Good. I hope people will start to recognize just what an indelible part of competitive athletics this is. Then maybe we can get past teh hysteria and finally have a genuinely open conversation about steroids
I must say that I am genuinely shocked by this admission. She seemed so wholesome and honest, above reproach. Even when Victor Cunte was making his allegations, I still didn’t believe it. I also still believe that Justin Gatlin and Floyd Landis were set up or are innocent. Don’t know why I believe they’re innocent, usually I’m quite cyncal. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense.
[quote]gordonshumway wrote:
I must say that I am genuinely shocked by this admission. She seemed so wholesome and honest, above reproach. Even when Victor Cunte was making his allegations, I still didn’t believe it. I also still believe that Justin Gatlin and Floyd Landis were set up or are innocent. Don’t know why I believe they’re innocent, usually I’m quite cyncal. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense.[/quote]
I hope you’re being sarcastic. i’ve told people she’s on ssince she was competing. Look at her.
[quote]gordonshumway wrote:
I must say that I am genuinely shocked by this admission. She seemed so wholesome and honest, above reproach. Even when Victor Cunte was making his allegations, I still didn’t believe it. I also still believe that Justin Gatlin and Floyd Landis were set up or are innocent. Don’t know why I believe they’re innocent, usually I’m quite cyncal. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense.[/quote]
Are you serious?
I think the OP’s original point is excellent. Perhaps people will wake up, realize steroids are prevalent in sports, aren’t going to go anywhere and there is no point locking up athletes for such a silly reason.
Stop the witchhunt.
[quote]gordonshumway wrote:
I must say that I am genuinely shocked by this admission. She seemed so wholesome and honest, above reproach. Even when Victor Cunte was making his allegations, I still didn’t believe it. I also still believe that Justin Gatlin and Floyd Landis were set up or are innocent. Don’t know why I believe they’re innocent, usually I’m quite cyncal. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense.[/quote]
lol! Let me know when you return to planet earth. It wasn’t just conte making the allegations. her ex-husband (who was also busted for cheating) effectively ratted Marion out years ago. And later her boyfriend Tim Montgomery admitted to investigators that he used steroids and then threw marion jones and a couple other of his teammates under the bus as well. I doubt there has been a single gold medal track and field athlete in recent years that hasn’t been juiced. And if you think Floyd Landis was ``set up’’ you’re hopelessly delusional.
Gee, what a surprise. I hope it will start a serious discussion about every rule in international competition. We don’t need no stinkin’ rules.
TC (I think it was him) talked in an article about how the testing for athletes should be that they have to pass a physical. I think that is a great idea. If you think about it, what is the purpose of drug-testing in the first place? To make sure the athletes are healthy! Well then it seems to me like chasing all the illegal supplements is a backwards way of doing things.
Every so often have the athletes get a physical with complete bloodwork and other analysis done. If the doctor doesn’t clear them to compete, they can’t compete. If they are “healthy” at the physical, then it would seem to indicate that anything they’re taking is not detrimental to their health.
Easier said than done obviously, but it seems like that’s a more logical way of doing things. Obviously steroid testing isn’t working.
I hate the hypocrisy in sports. It’s time they either loosen the policy and just accept that all high-level athletes will probably use or make it really strict so that none can. This middle-ground is bullshit. Proceeding blithely with full knowledge of what’s going on and how widespread it is with a half-assed policy where every once in a while they go after an athlete and make them a scapegoat.
[quote]gordonshumway wrote:
I must say that I am genuinely shocked by this admission. She seemed so wholesome and honest, above reproach. Even when Victor Cunte was making his allegations, I still didn’t believe it. I also still believe that Justin Gatlin and Floyd Landis were set up or are innocent. Don’t know why I believe they’re innocent, usually I’m quite cyncal. But it just doesn’t seem to make sense.[/quote]
For real? They all, or almost all, do it. That’s the nature of the game. The sad thing is this shitty system that looks the other way and every once in a while makes someone pay and targets them for doing what they know almost all the other athletes of their level are doing.
