the responsibility of the public: part 1, support or shun?

a previous post discussed the possible consequences or punishments that should be applied to those athletes who have been caught doping. however the public opinion of an athlete or the organizational bodies weights heavily on the decisions that are made around peds. so what are the responsibilities of the public?

when an athlete has been revealed to have been performing with the assistance of a banned substance, should supporters - not family and friends of the athlete - stand with that athlete in solidarity? should the public, whether or not the athlete has admitted to any wrongdoing or not, support wada, usada, or any other enforcing body or stand by the athlete? this is a tough question and this post is by no means an effort to persuade an individual one way or another; individuals will do whatever they deem right at the time.

if an athlete is a first time offender, young or a neophyte in their professional sporting world, readily admits wrong doing and accepts full responsibility and punishment, it can be a tremendous growing opportunity for that athlete and person. in that instance, having fans support the athlete is possibly one of the most helpful actions the public could take, both in the personal development of the athlete and from a sporting perspective. obviously, that athlete will always have a cloud over their career, and there remains issues of chromic genetic changes as a result of ped use, but if sport is, as an ideal, analogous to life, athletes should have the opportunity for a second chance and redemption.

if, on the other hand, an athlete does not admit guilt in the face of unquestionable positive doping charges, or tries to shift blame a la armstrong, i believe the public needs to remove support for that athlete. family and friends will clearly still lend support and guidance, but by continuing to support an athlete that has doped, not only does it bolster them and provide personal justification for their actions, it may also influence other athletes decision making process. moreover, it diminishes the severity of the actions and the stain they have made on the entire concept of sport.

so what do you think? should athletes be supported or shunned? does it matter? is it contextual? let me know your opinion on social media or in the comments below, and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list.