Quote Originally Posted by Undertow
I agree. Someone needs to explain to me why Tommy John surgery isn't cheating more than steroids. I mean, attaching a leg tendon to someone's arm gives them a much stronger tendon than they would have naturally. Isn't that cheating and getting an unfair advantage?
Not all Tommy John surgeries require a tendon from the leg. I've had the procedure done myself, and it was done using some artificial tendon stuff and not a piece of my "leg".

Most Tommy John surgeries that do require another tendon from your body uses the tendon from your wrist area (not sure what it is called), but it pops up when you make a ring with your fingers by touching your thumb and pinky finger together. One of those has no real use and is taken out of your non-throwing arm and placed in your elbow.

The reason it is not the same as steroids is because a human body by most standards is not considered "broken" just because its not on the juice. Athletes, baseball pitchers in particular, do not voluntarily have Tommy John surgery because of the risk and implication involved that they may never throw again. No successful pitcher would be that stupid. Tommy John surgery is performed on most patients when they have torn through a ligament in their elbow and will no longer be able to play again ever, thus their elbow is "broken".

This isn't quite the same as an able-bodied athlete using the juice because he could have performed at a high level anyways without the extra help, whereas Tommy John surgery is necessary because the Athlete is essentially shut down and the career undoubtably ends after an elbow injury of such magnitude.

And that my friend, is why performing Tommy John surgery is not the same as using Steroids to enhance performance.