I agree with jtrinsey about testing the athletes for health since obviously they aren’t smart enough to keep up with the people making/masking the drugs.
When there is much on the line, money fame glory or what have you, people will do whatever it takes to get the job done and that attitude will NEVER change. Either they need fool proof tests for drugs(fat chance) or to change the mindset about their role in sports.
So how long before roids are allowed in sports?
It doesn’t matter how many athletes–beloved by the fans or not–come out about steroid use. The government and the sports agencies aren’t going to change their stand.
[quote]Airtruth wrote:
So how long before roids are allowed in sports?[/quote]
At least several years longer then it will take to get steroids off the controlled substances list. Good luck with that.
There was a good interview with Charlie Francis here a few years ago where he told an interesting story. Going off memory here, but he was put in front of a commitee on drug use in track and field and asked the panel members to name someone they knew who threw(shot put maybe?) something like 24 meters(don’t recall exactly). No one had an answer.
The standard to get on the Canadian team was 25.5+ or something like that. The people in charge know about the drug use but they can’t stop it.
I wasn’t being sarcastic and as I mentioned I am usually very cynical when it comes to athletes and any type of charges. Firstly, with Marion I guess I was taken in by her charm and earnestness. Secondly, while I don’t have her times in front of me, if I recall correctly her times did not jump as did Flo Jo’s.
Her times from the time she was in high school showed a progression of improvement of what could be expected of an athlete as they matured and got stronger and better.
I’m also surprised at Justin Gatlin’s drug test results and alleged drug use if only because he was so adamant about the new generation of runner and all the other anti-steroid bull he espoused. Does any one have an opinion on Asafa Powell?
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
Every so often have the athletes get a physical with complete bloodwork and other analysis done. If the doctor doesn’t clear them to compete, they can’t compete. If they are “healthy” at the physical, then it would seem to indicate that anything they’re taking is not detrimental to their health.
[/quote]
Define “healthy” for me.
And you’re going to allow the medical community to make this call?
O.K., where to start…sigh…not enough forum space or time to discuss the inadequacies of the medical community.
Let me just say that during my last ANNUAL physical, the spirometry tech put me into the computer as a 50 year old, african american male. The doctor read the report and signed it.
I’m a white female, and yes I was in the room talking to him while he signed it.
Obviously, not a trained observer.
I just don’t care anymore.
News media has harped on this so much, it’s no longer news or interesting. When I hear stuff like this now, all I think is “so what.”
I’m not outraged or concerned. It’s not some scarlet letter.
It’s turned into a witch hunt, hurting private citizens by labeling them societal pariahs. These people do not just jump off the couch and compete. They train their asses off. Their commitment, dedication and focus to abstain most everyday habits in order to reach their goals should be celebrated, steroids or not.
My opinion of Jones hasn’t gone down one fraction.
[quote]kroby wrote:
My opinion of Jones hasn’t gone down one fraction.[/quote]
Same here. She a tremendous person and athlete and now the media will get to thrash her for the next few months for doing what any athlete has to to succeed at her level. I feel bad for her.
Steroids, what steroids? Athletes don’t use Steroids. Crazy People! Honestly who cares. If I used it and it was untraceable then I wouldn’t say anything! Who really cares, its the athlete who suffers all the bodily punishment and if they can make millions doing it, and entertain us in the proccess, then let them, that’s their choice. It’s all entertainment anyway! No one complains when Stallone gets caught. Why not, isn’t he in a competition as well?
I say make the steroids better, more specific and with less side effects and let them all use it, MMA, football, boxing, Baseball, soccer, gymnastics, T&F, Basketball, golf. Whomever, ratings will go up, sponsors will pay up and couch potatoes will be more entertained while they eat their synthetically engineered chips!
Does anyone suspect Michael Johnson? Just wondering.
My whole point is that, I was a huge fan of a lot of athletes who I found out later to be connected to the “Clear” and I guess i kinda miss the intensity of those athletes and the impressive ability they had. So I figure if it was this “Clear” then maybe its not really such a bad thing. Right?