Historians of sport agree that sport is a universal phenomenon, which embody who we are. Sociologists study sport because our sports and athletes represent us. By learning about ourselves through participating in sports, training for sports and even watching others compete in sports we can see how people react when they win or lose. According to many sociologists sports impact more than who we are and how we behave.

Sports also affect our social life. “Sports are given special meaning by particular people in societies, they are tied to important ideas and beliefs in many cultures, and they are connected with major spheres of social life such as the family, religion, education, the economy, politics and the media." -Coakley. [1] The media plays a big role in the portrayal of sports as such an important factor within our everyday lives. Athletes are portrayed as walking billboards and receive more than enough scrutiny for their actions keeping them in the media. “Sport images are so pervasive today that many young people are more familiar with the tattoos and body piercing of their favorite sport celebrities than they are with political leaders who make policies that have a significant impact on their lives.”-Kyle [2]

Athletes are seen, as role models and having an athlete involved in a doping scandal will not only look bad on the athlete but the society as a whole. This is one reason why society attempts to crackdown on athletes that are involved in doping. More importantly with the heightened media involvement, organizations such as the International Olympic Committee and the United States Anti Doping Agency are forced to take action.