Marion Jones Admits to Taking Steroids

[powerlifter]

Pretty good posts and I understand your points so let me explain mine.

Actually, I believe steroids are all over. I, like many fans who pay hard-earned money to watch these athletes, don't care for steroids.
There's actually no argument from me about this. If the playing field could ever be normal without anyone using..That's exactly how I wish it would ALWAYS BE.


Don't care if it makes the best better. Don't care if it can't be stopped. Don't believe accepting steroids as a part of society is a good thing. You do - and that's a problem.

I accept them in sports,because they are there. Not to do so is just being naive. It has nothing to do with using or not using. It has more to do with the insight of knowing how much is actually used.I also never said accepted "steroids as part of society is a good thing" I am simply saying that they are..Therefore,it will be there regardless of my own personal opinion about them.

So steroids make great athletes better? Boo fucking hoo. In the grand scheme of life, why should I give a shit about such a "nothing" benefit when there are identifiable risk? Why should I embrace steroids if all they do in sports is allow Barry Bonds to hit 73 home runs or Marion Jones to win 5 medals, but at the same time, tell our kids that steroids will help you win that high school league title you've dreamed about?

You just proved the biggest misconception about steroids. Do you honestly think steroids hit 73 home runs or won 5 gold medals? Do you have any idea of the caliber of athlete they were day in and day out living in their own mold and knowing exactly how good they were before they starting using? I have never seen a vial of any steroid hit home runs or run at high speeds. To honestly sit down and think that you can wager what the substance has done to the individual person is impossible. Now in the same regard I cannot testify as saying it didn't improve the person's skills dramatically...It's all in one's opinon and that's pretty much all you can do is speculate. Until you use the substance first hand there is absolutely no possible way of knowing how your body will react to it. However,the mental edge will be there regardless if the substance is working or not. Mainly,because people are looking for something to make them better. They know it's
supposed to do this or that..Therefore,they are going to bypass the mental anxiety or everyday frustration of not being good enough. Does that make it fair to the people that don't use..Absolutely not!

Actually, most people know that steroids "alone" doesn't do a damn thing. We all just wish it was hard work and talent - without the steroids.

Hey I can totally relate to that. It's a black eye to any sport. A lot of it also falls back on people who have the misconception of steroids hitting the ball for you or steroids running faster for you....Even if an ELITE athlete is caught using steroids his accomplishments shouldn't be thrown out the window. I appreciate great accomplishments regardless of how they went about getting them. Steroids are just there anymore man. They are all over the place..They are in high schools(which is totally a joke for MULTIPLE SHIT REASONS)ncaa sports and pro sports..I don't welcome steroids. I just understand going into something that they are already there,and if I plan on competing against someone using..Then fuck it you know? I'm still competing..I'm still giving 100% and pushing myself towards my own personal feats..I'm not going to make excuses why someone else is better which happens too much imo...



Doesn't respond at all to the question. The fact that more athletes are using steroids is a BAD thing for the few clean athletes left. The honest athletes that don't break CLEAR RULES are suffering from a competitive disadvantage because the CHEATERS don't care about the health risks.

I agree with you. It is a bad thing,but what can you do to stop it? Better yet let's take a small look at beating a test shall we?

If you are taking a tipped off random test(yes it happens),and you have x amount of days for things to clear your system. You basically run fast acting esters that can yield gains while on them,but exit the system in the smallest amount of time. I'm not sure how familiar you guys are with steroids,because this isn't a forum for that type of thing,but it's like this...Any test can be beaten and will always be. It's not as much as "masking" steroids as much as it is just the chemical passing through your body as fast as possible. The ester that is
attached to the actual chemical controls the rate at which the steroid is released. That's why when people say "He's on testosterone" that actually isn't an actual description. If you go to the doctor for HRT (hormone replacement therapy),then he will prescribe something like testosterone cypionate or testosterone enanthate,which is a long acting ester that is going to take awhile to clear your system.(3 months if you were tested)


However, athletes can get different variations of the same compound,and it clear their bodies in much less time such as testosterone propionate,which can leave the system in less then a couple weeks...That's why you can't really beat a steroid user that is guided by detection times,other people's urine or even the fake looking dildos you hold in your hand to piss with lol..


