Just when it seems that the drug issue in sports is about to slip from the headlines, and just when it seems that the revelations about steroid use in baseball are coming to an end, something happens.

This time an Olympic Gold Medal collector is photographed filling those massive swimming-developed lungs from a bong. Then the player who was going to remove Barry Bonds from the top of the home run charts — and make any asterisks irrelevant — is hung out to dry by another leak from a sealed grand jury report.

First to the more serious case. Alex Rodriguez has admitted to the use of performance-enhancing drugs after Sports Illustrated reported that Rodriquez was one of the 104 baseball players who tested positive during the confidential drug testing done in baseball in 2003.

Rodriquez told ESPN’s Peter Gammons that yes, he did use performance-enhancing substances for approximately three years beginning in 2001 when he was with the Texas Rangers. For the past week everyone and their dog has had something to say in interviews or on blogs about this “shocking” admission.

What interests me is not the admission, but the process that led to this fiasco. It begins with the fact that for decades baseball players and other athletes have been using an assortment of performance-enhancers. Over the years, only the substance type has changed. It is also likely that non-detectable substances are still being used across the sporting spectrum.

No one should be surprised by Alex Rodriquez’s admission, by the 104 who tested positive in baseball, or the countless others who have tested positive in all sports. And don’t forget all those who have been users but who have not tested positive. This is a simple reality.

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