Read the opposing arguments from Bleacher Fan and Babe Ruthless.
Many years ago, blood testing was a non-issue in athletics of any kind. Steroid use was not even a blip on the radar yet, and performance-enhancing drugs were not in the spotlight. Those were the days of good sportsmanship and the “honor system.” That was another time. This is a brand new era.
Somewhat hidden by the other events taking place in the sports world is the circus surrounding the proposed fight between accomplished boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. The bizarre circumstances surrounding the proposed fight provide an excellent backdrop and example for today’s debate.
Mayweather and Pacquiao have been negotiating for a heavyweight fight at the MGM Grand for some time now. After some tense negotiations, it was agreed that the fight would take place in March. Most of the terms had been agreed upon, including the amount of money to be received by both Mayweather and Pacquiao. The fight was all set to be a monster Pay-Per-View event. The only thing that had not been settled on is the drug testing protocol leading up to the fight.
However, it is the drug testing protocol that is apparently going to indefinitely postpone this fight, as several news outlets reported late yesterday that the highly-anticipated fight is not going to happen mainly because the two camps are unable to agree on the time frame of blood testing. Mayweather wanted random testing all the way up to the fight on March 13, while Pacquiao, who originally balked at any type of testing, relented some, but refused to subject himself to random testing for fear that getting blood drawn too close to the fight may weaken him.
For today’s debate, The Sports Debates will not focus SOLELY on the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and the sport of boxing. It is a good example of the contentious nature of blood testing, however. The question posed also excludes any sport that currently has a players’ union, as the presence of a player’s union complicates blood testing.
Should non-union sports, such as boxing, make it mandatory for its participants to subject themselves to blood testing at any time?
Bleacher Fan, who is probably the biggest boxing fan out of the four writers here at TSD, will argue that non-union sports should mandate blood testing. Babe Ruthless will argue that non-union sports should NOT mandate blood testing.
LLLLLLET’S get ready to ruuuuuuummmmmmmmmmbbbbblllllleeeee! The verdict will be declared by TKO… but will be subject to testing afterward!!!
