Bill Simmons article on PEDs in sports

[Danny Gunz]

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...k-ped-question

It's pretty long so I wont embed. But it is a good one I encourage anyone interested in the topic to read it.

[gingeralbino]

not a bad read at all.

Havent followed drug testing in sports at all other than seeing the usual theads in NSB and seeing the odd newspaper headline about failed tests. Did not know American sports dont (or didnt in the MLB's case) have blood testing, thats an absolute joke.

Also didnt know Bio passports were being introduced in football for the next world cup. Ive always been a bit suspicious that the only thing i ever hear about footballers failing drus tests for is recreational drugs. Wasnt sure if it was clubs being good making sure their players dont cheat or the clubs making sure they dont get caught.

[bojangles1987]

I really liked this article.

[Danny Gunz]

He brings up a lot of points that I havent considered. Especially about PEDs in the NBA. I never even thought of the NBA when talking about PEDs but surely they are as riddled with it as any other sport.

[cupocity303]

As I said in the Gamboa PED thread, I don't care. Legalize PED's in Boxing.

That's ok with me. Lets push the human body to it's maximum potential. That's what this century is all about. The Sweet "Science". You can only take yourself so far with training, right eating and so on and so forth.

New innovative ways to push your body to new peaks should not be looked down upon, but EMBRACED.

As long as you aren't cheating by putting something in your gloves, or using any kind of weapon, it's not cheating according to my standards; thus why I don't obsess with PED scandals so much anymore. Lance Armstrong is an ATG btw.

This goes for any sport that isn't one-dimensional like running/sprinting, where all you're doing is running down a line next to other competitors. Basketball, Baseball, Boxing requires skill to win. Plenty of guys on PED's lost because they didn't have the skill.

[bojangles1987]

As I said in the Gamboa PED thread, I don't care. Legalize PED's in Boxing.




This goes for any sport that isn't one-dimensional like running/sprinting, where all you're doing is running down a line next to other competitors. Basketball, Baseball, Boxing requires skill to win. Plenty of guys on PED's lost because they didn't have the skill.

I get why people say that, but if you allow these athletes to do this, they will push it to the point of hurting themselves, and the sports involved will get the blame, whether you think its fair or not.

[Danny Gunz]

As I said in the Gamboa PED thread, I don't care. Legalize PED's in Boxing.




This goes for any sport that isn't one-dimensional like running/sprinting, where all you're doing is running down a line next to other competitors. Basketball, Baseball, Boxing requires skill to win. Plenty of guys on PED's lost because they didn't have the skill.

It has a domino effect that could potentially be a bigger problem. First, sports would turn into a caricature of what they used to be where no one will know who is the best or just has the best pharmacist.

Second, eventually it would leak down to college and the high school level which would do much more harm than good. Who would have the advantage to excel in sports? The poor inner city kids that usually do or now the wealthier kids whose families can afford to pump their kids full of peds.

There are a lot of problems with, and I actually dont really have a problem for PEDs and I know they will always be used in sports but I realize a ban on them is necessary because if they were freely available it could create a lot more problems than it solves.

[cupocity303]

no one will know who is the best or just has the best pharmacist

Difference without distinction, unless again you're talking about a low-skill, all-about-athleticism-endurance type sport.

Who runs faster, who jumps the highest, who can endure a marathon perhaps need to be regulated as it's pure athletics.

Basketball, Boxing, even Baseball, not so much. Other intangibles play a factor. A Basketball player on PED's cannot play like Kobe Bryant; his style of shooting, dribbling - which is still effective even past his prime when he is not as vertical as he used to be. Combine that with the fact that Kobe himself could be using PED's to even the playing field, and he clearly wins on all fronts.

[Cutthroat]

PED's make a huge difference in people's abilities. Recovery time, stamina, strength, foot speed, jumping ability etc.

Basketball:
Give me steroids and I guarantee you my lateral speed will increase to allowing me to guard people, my jumping ability will increase as will my strength allowing me to bull guys over when I drive, when I post up, defend the post, grab rebounds, block shots, explode to the basket or explode for a steal etc. I'll be fresher than almost everybody, I'll be an extremely fast runner, I'll have the energy to practice all day long working on my moves thus making me a better player.



You can do this for all sports. Think of the basic movements you make such as jumping/pushing/sprinting/moving side to side or backwards, etc. And most importantly, recovering faster than anyone else. All of these movements will be improved by PED's.

[cupocity303]

PED's make a huge difference in people's abilities. Recovery time, stamina, strength, foot speed, jumping ability etc.

Basketball:
Give me steroids and I guarantee you my lateral speed will increase to allowing me to guard people, my jumping ability will increase as will my strength allowing me to bull guys over when I drive, when I post up, defend the post, grab rebounds, block shots, explode to the basket or explode for a steal etc. I'll be fresher than almost everybody, I'll be an extremely fast runner, I'll have the energy to practice all day long working on my moves thus making me a better player.



You can do this for all sports. Think of the basic movements you make such as jumping/pushing/sprinting/moving side to side or backwards, etc. And most importantly, recovering faster than anyone else. All of these movements will be improved by PED's.

And that's a good thing. Why do we want Human beings to be slower if they can get to another level? So instead of PED's, athletes use Protein and other stuff, and now it's just a new ingredient for better performance.

But natural athleticism still shows through, it can't just be the PED's. Fernando Vargas still can't fight like Manny Pacquiao. Mayorga can't fight like Roy Jones etc,.

The natural ability will still show through.