Good analysis of steroids in baseball

The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes writes:

..."In all honesty, that's an issue," said Gary Roberts, an expert in sports law at Tulane. "For all we know, the American public may not give a damn. They may be happy if all their gladiators were stoked up on steroids and hitting 500 home runs.

"Personally, the evidence may suggest that the American public is not concerned about drug usage, they're more concerned about watching a good game, and that their team wins. It could be that the sports fan is only concerned with one thing: athletic performance and winning. Even if we told them every player in the field was taking steroids for the last 20 years, maybe they would still be buying tickets.".....

Sadly, I think this true. I don't want to speak for all fans, but I have a feeling that several think like me. I see athletes as entertainers in the same vain as musicians or actors. I don't care much about off the field stuff; I just want to be entertained and see my teams win.

People still listen to R.Kelly. People still flock to see Robert Downey Jr. movies. People still listen to Michael Jackson. Well, I guess that's a stretch. My point is we support these people by buying albums and tickets as long as they keep entertaining us. Baseball fans will still flock to see Barry Bonds hit because every at bat he has is exciting.