That Charlie Francis article really blew me away. It’s amazing what goes on behind the scenes, state sanctioned and supplied roids for athletes, designer roids, etc. Amazing. I knew it of course, but the details are really stunning. Kinda spoils watching the Olympics though when you know how juiced they are! And Americans may be the some of the worst it seems. And if we damand they clean up, we lose from that point on. Comments?
Why would we want to clean it up? Why does that spoil it for you? There is nothing intrinsically wrong with drugs and other supplements, especially when the biggest difference between the first place countries and the last place ones is money. Guarantee that Laos doesn’t have an elite coaching staff with on site PTs, massage therapists, dieticians, sport medicine experts, and so forth. Drugs only matter at the upper end, so maybe we should ban nutrition instead. That would level the playing field, yes?
Kinda goes to show you that they should abolish testing altogether.
I see what you mean and tend to agree with Robert too. What I mean by spoiling it is this: I look at all the little girls wanting to be gymnasts and think what a great goal that is, how good the role models are. Then I hear of them taking drugs that stunt their growth, damage themselves with crazy diets, basically give up their childhoods and I think, “Is this somethig I’d want my own kid to do?” Remember, the Chinese even take these little girls away from their parents at a young age. It’s just sobering when you know what really goes on behind the scenes and what it really takes to win. It’s hard to keep that old childhood idea of heroes.
As for the sprinters, yes, it takes money, the best coaches and drugs and of course genetics. But we like to tell our kids that with hard work anything can be achieved. Now we have to say with hard work (and drugs and money and the right country backing you) you can achieve anything in sports. See what I mean? I agree with what you’re saying, but think what the average person would think if he saw that article? Most people actually believe that CJ Hunter was the only “bad guy” and that was wife was inncont and ignornant of his steroid usage. They’d be highlty offended if you pointed out the obvious fact that she was using too because unless you’re using you don’t even make it to that level. Charlie talked about this in his first interview with T-mag. He said to qualify for some things (I think he said shotput) you’d have to be “on”. No one has even thrown over a certain distance clean. And yet that distance is what it takes to get into top competitions. It’s just all pretty sobering and it’s hard not to think of this stuff when watching the Olympics. I say forget the testing and may the best scientist/athlete/country win.
It is interesting how low doses of methandrostenolone Eastern block athletes were using.
Well said, TEK, good points. I still believe that with hard (and smart) work anything CAN be achieved, but there is a price to pay. The greater the distance between where you are now and where you want to be, the greater that sacrifice will have to be. Now, is it worth it? Probably not for me and you or our daughters (it’s a fucking medal after all).
I wonder about the Olympics. Firstly I don’t really think it is the highest level of competition, that’s the pros. Secondly, what the hell do the athletes do it for? Most of last years competitors could not get picked out of a line up by average sports fans in thier own country. I am probably biases though, I hear so much shit from Canadian athletes who bitch about not getting any financial support as amatuers. What the hell do they think amatuer means?
The distance that was given in the paper mag interview was around 66-67ft. this can be done naturally. In fact I believe that 70-72 can be reached naturally with the right genetics. The guys that do throw 73-75 are deffinitly juiceing in fact the world record holder Randy barnes had a 79ft pratice throw a week before he broke the world record 75’10". If I remember right he got nailed a few times for roids. Must have pissed somebody off
I believe in an earlier T-mag issue Charlie said that Americans are always shocked when they hear about drugs in sports. They think that everything is not as it seems, but when you take into account the scale of drug usage in sports (everyones taking something) you realize that everything is as it seems, first is first, second is second, etc… Basically they all cheat and the fastest man still wins
You know everybody blames the athletes for the drug use but has anyone really looked at themselves for blame. Now I not saying its only the media and what not is to blame, the athlete DOES have a choice, but lets take the NFL for an example. All I’m saying is everybody who watches the games wants their team to win. They want bigger, stronger, faster athletes. These athletes feel the pressure from outside sources as well as their own wills and wants to win. I also think testing should be taken out. Most of the time it might be a hit and miss anyway. Some athletes might be pigeon holed in that they are the target for any negative press. The public wants more, they just won’t admit what it takes to get there. Am I anti-drug. NO. I say do what it takes if thats what people want. If we can somehow get the public to accept a “natural” games and realize that the old “unnatural” records will not count for some time, then I say level the playing field. Until then, well I guess a guys got to do what a guys got to do.