Steroids should be allowed and encouraged in sports

[Buffalo Barbarian]

With Lance getting screwed for being good and NO PROOF that he has used any PEDs is it time to legalize Steroids and other performance enhancers?

 

I came across this article by Mark Madden making some interesting reasons why (and it was written 12 yrs ago, which shows how long this has been debated)

 

 

 

" It's time for the government to legalize steroids and similar substances. It's time for pro sports to legalize steroids and similar substances.

 

 

Because so many athletes are using, legalizing is the only way to get a level playing field at this point. Every athlete would have the option legally. Morally and physically, each athlete would still have a choice to make. But at least the situation would be out in the open. Steroids and like drugs could be regulated. They could be taken under the care of a team physician. Dangerous levels of usage could hopefully be avoided.

 

There is no way to stem steroid use in pro sports, particularly in football. Guys are jamming needles in their buttocks with both fists. Go ahead, drink spring water all day. Eat chicken breasts and egg whites until you sprout feathers and grow a beak. Lift weights until your muscles explode. But very few men become NFL-lineman size without being on the juice. By legalizing, regulating and supervising, the health risk would at least be minimized.

 

Of course, there's no such thing as absolutely safe steroid use. Steroids undoubtedly break your body down over the long haul.

 

But that's the choice an athlete makes. By maximizing physical performance, one maximizes earning potential as well. If you offered an athlete a drug that would guarantee him glory and riches but knock 10 years off his life, I dare say most would take it. Heck, I'd take it. Ten years off the end of my life? Big deal. Those are the worst years anyway. Many would gladly sacrifice those useless days in the old folks' home for life in the fast lane now. It's a personal choice.

 

I'm not suggesting that teen-agers use steroids, although many do. Steroids should be legal only for those 21 and over. Some underage kids would get steroids anyway, just like they get alcohol. But that unsolvable problem is as old as the idea of controlled substances. If steroids were legalized, some athletes would choose to not take them. Fine. I would not only respect their decision, I would applaud it. Sports should be about an athlete using his God-given gifts with no artificial help.

 

Sports used to be that way.

 

Not anymore."

 

 

http://old.post-gaze...0819madden5.asp

Edited August 24, 2012 by Buffalo Barbarian

[MattM]

Watch the movie "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" sometime. Documentary on the steroid issue. That's among the ideas the director/writer raises. Not sure if I agree myself, but it was an interesting flick....

[Beerball]

If steroids were leagalized and players used them wouldn't they just turn around and sue the league for 'forcing' them to use PEDs? Afterall, if everyone isn't using it isn't a level playing field, is it? Then 2,5,10 years after retiring from the league players discover that their nuts have turned to raisins, they have cancer etc. Nope, for that reason alone it won't work, not to mention the fact that those drugs are around for very specific use. Becoming a better football player isn't one of those uses.

[section122]

Watch the movie "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" sometime. Documentary on the steroid issue. That's among the ideas the director/writer raises. Not sure if I agree myself, but it was an interesting flick....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx5veEyHPr0

 

This is a short interview that is a pretty interesting take on your point. While playing Alzado thought they were a good idea, however when he got older he realized the error of his way. I'd lean no to legalizing steroids. Cheaters can continue to get caught and suspended.

Edited August 24, 2012 by section122

[AReed Deep For6]

wow that video with Alzado is disturbing... scary stuff

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Watch the movie "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" sometime. Documentary on the steroid issue. That's among the ideas the director/writer raises. Not sure if I agree myself, but it was an interesting flick....

 

Watched it, liked it.

 

My view on all this is that PEDs makes Athletes better which gives us better sports and more importantly it allows the athlete to earn more money for a longer period of time thereby setting up their families for a better life down the road. We all forget that this more than sports, it's men's livelihoods. What if you needed a certain drug to do your job but a "workers USDA" was developed that said "no you can't use your drugs anymore bc it gives you an advantage over your coworkers." We'd all flip out and sue for our rights.

Some may say that there is a difference between needing a drug to perform an wanting one.That is a valid point point but what about young and older men who use Penis enhancement drugs to perform better in the bedroom? Is this wrong, does this go against the spirit of sex, do we have the right to deny them these pills when they really don't need them or is it guys looking to have better performance and a better experience.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx5veEyHPr0

 

This is a short interview that is a pretty interesting take on your point. While playing Alzado thought they were a good idea, however when he got older he realized the error of his way. I'd lean no to legalizing steroids. Cheaters can continue to get caught and suspended.

 

Lyle would have gotten that tumor weather or not he he roids, steroids don't cause brain tumors.

