FanNation - The Republic of Sport

This has been a problem for so long, I am glad it is finally out in public. I know of high schoolers who were using steroids 20 yrs ago. Athletes are role models, but also human. Drugs and other addictions are a huge problem in this country. There is no simple solution. It must be dealt with at every strata of society. I honestlt dont know whether people really did not know of this issue or knew but turned back on it, despite the dangers. Lets hope America wakes up and does something worthwile about it.

Good blog The SI Staff.

People take steroids or HGH to achieve a goal....improved health, quality of life, or looks. What positive effect does alcohol, smoking, and nicotine have? What about obesity caused by lifestyle choices? What about cancers caused by lifestyle choices? There are the REAL problems in America, not PEDs. Whether you view atheles who use them as cheaters, thats you opinion. However, if you look down on a non-professional athlete for taking steroids, you better examine yourself first. They have a goal in mind, but do you the one who is judging drink alcohol or smoke? They are using, perhaps illegel, but a substance to improve health.

Trying to direct focus off of major sports I find amusing. Especially given that its a sports writer doing so. The truth of the matter is yes steroids is a problem that many facets of our culture face but next to none are getting paid millions of dollars a year in return for doing so. Now even that could be forgiven in some odd way if it were not so heavily implied that these athletes do NOT do these drugs. It is a form of fraud by misrepresentation that allows major sports to push its product onto the masses all the while proclaiming to be clean.

The focus however I should add should be put more on to the owners, union bosses, and of course the commissioner for collaborating to both allow this kind of thing to go on because the bottom line is more important the the integrity of the game as well as the well being of the people that perform within it.

I think the fines should impact the pockets of the owners, commissioner, and union bosses each time one of these players tests positive. The players themselves should be removed from their respective leagues for a year without pay and their contracts voided if found guilty of abuse.

People get upset that congress should be staying out of it but when it all comes down to it...this is big business. We are not talking about the lovable little league game our kids play. We are in fact talking about a multi billion dollar business thats scale is on par with some of our large corporate infrastructures. That is why the focus is on major sports and should remain there until we see results.

Its people like you and me that put money into the pockets of all these people and we have the right to demand that the product being sold to us is clean and not tainted in anyway.

Trying to direct focus off of major sports I find amusing. Especially given that its a sports writer doing so. The truth of the matter is yes steroids is a problem that many facets of our culture face but next to none are getting paid millions of dollars a year in return for doing so. Now even that could be forgiven in some odd way if it were not so heavily implied that these athletes do NOT do these drugs. It is a form of fraud by misrepresentation that allows major sports to push its product onto the masses all the while proclaiming to be clean.

The focus however I should add should be put more on to the owners, union bosses, and of course the commissioner for collaborating to both allow this kind of thing to go on because the bottom line is more important the the integrity of the game as well as the well being of the people that perform within it.

I think the fines should impact the pockets of the owners, commissioner, and union bosses each time one of these players tests positive. The players themselves should be removed from their respective leagues for a year without pay and their contracts voided if found guilty of abuse.

People get upset that congress should be staying out of it but when it all comes down to it...this is big business. We are not talking about the lovable little league game our kids play. We are in fact talking about a multi billion dollar business thats scale is on par with some of our large corporate infrastructures. That is why the focus is on major sports and should remain there until we see results.

Its people like you and me that put money into the pockets of all these people and we have the right to demand that the product being sold to us is clean and not tainted in anyway.

Let them take 'roids...it's their body. Make for good entertainment for me.

This whole debate is freaking ridiculous. I haven't used HGH, but after a very long time studying the chemical make ups of steroids, I used Deca, Anadrol, Sust, Test, and Dianabol. Know what? I had a heck of a lot better quality of life then. Never experienced "roid rage" - which for the uneducated, is pretty rare if you know what you are doing and are not a psycho to begin with, no acne. The only problem I had was depression when I got off of them...and then only because I didn't get the proper treatment to get off of them. Not to mention it is a little depressing to shrink up! Kids shouldn't touch them, and I could care less what the hypocritical professional leagues do, but leave the average joe alone. I tell you what - look up the average number of deaths per year attributed to alcohol, tobacco and steroids. I can promise you this, if you look at the past 100 years, the total number of deaths actually attributed to steroids will still be 1000's lower than the toll from one year of alcohol or tobacco. Oh and steroids cause rage?? Ask the local police how many times they get called because of alcohol related fights versus "steroid" problems..its laughable

