ABSTRACT
The Creed of the Olympics states, "The important thing in the Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing is not conquering, but fighting well." As noble a goal as this is, it has little to do with the reality of the modern sports world. Athletes are rewarded by winning at virtually every level of competition. Second place is viewed as the "first loser." A coach's job security is directly related to his team's success, not that they are simply "fighting well." Given this reality it is not surprising that athletes and coaches will sacrifice and risk a great deal in order to obtain a competitive edge and enhance performance at all costs. Performance enhancement in Olympic and Professional sport has now become a medical, ethical, and legal problem for modern athletes and athletic organizations. This is primarily due to the amount of money associated with winning in today's sports industry. Multimillion dollar contracts, appearance fees, international endorsement and sports merchandising is a billion dollar industry that offers today' s athlete, their sponsors and entourage previously unheard of financial gains.
