Steroids in sports - Is there no shame?

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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:32 pm

Baseball, Football, Olympics, and now
Chicken Fighting

Quote:

Raid Targets Illegal Cockfighting Breeding Farm

WATSONVILLE, California

Santa Cruz County animal welfare officials have
busted a farm filled with some 200 fighting cocks "pumped full of
steroids" -- the latest Bay Area raid targeting the illegal industry.

...

Authorities stumbled onto the illegal operation when they visited the
farm to investigate a complaint about cattle neglect. The cattle were
discovered in good condition, but the rooster pens were spotted nearby.

...

"These birds are so conditioned, pumped full of steroids, pumped full of
vitamins", Stosuy told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "They're super athletic,
super aggressive. Most can't be adopted out to the general public...
Most do have to be euthanized due to their aggressive nature".

Story:
http://www.ktvu.com/news/15525308/detail.html

Chicken on steroids:

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:52 pm

Very good. Laughing

On a serious note, as an ex competitive cyclist, I used to idolise the 7 times Tour De France king of the mountains cyclist, Richard Virenque. Then I found out it was all a sham and he'd been on performance enhancing drugs all that time. It rips the heart out of a sports fan I tell you, and I fell out of love with cycling after that. Whenever a sportsman achieves something remarkable these days, my first thought is always "Yes, but what has he/she been on to do that?"

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:02 pm

^^There is a perfectly good now retired cyclist from the states you could idolize. Never tested positive for anything, no matter what the French cyclist community claims, and was the most tested athlete in the world before he retired.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:11 pm

I'm not opposed to human athletes using steroids. I don't think it creates ability that didn't exist b4. It's like practicing & that's not banned. As much as it costs to go to professional sports events, dammit I want to be mesmerized, utterly amazed & if they have to be chock full of roids to provide that then so be it. They are adults, they know what they are doing and the risks, etc.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:17 pm

^^ Yes, Lance was and is a legend. The trouble is, and this is the point I'm making, that whatever he's achieved is constantly brought into question by what all the cheats around him did. I still have a shadow in my mind where I wonder whether he was on something that we still don't know about.

That's no fault of Lance's, (I hope) it's the fault of the cheats. And this is why I say they ruin sport for everyone.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:20 pm

^^That is a good point. You can start to see the effects of that thinking in Major League Baseball now.

@theFife - I have a problem with it when it is illegal and it does give them something they didnt have. They are not actually earning those muscles they are just juicing them up. Also what precedent does this set for high school and college athletes, if the pros are doing it why cant they?

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:01 pm

^^ Even on steroids the athlete still has to train & they still have the ability to perform at that level without them. Ok so maybe a guy wouldn't be hitting a home run almost every time he's up at bat, but he can hit a home run when not on any juice. It's not like you can sit back taking them & become some super athlete. If that were the case, anybody could do that & we'd all be famous athletes.

Also, I don't subscribe to pro athletes being "role models". Most of their lives off the field/court are jacked up, they are hardly worthy role models. I also think deifying them is a mistake. They are human beings. Thinking because they have a special talent means mere mortals should emulate them is naive. High school athletes taking steroids is a separate issue and really doesn't relate to my opinion about pros. You don't have to pay to see HS sports. Same for college, unless it's a tourney. But most college players are over 18, so again, they can make the decision for themselves.

But if it costs almost $200 for 2 people to sit in the nosebleed section at a pro basketball game, I want maximum overload entertainment. I could really care less if everyone on the court is juiced up b/c at those prices the least they could do is provide high level excitement from start to finish.

That is just my perspective as a consumer, not as a moral authority of any sort.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:40 pm

Love the Lance. Got the jersey this week, the pants last month and the bike last year. Its heavier than my trials bike but rides so much smoother. Twenty-five years ago I was considering entering competitive cycling and was told by a sports professional that the only way to compete was by taking steroids. He told me he could tell who had taken them by looking at the person's "moon face". He said it was from the loss of connective tissue all over the person's body. I notice this shape on the faces of all those people on the news that say they never used steroids. His own body was a mess from the steroid abuse but he gave me three doctor's phone numbers to call. His method was to get prescriptions from all of them. Needless to say, I smiled, thanked him and threw away the business cards.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:44 pm

Mugatu wrote:

^^ Yes, Lance was and is a legend. The trouble is, and this is the point I'm making, that whatever he's achieved is constantly brought into question by what all the cheats around him did. I still have a shadow in my mind where I wonder whether he was on something that we still don't know about.

