STEROID STUPIDITY: IT'S NO WAY TO COMPETE

December 10, 2004 -- I just read the article by John Lott and Sonya Jones ("What's Wrong With Players on Steroids?" Opinion, Dec. 7).

How can two people be so blind and narrow minded?

There is no way to compare Wall Street traders using caffeine — and actors using Botox — to baseball players like Jason Giambi taking steroids.

Do the authors realize that people have died from taking steroids?

There is no way baseball purists can accept players taking steroids.

No good can come from players taking steroids.

Joseph Fornabaio
East Islip

Lott and Jones succeeded in missing every conceivable reason why it is wrong for players to take steroids.

With regard to the safety of the players, the authors revert to a disgraceful form of moral relativism, claiming that football players — despite steroid testing within the NFL — are far more likely to leave the game with "some permanent injury."

In other words, Lott and Jones have determined that the barometer for whether steroids should be allowed is whether or not the percentage of users who wind up crippled or worse is equal to or higher than the injury rate of football players.

Jeff Bukantz
Livingston, N.J.

The authors ask what's wrong with steroids.

It's simple.

Not everyone wants to take drugs to increase his or her performance.

There are people who take pride in competing as natural athletes and do not, under any circumstances, want to take drugs.

Sal Marinello
Watchung, N.J.