Look first HGH and not steroids is the big issue. #2 it isn't about adding mass, it increases your reaction speed and hand-eye coordination, both of which help you in baseball, basketball and football.
Exactly. Isn't that an argument against your POV? They still have the same level of skill, it's the stuff that peds help you with that's missing in those cases, the quickness, explosiveness, etc. You would get the World Wrestling Federation with their gone too soon members, you would get kids in high school using them because it might be the only way. I don't have a problem with substances in sports as long as they are safe, I hope science can offer that in the future, especially to injured athletes.
LOL @ notion that PEDs CAN'T help basketball players Remember the bulletproof baseball logic justification that its ALL about "skills" and hand-eye coordination, and you still have to put the bat on the ball". Years later, we saw that wasnt quite enough rationale in downplaying the effect of PEDs Sure some players can perform in SPITE of being limited athletically, but some players use their athleticism to the max. What would Steve Francis have been without elite athleticism? People think Donatas Motiejunas really would NOT benefit with 25 more pounds of enhanced muscle and strength?
I was talking to a guy who was talking about strength and speed though. So that is why I was talking about strength and speed. My POV is that it's not going to help players in basketball break records like it did in baseball. It doesn't improve the basic fundamentals of basketball therefore it can make a player better but it's not going to make anyone into say Sammy Sosa. I think the thing with Baseball is that guys just magically start hitting HRs and that in effect made these guys superstars. I'm not sure who said it wouldn't help any ways. I sure didn't.
First off- Great article, and I think the 4 and done banned substance testing rule that Bill talked about is extremely interesting. But it all makes sense now why come April and May, all the sudden these guys just go into video game turbo mode, after 6 months, and 82 games of grueling travel, nagging injuries, and mental exhaustion. Its pretty obvious now looking back at it that some(or a lot) of these players are putting a little something extra in their morning coffee. Secondly- "PED's dont help basketball players" - That quote from Stern is completely false in one way, and 100% correct in another. Taking steroids wont make you shoot the 3 any better, pass the ball any crisper, or learn the triangle offense any faster, but it sure will help you recover quickly from knee injuries, or turn skinny 18 year old Dwight Howard into Arnold like chiseled Dwight Howard in just 24 months. Thirdly- Do I care? I really dont know how to answer that. If all the sudden, the Heat/OKC finals this year looked like the Houston/Denver game from the other night I might say bring on the PED's. In the end, what I really hope to see is a sport that enforces extensive research into finding the best possible way to keep these guys playing at a high level for as long as they can do it in a healthy way. Im tired of seeing 21 year old future superstar players bodies breaking down like they are a 75 year old grandfather. Im not sure If PED's have anything to do, or not to do with this, but that's what I want either way around it. I want players like Dwight Howard to play at a high level until they are 40. Oh, and I could care less about Weed smoking. Its the player thats going to feel the worst pain when he has to go player in Denver the next day when he's sucking wind chasing Ronnie Brewer running wind sprints on a fast break all night long. Have fun with that Josh Howard.
Yeah I agree with all this. MY POV was never that it couldn't help players. Obviously, as I mentioned before Lebron and his seemingly Wolverine like powers to never suffer a serious injury despite pretty much doing everything for his teams night in and night out makes me wonder. But I think if there are things that can safely help players return and stay healthy(and not have serious side effects) than they really should look into that because I think in the end we want to see these players playing. All these injured players...Love, Rose, Bynum, Rondo is pretty disappointing. I just think that people care more about it in baseball the most because of guys like Sosa, McGuire, guys who seemingly became stars because of it I think people just don't care about the players health in the NFL honestly, it's like our gladiator sport. People will show concern if their child is playing but it seems the NFL gets a really big pass on this considering that guys get caught every year and all the confessions about how rampant it is or was in the past especially.
NBA players use PEDs. NBA players gain all kinds of advantages from using them. People saying otherwise are naive.
Amen. What I hate the most about the PED witchhunt is that it stigmatizes and stymies research and development for safe PEDs that could help the general population. For example, if they came up with a safe, cheap HGH supplement that didn't require daily injections, I'd be all over it for anti-aging reasons.
I read your original post. Are you saying my observation stems from jealousy? Because I'm not jealous. Honestly, I don't even really care if professional athletes use PEDs, though if they're going to I'd prefer it be legal and in the open. Additionally, after years and years of hating the Spurs I've actually come to really respect the Spurs as a team and an organization, Timmy most of all. I consider myself a Tim Duncan fan. This isn't coming from a place of hatred or resentment at all. It's just he's on my fantasy basketball team. I watch his stats every day. And it just seems strange to me that a player who has been declining for years is suddenly the best power forward in basketball again at his age. And it could be he just got into better shape this off-season, changed his diet, re-dedicated himself to his craft or any other number of reasons. I'm not even making any accusations. I am saying that after all we've seen in other sports, it is difficult for me to watch him have this kind of season and not wonder.
They do and it's legal. If an athlete or just any person at all has major surgery they'll be taking steroids as a necessary part of their treatment.
These steroid gurus are ahead of any standard testing in pretty much every major sport. There are guys who job is to solely make drugs that are undetectable in test. On top of that, when you have a shady doping agency like the USADA, the question is, who isn't juicing? I say either go full random dope test or allow everyone to take whatever they want. The latter would make more entertainment for us fans.
If it puts an athlete's life at risk I disagree. Long term, introducing this stuff into your body may further your playing career but what kind of life is it if a player like Kobe were to die at 43? We should look to protect this folks as much as we look to them to entertain us. I think in basketball 82 games plus a possible additional 28 games into the playoffs coupled with back to backs and four games in five nights may not be what's best for the sport. Maybe this is why athletes are breaking down more so, maybe it's not just over-competitiveness that drives them to cheat. As great as the article was, BS sort of overlooked that. It's not an NBA only article so I'll give him a pass on that. If we are going to go out and attack athletes for cheating we also need to look into the owners and the league for creating an atmosphere that is not only conducive to cheating but almost makes it necessary to do so.
