Monday, July 31, 2006

Dope or Dogfood?

The hip hop heads will get the reference.

Ever since Ben Johnson in Seoul 88 I've kind of gotten used to the fact that some if not a majority of our sportsmen are doping up, using some sort of enhancing drug, to take them to the next level. Its gotten to a stage where I wonder who the next big name to test positive or to be scrutinized as having used drugs will be. When someone does test positive its almost like an "ah ha I knew he was too good to be true!" moment and I wonder how some of the others who test negative consistently continue to beat the system.

Who's using the Juice? Who's got the Juice and I'm not talking about Bishop or GQ here or even a bronco riding O.J.

Everyone is a suspect.

Seems like with the level of competition and the rewards, cash, endorsements, prestige, glamour and glitz (Some are preoccupied with glamour and glitz, actin all bougie and making big movies) associated with excelling in certain sporting arenas you're almost seen as a the exception not to take some sort of substance to get better.

"So what you on hops dope or dogfood?"

No I'm not advocating steroid use I'm just saying if steroids and using drugs has become so common place that it almost seems like you're first impression is that an athlete is using instead of he isn't. The playing field isn't level anymore and it seems like in order to compete, keep up with the Joneses so to speak, no pun intended, one needs to play the same game they do.

Photobucket - Video and Image HostingSo did Landis and Gatlin cheat? Hmmm I don't know. I hope not but that's me being naive again. I aint no Guru but as he said "Fallen heroes are zeroes" so The Question remains.

And as a die-hard sports fan I got to say the whole steroid, illegal substance business is killing me slowly. Up until it started getting publicity I was a naive little sports fan who figured I was cheering on all natural talent but as the years have gone by and more and more sportsmen have been caught I must say I'm feeling more tainted than a Slum Village joint.

Its like when you were a kid and believed that Wrestlers actually fought real fights and really beat the crap out of each other, lashed each other with chairs, got up put each other in secret coma inducing grips, traded punches and still at the end the winner looked like they could go another half hour in the ring.

Yea I used to believe that sprinters ran under 10 seconds without drugs or baseball players could hit hundreds of home runs without injections, that human growth serum was some sort of secret portion from the comics like the kind Henry Pym used to turn into Giant Man or that supplements were vitamins that your mom gave you every morning with your juice and cereal so you could grow up strong and healthy not needles that you got your homie to stick in your thigh in the locker room.

Juicing was squeezing piece of orange on one of those little round things in the morning and I thought "the cream" was something you put on your skin to stop yourself from looking ashy. Definitely had no idea what "the clear" was either although if somebody say "the clear one" I would have known them mean somebody who "fair skinned".

I was simple enough back then to think it was only big "man-looking" woman from Eastern Europe and China with facial hair and big deep bass voices that was dealing in this enhancing drug business. When woman look big, square and obzocky and can throw a truck at a fella from cross by the corner shop like she name She-Hulk it was then that I wondered about drugs. Yea man she must be using one a them things with a name that end in lone or rone or ine and zine. Look at she why she looks more of a man than me or you.

Never thought of sprinters or swimmers or baseball players or cyclists as the ones on the drugs. They just looked like normal cats.

But that was back when I was an innocent sports fan and believed that everyone was natural. Back when I would have believed Landis' and Gatlin's stories without blinking cause they were innocent until proven guilty. It was clearly a mistake they said and I would have believed them at face value.

Now? I'm more skeptical. Blame BALCO, Andro, Bonds, McGuire, Canseco, Tim Montgomery, CJ Hunter and the rest. Seen too many positive tests, too many apologetic athletes, too many I'm not sure what they were giving me or what my trainer rubbed on me or I thought it was olive oil or sesame seed oil or flax seed oil or it was in my cold medicine excuses. How can you seriously believe these cats when the average athlete knows more chemistry than a second year pharmacy student?

Oh well judge not less yea shall be judged they say so I guess I'll reserve my skepticism and just watch and see what the fallout will be.

Pity about Gatlin though, his rep is shot regardless. I kind of liked him too as he seemed to be one of the less knuckleheaded, big headed sprinters around.

11 comments:

Miz JJ said...

I think people turn a blind eye to obvious doping though. I mean Barry Bonds. He became so huge, so fast and nobody really blinked. Same with Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa etc. I think we should just accept doping and allow legalize it to a certain extent. That will level the playing field a bit and the true cream of the crop will rise again.

Luke Cage said...

Mannn, the use of steroids, performance enhancement supplements, and various juices is truly rampant now in nearly all corners of sports. Baseball, Football, Cycling, Hockey, etc. I mean, after the deaths of Lyle Alzado, Ken Caminiti, and others you would think dudes would know better.

I think the question we should be asking is not who's using, but who is NOT. Personally, I think anyone who is currently using deserves to be caught because they should know that there's so much light on this issue right now, it's like they are attempting to perform career suicide by using these drugs. Why even attempt it when you know they've got steroid police managing over players and their "alleged" performance enhancement usage.

And the apologies, or the denials are so piss poor that you have to believe these guys are guilty. What a shame. I like giving people the benefit of the doubt and say you can accuse anyone, but produce proof. The moment these idiots open their mouths, the whole kip and kaboodle is out now. Geez..

Loved the Henry Pym & She-Hulk references man.

Gela said...

Yeah such a pity, I was really looking forward to a Justin-Powell match up too. The sad thing about it is that it has become so rampant that it casts a shadow over the clean athletes because as you indicated people just look and wonder when they're going to be revealed.

Campfyah said...

What a shame. But these fellas should know better. They kow that they will get tested at the slightest sneeze or win. The stakes are so high, but it makes the fellas and gals not using looks bad also. But what shall we do? legalize the steroids and let them all go for it, or still try to maintain some sense of naturalness in the sports.

Brotha Buck said...

Tough call. Personally, I don't mind knowing they use steroids -- their bodies, and everyone is doing it. Doesn't make it right.

Amadeo said...

The funny thing is the most famous steroid user of all time is a da' Gov.

Marc M said...

The doping ting has cast quite a shadow over sports. But their is also the other side to the story - imagine having to watch everything you consume because even certain legal beverages or medicines can make you test positive. Imagine how vulnerable you are to the doctors that treat you, your personal trainers, or just the people you hang out with.

cfollymacher said...

imo, the last clean, great track athlete was king carl. everybody since is a running chemistry experiment (yes, i'm the sole black canadian who never appreciated ben johnson).

football? roided freaks all, but i'm still a fan.

baseball? c'mon. next.

basketball? hmmmm...waiting for the first case, but it's hard to argue there's a big of advantage in using steroids if you play in the backcourt

hockey? with the new rules? doubt steroids helps but doping could be the move.

golf? who's tiger's masseuse? would "the cream" help him putt? (then again, i did read that clear/cream stuff helped barry's eyesight)

i assume the guys in these sports know what's going on and will take whatever they feel they need (and whatever they figure they can get away with) to compete. it's not a perfectly level field, but if i close my lyin eyes it's close enough.

cfollymacher said...

Can y'all pass the Steriod Excuse Test?

Unknown said...

As far as I'm concerned, all US athletes are on Drugs!!!

chrome said...

it's getting crazy and putting the 100m races at risk. this is like the main event at all athletics meet for crissakes!

heh dope or dogfood. not heard that in a minute.