I assume this is something only a user, like yourself, might understand, right?

The mentality of someone on steroids is definitely stronger then the average guy. It's not just a physical change for athletics. It's a mental one as well.

Because if they were dedicated to the sport, they'd be dedicated to steroids, right?

Honestly,once someone starts using a chance for a physical addiction is very possible. I don't really think they are dedicated to steroids. I think the person honestly believes they can no longer excel without them. So they are shackled more so to the mentality then they physical gains.

You're right. But I do know what it's like to watch a high school athlete tear his family apart with his reliance on steroids just because he thought he could become the next Shawn Merriman.

Probably one of the worst things a teenager can go through would be a mental breakdown due to steroids. No teenager should ever even give it a thought. It's the media's glamorization of athletes taking steroids and hitting monster home runs and winning gold medals..."THIS IS HOW THEY DID IT" type attitude that makes younger people feel that it's needed to compete against the best or be the best.

Teenagers aren't going to do a detailed investigation about steroids. They are just going to take them. When in reality taking steroids at a younger age does nothing to benefit you physically. It will shut growth plates off,and (this is just my personal opinion,because I have seen this through experience with other people that I personally knew so it's a grain of salt type thing) they run a HIGHER chance of becoming physically dependent on steroids simply because they think that is what done everything for them. That could lead to a fixation,which in short will make the person believe he can't do shit without shooting up,because his personal confidence is destoryed without them....

 

[powerlifter]

Uhh, yes it does.

You're like a fucking politician.

Don't you have more sweaty pictures of yourself to post while your balls are shriveling like raisins?

If you use roids you're a fag, plain and simple!!

David boston is a fag? How many other OSU alum do you believe are homosexuals? Not to mention a huge percentage of people in sports are homosexuals. Which in all reality i'm sure a confrontation from you consulting and addressing their own personal steroid use would happen right?

 

[powerlifter]

Here's a different point for you to consider powerlifter...

Using the example you mentioned... say you spent 10+ years dedicating yourself to the sport of your chosing. The entire time you have never used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). You get to the championship round/game/meet, play your heart out but you lose. I'm sure you would be crushed. A week later you hear that your opponent took PEDs to beat you but there was no way to prove it (at least short term). What would you do? How would you react?

The reality of actual use is astounding. This happens to most people who are clean athletes. This has happened more and more over the past few years or so. Why do you think the amount of people using has increased? Is it fair? Nope...but it does happen more and more.

 

[Thump]

David boston is a fag? How many other OSU alum do you believe are homosexuals? Not to mention a huge percentage of people in sports are homosexuals. Which in all reality i'm sure a confrontation from you consulting and addressing their own personal steroid use would happen right?

Yes he is and so is every other athlete who uses them.

 

[OH10]

PL, your argument keeps morphing. Are you simply stating that steroids are a bad thing that can't be prevented? If so, I agree. But I also believe you don't stop trying to prevent it. These organizations that are battling steroid use are sticking up for the clean athletes and their right to a balanced playing field.

And the fans that continue to police the sport through loud expression of their opinion only assist in steroid prevention. The public should never embrace or support a known user -- public humiliation is one of the strongest deterrents of steroid use. (although, for some reason, Shawn Merriman continues to dodge the criticism)

 

[powerlifter]

I'm going back to powerlifter's first response to me since I'm late in the conversation...


Strawman argument. Many athletes make a living playing their sport without steroids.The amount of people that are actually clean versus amount using is only an opinon based thing. I cannot give any type of percentages based on what I know so I won't make assumptions. I understand your point and it is a very good one. I will simply state that individuals minds work differently. Even the best at a specific sport has been known to try better. That doesn't mean guys who aren't in the spotlight or guys that aren't really that good aren't using you know? It's against morals,and it's against the law. It's the common athlete wanting to be the best he can be. Like I said though..No way of actually knowing how uses and who doesn't..Tests are a bust.

