Proposal Paper
11/6/05

Steroids have corrupted our precious athletes and have taken the morality out of baseball. Once America’s pastime, fans have lost interest in the game that the Babe Ruth’s and Hank Aaron’s once ruled [this is a great sentence]. These legends hold records that were once thought to be untouchable, but now are being shredded by the juiced-up players of today. These players are absolutely crushing previous records by cheating and disrespecting the game. Major League baseball needs to completely rid itself of steroids and develop a strict steroid policy that incorporates the government and random testing.

My paper will hit the audience of baseball fans that have lost interest in the players that have been using steroids and causing all of the steroid debate. If the Major League owners see that attendance would rise if the fans support was back, then the MLB would attempt to reach an agreement quicker with the union to restore the trust in the players. Many fans have said the game has changed and that is why they have lost interest; however, when baseball season arrives next season with a strong steroid policy, then it would attract these lost fans.

I believe that my solution [what is your solution?] would work because the government has the power to create legislation that completely outlaws steroids, and they have been discussing what they can do to get rid of steroids for years. I will describe how Senator John McCain from Arizona has been trying to organize a bill to legislate uniform punishments throughout all sports. There are no material resources needed with my solution, unless one qualifies testing or testifying for Congress as resources. Honesty and integrity should be developed as a motto in the Major Leagues, and in addition to this, I will argue that MLB should adopt random testing to see if the players are honoring the rule.

In my paper, I will dissect the statistics of power numbers over the last few decades, and prove that steroids have miraculously increased these numbers. I will also search deep into suspensions caused from steroids, and the court cases involving BALCO, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and many others. A strong factual back up will come from comparing the Major League’s baseball stories and policies with those of other professional leagues, especially the Olympics. The Olympic committee, which is looked at as the model of sporting committees, has suspended many athletes for using illegal substances, and has developed a very strong policy in spurring players away from them.

To incorporate the various arguments that we have learned as a class, I will develop an analogy, comparing steroids to weapons of mass destruction. They make the user extremely more dangerous, and there are authority figures attacking them to eliminate them. I will develop a causal argument by saying the cause of steroids is the advancement of technology and the amount of money that the players have to purchase these illegal enhancers [and, don't forget, the amount of money to be made when records break].

There are many different counter-arguments that could be brought up about steroids:


This is one of the counter-arguments that I will prove wrong in my paper, as I will refer to attendance numbers and other opinions by experts. Of course there will be fans that think there is nothing wrong with steroids and vote against government legislation, but I will show that most fans are not looking for cheaters, and that they are more interested in fair play and integrity. For example, what is morally right? A kid happy because he caught a homerun ball hit by a truthful player, or one that was smashed by a guy that’s jacked on steroids? If we do not end this cycle now, kids are going to start young and the process will never stop.

There is no other practical solution to eliminating steroids from the game than testing and suspensions. With the help of the government, the players will have no chance to sneak around as they have been. As I conclude my paper, I will find photo slideshows of Barry Bonds on ESPN.com, who has done studies about steroids and the effect on the body. I will sway from the regular academic paper and let the reader enjoy an interactive study of steroids with many pictures. This makes the argument interesting, and enables the reader to see the outlook of steroids in addition to reading between the lines.

[I think I like the look of this project (and your obvious enthusiasm for the topic is a plus), but I think that, based on this proposal, there isn't a clear sense of order. You need to convey, in a project, the order in which you will be making your points, in addition to discussing what these points will be. This is more future reference, though, as the list you showed me in class is exactly what you need, so I know you are on the right track. Overall, this sounds good.]

Greene, Bob. "Steroids and the Asterisk; [Op-Ed]." New York Times 22 Oct. 2005, sec. A: 17. ProQuest. 9 Nov. 2005 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=915017051&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=1360&RQT=309&VName=PQD>∞.

"NEWSWIRE; Senate Steroid Plan Eases Up on Penalties; [HOME EDITION." Los Angeles Times 9 Nov. 2005, sec. D: 8. ProQuest. 9 Nov. 2005 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=923599611&sid=1&Fmt=3&clientId=1360&RQT=309&VName=PQD>∞.

Rozin, Skip. "In the Fray -- Steroids: You're Out!" Wall Street Journal 6 Oct. 2005, sec. D: 8. ProQuest. 9 Nov. 2005 <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=907253691&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=1360&RQT=309&VName=PQD>∞.