Sports are a vital part of our modern culture, and a vital part of every sport is its players. The players are the bread and butter of the sport, and while a lot of sports fans watch the games for the action and thrill, there are just as many who are mainly interested in the players themselves. Sports players have become celebrities over the years, and many of the most popular sports players are just as well-known as any Hollywood A-class actor, if not more.

A big factor in what makes a sportsman popular is his or her performance on the field, and if you ask anyone who takes an interest in the athletic and health side of sports, they can tell you that what a player does off the field can have direct impacts on how they play in their next game. This is something that not only applies to fans of the games, but to the part of the betting world where bettors take out huge wagers on how their favourite players will perform. Events like horse racing have avid followers who keep track of the jockeys and how they lead their lives, and when it comes to betting, for example, the off-field behaviour of a participant can drastically change the nature of how a bet is made.

Off-Field Behaviour

Being a top sportsman means earning a big salary. Not just enough to live comfortably, but enough to own a dozen mansions and a dozen cars for each mansion. It’s part of the lifestyle to make big money, and many of the top earning sportsman have spent years training and fighting to get into a position to justify the kind of money they make, not to mention the massive entertainment that many of these players provide for millions around the world.

With this kind of earning, it makes sense that many may be tempted to enjoy certain indulgences, such as partying. Partying in itself is not particularly offensive, but often enough, alcohol is involved, and alcohol is one of the worst substances a professional sports player can ingest. Alcohol does not just affect the liver long-term as many believe, but has immediate effects that can damage the entirety of a person’s body. Slowing of reactions, damage to most of the organs, drowsiness, and a cocktail of other detrimental effects that can cause serious damage. This is especially true if you are fit, as the toxins of the alcohol tend to move faster through the body and cause damage, mostly because of a higher metabolism than the average person.

Of course, alcohol is just one substance, and there are a myriad of others that many players have been caught taking part in. Cocaine, steroids, ecstasy, and even morphine are just some that have been popularised through celebrity usage. Alcohol tends to be much more of a problem due to its widespread nature, but other substances can’t be dismissed.

On-Field Consequences

There are, naturally, certain thresholds that our bodies can’t endure past, and substance abuse is something that pushes us to that threshold at an alarming rate. There have been plenty of reports of players battling on the playing field (or not making it on!) due to substance abuse, partying, and even staying up too late, and whenever an A player is not managing their game properly, they can quickly fall into trouble with their contractors, their coaches, and their fans.

For the most part, however, players tend to stay on straight, and it is usually the odd individual here and there that suffers from serious substance abuse.