What do you think about Lance Armstrong (sorry I KNOW he's not a swimmer) being sponsored by Bristol Meyers. I am sure that's a great sponsor to land as they can provide (and do) Lance or whatever athlete with all sorts of undectable drugs. Drug A gets more oxygen into your system. Drug B increases your red blood cell count. And so on. At what point is the line crossed? Steroids aren't going to help distance swimmer. As I understand it Steroids are more for power and short bursts of energy as opposed to endurance.
Disclaimer: Lance Armstrong is a phenomenal athlete known for his hard work and for being "clean". Though there are many reports that contradict that. I admire and respect this athlete and in NO WAY at all am I accusing him of anything but just using him as an example.
Anyway ... is this just best left up to the anti-doping committees and those that select the banned substances. I think that there will always be those "lucky" athletes that are given "miracle" pills that help them to recover, get stronger, etc. that cannot be detected there are always ways around the system. But what I am getting at is, is this a problem or is it on the OK side? Is it really fair? Does it really allow for a "level" playing field?
Parents
Former Member
But don't forget that he was a professional triathlete at 16, so he has somewhat of a swimming background. And swimmers get sponsored too.
Heck, I wish Anheuser-Busch would sponsor me, but that would probably cut into their profits too much. They'd be losing some coin on that deal.
There was a recent interview with him in Playboy. I thought it was pretty good. It showed his more human side. Also in that article, he talks about how much he gets tested. They can show up at his door at any time. And he's probably been the most tested athlete in history. And "Bristol Meyers-Squibb makes the three cancer chemo agents that saved Lance's life."
I don't really have a problem with which companies sponsor athletes. My naive little mind says it comes down to hard-work, talent, and heart - or at least that's what I like to believe.
With Lance, I'm slated, because he was dropped by his sponsor when he was battling cancer. That's tough. So kudos to him for any company he gets.
But don't forget that he was a professional triathlete at 16, so he has somewhat of a swimming background. And swimmers get sponsored too.
Heck, I wish Anheuser-Busch would sponsor me, but that would probably cut into their profits too much. They'd be losing some coin on that deal.
There was a recent interview with him in Playboy. I thought it was pretty good. It showed his more human side. Also in that article, he talks about how much he gets tested. They can show up at his door at any time. And he's probably been the most tested athlete in history. And "Bristol Meyers-Squibb makes the three cancer chemo agents that saved Lance's life."
I don't really have a problem with which companies sponsor athletes. My naive little mind says it comes down to hard-work, talent, and heart - or at least that's what I like to believe.
With Lance, I'm slated, because he was dropped by his sponsor when he was battling cancer. That's tough. So kudos to him for any company he gets.