Actually there was a 20/20 episode on Lance that told how his heart is twice the size of most peoples and that is one of the reasons he was so athletic.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:54 pm

^^ Miguel Indurains lungs were similarly twice the size of a normal humans. His resting heart rate was 35bpm. But no-one is saying that these people were not super human, what I am saying is that no matter what they achieve, it will always be in doubt because of the cheats who used steroids.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:58 pm

Freshman year in college my lung volume was 2.7 times average. The closest I will ever get to the Tour is the bike, the jersey and the pants.

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:18 pm

Connie L. Gus wrote:

Freshman year in college my lung volume was 2.7 times average.

Yeah, but you're just a bit wierd. Very Happy

Connie L. Gus wrote:

The closest I will ever get to the Tour is the bike, the jersey and the pants.

You and me both mate. Wink

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:20 am

thefife wrote:

^^ Even on steroids the athlete still has to train & they still have the ability to perform at that level without them. Ok so maybe a guy wouldn't be hitting a home run almost every time he's up at bat, but he can hit a home run when not on any juice. It's not like you can sit back taking them & become some super athlete. If that were the case, anybody could do that & we'd all be famous athletes.

I am not saying they aren't athletes before taking steroids. They went through a lot of work to get where they are at. The reason they use steroids is varied but comes down to it will give them a chance at more money.

thefife wrote:

Also, I don't subscribe to pro athletes being "role models". Most of their lives off the field/court are jacked up, they are hardly worthy role models. I also think deifying them is a mistake. They are human beings. Thinking because they have a special talent means mere mortals should emulate them is naive. High school athletes taking steroids is a separate issue and really doesn't relate to my opinion about pros. You don't have to pay to see HS sports. Same for college, unless it's a tourney. But most college players are over 18, so again, they can make the decision for themselves.

I never said they were role models. What I am saying is if the pros are using steroids, then it sets a precedent. It means that the kid who is on the verge of making the pros in college will start to use steroids because the pros are doing it anyway. Then, when or if, he improves the other kids will have to start using just to keep up. Now the High School kids will see all the college kids, so they will think to compete I have to use steroids/HGH/whatever. It is a trickle down effect. It has already started if you pay attention to major colleges and even some high schools.

thefife wrote:

But if it costs almost $200 for 2 people to sit in the nosebleed section at a pro basketball game, I want maximum overload entertainment. I could really care less if everyone on the court is juiced up b/c at those prices the least they could do is provide high level excitement from start to finish.

To be honest, basketball is the least benefited sport from steroid use. I am not saying it doesnt happen because I am sure it does, but other sports get a greater benefit. Also the only way the prices will drop is if we all stop obsessing over sports and paying the ticket prices.

This is all just my two pence.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:02 am

The fact remains that steroid use is against the rules. Yes, the athletes are adults and, as such, are free to choose what to do with/to themselves. But they willingly signed contracts, which means that they agreed to not use steroids (even if that isn't actually written into the contract, it's a common rule in many sports leagues and organizations).

If you don't want to follow the rules, then don't sign the contract.

Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:24 am

"Yes, the athletes are adults"

Probably were started on the stuff when they were chicks.

Fresh out of the egg and already on dope.

What a world!

I'll be back!

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 1043

It's alright, steroids will be a thing of the past soon.

There is a already lots of research in the field of gene modification. Had a lecture on it last year and saw pictures of this mouse that was basically the incredible hulk of the mouse world.

Once they figure out how to turn the gene back off, then it won't be too long for it to be seen in the competitive sports world.

This one is pretty much impossible to catch too, if the virus used to initiate is specially designed for each athlete.

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:36 pm

Adults have a right to put whatever crap into their body they want, and it is a good point that if the sporting events are going to cost that much it's nice to see legendary results.

The problem is, there are other adults playing the sport who have an equal right to choose not to put the crap into their body, and people who want to see real human ability that they can strive to imitate through hard work and perseverance.

It's not fair to those who don't want to use performance enhancing drugs, to play against those who do. Maybe we need dual sporting leagues - those where athletes are tested, and those where they aren't Cool

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