A-Rod is negotiating to avoid a lifetime ban

[IPD]

IMO the problem with allowing them is that once that happens, it won't even be a choice for athletes, it will be a requirement. Joey Average will never hold a candle to Johnny Juicer, so he'll feel he has to join the club to keep his job.

i'm ok with that. if everyone juices...the athletes with the natural ability will still come out on top. besides...if you hit/throw/carry a ball around for a living...why should i be concerned about detrimental effects to your health, mr. "i made 3 million dollars last year"?

[Echo419]

To me, I don't particularly care if athletes use steroids, it's their body and their health. However, the fact remains that at this time, steroids are illegal in baseball. He broke the rules and lied about it to the MLB, as well as getting others to break the rules.

Whether or not it's actually bad for the body is an entirely different issue. In the same vein as speeding. Whether or not you hurt anyone else is irrelevant, the fact is it's against the law. You can cry about it all you want, but the only way to fix it is to change the law. Given the way the MLB eased into the PED issue and how long they had to get off the juice, there's not much of an argument A-Rod could make. Not like he could claim that he didn't know it was illegal, or that they just changed the rules about PEDs.

I agree to a point. the people imposing the rules know the players are doing it, refuse to use more accurate testing and are profiting from the players using the drugs.

IMO the problem with allowing them is that once that happens, it won't even be a choice for athletes, it will be a requirement. Joey Average will never hold a candle to Johnny Juicer, so he'll feel he has to join the club to keep his job.

it's like that already. only difference is PED don't make you a better player. it doesn't improve hang/eye cordination and it can't help with timing and intangible things like anticipation. if anything being stronger(in particularly suddenly) in regards to pitching can cause more injury.

At the time, McGwire and Sosa seemed great, but looking back on it, it's tainted.

I personally don't think A-Rod should get a lifetime ban. Lifetime is supposed to be after 3 times. I would agree with 100 game ban, but lifetime should be out of the question at this time.

If it were Manny involved, he should be lifetime being he has already been caught twice. Braun got off easy with his "65 game suspension" being it was his second time getting caught.

at the time of McGwire/Sosa/Bonds they weren't against the rules in baseball. it wasn't until after all those redicilous congressional hearings that it was banned. even outside baseball posession was just a misdemenor(iirc).

i'm ok with that. if everyone juices...the athletes with the natural ability will still come out on top. besides...if you hit/throw/carry a ball around for a living...why should i be concerned about detrimental effects to your health, mr. "i made 3 million dollars last year"?

bingo. there's millions of guys that do it that'll never make it out of AAA or beer league softball.


side note: did you know the NBA and PGA tour doesn't have any PED policy or testing?

[sergechronos]

I agree to a point. the people imposing the rules know the players are doing it, refuse to use more accurate testing and are profiting from the players using the drugs.

it's like that already. only difference is PED don't make you a better player. it doesn't improve hang/eye cordination and it can't help with timing and intangible things like anticipation. if anything being stronger(in particularly suddenly) in regards to pitching can cause more injury.

at the time of McGwire/Sosa/Bonds they weren't against the rules in baseball. it wasn't until after all those redicilous congressional hearings that it was banned. even outside baseball posession was just a misdemenor(iirc).

bingo. there's millions of guys that do it that'll never make it out of AAA or beer league softball.


side note: did you know the NBA and PGA tour doesn't have any PED policy or testing?

Well PGA doesn't have so much to worry about with it. Smooth consistent mechanics > raw muscle in golf. Not to say muscles don't help, they obviously do if you compare PGA to senior tour scores, but it's not like a guy who is absolutely ripped is going to just dominate the game. Long drive is helpful, but consistent iron play and quality green work are the keys to winning.

NBA is a bit more curious, admittedly big muscles don't make your shooting motion better or improve the muscle memory for shooting, but bulking up does make it easier to work in the paint. So unsure why they haven't implemented a policy.

[Echo419]

golf is a perfect example as to why PED won't make you a better player just by taking them. that being said I've been playing golf for 16 years. then as now if I try and muscle a shot a little extra further 9 times out of 10 my accuracy will suffer and it certaintly doesn't help with putting. however.... when I started and up until the last few years I was very very small. hell 5-ish years ago I was about 80lbs lighter. I borrowed a friends driver(Titlist D2 blah blah) one day and I absolutely hit the ball with all I had mechanics be damned. that was probably the furthest drive I've ever hit. 330+ from what we could tell and it was up hill. no way in hell could I have done that before or with my old equipment and to test it I hit that driver for the rest of the day. it worked every time. now I don't have to swing as hard, the ball goes much further and my accuracy is what it is. but I can get the distance without sacrificing accuracy. in that aspect size/strength matters. but it doesn't mean that drugs would turn me into a PGA Pro.

[sergechronos]

Wrecked my back in fall of 06, so I haven't been able to play golf since. Hell, even just playing Tiger Woods golf on the Wii has me sore by the end of a round. Miss it very much. Not that I could afford to play anymore anyhow

Course anymore, modern technology has pushed clubs and balls so far that they're the real PEDs for that sport.