Barry Bonds is in court fighting off claims that he used (and then lied about using) steroids while playing baseball and breaking Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record. To this day, Bonds has denied to the sport media any knowing steroid usage during his career, yet all the factual data seems to point to his guilt (like how he increased his home run total while aging into his 40’s, something never before seen in 100+ years of professional baseball).
My guess is only a small number of people actually know the truth about whether Barry Bonds used steroids, but common sense would certainly suggest that it’s quite likely he did use. Similar to how Roger Clemens saw his career numbers get better with age, Bonds had super-human statistics as his body (and head) grew in size. These things just don’t happen naturally.
Interestingly, aside from common sense telling me Bonds probably used steroids for the latter part of his career, my training in empirical science applied to sports psychology also suggests things simply don’t add up. More specifically, one of the greatest lessons I learned while applying the scientific method to solving problems was to be parsimonious in my efforts. What this means is instead of looking too deep or intricately into situations, take note of your initial “gut” impressions. When collecting data, be thrifty, economical, and prudent —- and be weary of emotionally charged impressions.
When I approach the Bonds case with this mindset, it absolutely feels as though he cheated terribly in his pursuit of very important and historical baseball homerun records. You can probably also guess, using parsimony as a primary factor, how I feel about others who have been in the news for questions around integrity, including Jim Tressel, Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemens, and many of the others who have responded with tissue-thin excuses for their alleged behaviors.
While it’s not my job to be the moral police and judge others, I do feel a responsibility to encourage people to own up to their actions for the bigger societal gain. For Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, millions of young baseball players can benefit by hearing the truth about the dangers of using steroids — as well as the factors that lead each to begin using in the first place. In Jim Tressel’s case, there is no question he has done many amazing things to help his players, but his current situation simply doesn’t add up. For as much good as he has done, the bizarre excuses he offered about FBI investigations and pseudo confidentiality simply defy the laws of parsimony. Should we really believe his response, or do our immediate human instincts suggest a bigger cover up?
As a fan, I encourage you to “trust your gut,” to a certain extent, when you hear stories about athletes and coaches breaking rules and laws. What were your first reactions to the stories I mentioned above? Does it feel weird believing that none of the allegations in these cases are true? Of course, it is very important to weigh objective evidence when making impressions, but don’t forget about what simple evidence offers as you formulate what you believe to be true.
We all make mistakes in life, and all of the men accused of breaking rules/laws do deserve to have their side heard – as well as be permitted to “make things right” through the penalties they will likely serve. Still, it is important to maintain a high level of integrity in sports, even if it means some high-profile people will have to own up to their actions which go against their previous sports leadership persona, unfortunately.
www.drstankovich.com
