This is a repost of a blog I posted on another site about steroids in sports and Golf's opening of a Pandora's Box.

Seems more relevant today than it did 6 months ago.

Today, the golf powers that be issued an edict.  The edict, or as it is called in sport, a policy change, announced by the professional golf tours was that all professional golfers are going to be tested for performance enhancing drugs starting next year.  Small blip on the radar screen.   Here is the direct statement.

“But for the problems in other sports, I doubt we would be at this point,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a conference call with the leaders of six major golf organizations. “We are where we are given the way of the world. And I think it’s a positive day for golf because we are together [and] we are spending a lot of energy to do it right.”

It was a universal effort from the PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour, U.S. Golf Association, Royal & Ancient Golf Club, Augusta National Golf Club and the PGA of America, meaning the policy ultimately would cover golf at the highest level all over the world, including the four major championships.  (Full article here http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=3028771 )

You may have thought  Great!  The golfing world just joined all the other exisiting professional sports.  It is about time.  It was the right thing to do.  End of story right?!

You could not be more wrong!  Golf is a sport of a different feather.  Professional golfers are gentile, golfers are respectable professionals, golfers are the best role models in all of sport.  And as Tim Finchem stated the only reason they are testing is becuase of the problems in other sports.  So, in essence he admits that all professional sports are tied together in at least some respect.  And, thus Tim Finchem opened Pandora’s Box that will change the face of all professional sports. 

And, here is why.  Remember, Casey Martin?  He sued the PGA several years ago over the right to use a golf cart and WON!  Casey had a physical impairment that prevented him from walking a golf course.  Prior to this every professional golfer had to walk the course they were competing on.   

So, now, the PGA has a legal precedent to allow an amendment to policy due to a physical impairment.  Do you know who Shaun Micheel is?  Well, he won the PGA Championship a few years back which is a major.  And guess what?  In 2005 Shaun Micheel was diagnosed with low testosterone, a physical impairment, and now is taking synthetic testosterone which is a steroid…  Golf had no anti-doping policy so his steroid use was allowed.  Until now?

I see big problems coming down the road for all professional sports because the PGA will soon be forced to allow steroids in its sport.  Now, I am no lawyer (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night)  but, I see no wiggle room on this.   And, once that happens the domino effect will reach across all sports.  It will only be a matter of time. 

If golf allows steroids in its sport a precedent will be set.  There will be new definitions of physically impaired by athletes from all sports, and the drugs for those impairments will be coming to your favorite football, basketball, and baseball player.  These players will be diagnosed with some physical impairment that will justify their personal use of the same performance enhancing drugs that are banned for everyone else. 

Gee, I wonder where the players unions will fall on this one.  And, how can the professional sport organizations manage to control all of this?  I don’t think they can.

The possibilities of what is a physical impairment are endless.  Pandora’s Box is open and soon athletes will be suing their way to permitted drug use.  

Where it all will end is anyones guess, but Pandora’s Box is open.  Let the physically impaired games begin!