Steroids or Gambling?

[nborton]

Just for some good discussion, which is worse in your mind using steroids or betting on baseball? I'm not saying specifics in either case, but in general. Obviously both are bad, but which is worse?

For me it would gambling. I think it ruins the game more than steroids. Steroids mainly cheats other players who didn't use past and present. However, it doesn't destroy the game itself. I see one as cheating to win/be better while gambling is potentially trying to be worse. Gambling makes it like WWE. It takes the realness out of the game. Supposing every last player was on roids it wouldn't destroy the game for the fans watching that particular game. The competition is still there. However, if they are trying to throw the game, it makes it pointless to watch.

 

[HPC]

I chose betting while playing.

Using steroids only affects one outcome--your performance.

Betting on baseball means theres a good chance youre throwing games and that can affect an entire organization

 

[mredsox89]

Betting on games you are involved in or betting on other games in baseball?

 

[J.O.]

order of worst

1. betting against yourself
2. steroids
3. betting for yourself

 

[Guest]

Gambling

 

[ostrander111]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

 

[brouthercard]

Gambling, by far. You are directly hurting the millions of sports gamers by not making it a fair outcome.

 

[Wes]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

Woah can't agree with that.

 

[ostrander111]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

Woah can't agree with that.

Gambling affects your mentality, steroids affect physical and mental.

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

It depends on what kind of gambling you mean. I assume you are doing a comparison to PED users and Rose. Rose gambled on baseball, but never against his team or even games his team were involved in. If you're talking about the Black Sox kind of gambling, then thats worse.

 

[Wes]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

Woah can't agree with that.

Gambling affects your mentality, steroids affect physical and mental.

What about when you get your kneecaps broken etc. Pretty physical!

 

[ostrander111]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

Woah can't agree with that.

Gambling affects your mentality, steroids affect physical and mental.

What about when you get your kneecaps broken etc. Pretty physical!

What do your kneecaps have to do with gambling? :lol:

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

Woah can't agree with that.

Gambling affects your mentality, steroids affect physical and mental.

What about when you get your kneecaps broken etc. Pretty physical!

If you're smart at all you won't gamble with money you don't have. Thats how you get yourself in trouble

 

[fengzhang]

Gambling is worse and it's not even close. Steroids theoretically won't change the way you play the game. Athletes who take steroids simply want to be better. Gambling is the opposite, especially if you are betting against your own team since you will be intentionally reducing your effort and trying to make yourself worse which is against the spirit of competition.

As for Pete Rose, even if he only bet for his team, it would still drastically change the way he managed games. The games he had money on sudden became a lot more important than the games he didn't have money on. That's going to affect who he chooses to rest, which relief pitchers he chooses to use on what days, and a whole host of other factors. He may be willing to sacrifice two games in order to win one (the one he bet on). That's why gambling is such a big no-no in baseball. You just can't do it.

 

[mredsox89]

I have no problem with betting on games you are not participating.

 

[thenumberonemetfan]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

Woah can't agree with that.

Gambling affects your mentality, steroids affect physical and mental.

What about when you get your kneecaps broken etc. Pretty physical!

What do your kneecaps have to do with gambling? :lol:

You dont watch enough movies.

 

[gregbara]

Steroids change the outcome of the game, gambling does not, as long as your not betting on your team losing, and your the manager.

 

[Guest]

Gambling does not have a permanent physical effect....steroids....do

I think the impact gambling could have on one particular sport, by one particular player could have more harmful affects than someone using PED's. That's just my perspective.

I think the possibility of throwing games for people to make profit, or because you are being blackmailed it much worse than players taking PED's.

 

[Penno]

I don't have a huge problem betting on games as long as you cannot effect the outcome. One thing can very easily lead to another however.

 

[UMich92]

Gambling is worse and it's not even close. Steroids theoretically won't change the way you play the game. Athletes who take steroids simply want to be better. Gambling is the opposite, especially if you are betting against your own team since you will be intentionally reducing your effort and trying to make yourself worse which is against the spirit of competition.

As for Pete Rose, even if he only bet for his team, it would still drastically change the way he managed games. The games he had money on sudden became a lot more important than the games he didn't have money on. That's going to affect who he chooses to rest, which relief pitchers he chooses to use on what days, and a whole host of other factors. He may be willing to sacrifice two games in order to win one (the one he bet on). That's why gambling is such a big no-no in baseball. You just can't do it.

100% agree. The argument that he only bet on the Reds to win is a crock. On days that he did not bet on the Reds to win, it was a de facto bet against the Reds.

Gambling while playing is worse.

Alex