Ever since cavemen invented head-banging contests to kill time, humans engaged in sporting competitions have always tried to get an edge. Sometimes they go right to the limit of what is accepted ethically and permitted legally by the rules. Sometimes they cross that line, and too many times they pretend it isn’t there.
NASCAR driver Junior Johnson is widely credited with starting the mantra, “If you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin.” Johnson, who got caught numerous times with engines too big or cars too aerodynamic, said getting an edge wasn’t really “’cheatin’” but “creatin.’”
Baseball, America’s one-time national pastime, has had its share of cheaters. A little Vaseline on the bill of a baseball cap or a piece of sandpaper in a glove helped more than a few pitchers get a little extra “stuff” on the ball. Sammy Sosa’s cork-filled bat identified him as a cheater even before the allegations of steroid use. And, speaking of those muscle-building anabolics, the “steroids era” – led by Sosa, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire – turned once-cherished home run records into meaningless numbers.