Why are student-athletes required to take drug test

[FISHDAWG]

while academic scholarships get a pass ? ... this was a good topic of discussion this am on ATL sports radio ... do the tennis & golf athletes have to test as well ? baseball ?

[Coach34]

while academic scholarships get a pass ? ... this was a good topic of discussion this am on ATL sports radio ... do the tennis & golf athletes have to test as well ? baseball ?

yes they do. It's an NCAA rule- not just a University rule....no idea why they dont make academic scholly's take them- most likely a cost issue.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

that's a good topic. IDK. Maybe it cost too much? I dont know. Ive never had to get a drug test.

[gravedigger]

Probably due to the notion that performance enhancing drugs are for artificial physical performance and not mental.

Certainly not suggesting that some of them don't help you stay awake and study, but drugs would seem to affect the outcome of sporting events more than academic accomplishment.

So much so that the sports legitimacy would be called into question.

Makes me think of the skit on snl with the "all steroid Olympics"

[col. forbin]

Money and the fact if a school started testing its non-athlete scholly kids, there would be about 75 kids at that school.

[FISHDAWG]

sorry, but I dont see weed as a performance enhancing agent either in sports or(much less) academia ... I can understand banning the steroids and such but if you test an athlete for grass then you should test the non-athlete for it as well ... or they could focus on chemicals and forget about some dang weed ... just seems out of balance to me

[Coach34]

I agree- and some athlete should file a court case if caught

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

sorry, but I dont see weed as a performance enhancing agent either in sports or(much less) academia ... I can understand banning the steroids and such but if you test an athlete for grass then you should test the non-athlete for it as well ... or they could focus on chemicals and forget about some dang weed ... just seems out of balance to me

agreed and when they legalize it, we can bring standsbury back to coach and we are set.

[gravedigger]

sorry, but I dont see weed as a performance enhancing agent either in sports or(much less) academia ... I can understand banning the steroids and such but if you test an athlete for grass then you should test the non-athlete for it as well ... or they could focus on chemicals and forget about some dang weed ... just seems out of balance to me

I'm no fuddy duddy. (or maybe I am for using the term). But we dont live in a country that is run by people who see weed the same way we see alcohol. That and the fact that scholarship money would not be given in the amounts it is to kids that were known to be frequent users as opposed to kids who arent. Yea, yea, I know. All the big money givers really care about is winning. But separate yourself from that thinking for a second. Our fathers dont think that way. They want to win. But they dont want to be represented by known dope heads.

Do I think it adversely affects them? I have no idea. Do I think that it should be legalized? heck yes. Do I think kids being given a scholarship to play ball in trade for getting an education worth over a million dollars in a lifetime should only be given it based on the requests of the people donating the money? Damn right I do.

And as of today, those who give the money, would demand it (testing). And the school would never endorse anything other than that.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

our parents generation think a lot of stupid shit. anyone who has ever been drunk or high KNOWS that weed isnt as bad as alcohol. Period. Just like a lot of things, in the next 20 years, a lot of things will change.

It is just a generation thing. We were taught that weed is the gateway drug. When you grow up, you know that is absolute bullshit. Tobacco and alcohol should be banned before weed. I dont even smoke week and I know that.

[BeastMan]

I'm in full favor of legalizing weed and taxing the hell out of it. I personally don't see why athletes get tested but this is my thought. I'm 29 and a lot of my friends smoked a ton of weed (myself included) in our early 20's. Most of us don't anymore for a myriad of reasons: jobs, health, spouses, etc... I don't think pot is any kind of big deal but giving it up isn't either. As an athlete you get a few mulligans too. Don't see why more just can't leave it alone while they have/need to.

[Esmerelda Villalobos]

yep beastman. I actually hated weed. But it isnt a big deal. Alcohol has ruined a lot of people I know. Tobacco has killed a lot of people I know, including relatives. Weed has done neither.