The steroid discussion can often be a touchy one.
So when legendary college football play-by-play man Brent Musburger told a group of journalism students that professional athletes, under a doctor’s supervision, could use steroids, it sparked a controversy.
Musberger told students at the University of Montana that steroids should not be used by high school athletes, but would be OK for professionals if used properly.
His main goal was to preach to the students that doctors, not journalists, should be informing the world on the truths of steroids.
“I’ve had somebody say that, you know, steroids should be banned because they’re not healthy for you,” he told the students. “Let’s go find out. What do the doctors actually think about anabolic steroids and the use by athletes? Don’t have a preconceived notion that this is right or this is wrong.”
Dr. Gary Wadler, who leads the committee that determines the banned-substances list for the World Anti-Doping Agency, told reporters he was “kind of surprised Brent would make that statement.”
“He’s categorically wrong, and if he’d like to spend a day in my office, I can show him voluminous literature going back decades about the adverse effects of steroids,” he said. “They have a legitimate role in medicine that’s clearly defined. But if it’s abused, it can have serious consequences.”
