Steroids in sport

[heganboy]

As you may know Barry Bonds last night beat the home run record in baseball, i.e. he has now scored more Home Runs in major league baseball than any other player. In America this is known as  "the most revered record in sport".

Barry Bonds who broke the record has never tested positive for steroids, and has never admitted knowingly taking steroids but is one of the most polarizing figures in America. Although there was no mandatory drug testing in baseball at the time of the alleged offense, it is widely felt in the US that he did take steroids en route to bypassing the legendary record. Bonds continues to maintain that he never knowingly took steroids, however is is currently under investigation for perjury having testified to a Grand jury that he was told that the oil and cream he got was "flaxseed oil and arthritis balm". His trainer Greg Anderson has been sent to jail twice for refusing to co-operate with the investigation, the grand jury investigating the perjury case asked for and received a 6 month extension to build their case in July.

The attorney in charge of prosecuting Bonds has resigned in a scandal involving the Bush administration's firing of district attorneys due to their political beliefs.

So my question is first of all do you have any opinions on Bonds' record being broken under the allegations?

second- what thoughts would you have if it came out that GAA players had taken steroids, and say some had been involved in All Ireland winning teams?

[Balboa]

Is it not rife in baseball? Mark Mc gwire had the same cloud hanging over him when he was going for the record for most HR's in a season.....

[lynchbhoy]

Is it not rife in baseball? Mark Mc gwire had the same cloud hanging over him when he was going for the record for most HR's in a season.....

wasnt McGwires old batting partner Jose Canseco also indicted/accused for this too...

have heard of many more accusations and I think some actual league suspensions down through the years.
I think a lot of yanks are fed up of this and are now not paying attantion to the actual game, but enjoying the outings to the ball games for recreational/leisure time/days out with families...a few folks I know havebecame disillusioned with the actual game of baseball due to the known steroid intakes..

[full back]

Bonds will willing to sacrifice everything in order to break the record, including taking steroids.
Although I am trying hard to admire him, I do feel the record is tainted in some way.
The way it is going, A-Rod will overtake him at some stage anyway

[Balboa]

The way it is going, A-Rod will overtake him at some stage anyway

How does he get the energy,keeping the missus and the strippers happy......allegedley 

[screenexile]

Maybe it's just me but I would have thought hitting a home run in baseball is more about timing and technique rather than actual brute strength. For this reason I am not that annoyed about Bonds breaking the record last nite.

Personally I wouldn't see steroids in Baseball as bad as say Ben Johnson cheating an Olympic gold or that dumbass Floyd Landis last year cheating a Tour de France!

[Tony Baloney]

Obviously taking roids doesn't make you a world beater in baseball but it does give you rapid increased muscle mass but probably as important to these fellas is the increased endurance offered by steroid use - the wear and tear on a baseball player must be huge so increased endureance over a season is vital and plenty are prepared to take the risk for the rewards on offer ($252 million over 10 years for A-Rod!!!).

There has been a lot of speculation around who has been "on the juice" and in many ways it's unfair to taint someones (Bonds, McGwire etc.) acheivements without having the proof.

[Niall Quinn]

second- what thoughts would you have if it came out that GAA players had taken steroids, and say some had been involved in All Ireland winning teams?

I've been a steroid-taking GAA player for around 4 years and it hasn't improved my game one iota. My diabetes is thankful for the medication though!

[hitzelsperger]

taking steriods for a sport like baseball may have its benefits when it comes to hitting home runs but i think technique and co-ordination are as if not more important than brute strengh, after all steroids do nothing to improve ability to get the bat on the ball in time!

Fair play to bonds, hes taken some shit and has continually stepped up and knocked the ball out of the park time after time after time......

[J70]

Why didn't the same outrage accompany Lance Armstrong? Yes, I know there are only suspicions regarding Armstrong, but the idea that he repeatedly hammered all the other dope fiends in an event as demanding as the Tour de France while remaining totally clean is just ludicrous, to me at least.

[stephenite]

Why didn't the same outrage accompany Lance Armstrong? Yes, I know there are only suspicions regarding Armstrong, but the idea that he repeatedly hammered all the other dope fiends in an event as demanding as the Tour de France while remaining totally clean is just ludicrous, to me at least.

Agreed - but Stew will charge in at any moment and chew the bollocks off anyone who dares to question the heroic acheivments of Armstrong. I cannot say he did take drugs because I don't know, I do know he never failed a test but all the same it's mighty suspicious to me

[mannix]

Bonds record is tainted as is lance armstrong who came from being a westmeath to being a kerry in the blink of an eye.Bonds looks like an overgrown monster, muscles popping out everywhere and any bodybuilder i know take at least some stimulant to become that size.He had the eye and technique but would never drive it far enough without the power.
Glad to see that drug testing is involved in the gaa, with the limits some go to win its no stretch to believe steroids would be an option for them.

[Homer]

Barry Bonds 1983-1987





Barry Bonds 2007

[mannix]

Let me guess, lots of raw eggs and milk and in bed early every night. He is a steroid companies dream advertisment.And lance can join him too, Balco,Balco wherefort are thow Balco.

[screenexile]

OK so there seems to be a good bit of evidence there that Bonds has been taking steroids but the whole Armstrong thing kind of pisses me off as the lad has never tested postive for drugs or transfusions whereas there have been a huge amount of Cyclists caught in the past 10 year's... anything said about Armstrong is speculation and declaring the man guilty while he has been proven innocent time and time again is just cynicism of the worst kind!

As for him speaking out about drug use all the time, he strikes me as being a fairly intelligent fella so it wouldn't make much sense for him to go around berating people for taking drugs if he's doing it himself and given his persona if he were to be caught it would completely ruin the man's reputation and credibility forever... too big a risk I would say!