 

If steroids were leagalized and players used them wouldn't they just turn around and sue the league for 'forcing' them to use PEDs? Afterall, if everyone isn't using it isn't a level playing field, is it? Then 2,5,10 years after retiring from the league players discover that their nuts have turned to raisins, they have cancer etc. Nope, for that reason alone it won't work, not to mention the fact that those drugs are around for very specific use. Becoming a better football player isn't one of those uses.

 

No one said you had to use them but most would and most do anyway. When under the watch of medical supervision most side effects would be eliminated. If they were legal there would be clauses that wouldn't allow the players to sue bc they would aware of the risks.

 

Old men are given steroids all the time to improve their quality of life, when done correctly it wont cause cancer and other problems.

[K-9]

Watched it, liked it.

 

My view on all this is that PEDs makes Athletes better which gives us better sports and more importantly it allows the athlete to earn more money for a longer period of time thereby setting up their families for a better life down the road. We all forget that this more than sports, it's men's livelihoods. What if you needed a certain drug to do your job but a "workers USDA" was developed that said "no you can't use your drugs anymore bc it gives you an advantage over your coworkers." We'd all flip out and sue for our rights.

Some may say that there is a difference between needing a drug to perform an wanting one.That is a valid point point but what about young and older men who use Penis enhancement drugs to perform better in the bedroom? Is this wrong, does this go against the spirit of sex, do we have the right to deny them these pills when they really don't need them or is it guys looking to have better performance and a better experience.

 

 

 

Lyle would have gotten that tumor weather or not he he roids, steroids don't cause brain tumors.

 

I'd like to know why. Because it makes them artificially bigger, faster, and stronger that automatically equates to "better sports?" Perhaps you can expand on that.

 

It gives athletes an artificial lease on their careers. Lyle Alzado and many others are testaments to what it gives them when those careers are over.

 

No way should their use be accepted for any other reason than for what they are prescribed for medically.

 

We'll just have to somehow get by with these "worse" sports in the meantime.

Edited August 24, 2012 by K-9

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I'd like to know why. Because it makes them artificially bigger, faster, and stronger that automatically equates to "better sports?" Perhaps you can expand on that.

 

It gives athletes an artificial lease on their careers. Lyle Alzado and many others are testaments to what it gives them when those careers are over.

 

No way should their use be accepted for any other reason than for what they are prescribed for medically.

 

We'll just have to somehow get by with these "worse" sports in the meantime.

 

it's not artificial, it's solid muscle with better recovery.

[atlbillsfan1975]

I can not seriously believe you are arguing for Steriod use. Steriods are proven to hurt your body. You do not need them to live. Even in moderation under controlled supervision they can cause long term harm to your body. To say Alzado would have gotten cancer whether he used steroids or not is ignorant on your part. Not every one was born to play a professional sport. Its what makes it such an accomplishment. have you also not wondered why we have so many more acl and ligament related injuries? Because while steriods or PEDs build muscle they do not build ligaments. Thus you put more and more strain on ligaments. I am just trying to arguee your crazy point about being able to watch a better product on the field. You would have guys tearing ligaments left and right.

It makes no sense to legalize steroids or PEDs that cause harm to your body now and later in life.

Ask yourself if you had a son and he wanted to take them, would you be ok with it??

[K-9]

it's not artificial, it's solid muscle with better recovery.

 

Never mind.

[TheBrownBear]

it's not artificial, it's solid muscle with better recovery.

 

Lol...oh brother.

[Captain Hindsight]

You cannot be seriously advocating for this

[Buffalo Barbarian]

You cannot be seriously advocating for this

 

Yes, Why not, I'm not the only one

[DC Tom]

I generally try to be nice (relatively speaking) off PPP.

 

But will one of the moderators please let me know if I'm allowed to be vicious and insulting in this thread? Because B.B. is just begging for it...

[Captain Hindsight]

Yes, Why not, I'm not the only one

Part of the reason I watch football is because these guys have to work so hard to be such good athletes and do things that my 175 pound frame could never accomplish. If you introduce steroids (minus the obvious health concerns) the game isnt real anymore. Its a bunch of jacked up people built on a synthetic drug pulverizing each other. Gone is the skill, finesse and work ethic that makes myself enjoy watching them so much and appreciate the hard work they put into it. If steroids were legalized and encouraged, I wouldnt watch.

 

Its why wrestling is so stupid and those guys have their hearts explode and knees collapse at age 35. The league is adament right now about protecting people from concussions and your solution is to make the players bigger and faster and tell them to use a drug we know has horrible effects on the body and the brain. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/anabolic-steroids

 

From the article "

However, long-term steroid use can affect some of the same brain pathways and chemicals—including dopamine, serotonin, and opioid systems—that are affected by other drugs, and thereby may have a significant impact on mood and behavior."

