Brandon Ting, a reserve defensive back at USC who graduated in the spring along with his brother Ryan, had announced last week that both would be leaving the university even though they have another year of football eligibility remaining so they could concentrate on preparations for medical school. But the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Brandon Ting had tested positive for steroids, which would make him ineligible under NCAA rules.

If guilty, it means Brandon Ting certainly didn’t juice for the money, because he has no shot at the NFL. In this case, he did it for glory.

And the ban played on.

Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise. As sports have offered larger pots of gold, primarily because of television revenue , plus more attention and ancillary opportunities, the temptations have become greater. Shame and disgrace mean little to an athlete anymore. Honesty is a quaint concept. Serving as a good role model for kids is an antiquated notion.

Because the cheaters are far more sophisticated and advanced than the testing techniques set up to catch them, the sports themselves have almost no power to stop the cavalcade of miscreants from running roughshod. Therefore, the athletes themselves operate in what is, in effect, an honor system. The problem, of course, is this: Just as there is no honor among thieves, there doesn’t seem to be any among athletes anymore either.

The result is that all sports are tainted. All results are fraudulent.

All pitchers are shady; all batters are crooked. All defensive linemen are unnaturally strong; all offensive linemen are unusually bulky. All sprinters are artificially energized. All cyclists are doped.

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Of course, that doesn’t sit well with the relative few who are adamant about staying clean and refusing to take shortcuts to success. But tell me who they are. Point them out to me. I don’t know which ones they are anymore. I don’t know the good guys from the bad without the results of their drug tests, and considering the shortcomings in the testing procedures, maybe not even then.

Congratulations to all cheaters. I didn’t think it was possible, but in a brief period of time they have destroyed the trust between  fans and athletes and forever cast doubt on all results.

That’s an enhanced performance the sports world could do without.

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