Aug

21

jail for Clemens"Joe Maloof, who owns a casino said this about athletes: "they always think they can win. The great ones are the worst. It's as if they really think that odds don't apply to them." (relating to Clemens going to jail).

Russ Sears comments: 

From what I have seen of steroid use in athletes, the surest sign displayed for all to see, is the change of cockiness at the start of there use. It goes from stubborn determination needed to succeed at those levels, to self assured immortality/indestructibleness. This I believe is why steroid use only gives a athlete a temporary boost if he/she has already reached their peak without them.

This omnipotence includes superior intellect, especially over drug experts and authorities, that borders on the teenager's omniscience over authoritative parents. They have experienced something clearly beyond science or the laws possible grasp.

If libertarian views on drugs use is to gain anything but derision from the masses, it must address these self delusions drugs inflict, Both on an educational campaign on these self delusions. And make clear that while we may have some similar end goals towards freedom. The means to get this freedom would still place a heavy personal burden on these poor delusional souls. But perhaps a more enlightened view of their self assured self destruction, and a more productive repayment program for the heavy social and economic burden their deluded actions places on all of us. I hate to see Clemens go to jail, but he certainly owes us all a big debt for robbing the integrity of the game.

Nick White writes:

I would advise anyone interested in this topic to look at the before and after interviews of almost any professional cyclist convicted of doping offenses…take your pick of nation or language…there are hundreds….all from the sharp-end of the knife, not "also-rans".

I would also present - as exhibit A - the cocksure attitude of one particular, multi TdF winning "hero". I would advocate the reading of affidavits from staff, team-mates and others in forming your judgments.

Right now, I'll pull out this card, and wait for the ensuing vitriol.

My own two cents? The popular attitudes required of professional athletes is akin to being short gamma in a fast market. I would say for any individual involved in an activity where the best outcome that can happen is the keeping of the sold premium, there is going to be an element of delusion just to keep "sane" while the position is on….sports, business, life, politics, personal goals or philosophies. 

Russ Sears adds:

If innocence or guilt was really the question, then drug use in sports would accept evidence like any other crime. But it is assumed not just innocent until proven guilty, but that anybody that witnesses the crime or has knowledge of the crime has turned to the other teams, is jealous or simply got bought off…at least this is what the sports leagues/teams would have you to believe. See Nick's post. Now you have a crime that can not be reported, because you are assumed the guilty party more than the drug cheat.

Now if they really wanted to clear drug use out of baseball, they could enact a system like college's uses to keep their players from accepting a dime. If a team's player is caught breaking the rules, now or from the past, the whole team lose major league status for a year, and their players contracts must be honored but the players can choose to be free agent. Likewise for Olympic sports. In track it was well known that the Chinese women had the best runners by times, in the late 90's, but they were cheating and therefore did not get invited to real track meets. But if the track team would have been banned for a Olympics you can beat, the Chinese would have taken care of this before they were banned.

But as it is drug testing is the only way to "prove" guilt, despite its clear drawbacks.

If this type of system, giving punitive punishment to the whole team where the team really wanted to eliminate the users were in place, then your testing would be invaluable.


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