VeeshanVault

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » November 18, 2003, 11:42 pm

Bonds= the man

Post by **Xouqoa** » November 19, 2003, 12:05 am

Wonder if he'll be as good when they start testing for steroids?

noel · Post by **noel** » November 19, 2003, 12:17 am

Having followed cycling for the last 15 years or so, I can honestly say that Americans are in for a hell of a surprise. Steroid testing is going to rip apart professional sports in the US.

Post by **Sylvus** » November 19, 2003, 12:18 pm

They already test for it in the real sports, baseball just used to do anonymous tests. Now that the number of positive tests reached more than 5%, they are going to start taking names when they take the tests and reprimanding players. I look forward to 2 or 3 really boring seasons before MLB collapses.

noel · Post by **noel** » November 19, 2003, 2:35 pm

Sylvus wrote:They already test for it in the real sports, baseball just used to do anonymous tests. Now that the number of positive tests reached more than 5%, they are going to start taking names when they take the tests and reprimanding players. I look forward to 2 or 3 really boring seasons before MLB collapses.

With all due respect, you cannot compare current testing done in US sports to the testing done in the pro peloton... at all.

If you test positive in cycling, it's an automatic 2 year ban.

Post by **Sylvus** » November 19, 2003, 2:41 pm

I don't even know what peloton is!!

To be perfectly honest, I like to watch the best performances possible, so I don't really give a shit if a guy is on steroids or not. The only way it would really bother me is if I was trying to compete against someone who was on steroids and I wasn't. Last time I checked, I couldn't hang with a pro athlete who isn't on steroids, so the point is moot.

I have been working on my bowling lately, though. I wonder if there is a performance-enhancing drug (besides alcohol) that could help me break 200?

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » November 19, 2003, 3:02 pm

Bonds is on the juice.

noel · Post by **noel** » November 19, 2003, 3:36 pm

Sylvus wrote:I don't even know what peloton is!!

To be perfectly honest, I like to watch the best performances possible, so I don't really give a shit if a guy is on steroids or not. The only way it would really bother me is if I was trying to compete against someone who was on steroids and I wasn't. Last time I checked, I couldn't hang with a pro athlete who isn't on steroids, so the point is moot.

I have been working on my bowling lately, though. I wonder if there is a performance-enhancing drug (besides alcohol) that could help me break 200?

Peloton comes from the French word for 'platoon'. When speaking of cycling, the literal translation is, 'the large group of riders' or whatever the main bunch is during a bike race.

Well, I'm of two minds on the subject. On the one hand, I agree with Jim Rome, who (though he's against steroids in sports) often says, "If you're not cheating, you're not trying."

On the other hand, a lot of people have died from using performance enhancing drugs. The drugs used in professional cycling are quite a bit more dangerous than those used for simple muscle gain because they affect the circulatory system much more. I personally would rather see a level playing field, in terms of performance enhancing drugs.

Lance Armstrong puts clauses in his sponsorship contracts that state that if he tests positive he'll pay back the money. He also has people who randomly show up at his door, request a urine sample, and advise him of his rights. He has to make them aware of his intinerary/whereabouts/schedule.

If we go on the assumption that Barry Bonds (as an example) is clean, while there are others in professional baseball who are using performance enhancing drugs, isn't his performance that much more impressive? Why is it so wrong for Sammy Sosa to use a corked bat, but performance enhancing drugs aren't? The difference is the corked bat only affects one at bat or one game while performance enhancing drugs affect his entire season.

In European sports (not just cycling), the testing is FAR more rigorous, the consequences are FAR more severe both from a career standpoint and a sponsorship standpoint. If steroid use in professional sports in the US gets the attention it deserves, careers will be ruined, and fans will likely be shocked.

I'm mostly just trying to stimulate discussion, but I'm very interested to see how this plays out here in the US.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » November 19, 2003, 3:53 pm

I'm not going to shed many tears when baseball dies. I hope Bonds and Sosa both test positive so we can finally put a fork in that suck ass sport.

Soccer is still 100 times more boring than baseball. If that's the kind of competition we get minus teh juice, I say we make steroids mandatory. Anything to keep that faggot David Beckham out of this country.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » November 19, 2003, 5:38 pm

He also has people who randomly show up at his door, request a urine sample, and advise him of his rights. He has to make them aware of his intinerary/whereabouts/schedule

That is how it is for more sports in Europe. You never know when they will knock on your door, you just know they WILL. Hell recently they have caught a few people who used caffeine!

In European sports (not just cycling), the testing is FAR more rigorous, the consequences are FAR more severe both from a career standpoint and a sponsorship standpoint. If steroid use in professional sports in the US gets the attention it deserves, careers will be ruined, and fans will likely be shocked.

nod.. just take a look at the Finnish crosscountry skiing team. Several of them tested positive at their own World Championship, so the entire team was shut down. All those who tested positive got 2 years suspension from ANY sport.

Of course, then you got the exact opposite.. namely, US track and field during the Carl Lewis era when people actually did test positive but it was kept quiet. Or East German competitors around 10 years earlier who actually got their drugs from the govenment.. heh.

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