Andre Agassi's Drug Use. Wrong? Yes. Roger Clemens-esque? Absolutely Not

Let me begin this article by saying that, at best, I’m a casual tennis fan. I never watch tennis outside of grand slam events, and sure as hell don’t even watch the Australian Open, so my knowledge of tennis is rather limited. This does not, however, disable me from spotting an asinine statement (or in this case, multiple asinine statements) about tennis when I see them. As some of you may know, Andre Agassi recently came out about his past drug use in a new autobiography. Agassi confessed to using crystal meth dozens of times, including one instance where he was contacted by the ATP regarding a failed drug test, to which Agassi said his drink had been inadvertently spiked by his manager. No penalty was levied by the ATP, and Agassi eventually stopped using crystal meth and became the number 1 tennis player in the world, winning 8 grand slams and earning over $30,000,000 in prize money. Despite these accomplishments, let me make this very clear. The actions done by Agassi are not admirable, acceptable, legal, or justifiable. However, after this huge announcement, many tennis legends voiced their opinions, and frankly their opinions are wrong. The most egregious statement made regarding Agassi was made by Martina Navratilova, a former women’s number 1 in the world and winner of 18 grand slams. Navratilova was quoted as saying that she had “Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned. He owned up to it [in the book], but it doesn't help now.” This statement is completely incorrect for a number of reasons. The most obvious, as well as idiotic part of this statement is the comparison to Roger Clemens. While there has been no proof of Clemens’ steroid use, this statement was clearly an implication of that, that Agassi’s use of crystal meth is comparable to Clemens’ use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). I personally have never used crystal meth, but everything that I’ve ever heard about it, as well as general logic, would imply that crystal meth is far from a drug which enhances your performance. Another inaccuracy in the comparison to Roger Clemens is the fact that Agassi did not vehemently deny his drug use in front of a court of law. He did not brashly shake off reporters and attorneys as his legacy was going up in flames in front of him. Agassi simply made a huge mistake, and has now owned up to it. Considering the immense surprise at this news, it’s completely realistic to say that Agassi could have just as easily simply not told anyone about the crystal meth usage, and it would have likely never become public knowledge. However, out of a need to clear his conscience (and let’s be honest, sell books), Agassi came out and told everyone that he had a drug problem, and that he overcame it to become the best in his sport.

Interestingly enough, the Agassi story makes an interesting comment about the media in the U.S.A. in general. When I read about Agassi’s confession, my first thought was that this is somewhat similar to the story of a man who is currently viewed as a hero in our culture, a man who represents the evils of addiction and the capabilities of a man to overcome those addictions and achieve greatness. The man I am referring to is Josh Hamilton, a prodigy, turned junkie, turned the greatest runner-up in the history of the Home Run Derby. Hamilton, however, was never able to hide his drug use. He was arrested, failed drug tests, and generally viewed as a pariah. After years of destroying his life, Hamilton was able to come back and make the all-star team, play in the Home Run Derby, and capture the nation’s hearts. Agassi’s journey is interestingly similar. He was a prodigy at tennis, and had a career that was seemingly leading to greatness. He won Wimbledon in 1992 and was at the top of his game. By 1997, however, he was ranked 141 in the world and was essentially a complete nobody in tennis, a has-been. After stopping his crystal meth use, Agassi rebounded, and shot up to number 1 in the world by 1999. Had Aggasi’s drug abuse been known at the time of his ascension to the top of his sport, he would have been a symbol of inspiration, a public hero who overcame drug abuse to become a champion. Due to the world we live in, however, Agassi is considered a fraud, a liar, a disgrace, etc., because of this act of honesty. I’m not condoning his actions, and I acknowledge that it was absolutely wrong of Agassi to lie about his drug test, but to compare him to Roger Clemens and to view him as a disgrace to his sport is not only idiotic, but it’s completely uncalled for, inaccurate, and typical of our culture today.