Tuesday, January 15, 2008

for christ`s sake people.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080115/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_congress_steroids

we don`t have a steroid problem.

we have a bureaucrat problem.

the tiresome endless rhetoric from all sides in this witch hunt is painful to sit through....so i don`t for the most part.

but occasionally i see an article which captures the tone of the problem.

this is a huge waste of tax-payer money and a wild goose chase that will solve nothing and ruin lives into the bargain.

bureaucrat heaven.

there is not on single benifit that this process provides at the end of the day either.

it ruins careers, team morale, and artificially effects the nature of sport.

the use of steroids has been common in sport for thousands of years. the greeks and romans were aware that certain compounds derived from roots herbs would allow a man to get sronger and recover more quickly from training and injury.

just look at some of the statues in the cities of greece and rome to see my point.

this witch hunt has decimated the whole attitude of the sport of cycling, with major sponsors pulling money out of fears of damage to thier image.

and don`t tell me that people actually care about the damage athletes do to themselves with steroids.......

this is another arificially created problem that bureaucrats can then use to feather thier nests and call in thier buddies to feed also.

the athlete always seeks to gain advantage......and fair has nothing to do with it in the least.

genetics isn`t fair.

i am feet two inches tall with a 45 bpm resting heart rate. i was born with this ability. add this to my years of training and focus makes me naturally able to ride a bike and to do well at athletics that i choose to participate in.

i was always chosen first or second when picking teams.....

is this cheating?

when allowed, people always make teams comprised of the best available athletes and those athletes are genetically superior and have trained and dieted the best also.

i chose on many occasions not to do steroids because i didn`t understand them and didn`t trust the use, but many athletes that i knew did them and got noticable benifits as a result.

and there are many other substances that athletes ingest that will provide advantage, mentally and physically.

steroids will never enhance the ability of the mind though.

you can prepare the body perfectly and still fail on race day if the mind isn`t prepared.

and that 95% of the job.

but that`s another story.

4 comments:

X. Dell said...

Methinks the steroid hoopla is a welcome (for some) from the more pressing issues of state. This is taking on more and more characteristics of a witchhunt.

But for the record, I do actually care about what happens to athletes. I don't watch boxing anymore, for example, and don't support it any other way. I just don't really know what else to do to minimize the long-term (and sometimes short-term) damage it does to those athletes.

Dr.Alistair said...

the steroid thingy is precisely that x., entertainment and distraction.

and the bureaucrats get free advertising.

i understand your position regarding compassion for the plight of athletes, but for most the idea of an athlete is someone to make them happy, no matter the cost.

Unknown said...

I am annoyed by the steroid issue because so many records are falling by the wayside and they were done with "help". I don't think Ruth or Hammering Hank had the kind of help bonds did. Now Barry was an exceptional player even without the juice. but he took it to extend his career and break th record. This does irritate me.

As you say however, there has been this type of thing going on for quite sometime and it will never fully go away. I also think deep down a lot of people don't care as much as they say they do because baseball is still doing well and ticket sales have went up. The fans seem to like larger than life guys cranking out home run after home run.

I guess the government feels compelled to act because they have to appear concerned. These substances are illegal after all and it gets them in the headlines. In other words it is great exposure for the powers that be in Washington. I agree with you.

As for me, I'll continue to watch what I eat, work out, and take my protein shakes and vitamins. Not as potent as steroids but I'll take the boring over the adverse side effects any day.

Dr.Alistair said...

the pressure is on the athletes and the owners and coaches....so it`s natural to be unnatural and guys like bonds are part of what i think is the next level of athlete in the professions.

there are many different types of steroid by the way.

some make you physically large, while others make you strong and recover faster from training and injury....and some do a bit of both.

the world of drugs to enhance athletic performance is growing (ha ha.) and will never be curtailed. much of what the athletes use is used for "legitimate" medical applications, where the ill and injured benifit or is used in the veterinary field.

it`s all about commerce after all.