A Sport with Integrity ?

pat1cp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/21273128

I thought this was quite refreshing for a couple of reasons:

1. He's withdrawn himself.
2. He's admitted using a banned substance immediately, albeit not knowingly.

Something we're not used to in Pro Cycling....

inkyfingers

Next we'll have Stephen Hendry admitting to doping in all of his Snooker WC wins.

RichN95.

Plenty of golf clubs still have very sexist policies and are barely tolerant of non-whites, so I wouldn't hold them up as a great beacon of integrity.

cornerblock

Deer antler spray? What did it do? Improve his butting. :oops:

I'll see myself out!

ddraver

We re going to have to change this forum to Pun Race....

pat1cp

RichN95 wrote:

Plenty of golf clubs still have very sexist policies and are barely tolerant of non-whites, so I wouldn't hold them up as a great beacon of integrity.

Not many clubs still have sexist policies.

Augusta National even have two female members now.

Richmond Racer

pat1cp wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/21273128

I thought this was quite refreshing for a couple of reasons:

1. He's withdrawn himself.
2. He's admitted using a banned substance immediately, albeit not knowingly.

Something we're not used to in Pro Cycling....

I wouldnt be too quick to be impressed by the fact he pulled out of the competition. The Phoenix Open's course has a hole described as a bear pit and he'd have gotten a very very rough ride from the spectators there. Golfers cant fly by spectators as riders can - not only cos of the reception they get as they tee off, but the way the spectators follow them from hole to hole. If they're not impressed, they'd make their feelings known big time.

pat1cp

Richmond Racer wrote:

pat1cp wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/21273128

I thought this was quite refreshing for a couple of reasons:

1. He's withdrawn himself.
2. He's admitted using a banned substance immediately, albeit not knowingly.

Something we're not used to in Pro Cycling....

I wouldnt be too quick to be impressed by the fact he pulled out of the competition. The Phoenix Open's course has a hole described as a bear pit and he'd have gotten a very very rough ride from the spectators there. Golfers cant fly by spectators as riders can - not only cos of the reception they get as they tee off, but the way the spectators follow them from hole to hole. If they're not impressed, they'd make their feelings known big time.

I don't think he pulled out because of that, there's only so much stick they can dish outand the crowd has to be quiet whilst a player takes his shot, otherwise you get lobbed out.

I fancy a rotund Scottish bloke would have got more stick, (and he deserves it).

MrTapir

Richmond Racer wrote:

pat1cp wrote:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/21273128

I thought this was quite refreshing for a couple of reasons:

1. He's withdrawn himself.
2. He's admitted using a banned substance immediately, albeit not knowingly.

Something we're not used to in Pro Cycling....

I wouldnt be too quick to be impressed by the fact he pulled out of the competition. The Phoenix Open's course has a hole described as a bear pit and he'd have gotten a very very rough ride from the spectators there. Golfers cant fly by spectators as riders can - not only cos of the reception they get as they tee off, but the way the spectators follow them from hole to hole. If they're not impressed, they'd make their feelings known big time.

I can imagine the sort of thing he would have to endure:

"that was really jolly naughty of you Mr Singh. Its simply not on"

Richmond Racer

Indeed, but the actual tee shot is a matter of seconds. Plenty of time before and after, at all the other holes, and walking the course, for some stick. And US spectators can be pretty vocal, not to say rowdy, in comparison with elsewhere in the world. Its not all 'oh jolly well done, sir'. Brookline, anyone?

mroli

An ex-pro (Gary Player?) can't remember, has said that golf pros are using all sorts of artificial drugs, including stuff to build themselves up. Plenty of skullduggery in golf - but it is a sport that does rely on people self-governing. Plenty of stories of people disqualifying themselves when they've signed for wrong scorecards inadvertently.

trek_dan

Cornerblock wrote:

Deer antler spray? What did it do? Improve his butting. :oops:

I'll see myself out!

best one yet

tailwindhome

mroli wrote:

An ex-pro (Gary Player?) can't remember, has said that golf pros are using all sorts of artificial drugs, including stuff to build themselves up. Plenty of skullduggery in golf - but it is a sport that does rely on people self-governing. Plenty of stories of people disqualifying themselves when they've signed for wrong scorecards inadvertently.

Cycling does seem to have had a culture of 'cheating' from the very early days of taking various preparations which may well have done more harm than good. It's easy to see how this had led on to really scary stuff. When you step back and think about it the idea of an athlete visiting a real life 'Dr Nick' and learning how to transfuse his own blood, its f*cking bonkers.

Golf has a culture of honesty from the grass roots up. Due to the nature of the sport and the 'play field' it really won't work any other way. I've no doubt however that some golfers will have taken performance enhancing drugs. I'd be surprised if these were to improve strength or endurance and these just are that relevant to the sport. You'll get all the strength and endurance you need from a decent diet and fitness programme. Drugs which effect either concentration or nerves will have been used though.

LeicesterLad

inkyfingers wrote:

Next we'll have Stephen Hendry admitting to doping in all of his Snooker WC wins.

More than likely he was than wasn't TBH. Beta-Blockers in snooker is about as blatent as EPO in cycling.

jawooga

Doh :!:

danlikesbikes

Personally I wouldn't say that the sport has integrity if you follow its definition - The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

I dare say that it does have the quality of being honest, like snooker in some respects. However when it comes to drugs testing the sport only has a policy for urine test & the substance he took is banned by the PGA tour but only detectable by a blood test.

It certainly doesn't make any sense, but it is old news really as this occurred back in January but the Governing body still hasn't made it mind up what its going to do.

jerry3571

I think Cycling's history is based on cut throat Darwinism. The poorest of people rode to win races at any cost so they could avoid a life of drudgery in Farms or the Mines, pretty sure this is how racing in the Ardennes grew; an escape from the Mine and Steel works.
Most other sports which grew out of the British Upper Classes were all about fair play and receation for the well heeled. Even Football started as an Upper Class pursuit. These sports became Professional over the years as the lower classes came in and could only be funded if they were paid.

So the histories of Cycling and other sports differ.

Religion is another difference with British based sports, being born out of Protestantism and the Cycling based in Catholosism (spelling??). A lot of pros are religeous so may well be a factor too. Hmmm...??

ddraver

Well I knew there must be something we agree on Jerry!

jerry3571

ddraver wrote:

Well I knew there must be something we agree on Jerry!

Ah, we can all hold hands now and bridge our differences . If we do that, it might stop me putting a thread on here about Sky killing Cycling. :x Damn you and your niceness!!

tailwindhome

WADA reckon Singh didn't use enough Deer Antler Spray for it to be an offense.

Mikey23

i blame thatcher ...

jerry3571

TailWindHome wrote:

WADA reckon Singh didn't use enough Deer Antler Spray for it to be an offense.

I expect the Deer thought it was a bit too much Antler Spray!

PS- Just on a strange but true tangent; my Brother in Law's mate has recently been gored by a Stag when out on his bike so keep an eye on those Deers. Must admit this gored chap was a but shook up by it.

Sorry; back to the plot!

tailwindhome

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/1 ... -saga.html