Victor Conte talked to 20/20 this past Friday

[Shibby]

I see the problem as keeping them looking like role models, and childhood hero's. Where does all the money come from? Fans. No one will buy merchandise representing the people they don't like.
As kids grow up with there parents telling them all these things are bad, the kids will think so and so is a bad person. This works in keeping kids from doing the wrong things, espeacially at a young age. It's like the tobacco companies, they advertise to a target audience of 16-26 or something like that. Those are the people that are most likely to spend the most money and the younger you get them intersted, the more money that will come in long term. No it's not a big deal that these athletes are using AS, but it is bad as they are representing a future that kids want.

*I hope this makes sense, my thoughts were very scattered*

[Mr I]

If AAS were legalised/decriminalised, it wouldn't be an issue would it?

Thats not to say I am advocating the use of AAS, thats for each individual to decide for themselves. Its just that as I said in my earlier response to this thread, the use of performance enhancing substances is nothing new and its only drawn people attention since they banned their use and made them illegal.

If you look at it then from an ethical point of view, taking AAS would not really be any different from taking vitamins, adjusting your diet to improve performance.

In a book I read by human kinetics, they stated that stimulants such as cocaine, arsenic etc were used by olympians long ago to improve performance. AAS were developed as early as 1954 and were in use by East German athetetes long before they were banned.

Arnie in an interview on the 25 Aniversary of pumping iron DVD openly admits the use of steroids during his bodybuilding carrier, and says "well of course we used them, they wern't illegal"

To my mind top flight atheletes are likely to be using AAS, particularly in the fast twitch explosive sports, they just rarely get caught. And many legendarl atheletes may well have used and retired with no-one ever knowing apart from their coach or physician. The real sadness out of this is for the atheletes that get caught, they are demonised by the media and their carrears are either over there and then or go on without credit. Look at Ben Johnson, tested positive for stanazolol, that was the end of a fantastic athelete, who may well have gone on to smash more 100m records.

It pains me to see interviews with atheletes when they are asked "have you ever taken AAS?", they then are put in a position where they are forced to lie or its career over.

I know this is a bit of an unrealistic hypothesis "what if they legalised the use of AAS?" but my point is that we are only in this farcical situation because they criminalised AAS use and banned it from events.

Conte admission is a slap in the face of the Olympic Comittee, it makes them look powerless, and this is only happening because they began testing in the first place.

Just my 2 pennies worth

[Turbo3000]

I don't care if everyone uses it. Everything in sports has imporved since they started, equipment (bats, balls, clubs, training, everything). A player making himself better is no different.

Bush wants steriods to be eradicated, yet he is going to ban all prohormones. That will equal to more people going the illegal way. This country is so backwards.

[Klash]

Originally posted by 7lok4
I wonder what Conte's motivation is in naming all of these names now? Early on he was pretty tight lipped about this stuff. Since he was the distrubuter of the drugs it's hard to believe that he will get a deal based on naming his clients.

I wondered the same thing but after hearing that Conte said they ought to make him head of the World Anti-Doping Agency - I came to the conclusion that he's an attention whore who sells out to any opportunity that presents itself, I won't be surprised if he comes out with a book after the investigation.

[w8liftinglady]

Originally posted by Turbo3000
I don't care if everyone uses it. Everything in sports has imporved since they started, equipment (bats, balls, clubs, training, everything). A player making himself better is no different.

Bush wants steriods to be eradicated, yet he is going to ban all prohormones. That will equal to more people going the illegal way. This country is so backwards.

I couldn't agree more.This country has lost the real "war on drugs"I know,because I'm an ER nurse and see that wasted shit every day....so,instead of doing what they should have done long ago-decriminalized and regulated drugs,they simply chose a new,more easily manipulated group of patsies-namely athletes.Making steroids the enemy allows them to avoid the real problems.I have never in my 20 years as an ER nurse seen a steroid induced life threatening illness:cursin:

[7lok4]

Originally posted by w8liftinglady
I couldn't agree more.This country has lost the real "war on drugs"I know,because I'm an ER nurse and see that wasted shit every day....so,instead of doing what they should have done long ago-decriminalized and regulated drugs,they simply chose a new,more easily manipulated group of patsies-namely athletes.Making steroids the enemy allows them to avoid the real problems.I have never in my 20 years as an ER nurse seen a steroid induced life threatening illness:cursin:

That is a great point you make abouty shifting the focus from rec drugs to AAS. Unfortunately the "war on drugs" is a billion dollar business for a small group of people so doubt it will be over any time soon.