Racing to Ruin

Take your time as you read this article. If you try to speed-read this piece, you might miss the point or overlook a hidden gem of wordplay.

Or you might do something even worse.

Something struck me recently as I raced to an appointment for which I was running late. I was driving too fast while trying to get myself organized without proper concentration on the road or drivers around me. I was endangering myself and fellow motorists. Why?

Because I was racing.

You see, racing causes us all to do things we normally would not. I do not normally drive too fast or recklessly, but because I was racing to be on time I did. It was not so much my fault as it was racing's.

We can look to the world of sports to see racing's destructive effect on morality.

The evidence:

*Three racers have been kicked out of the Tour de France this year for doping, two years after winner Floyd Landis was stripped of his victory for the same thing.

* Runners are some of the most notorious cheaters, from Ben Johnson to Rosie Ruiz to former Vol Justin Gatlin. The BALCO scandal included a variety of runners as well, most notably Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery.

* NASCAR cheating go hand-in-hand. It seems that each week someone gets caught trying to skirt the rules on fuel, restricter plates and other mechanical stuff I don't understand. In fact, the unofficial motto of the sport is unfortunately not "Rubbin' is racin'", but rather "If you aren't cheating, you aren't trying."

* Horse-racing has been plagued by some of the most horrific, pathetic cheating scandals of any sport. Horses have been given a variety of drugs, including cocaine, so they run faster and there have also been accusations of horses being hurt by rivals to slow them down. One of the most memorable scandals of recent years involved people shoving sponges into the nostrils of opposing horses to cut off their breathing during a race.

* Swimming has a history of doping as well (Eastern German women with beards and pimples come to mind), but the latest accusations of foul play involve the swimmer's suits. The Speedo Lzr has been called "technological doping" by those unfortunate enough to have endorsement deals with other companies.

Not convinced that racing is to blame for all this foul play? How about baseball's infamous Steroid Era? The most notorious dopers - McGwire, Sosa, Bonds - were in involved in Home Run "Race".

The "Race" for the White House often degenerates into deplorable behavior, from bugging the Watergate Hotel to Willie Horton ads to Swift Boat Vets.

The "Rat Race" in our capitalistic society for more money and prestige has led to numerous crimes and conspiracies that have ruined companies, families and lives.

The idea of "race" has always brought out the worst in people throughout history. Slavery, lynchings, Ku Klu Klan, race riots, Rodney King, etc. - all race related.

What about sports without racing? The most scandal-free sport of our generation is golf - a game where players call penalties on themselves. Golfers are not racing at all. They take their time reading greens and preparing to play instead of rushing to do it quickly. See the connection? No racing - no cheating.

I'm afraid we must throw out the baby with the bath water. To get rid of cheating in athletics, we must get rid of racing. We all need to slow down, take our time and do things right.

(Please excuse any spelling errors or plagiarism in this piece - I'm in a hurry to finally get this done).