Posted on 12/07/2004 8:27:12 AM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
SO athletes use steroids to perform better. Wall Street traders take Ritalin and everyone uses caffeinated drinks during work to stay alert. News anchors get face lifts and actors take Botox so more people watch them. What's different about athletes?
Yet, this weekend you would have thought that Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds had committed some unspeakable crime. Commentators spoke of them "falsifying the product." Saturday, Sen. John McCain promised hearings and threatened legislation imposing drug-testing standards if professional baseball does not crack down. By Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist made a similar call for legislation, and McCain said President Bush would sign such a bill.
Athletes may have more at stake than most of the rest of us. They may go a little farther in competing, but the risks seem pretty mild. This spring a baseball players' union representative, Gene Orza, claimed that steroids are "not worse than cigarettes." With over 4,000 people playing major league baseball over the last decade and claims that 40 or 50 percent of players are using some form of anabolic steroids, what is striking is how rare baseball deaths are and that these are not really related to "performance-enhancing" drugs. Take the last two years:
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
The amount of disinformation beign spread around on the subject is staggering in and of itself. Up to and including almost no one knowing how to spell "Dianabol"(Methandrostenolone) correctly. Also, real steroids like Deca Durabolin are a 100 times more androgenic than the andro and methoxy blends recently added to the Sched III list.
To provide a better analog, this is like putting aspirin in the same class of pain killer as morphine.
Don't worry, I will. Kids that have been locked up in the basement by their mentally ill loonytarian father have to be a bit touched themselves.
The problem is that baseball knew it had a drug problem long ago, and did nothing (the owners, the management, the players, the union). It took them at least 10 years to admit that cocaine was a serious problem. There is no reason to expect them to rush to fix this. They will have a half-way measure up and adapted within two weeks. I think congress ought to step in and let the union know that this isn't even a negotation point. Everyone will comply immedately and suspension ought to be absolute on the first failure (365 days out of baseball, with no pay and no regrets).
I feel that Barry Bonds and his magnificent record...is now bogus, and I really can't count the massive home-run season. I know that Bud and the boys won't do nothing...but I will simply not accept that season period. I also am beginning to feel the same about Sammy Sosa and McGuire....their terrific season was likely bogus too. Morris and Ruth are still at the top of my chart....and Aaron will likely stay atop the home run derby. Barry can just walk away from baseball and be happy with the hall of fame (oh, and that Pete Rose guy ought to be talking right now about how he never used steriods...he might get a point or two from the audience).
As far as I'm concerned, a steroid scandal in Major League Baseball is about as relevant to me as a steroid scandal in the World Wrestling Federation.
Yeah, but you might want to let them out of the basement once in a while you know...
That may well be a component, but if you can find the Playboy article, you'll see how Bonds was targeted from the start.
I don't disagree. Just making the point that the logic of the author of the article is flawed by comparing caffeine with steroids to make the point that performance enhancement is no big deal...
Like Drudge said, sports figures on steroids only hurt themselves and the "fans". Drug shooting politicians and alcoholic politicians are more of a threat to the general public.
The only stipulation I would make - to avoid allowing these over-testosteroned, mentally challenged misfits to serve as role models - would be to REQUIRE them all - especially basketball players - to appear in clown's costumes while "performing" on the field. Just to place them in the proper perspective for younger viewers.
On reflection, it might even make sense to require all "fans" - who pay good money to watch these mental misfits in a stadium - to wear clown suits too.
Short-term answer: 'Cause the rules say you can't. Or try: 'Cause they're illegal.
PCP Boxing , yeah that sounds fun I would love to see that.
I can't believe that anybody needs to ask this question!
What's wrong with players on Meth? Cocaine? Marijuana?
Hell! Let's let the players bet too!
On themselves!
Gee!
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