International Biathlon catches 3 Russians

CHEATERS CHEAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO! The International Biathlon Union has caught 3 Russians doping just prior to the Biathlon World Championships, adding to the mix of sports embroiled in travesty. Cycling, cross country skiing, biathlon, soccer, baseball, swimming, American football, track and field, and the beat goes on. Why are so many sports shackled with controversy? Because there will never be an end to athletes, coaches, trainers and doctors looking for an advantage in competition, fair or not. Cheaters cheat, that's what they do. All we can do in sports is accept that this morally questionable behavior is never going to go away and thus, never give up the fight of catching the cheats.

What the cheats don't realize is that they are robbing from themselves. If the quality and popularity of a given sport goes down because of the negative publicity, the cheats themselves make less money overall. A quality mid-level athlete in a top level sport with no controversy, such as basketball, can make much more money over the long term than a top athlete in a sport roiled in controversy. Take cycling for example. Many cyclists were making pretty good money in the late 90's and early 2000's, even rivaling entry level NBA basketball salaries. However, with all of the recent hits on cycling, even the top riders are not comanding the salaries they once were, much less the mid level riders. In that mix of top riders are plenty of cheats who tax the sport heavily as they try for the microscopic victory in hopes they will get a contract next year. These facts plus the reality of these riders taking their lives in their hands every time they inject has put a major damper on the popularity of cycling and in the overall, long term, the cheats are making less and less and risking more and more. Doesn't really show the smarts of the top athletes does it?