agrees with most people in the fact that the use of PED's in sports, and in particular MMA, is in fact a very serious problem, he also claims that no matter what the UFC or any other professional sports league does to try and put a stop to it, guys will always find a way to cheat. Personally, I couldn't agree more with Mr. Rome. To think that Dana White and the UFC is capable of fully policing the sport's problem with PED use is a bit wishful. Just look around the other pro sports leagues in this country. The idea of putting a complete stop to drug use in any given sport is far easier said than done.
Athletes will always look for an edge, despite whatever penalties they may face if caught cheating. That doesn't mean you don't try to limit it. But it does mean the overreaction that occurs every time an athlete fails a drug test, is just that, an overreaction. We may not like the fact that our athletes cheat, but it's naive of us to believe that one, we can put a stop to it, and two, guys will ever stop trying to beat whatever system is in place. Go ahead and sound off, Maniacs. Surely there are dissenting opinions on this matter.
Listen to Jim Rome's full burn on Chael Sonnen and steroids after the jump: