09:07 PM
12/21/24
12/21/24
January 10, 2010
Is the rise of the super-athlete ruining sport?: From Usain Bolt to Rafa Nadal, top sports stars are fitter, faster and stronger than ever. But how long will it be before the pursuit of perfection takes all the drama out of sport?
Short answer: No.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:49 PM on January 10, 2010
Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
posted by owlhouse at 06:37 PM on January 10, 2010
In the US, genetic testing is being marketed at pushy parents wanting to give their offspring a head start on the path to sporting success.
If there was a genetic test that would accurately tell you what sports your child is likely to excel in, it seems like a good thing for sports not a bad thing.
posted by bperk at 03:02 PM on January 11, 2010
Interesting point in the article, of how in the 30's players who worked out were seen as cheaters, but they'd eat monkey glands for that extra burst. Now we consider working out to be the norm, but how dare anyone use anything, even nasal spray, that might give them an "advantage".
I agree with the writer's notion that we should really lay off the arbitrary divisions of "clean" versus "cheating" when it comes to drugs, or suits, or equipment. The article makes a good case that really, all athletes are becoming more and more freakish just by their existence and their dedication to training. Why should suits, clubheads, and the like, along with PEDs that repair the damage they do through the ungodly stresses of training or playing, be seen as some unholy barrier that should never be crossed? They aren't much freakier than their chromosomal advantage or years of training in unusual conditions, except I guess when we can't deny it- such as Castor Semenya or PED-taking ballplayers.
And even in those cases, over time it becomes the norm. Used to be shortstops were 5'6" and hit .240, until players like Cal Ripken made the 6'2", 225lb, high average and power shortstop the expectation. It's the rarity now for a baseball player who isn't both well above average in size- and overall exceptional athletes- and highly muscular from year round training. Heck, shortstops today are built like linebackers were 20 years ago. This is the normal course of things, the evolution of the athlete.
All that said, I'm not sure I got the ultimate point of his article: is it that sports becomes boring because players will be so insanely good that there will be zero drama, such as with Tiger Woods? Or that eventually, things will correct such that everyone will be equally freakish again and the drama of the sport will prevail, such as in the rugby example he gave (or of how players get continuously larger, fitter, faster, but stay competitive)? Or that we get hung up on arbitrary definitions of what should be allowable and what's beyond the pale?