I'm under the assumption that many people DO think that steroids are used in professional sports, specially certain sports (MLB, T&F, Cycling, NFL to an extent). People think others are doing steroids,because they are great athletes. I mentioned this above for the same reason. I have seen people take lab tested gear who didn't grow.People love to see guys take a beating and get up. They don't have to live with that beating tomorrow when they wake up..The individual does. An overlooked property of steroids is the ability to recover is accelerated. That is a widely over looked subject all together. For some people it's not always about amazing speed and strength. It's about the ability to recover. There are several nfl players prescribed to TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) who are on steroids and who are in the nfl for that very reason. Do they 100% need them? Is it different just because a doctor gave the go head..I really don't think so as we have all heard countless times about the Chris Benoit case...

Again, wrong. Think of how many people have DEDICATED their entire lives to their own specific profession, athletic or not. Some people cheat and weasel themselves to the top, some people take the straight and narrow path. Sports do not have a monopoly on motivation and hard ships.

I agree with this,and it's a great way to analyze actual use in sports for that very reason. Most people want a happy life with a family and financial security. It's billed as the american dream. If you were at a job that was based sheerly on intellect,and you thought you were a pretty smart character until you got there...Then you realized everyone was better at everything then you....Your body and mind can only work to certain lengths. I don't believe the other half of your brain just opens up one day and says "use me". If it was back to fighting with your wife over money/kids house payment/ etc etc...or use something that would enhance your overall life and ability to comprehend things at a much faster pace would you do it? Everything in life is a competition not just sports. There are daily pressures of living everyone deals with. Realize that MOST of these athletes don't have any work experience to fall back on mainly because they have been athletes their whole life. If you only had one way to go and you could do it the way you wanted to do it and live how you wanted to live and have everyone else around you happier would you live that way? If it hurts you in the long run are you more concerned about your health when you are 70 or are you more concerned with your family having a better life right now? I'm not stating anything is right or wrong,but there are multiple sides of every problem.

Funny, I thought this thread was about a woman at the top of her sport and she admitted to using steroids.
Didn't she write a letter to her family? Have you ever noticed that when people are coming out about steroids there is always one thing in common? "I didn't know I was taking it"......That's someone who was taking them to compete at her highest possible level who now wishes she didn't....She is happy for the things she has accomplished she just now wonders if she could have done them without perhaps? Kind of similar to the old football movie "the program" with lattimer in tears after the big game....Although it's a movie the emotions portrayed in the movie are very realistic with the roller coaster ride your emotions may take.
I haven't seen anyone mention that laziness is why athletes take steroids... it's all about someone attempting to gain an advantage over other athletes. The elite athletes of most sports are so close in ability that there is a temptation to take steroids to give one that little extra speed burst, power burst, endurance enhancement, etc.

In reality though steroid use is looked at like anyone can get up and do it. That's my only laughable thing about this entire thread. You have literally a large amount of people that have no experience and no personal knowledge other then google.com telling you what is wrong with steroids. If you want to know what is wrong with steroids ask the person who has done them so they can give you some realistic insight.The good and bad. There are both. To anyone who says there are only good or only bad it just means they are overlooking a part of the equation.

Steroids is the only subject that people will totally agree in unison,because they are that ignorant about it,and they know it's bad. So why not agree in unison? The good and bad. There are both. To anyone who says there are only good or only bad it just means they are overlooking a part of the equation.


You're most likely right, most people on fan forums do not have any experience, either first hand or close proximity with steroids. To say someone "don't know shit about anything" because they haven't experienced it is asinine. I've never played organized football but I know quite a bit about it by reading about teams, analysis of people who have played/coached/have inside information, and watching the game. Does that make me an expert on football? No but I can normally talk intelligently about the subject.

It's an analysistic view. There's nothing wrong with it and you are absolutely correct in thinking that you can gain knowledge without actual use of the drug. However,keep in mind that there's more to everything in life then just what you can do research on..I'm an OSU fan,but at the same time I don't play on saturdays. That's why when i've met the players I am excited to meet them. They experience something I don't and I wish I had the talent to do. The only thing I can do is support them. It would be hard for someone to describe what it's like being a buckeye to buckeye fan..It's just the experience of it all they could go on about..

 

[bkochmc]

The reality of actual use is astounding. This happens to most people who are clean athletes. This has happened more and more over the past few years or so. Why do you think the amount of people using has increased? Is it fair? Nope...but it does happen more and more.

If someone uses steroids, either knowingly or unknowingly, they are no longer "clean"... they are steroid users and should be labeled as such until they can consistently prove they no longer take them. It's one thing to acknowledge steroids are in sports... it's another to allow them to knowingly exist and accept their usage.

