We’ve been having an interesting discussion all day about steroids and the baseball hall of fame and about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. These are very difficult issues and I sincerely appreciate your insights and input.

One argument bothers me — I don’t find it cogent — and I want to address it. Some of you wrote sports are entertainment and the players are entertainers like, say, singers, so we shouldn’t care what PEDs they use, or if they use them.

No.

Some rock performers have used drugs. We know that. But their use of drugs does not give them a competitive advantage over another performer. In fact, playing music is not competitive in the way sports are. They don’t keep scores at concerts. They don’t announce a winner. There is no postseason.

It is different to use drugs in sports than it is in music, movies, etc.

Sure, athletes provide entertainment but they are not entertainers in the same way musicians are. They have different rules, mores and a different culture. To a certain extent, we need to believe athletes are on the level, don’t cheat. This issue is not as relevant in other forms of entertainment.