American "Gets it" Shocker!

disgruntledgoat
disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
edited February 2013 in Pro race
This may not be the right place, and the article may be a bit long and dry if you have no interest in American sport, but this is a good read about a mindset we all have, but rarely see reported with regard to use of PEDs.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8904906/daring-ask-ped-question
"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

@gietvangent

Comments

  • Garry H
    Garry H Posts: 6,639
    Very good article. thanks for the link. swap baseball and football for tennis and rugby...
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Anyone care to explain how in last night's Superbowl Jones did that 108 yard run in a time that many national sprinters would be pleased to get? Um, just wondering :?
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    The NBA story in there made my jaw drop
    NBA players get tested up to four times during the course of a season. The fourth time can happen at any point from October to June, but once it happens, that's it. So if your fourth test occurs after your 71st game, you're clear the rest of the way. It's a running joke within NBA circles, something of a get-out-of-jail-free card: Once you pee in that fourth cup, you're good to go. Put whatever you want into your body. Feel like smoking enough weed to make Harold and Kumar blush? Knock yourself out. Feel like replacing your blood with cleaner blood so you have more endurance for the playoffs? Knock yourself out. Feel like starting a testosterone cycle because you might have to play 25 grueling playoff games over the next 10 weeks? Knock yourself out. Remember how competitive these guys are. What would they do for an edge? How far would they go? And why are we giving them the choice?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Bills Simmons is great when he's writing about what he wants to write about.

    The NBA four tests story is insane.

    RR, Jacoby Jones has done a 10.2 second 100m on the track. I haven't timed his return yesterday, but they usually take 13 or 14 seconds for the 100 yards.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Turfle wrote:
    Bills Simmons is great when he's writing about what he wants to write about.

    The NBA four tests story is insane.

    RR, Jacoby Jones has done a 10.2 second 100m on the track. I haven't timed his return yesterday, but they usually take 13 or 14 seconds for the 100 yards.


    Ok, so 10.2 on a track. No doubt wearing just shorts and running vest, maybe spikes. Compare that to running on grass, wearing full football kit, a few weaves i.e. not in dead straight line, and without full unrestricted movement of the arm holding the ball to achieve max propulsion.
  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    Turfle wrote:
    Bills Simmons is great when he's writing about what he wants to write about.

    The NBA four tests story is insane.

    RR, Jacoby Jones has done a 10.2 second 100m on the track. I haven't timed his return yesterday, but they usually take 13 or 14 seconds for the 100 yards.

    He did 108 yards in 11 secs last night. From a standing start, not in a straight line, breaking one tackle on the way and cruising into the end-zone.
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  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Jeez, Tyson Gay needs to watch out...
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Clock starts when you leave the endzone.

    100 yards, with an 8 yard running start, in 11 seconds is very fast. But using the Bill Simmons inner feeling thing, I'm not THAT suspicious of it.

    I am hugely suspicious of the NFL as a whole though.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Turfle wrote:
    Clock starts when you leave the endzone.

    100 yards, with an 8 yard running start, in 11 seconds is very fast. But using the Bill Simmons inner feeling thing, I'm not THAT suspicious of it.

    I am hugely suspicious of the NFL as a whole though.

    100 yards in 11s is about a 12s 100m... Also, having played the game, the pads and helmet don't weigh much at all. There's worse to see in the NFL than that
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Guys, you know a lot more about NFL than I do (which is admittedly bugger all) so will take your word for it
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Guys, you know a lot more about NFL than I do (which is admittedly bugger all) so will take your word for it

    A 300lb lineman doing 40 yards in 5s, however.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • d.mart
    d.mart Posts: 88
    To be honest anyone who watches or has more than a passing interest in US pro sports shouldn't be surprised by the proliferation of PEDs. It's fairly standard that there is no testing protocol worthy of the name, I'll try and find the article but there was another good one about PEDs in college sport - predominantly American football. Now that's insane, but then college sports has nothing to do with education. The majority of elite student athletes at college in the US can barely spell their name but because they enable the sports program to be successful (which guarantees sponshorship money and donated funding) they are given a free pass through college.
    It would be interesting to see how revenue related to PED testing if not surprsing, I'm guessing the relationship would be inversely proportional.
    I really find it hard to put into words the struggle that this causes. The child in me wants to believe the amazing things that these people do as it allows the suspension of disbelief to continue and allows me to dream that with the requisite training I could do the same. It allows me to share in the joy of my team winning or checking out montages of my favorite player on youtube.
    The cynic/realist in me is suspicious of everything now and is a hair's breadth from shutting off and not watching any form of organised professional sport as I can't reconcile the moral compass that the players are seemingly all using to that which I had when I played national level basketball and now try to live by and will try to raise my kids with.
    It's too easy to just say 'enjoy the spectacle' and carry on with business as usual...it's wrong and shouldn't be the norm but what can we do to change it? The only thing the sports/entertainment industry reacts to is $$$ but when 90% of the viewing public are of the 'head in sand' mindset what hope is there?
    I think I'm just going to go and ride my bike...

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