And the fans that continue to police the sport through loud expression of their opinion only assist in steroid prevention. The public should never embrace or support a known user -- public humiliation is one of the strongest deterrents of steroid use. (although, for some reason, Shawn Merriman continues to dodge the criticism)

Good point... something else that can help further prevention is if someone truly unknowingly takes steroids (not the Marion Jones or Barry Bonds "I didn't know at the time" crap) they need to come clean as soon as possible and fire the company/trainer they were dealing with and publicize it as much as possible.

 

[powerlifter]

PL, your argument keeps morphing. Are you simply stating that steroids are a bad thing that can't be prevented? If so, I agree. But I also believe you don't stop trying to prevent it. These organizations that are battling steroid use are sticking up for the clean athletes and their right to a balanced playing field.

See we aren't totally missing eye to eye perception here. The reason I feel the way I do about steroids is because I know the use of it in sports. Of course I cannot say "all sports" because that's ridiculous to claim you know? I am just saying that the ways of defeating a test are there. People are going to use because it makes them better,and it CAN result in catapulting their careers. Some people take the leap to see if it does or not. You ALWAYS hear about the ones that do...not as much about the ones that don't..

And the fans that continue to police the sport through loud expression of their opinion only assist in steroid prevention. The public should never embrace or support a known user -- public humiliation is one of the strongest deterrents of steroid use. (although, for some reason, Shawn Merriman continues to dodge the criticism)

Criticism is about the only fire you can give to someone. I agree it's about the best tool people have,but in reality do you think that Merriman really gives a shit what you and I think. Maybe he does care about the fans in SD,but in reality he probably cares more about winning and more about contracts or he wouldn't have ever endulged in it to begin with right?.That's just being realistic.

 

[bkochmc]

See we aren't totally missing eye to eye perception here. The reason I feel the way I do about steroids is because I know the use of it in sports. Of course I cannot say "all sports" because that's ridiculous to claim you know? I am just saying that the ways of defeating a test are there. People are going to use because it makes them better,and it CAN result in catapulting their careers. Some people take the leap to see if it does or not. You ALWAYS hear about the ones that do...not as much about the ones that don't..

You are right, fans are going to hear about the ones that do succeed because they are the athletes that gave the fans great performances and when they are caught they are the ones that let the fans down the most.

As I've been reading this discussion I've began to think about what could drive an "elite athlete" (which this thread is about) to start using PEDs and my theory is that it all comes down to ego. powerlifter mentioned money earlier... if we are talking about elite athletes how much more is a $7 million contract going to buy you that $5 million won't? Not much. What is one of the things money can't buy? Fulfilling of one's inflated ego of themselves. What is one way that they may be able to put a little distance between themselves and the competition or push them over that edge for a record that they have almost broken but cannot quite reach? Using a PED is easy from the sense that the athlete only has to take a pill, a shot, whatever that may in the end give them that little (or large) performance boost that may fulfill their ego (at least temporarily).

 

[ScriptOhio]

Jones returns medals, accepts 2-year ban

Her reputation is gone and now so are Marion Jones' Olympic medals.

Jones gave back the five medals she won at the Sydney Olympics on Monday and agreed to forfeit all other results dating back to Sept. 1, 2000, further punishment for her admission that she was a drug cheat.

The three gold medals and two bronzes were turned over to U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency officials at her attorneys' office in Austin, Texas. They are en route to USOC headquarters in Colorado Springs, and the USOC will return them to the International Olympic Committee.
"We've done what we can," said Jim Scherr, the USOC's chief executive officer. "We caught the person who was not clean. We've got the medals in our possession, and we will return them to IOC." Jones won golds in the 100 and 200 meters, as well as the 1,600 relay. She won bronzes in the 400 relay and the long jump. It will be up to the IOC to decide what to do with the medals and whether to vacate Jones' results from Sydney ? which could cost her relay teammates medals, too.

Entire article: FOX Sports on MSN - Olympics - Jones returns medals, accepts 2-year ban

 

[heisman]

What some people fail to realize is that it's illegal.

