Tom Fudge : Fair play. Good sportsmanship. They may sound like cliches but they are fundamental to the things we value in sports. As sports fans, we cling to the ideal of two competitors, or two teams, facing off in a contest where nothing is rigged and anyone can win. It all depends on skill, heart, and preparation.
In truth, cheating has been a part of sports since the beginning. And even performance-enhancing substances have always played a role. But modern bio-chemistry has brought the power and influence of performance-enhancing drugs to a new level. And there's no fool-proof way to test for them. At least, not yet.
The discussion about drugs in sports raises technical questions, administrative questions, and ethical questions.
The Ethics Center's forum: "Stronger, Higher, Faster: Do the Wins Justify the Means" is Wednesday, September 3, 2008, from 5:30-7pm, at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. The event is free and open to the public.
Guests
- Mark Zeigler , sports writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune who reported from Beijing during the Summer Olympic games that just ended.
- Dr. Don Catlin , founder of the UCLA Olympic Laboratory in 1982. He currently runs the Anti-Doping Research Institute in Los Angeles .
- Dr. Theodore Friedmann , professor of pediatrics at UCSD. He is also the chair of the Gene Doping Panel, World Anti-Doping Agency .
