Massive steroid conspiracy

The thing I don't understand about drug cheats is how do they live with themselves? I would be wracked with guilt if I cheated.

Cheating has been part of sports probably since the day the first sporting event was created. The old expression that goes something like "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying" continues to hold true. That people express indignation and shock at reports of cheating is laughable. Despite all our best efforts, it will continue.

This is news, and there were reports on TV last night, but I missed it. If this is true, it will be so immoral, disgusting, and downright criminal. To think that chemists and coaches would be involved! It is so intent that it makes my skin crawl. For all of the great athletes that stay clean, it is more than offensive, and insults athletics in general. I cannot wait to find out the truth to this! I really really hope it's not true, but if it is, hope that the violators will be punished to the max. Please if anyone has info, do share! Have a great day everyone, Jerrycat

Huge article on it today in the LA Times and among others, Barry Bonds' personal trainer's home was raided in addition to the offices of the "doctor" in San Francisco who is supposedly behind this stuff. My best guess is that as good we think we are, this is not confined to US track and field (though I guess they are the biggest "amateur" offenders). ML baseball has a problem (ie., Sammy, McGwire, Bonds, and any 170 lb SS suddenly hitting 30 HR's) that they are hiding behind their current player agreements and "eye-candy" of a steriod testing program. You can bet that USS and Masters swimming have some issues as well. No proof, but hopefully, this current exposure brings a lot more sludge out of the sewers and ANYONE screwing with the system gets penalized.

The 'Times newspaper' in Britain recently ran an article on Ben Johnson. Available, if you search the archive at: www.timesonline.com Ben's doctor and trainer have talked about the issue. There was a conspiracy around the Ben Johnson drug test faliure. The biggest issue; the steroid they FOUND in his sample was one that weight-lifters use for bulking up, it would be no use to a sprinter that close to competition. It was also found in the PURE form, it could not have passed through his body into his urine. It was also found in a MASSIVE quantity, much greater an amount than sprinters would take. His trainer and doctor admit that he was on a steroid based drug program in the 2 years leading up to the Olympics, but that they ensured that he would test "clean" at any major event by stopping the use well before the meets. Everyone knew that Ben would be tested after the race so why would they be so stupid as to give him steroids just before it. They are planning to expose the other athletes that they know were also taking drugs. Ben's doctor was in charge of a lot of their drug programs. So yes Ben was on drugs but his positive test at he Olympics was fabricated. i guess none of this matters now. I have no idea which swimmers take drugs, the pressure to win is immense and can mean the difference between earning a lot of money or struggling to get by.

Gareth, With all due respect, to believe this statement, "I WAS using steroids but I quit," is fantasy land. Yes, HE would be so stupid as to think he wouldn't get caught even though he knew he would be tested. Regarding knelson's question: how can a cheat live with themselves? The amount of glory and accolades that an atheletes receive is enough to numb the pain of knowing that it was all untrue. (Recently it was revealed that the Giants were stealing signs in the game where Bobby Thompson won the pennant - though much like Gareth, they are claiming they did not steal the sign on the pitch that lead to the homer!)

if you win whilst cheating then you never truly win,you lose,drugs are made by losers sold by losers and taken by losers(illegal drugs that is)but by all means take an asprin if you have a headache!!!!

Why do you think they call it Dope? Using drugs to win anything is like not counting all your strokes when golfing. You are only cheating yourself. Cheating yourself of the real glory and pride that goes with unmatched perfomance. Being the best is the real high. To me, to even make the top 10 in masters swimming is an unbelievable self accomplishment. I believe that our sport (masters swimming) is probably the cleanest of all sports here in the US. I am basing this on the character of the people I have met at the competitions I have attended and witnessed since returning to swimming a year ago. I am proud to be a member of USMS. Dope is for Dopes.

According to the article the only way a Pure steriod, i.e not broken down by being passed thru the body, can be found in a sample is if it was injected into the test tube carrying the urine. So the sample was spiked. Anyway I am not defending what Ben Johnson did. He cheated and cheats deserved to be caught. But alledgedly others in that race also cheated by taking drugs but they were not caught. I am no chemist, I was just reporting some interesting revelations about the scandal. I do not support drug use or cheating in any way !!

Personal pride isn't the only motivation for the athletes involved in doping offenses. There's big money involved in elite sports -- it's not about just being the best. This, unfortunately, is a powerful incentive to cheat. The saddest thing is that the distorted incentives have seeped down to college and even high school sports, so we have kids doing lasting damage to themselves. I agree that masters swimming is probably the cleanest of all sports because we do compete purely for personal pride. Any masters swimmer who used drugs (without a genuine medical need) would only be cheating himself.