This whole debate is freaking ridiculous. I haven't used HGH, but after a very long time studying the chemical make ups of steroids, I used Deca, Anadrol, Sust, Test, and Dianabol. Know what? I had a heck of a lot better quality of life then. Never experienced "roid rage" - which for the uneducated, is pretty rare if you know what you are doing and are not a psycho to begin with, no acne. The only problem I had was depression when I got off of them...and then only because I didn't get the proper treatment to get off of them. Not to mention it is a little depressing to shrink up! Kids shouldn't touch them, and I could care less what the hypocritical professional leagues do, but leave the average joe alone. I tell you what - look up the average number of deaths per year attributed to alcohol, tobacco and steroids. I can promise you this, if you look at the past 100 years, the total number of deaths actually attributed to steroids will still be 1000's lower than the toll from one year of alcohol or tobacco. Oh and steroids cause rage?? Ask the local police how many times they get called because of alcohol related fights versus "steroid" problems..its laughable

What doesn't get mentioned in any of these articles is that there are children out there who need HGH as a medication, just as a diabetic needs his insulin. My ten year old son is HGH deficient from a birth defect - as are thousands of children - and suddenly the stigma surrounding HGH created by selfish and irresponsible people means that he is at risk of having his medication either become unavailable or much harder to get. What about those children????? And there are also adults who need HGH medically too - as my son will. His deficiency will not go away just because he's fully grown. HGH is needed by the body for more than just height, but no one seems to bother or care to report this. It seems patently unfair that a few jerks can effectively deprive innocent children of their ability to lead healthy and happy lives. Yes, there's a problem, but there has to be a way to solve it without hurting an entire group of people who have done nothing wrong.

mashley278....couldn't have said it better myself...this can branch off into other dietary supplement....oh that 100 people ephedra killed in the past 5000 years is a real problem...lets ban it....but go ahead, lets keep getting drunk and smoking, no problems there...

I have an idea - let's investigate the senate, with their campaigning and their public image many are apt to be on enhancing drugs.

Lets make them swear in an affidavit that they didn't take any, not letting them know we are going to spend millions investigating their answers. Then we can embarrass and impeach them once we find out who perjured themselves.

Does that sound like a good use of tax dollars?

Boss is right on. Bottom line is that PEDS really work so if I was a 30 yr old NFL player (or other pro sport player) knowing I could make a few million more for a few more years with minimal health effects.... then its a no-brainer, Problem is that I, the $ paying fan, get insulted when the ball washers, buisness pukes and media nitwits proclaim/push the product is clean. When the head of the players union says he doesn't want the players to be treated like "pin cushions" with reagards to drug testing=lame excuse. The NFL is a chemical freakshow that gets taxpayer subsidies and anti-trust status Just wait a few years when genetic manipulation will make the current players look frail in comparison. At that point I'd rather watch the WWF.

You know where the problem is? Parents. Parents blame everyone and everything but themselves. Kids are sooo much more undisciplined today, that doesn't mean you have to beat them though. The media does not help either, but parents, you are responsible for your kids and their actions.

JM???s article is BS. In the other areas of society those things don???t matter. Nobody cares if Sly or Arnold juice. Billions, again BILLIONSSS, of dollars are spent, invested, bet etc. on pro sports. Clearly the powers that be knew and know what is happening but want to collect their BIG cash, so they look the other way. BUT, when the truth comes out they send out the lambs. Do you want to know why no team is picking up Bonds? It is because he is not a team player and has never proven he can help a team win in the playoffs. San Fran only kept him because he filled the stadium during the home run chase. Clemens just had a bad lawyer not unlike Bill Clinton. The league and the owners knew what was going on and looked the other way, period. It made for good TV ratings (i.e. home run chase). Please you writers insult our intelligence. Why don???t you do some REAL reporting and uncover the truth. You bag on George Mitchell. JM, you couldn???t carry his jock.

Here's another viewpoint on the subject of HGH use and abuse.
My son was born without most of his pituitary gland (the small pea-sized gland in the middle of your brain that produces most of your hormones needed for life). The condition is called congenital panhypopituitarism. He requires replacement hormones (including human growth hormone (HGH) and testosterone) in order to live for his entire life. There are thousands of children and adults who need HGH to lead normal, productive lives. Personally, I don't care what the celebrities or sports stars are doing to their bodies. But, I do care when it affects the people who are HGH deficient. It is already difficult to deal with the health insurance companies and the cost of HGH. Now, we have to deal with the stigma attached to the abusers of HGH. In response to the recent abuses of HGH, the Senate is currently reviewing a bill to make HGH a Schedule 3 drug (controlled substance). The bill is probably necessary to stop the abusers but there is a major flaw. The current bill does not provide an exception for the people who need it as a medical necessity. Please visit www.magicfoundation.org for more information about HGH deficiency and more information on this bill.

