In the past, money wasn't as big of an issue as it is today. Money is a major factor in the angst about steroids. The better the performance, the better the pay.
But money isn't the only issue with steroids, and other substances that artificially increase a players abilities. For players who play by the rules, it's offensive to them that someone's skills are enhanced by steroids.
On this point, I think of it in terms of "purists" versus everyone else. But, to be fair, there really aren't that many purists out there today, that are successful anyway. They may play a few years, but usually end up in the minors, etc. They see other players who do use steroids still playing, and that riles them.
For fans, there's basically two opposing view-points. One is that steroids are an unfair advantage, the other is that steroids are common, and should be allowed. The latter lost the argument, so anyone using steroids now is in a lot of trouble with the league...after like three violations, if I remember right lol
For me it's a case of, "It is what it is." There's no real way to verify past claims of usage, except when some skinny guy bulks up in a hurry, and his stats improve sharply. The problem there is with natural growth versus artificial, as it's sometime difficult to say with a great degree of certainty. Either way, it's something that occurred, and can't be "unoccurred', so what it's done is sow confusion in how to address the impacts.
Personally, I'm fine with leaving the stats as they are, but I'd like an asterisk added to anyone's name who is either suspected or confirmed to have been using steroids, since it does affect their performance. One asterisk for this, two for that., etc.
The funny thing is how long they let this go on. I remember people in my area using them in the early 80's, and they were just kids bulking up for highschool sports! The worry back then was "roid-rage"...but I knew one guy, a body-builder, who was anything but raging...he was positively tame...so the effects aren't always the same for everyone.
The reason it's funny is because it was an open-secret for decades. Teams allowed it, because better performances meant higher ticket-sales and better cash-flow to the teams. Today, the leagues frown on it, but they benefited greatly from it, so in that sense they're biting the hands that feed 'em.
Bottom-line: It is what it is, and it can't be undone. In truth, most people love the enhancements in play, the home-runs, the touchdowns, the goals....so we've all supported it's use in the past, in one way or another.
That's changed, as the anti-steroid movement won the battle...but who knows, someday it might be the reverse. If steroids were allowed again, assuming people changed their minds and wanted it, stats would go up, attendance would improve, cash-flow would increase...but right now it's a stigma, people don't know what to think.
