Do they stop the cheating by using biological passports for every major sport or do they rethink the issue entirely?
My favorite sports writer, Bill Simmons, wrote an article challenging the PED problem by asking questions we all have been afraid to ask or ignorantly ignored. His readers responded with several different theories and opinions on the matter; a smart and simple way to attack a problem that has plagued competitive sports for years.
So the questions are: Why now? Why is everyone asking the right questions now? And is it because of technology today exposing every cheater?
We finally have to make a decision on the issue that will change the future of sports forever while simultaneously altering the past. We have to. Honestly, we are pretty much forced to at this point.
PEDs have been around since the 70s. It became a world issue when the East Germany women's team took every medal in the 1984 Olympics. It became even bigger when Ben Johnson broke the world record in the 1988 Olympics before being the first person stripped of a medal due to performance enhancing drug use.
In baseball, it became clear that at least 75% of players were using PEDs in the 1980s and 1990s and reached a precipice with Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds chasing baseball's home run crown.
During Lance Armstrong's Tour de France reign, every top cyclist has either tested positive or have been alleged of taking PED's.
So again, why now?
People are tired of hearing multiple professional athletes getting caught with PED use.
"It ruins the game. What type of example does this teach our children? How can these athletes lie in our faces?" These are just a few quotes individuals state continuously about PEDs.
Isn't the whole reason we watch sports is to see excellence? To see people do things most of us only dream about? To break records and dismantle the competition?
Wasn't the Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire home run chase the most exciting thing in baseball? Then to have Barry Bonds break the record a few years later?
Or how about Lance Armstrong winning seven straight Tour de France titles after coming back from cancer?
The answer is yes...to all of the above.
We all want to see greatness. We want to tell our children that we saw Adrian Peterson come within 9 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record a year after having tearing his ACL. We want to be amazed by Kobe Bryant playing at an extremely high level in his 17th season in the NBA. We don't really care how it happens. We just want to see history.
Sports fans live vicariously through their favorite sports teams and players. It's the same reason people watch 'reality' TV shows. They know everything is staged, yet still watch it because it is entertaining. Everyone needs an escape from their daily lives. We need to believe in something greater than ourselves. This is what sports gives us; an escape. That hour and half to 4 hours of bliss and surrealism that fills a void must of us wish we could do. We just want to be entertained and witness humans push themselves beyond perceived limitations. The last two players I named haven't even been linked to PED use but shouldn't we be questioning every player or great thing we have seen in the past 40 years.
That's the biggest problem with this and the real reason why everyone is questioning the matter. We don't know what to believe anymore. We are questioning everything. And why not? With everything in recent memory becoming a fallacy ending with disgrace and betrayal, we don't believe everyone is doing this the natural way.
Did Usian Bolt really dismantle the world's best without any "help"?
I could go on forever listing extraordinary things performed throughout the history of sports. Where would that get me? Where would that get us? A generation so critical of everything we see on TV as if we are somewhat better. We judge athletes, politicians, and thespians as if we do things differently, and most of the time, in situations where we don't know half of the details.
I am getting carried away and preachy again.
After much thought, research, and watching almost every sport on the planet (including Gaelic football, Rugby, cricket, and baseball), the conclusion is simple. Just let the athletes treat their bodies the way they want and enjoy the show. I understand the elementary take on this but hopefully after you are done reading this, you will understand that much care, thought, and experience went into this.
The Science of PEDs
When I started doing triathlons, I received a call from a telemarketer. Unlike most people, I take some of these calls (for no specific reason at all.... I am just an idiot) but I wasn't getting offered 43 subscriptions of magazines I would never read or timeshare in Bloomington, Indiana. I was getting offered Human Growth Hormone. That's right. I was getting offered HGH from a dude I have never met or spoke to before. In complete shock, I told him calmly that I am a triathlete and keep myself in very good shape by eating healthy and wouldn't find any need for such a substance. In a unexpected turn of events, the guy got pissed ( I assume this was his 13th straight rejection and probably interpreted my tone and explanation as "I don't need that s*** and if I did, I would certainly not get it from you"...which wouldn't be to far fetched) and told me "How can you turn something down that will increase your libido, life expectancy, and overall health?" This is now, 4 years ago, and I still remember him saying that. He was sincerely pissed but I sensed he believed in what he was selling.