Here are some reasons why human growth hormone is necessary for life:

1. Growth hormone is the key to all cell growth and reproduction.
2. It helps the body maintain a healthy immune system, helps balance other
hormones and body functions, helps to maintain muscle tissue (including the
heart and lungs), is essential for the body to be able to use up and get rid of
fats instead of storing them, and helps the bones regenerate cells to stay
healthy and strong as well as grow.
3 Growth hormone is an essential component for every human alive.
4. It helps the body maintain normal blood sugars and decreased oxidation of
proteins.
5. Untreated growth hormone deficient children have a higher risk of
cardiovascular (heart) problems leading to cardiac death in adulthood.
6. Untreated growth hormone deficient patients as adults have more fat, less
muscle, higher risk of osteoporosis, cannot tolerate exercise well, and cannot
metabolize fats, causing heart and other problems.
7. Normal levels of growth hormone are also necessary for the normal growth and development of children's teeth and jaws. Without it, it is common to see a
growth disorder of the jaws, causing dental problems

And what about the mood altering / "Controlling" drugs prescribed for "disruptive" children?

Actually the phrase "bigger, stronger, faster" can be summarized:
"YOUNGER"

Ironically, we've created a perception, an expectation, a standard for "being young", that not even the young can fulfill. The young have to "cheat" to meet the expectation of what they should be capable of. Pitiful.

....And, if the young can't live up to that expectation, what about the "Boomers" trying to compete with them in the workplace?

My feelings about this are best summarized by that great social philosopher and moralist, Terrell Owens, aka "T.O.":

"They're messin' with ma money!"

Peace!

T.O. definitely uses some type of performance enhancer...he's mediocre talent wise, but when he's juiced...he's pretty good.

There are people out there who actually need HGH just to have a life that is close to normal. Because of its abuse by those who don???t need it, the Senate now has bill 877 which includes changing the classification of the drug. While well-intentioned, if this bill passes as written many people who truly need this will no longer have access to it. Your article clearly shows that many people are abusing these drugs. It???d be great if you followed up by showing those who really need it, why they need it, and how those using it illegally are affecting the futures of those who need it.

The problem in my opinion is they actually didn't tell the truth. If they were honest not sidestepping the issue. It would have been forgiven then put aside. But MLBPA asissted in the cover up and didn't allow others to verify what was really going on. Donald Fehr is one of the major issues. HGH is a Natural product of the body. Synthetic HGH is not. The major instigator is drug companies, pasting a label, disorder or anything they can to make a billion. That is most of the problem. From one commercial to the next, these are the same people that have basically bought off the senators and congressmen to create laws that allow drug companies to continue without a check that truly balances what is being done here. the MLBPA is a puppet of the drug compaies. Our congress is a puppet of drug companies. Kind of ironic they go after the user instead of the supplier.

:)

A companion article to this "The ABC's of HGH" by David Epstein contained the following quote:
"Human growth hormone: The primary purpose of growth hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, is the maintenance of normal bone development from birth to adulthood. Synthetic human growth hormone, or somatropin, is typically used to treat growth disorders and the wasting effects of HIV/AIDS....."

Granted, Epstein's article was a very basic primer of steroids and HGH. However, it did make it clear that there were legitimate, therapeutic uses for HGH as part of a prescribed medical treatment.

To me, one of the ironies of this whole problem is that everyone (public and legislators) has jumped to the following conclusions about steroids and HGH BEFORE the scientific evidence is in:

1) Steroids and HGH are literally PED's: PERFORMANCE ENHANCING drugs.
Reading and listening to the scientists weigh in on this, you see a vigorous debate about whether performance is truly enhanced or whether someone is simply being sold "snake oil".
2) Whether steroids and HGH damage the body long-term is also under vigorous debate.

Sounds a lot like the marijuana debate. Battle lines between advocates and opponents were drawn before anyone really knew what the hell they were talking about. And most people STILL don't know what they're talking about because the research isn't being done, or if it is, it's not made public.
Imagine that. In America!

P.S. Before anyone starts hatin' on me here as a "druggie", I'm not a user nor am I an advocate. I just find it ironic that a nation that believes itself to be so "rational" and "scientific" jumps to self-serving conclusions so easily.