I'm not aware of any performance enhancers being illegal. Crack, Heroin, Ice, etc., are illegal. I'm aware that some performance enhancers require a prescription, and then there are other banned performance enhancing substances that are available OTC. Am I misinformed about this?

 

[Steve19]

Here is yet another viewpoint, similar to Thump's but perhaps with more restraint.

Powerlifter, your point is that steroid use is rife. Perhaps that is true but I think much less so that you allege.

Your other point appears to be that, given that steroid use is rife, it is necessary to take steroids in order to be competitive. One need not be a genius to see that most of us don't accept that premise.

You think many posters here don't hear you. May I suggest that there is something that you are not hearing?

There is more to life than winning. The real lesson of athletic competition is self-respect.

Most of us who have competed in athletics were motivated by an internal desire to win, to prove to ourselves that we could excel. However, the very implication of winning is the desire to beat others and, in that victory, gain their respect as well.

There is no way to gain the respect of others, or to gain respect for yourself, through competition when you use performance enhancing drugs to cheat. Pretend if you like that everyone is using them and therefore that winning still proves your inherent ability, but you fool nobody but yourself.

There are objective case studies that those who advocate steroid use should consider: Marion Jones, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGuire come to mind.

So, believe what you like but even moderate steroid use over a relatively short period can have long-term and short-term negative health effects. Steroids pose an immediate and dangerous health risk.

If that is not compelling enough, there is the loss of self-respect that accompanies performance enhancing drugs. Every cheater knows they cheated. Cheating in competition by using steroids cheats the steroid user as well, because it robs them of their own self-respect.

Competing fairly in athletics teaches us that we can compete. It teaches us how to set long-term goals, endure hardship, persist in the face of obstacles, and honor ourselves and others.

Nobody respects a cheater, least of all the cheater.

 

[Pheasant]

Admitting to any type of drug use or not admitting to any type of drug use has no outcome on my posts. I am simply stating there are two sides to every wall. Just because you live on one side and believe that you are educated about the topic(although I am honestly curious to the average posters education about steroid use..Not something they have brought up on google and suddenly became experienced athletes)enough doesn't mean you totally understand it.

In response to every post you have in this thread: What? I would love to pick apart all of your posts, but I don't have that kind of time and my brain would probably shut down if I read all your posts again. Let me talk about just one of your "points":
I don't understand how you can honestly believe that not having experienced (used) steroids means someone doesn't know anything about them. I've never been to New York City. I can't tell you what if "feels like" to stand in the middle of Times Square or Central Park and take in the NYC experience. I can tell you where NYC is, what it's known for, some important world events that happen/have happened there, how to get there and some areas in New York you may want to avoid if you value your life. I can take you to the Waldorf-Astoria and tell you why it was built. How is this possible if I've never "experienced" NYC? Because I've read about it, I've seen maps, photos, crime and other vital statistics, and because I've talked to people who've been there. I've seen TV shows that highlight and lowlight the city. Do I have the same experience as someone who lives there? Of course not. Does that mean I'm less educated about NYC than everyone who lives there? Of course not.

To translate a lack of experience to lack of education would be idiotic, which may be why you do it. Experiencing something doesn't make you educated about it. Based on your posts I would venture a guess that you've experienced steroids, but your education on them is probably less than most of the people posting in this thread.

It's funny to me that people can sit there and have an argument not only about the side effects of steroids but what steroids can do to you (beneficially)..Like people can actually fathom what steroids do to your mind and body without ever taking them.You cannot period...

This may be the dumbest thing I've ever read. Scientists should quit studying the effects of steroids and just start taking them? Ignore the data and just remember the experience?

 

[OH10]

I'm not aware of any performance enhancers being illegal. Crack, Heroin, Ice, etc., are illegal. I'm aware that some performance enhancers require a prescription, and then there are other banned performance enhancing substances that are available OTC. Am I misinformed about this?

Well, this discussion is mainly about Steroids. And Steroids are illegal - unless you have a valid prescription. But you make a good point. Maybe Marion Jones had some sort of medical disorder that required testosterone and maybe she did have a valid prescription.


On the other, nope. Fuck Marion Jones.

 

[bkochmc]

The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) has stripped Jones of all her results dating back to 2000. She will also be forced to give back all awards including Olympic and World Championship titles and prize money.