 

Dopamine and serotinin are the main chemicles in the brain that cause things like depression, anxiety. Once the game ends for them, the world is going to become a dark horrible place, where their body has not only taken a serious pounding for years and years playing already violent game, but steriod use which plenty of health studies have shown, long term exposure can seriously !@#$ a persons body and general life after the game ends. You like seeing players die young, kill themselves, have roid rage? Thats whats gonna happen. If you cant see that, then I'm sorry.

[Smiley Dear]

Steroids actually shrink brain tumors. Lyle Alzado did steroids 30 years ago. Do you think maybe the pharmaceutical grade steroids and GH we have today arent a wee bit safer than the bathtub moonshine those guys did in the 70's and 80's. Not to mention, like ALL drugs over use and abuse have deleterious side effects, but under the direction of an ETHICAL physician, they can be powerful tools to promote healing and strength training. It is the prohibition that leads to the missuse and untoward effects not the drugs. Not to say there aren't risks involved in using these or any drug but under proper supervision they can be monitored and mitigated.

[You herd it hear last]

Janikowski lines up for an 87 yard field goal...there's the snap...the hold is good...Holy Skit! his leg came off!!! he kicked his freakin leg off!!!

 

All humor aside... Hey OP, why don't we test these "safe" drugs on your kids?

 

 

 

That's what I thought.

Edited August 24, 2012 by madtowntobuffalo

[Buffalo Barbarian]

"Most of the time, when steroids are mentioned, they’re brought up as the reason a particular athlete can run so fast, hit so many home runs, or make so many tackles. They are also claimed to have extraordinarily harsh side effects and for causing severely unforgiving and permanent damage. Everybody´s seen movies like "The Program" where steroids ruin a young athlete´s life, or perhaps "The Aaron Henry Story" on HBO, where a young athlete suffers lifelong problems from his steroid abuse. Most recently, I saw the movie "Spiderman" where the villain, the Green Goblin, admits to having his superhuman strength and psychotic personality from using "performance enhancers"!

I´m here to assure you that those types of horror stories are few and far between, and after consulting with literally hundreds of athletes and bodybuilders, I've almost never heard of anything even remotely resembling the popular "horror stories" we see in the media almost daily. I´ve certainly never seen anyone become Green Goblin-like from using them, either.

By reading this article, coaches, athletes, parents and teachers will learn the truth about anabolic steroid side effects, and will be able to make their own informed decisions regarding them. But I suspect that after reading what I have to say, as well as what the scientific literature says, the question of how bad steroids are will be a different question entirely; the only question remaining will be "why didn´t anyone tell me this before?"

When I initially started research for this piece, I consulted not only real-life athletes who had vast experience with anabolic steroid use, but also scientific and medical journals. The picture that unfolded before me was very different from the one typically painted by the mass media, and certainly much different than the one I found on www.steroidabuse.org, www.dea.org, and www.drugabuse.gov. Honestly, my research on the governmental sites revealed very little useful information. There were numerous unfounded claims, and plenty of talk about money being put into “studies”. In reality, the government "studies" on anabolic steroids were not medical studies at all. They were surveys given to various age groups, on steroid use, in order to generate statistics. There was nothing of medical value or scientific merit on those sites, despite the endless parade of doctors that seemed to be against their use. Here´s an example of one of the more absurd claims made on one of those sites:

 

..[steroids] they are dangerous drugs, and when used inappropriately, they can cause a host of severe, long-lasting, and often irreversible negative health consequences. These drugs can stunt the height of growing adolescents, masculinize women, and alter sex characteristics of men. Anabolic steroids can lead to premature heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure and serious psychiatric problems. In addition, because steroids are often injected, users risk contracting or transmitting HIV or hepatitis.."

This is the information found on a government website, in a piece written by a doctor. I´m surprised she didn´t mention turning into the Green Goblin in her list of possible health side effects. As you read what I have to say, I want you to keep this in the back of your head. I want you to remember this claim, made by a medical doctor, as you read the rest of this piece. All of the information here is exactly what has been reported to me by athletes, as well as what is found in credible scientific journals. Review the information and decide for yourself how harmful steroid side effects can be.

 

 

http://www.steroid.com/steroids_side_effects.php

[K-9]

Steroids actually shrink brain tumors. ...

 

What kind of brain tumors and what kind of steroids and in what doses relative to other medications and treatment modalities?

[HOUSE]

Pot first, you need to have priorities here.....