However, after him questioning my logical thought process, I politely said no thank you and got off the phone with him. But he had garnered my interest. I had to find out more. Is that really true? Can it do all of the those things because if so, why isn't this marketed as supplement just like Vitamin C is? Couldn't this legitimately save lives?
I have only heard or seen on television the "bad effects" and labels coming from HGH. Everyone who does this is a cheater, lacks moral fiber, and has no lower intestinal fortitude.
After doing some research through various sites and testimonials, the guy was right. I am not going to go into the science (ironic because this section is called "The Science of PEDs") so here is the best way I can explain it. Remember when you were 20 years old (if you are younger than the age of 23, wait a few years...if you are older than 30, you know exactly what I am talking about) and you could workout for 2 hours, go out drinking, eat whatever the hell you want, get 4 hours of sleep and get up to do the exact same thing without ever having an issue or setback. That's what HGH does for you, even if your 50!
Your body starts producing hormones like it did in it's apex. Remember how energetic you were in those times. It's not because you "matured" that you became calmer. Your hormones aren't producing as much. So with more energy, you are more lively, become more productive at work, have better sex, and recover faster from workouts or injuries.
It is even proven to improve your eyesight. Something that is universally understood to fade over every one's lifetime.
So why isn't this celebrated as a medical miracle? Why aren't we using this in everyday life?
Actor Sylvester Stallone started taking HGH in 2008 and stated multiple times that it has saved his life.
You want to guess how old he is in the picture below:
64
Read that again.
Go ahead...let it sync in.
Read it again...it's not a typo.
He is 64 in that photo! This was shot during the filming of his latest film: Bullet to the Head
You want to guess how old he is in the next photo (I would have uploaded the photo on this post but it just wasn't working):
61.
So in 3 years, he went from declining to prospering. He started taking HGH for his role in Rambo IV.
Let me correct myself, he started taking HGH to revive and continue his career. He didn't want to give it up. He knew he was past his prime but knew he still had something left in the tank.
Sound familiar?
There are multiple counts of people taking HGH and it turning their life around..when they are in their 70s, yet this still gets published negatively. People are getting in the best shape of their lives while receiving medicare and social security.
So again, why is this not being marketed as the best supplement in the world with huge positive effects and no big negative side effects? What am I missing here?
And if you are wondering if I have the answer to these questions. I don't. I have theories and opinions on why but they are irrelevant in this column.
Now players are coming back from injuries sooner than ever. I understand surgery has come a long way but no surgery on the planet can speed recovery, especially for those in decline. That has to be done naturally through nutrition and natural supplements.
A few years ago, Kobe Byrant traveled to Germany and received knee surgery that is illegal in the US. At the start of the season, he started playing like he was 22 again. He started dunking over guys, playing 46 minutes a game and showing no signs of decline. He was 32 at the time but no one said boo about this. There wasn't a peep of negativity towards Bryant on his ability to regain something everyone loses over time.
Yet, Ray Lewis got chastised right before the Super Bowl because he sprayed Deer Antler Spray (a HGH compound) on his torn bicep. Do you know how long it takes to recover from a torn bicep?
9-15 months!
He came back in 2.5 and tore through the playoffs, recording double digit tackles in two of the 4 postseason games.
How did the public react?
They wanted him suspended before the Super Bowl (the story broke out a week before the Big Game). Some fans wanted to literally take the Lombardi trophy from the Baltimore Ravens after they won, claiming that Lewis is a cheat.
He took an all natural spray that you can order on the Internet.
So what is the difference between the two?
Answer: There is none
Both found a way to heal their bodies so they can return to their respective sports to help their team win. This did not help improve their performance but it did get them back to a healthier version of themselves. Yet, both are viewed so differently. Why is that?
I will leave you with that as an ending point. This is going to be a three part essay so I hope you enjoyed and their will be more next week. Thank you for reading!
Click Here for Part 2
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