Happy Saturday! I just dropped my kids off for a day of snowboading ... and wish I could be there too! Alas, I shall take the kid-free opportunity to write my blog. Today? I speak my mind about "doping." My feelings are mixed on this subject, although apparently strong enough to feel the need to write about it. Sports stars do drugs. Perhaps not ALL of them take steroids or "enhancers" but ... many of them do. I would like to believe that Derek Jeter is steroid free. I also would like to believe the same of Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Nash and a few others.
Alberto Contador was busted AFTER he "won" the Tour de France. Bonds was busted, McGwire was busted, A-rods admitted it, Clemmens was a total under oath liar and was busted (he was also a womanizing pin-head but an AWESOME entertaining ball-player who loved the game) ... and Lance Armstrong has been busted. We all know that there are Thousands of Basketball players, track legends, swimmers, skiers, and of course football players that are doping!
WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL??? Yes, I know its WRONG. It is illegal. So is doing cocaine and driving drunk. Sports figures also rarely get busted for snorting coke or drunk driving. IF the sports world wants to BAN steroids the "Proper way," they should enforce it COMPLETELY.
This spontaneous testing is stupid and pointless. It is not fair to all participants. It is not fair for the guys and gals that DONT dope and it isnt fair for those that DO. What's the point of having a three week race and cummulative "winner" in Tour de France when the poor saps going to be stripped of the title months later for taking cough medicine that had a "no-no" drug in it? The other poor sap that didnt dope, didnt win or get to experience the thrill of victory, because the idiot that DID win after doping stole his opportunity ... after the fact! (?!?!) Every cyclist should be tested prior to and throughout the event. YANK EM if any drugs are found, period. It is absolutely ridiculous to bring back test results months after the official end of the race to say the winner was on drugs and therefore should be stripped of the title. Everyone loses that way.
ENFORCEMENT. TEST EVERY DAMN player, every participant, every season, every race, every off-season, all the time! That costs too much money? Take it from their salaries! They make millions of dollars ... and they SHOULD be willing to spend some of those Franklins to "PROVE" they are clean, just as awesome and WORTH the millions they make.
IF they are serious about eliminating steroid use then there should be strict diets ... and NO pharmaceuticals should be taken for a cough, cancer or a pulled muscle without first "okaying" it with the board. For that matter, everything that is ingested should be approved. Wasnt it actually supposedly some funky chocolate dessert that Contador ate that had the secret drug in it? Give me a freaking break. As in, if that was really what it was ... they're seriously going to punish the dude????? And the levels were so minuscule. On the other hand, if he really is dumb enough to use that as an excuse when he may really have purposely taken something, then he needs to be banned indefinitely. Someone that dumb shouldn't be allowed on a bicycle.
Athletes shouldn't dope. Athletes shouldn't feel the NEED to dope. I am sure there are PLENTY of athletes that don't and are presumably doing well. At a personal level, I know an individual that was once on the Italian race team. He was instructed by his doctors and team coach to dope. "Sugar water" my ass. 35 years ago! He still rides today but mostly runs. He is in his sixties and takes "grand master" in the majority of races he enters. He hasnt "doped" for nearly four decades and he is stronger and faster than most of the guys 20-30 years younger than him. He doesnt NEED to dope. And neither do any of those athletes!
Unfortunately many athletes still do it. If they are insecure enough to believe that they have to enhance themselves, it's sad ... but it is really none of my business. Those that continue to dope are poisoning their own bodies. If they are just doing it to follow doctors (coaches and sponsors) "orders" then they are weaklings. They need to grow a pair and tell them to shove off. Prove to them you're capable of greatness all by yourself. Rarely do steroids (at least physcially) hurt anyone but the person taking the drug. A rare case? The Psycho wrestler that murdered his family and then himself. It wasnt just the steroids that set that rocket off, however. That said ... If it's illegal and the officials want to control it ... then do it ... and don't do it half-ass! IF you can't test EVERYONE then quit your bitching and just let 'em play. People go to see baseball games because they love the game. They watch every minute of the Tour de France because they are enthusiasts. Sure, they have heroes ... but I doubt very much they're wondering if their hero just juiced up before the first pitch or the firing of the gun.
Millions of people will be glued to their televisions tomorrow watching the Steelers and the Packers play the mother of all football games, the holy Super Bowl. If it were discovered weeks from now (or months) that half of the players on the winning team were on steroids ... would they take away their trophy? I don't think so.