The other day, I asked you to estimate how many baseball players use performance-enhancing drugs. We all would have to guess because, obviously, no one is telling us. I just read an article which quotes Victor Conte, who knows a thing or two about PEDs. He says half of all major leaguers use some form of performance drugs — which makes them cheaters. I don’t know what Conte really knows, but what he says is interesting. To read the article which references him, please click here.
Stan
Funny that article brings up Kirk Gibson who is playing holier then thou..because I just read that Gibson was given five shots of cortisone the day he hit the homer off of Eck. No drugs,no play…and the A’s would have gone on to win the WS.
in the NFL..I think 90% of the players are on it..anybody who makes contact? 100%…kickers might not bother. And how long now have we heard about the NFL,bigger,faster,stronger then ever before?.yeah,but its not evolution..its steroids.
I’m juiced on caffeine right now myself…
August 16th, 2012 9:36 am
Stan
Instant coffee is potent now a days..
August 16th, 2012 9:36 am
jason
I don’t know about 50% of players using it today. That seem high in light of the backlash and testing that goes on today.
But I do think PED usage during the Bonds era was much greater than 50%. We found out even scrubs like FP Santangello and Matt Herges were using it. So, this begs the question…. was it really cheating if everyone was using it? Was Bonds cheating, or was he leveling the playing field for himself?
August 16th, 2012 9:39 am
J Canseco
“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” is as true in baseball as in any part of life.
August 16th, 2012 9:57 am
Tiburon Dave
Old New York ism…
If you want to know how many crap games there are in the neighborhood, ask the Parish Priest or the local wise guy…
The beat cop is getting paid to look the other way…
August 16th, 2012 10:05 am
Stan
I think Conte is an expert on the Steroid body..no surprise to him. I dont doubt he can pick them out..and why he says 50%.
August 16th, 2012 12:02 pm
Stan
And we have to come up with a new term for those caught. “Cheater” sounds over dramatic,even girly. Something must be more accurate..PEDphiles?..uh,maybe not that one,but something.
August 16th, 2012 1:13 pm
Dr. Feelgood
I’m sad to write this, forgive me, but I’m in a foul mood.
Remember Bill Clinton’s message: “It’s the economy, stupid”?
Roughly translated to mean, “follow the money”.
Are you shocked by cheating? As a culture we’re conditioned to accept that cheating by the powerful, the wealthy, elected officials and the privileged is so prevalent that it is just part of doing business, all in the pursuit of monetary gain.
As a consequence, we’ve grown numb to the grave injury to our national character. There are so many holes in the dyke we’ve run out of fingers, or more likely, quit caring.
If 50% of players use some form of PED, then they’re merely doing what the “successful” have learned works; evaluate the risk and reward, and act accordingly. I don’t like it, at all. But the age of innocence is past.
Take the Bonds case. He was great, he used PEDs, he became greater, he was idolized and he endured literal and figurative trials. If Barry had to do it all over again, would he act differently? Would he give up the incredible money, glory and adulation for the safe and sane (and ethical) route? Would you?
You might if were you the outlier, but not if half your co-workers were doing the same thing. Money trumps everything.
August 16th, 2012 2:19 pm
JAG
I was at yesterday’s game with great seats right behind the Nat’s dugout. Tell you what; some of them looked mighty strong. After what Melky did any player or team that has a sudden surge in performance will be looked at with suspicion?
August 16th, 2012 2:36 pm
Dan
Its impossible to watch or listen to sports without a PED commercial every 5 minutes. Why are we surprised the “athletes” are looking for an edge – no matter the sport.
August 16th, 2012 4:14 pm
Raffaele
Maybe Conte knows that. I doubt it.
What I do know is the Giants have been hit twice recently (as you noted in an earlier blog). Given their history with Barry Bonds, the Giants are clearly a dirty club.
Maybe if the management would publicly disown Bonds, and publicly disown the recent dopers, it might send a message that the team is serious regarding drug usage.
August 16th, 2012 4:15 pm
lameduck
I’m moving on…Somehow we need to get Hector Sanchez in the lineup every day. So, I’m thinking Posey in left and Sanchez behind the dish. Or even Belt in left, Posey at first.
I guess I don’t really care what Conte thinks. He hasn’t earned any thought from me. He did note that it was very easy to avoid getting caught which in essence is calling Melky dumb. I’m not so sure that I buy that either. Conte is not where I’d look to as the voice of reason.
August 16th, 2012 4:17 pm
B-Rad
“I’m not going to name names,” Conte said in an interview with USA Today, “but
I’ve talked to a lot of top players in Major League Baseball, and they tell me this
is what they’re doing. There is rampant use of synthetic testosterone in Major
League Baseball.”
If I were a top player in MLB and I were doing synthetic testosterone, I know
that Victor Conte is the first person that I’d want to tell all about it.
I believe everything Victor Conte says.
He has such an honest – looking face.
Do you think that he’d have time to handle my investment portfolio for me?
August 16th, 2012 7:02 pm
loneraider78
I’m over it.
If these guys are okay with little-shriveled-raisin-balls to get a paycheck then who am I to break their raisins?
August 16th, 2012 7:16 pm
russell
Right where I was headed with my HOF rant last night Lowell…. It is obviously a big problem, and has been for years, so… What the right answer is, believe me I don’t know. I am thinking we are getting closer to either having nobody eligible or looking the other way, and I don’t know that either of those options feel right either….
August 16th, 2012 7:44 pm
KauaiRobert
Must be worth the risk.
.
.
.
*ALOHA*
August 16th, 2012 8:13 pm
russell
and please overlook my “either” redundancy……
August 16th, 2012 9:07 pm
chris
at first I thought that Bud Selig was actually allowing steroid use in baseball with the weak 50 game suspension penalty. But after hearing Steven A Smith suggest that MLB has its hands tied by the players association who want lesser penalties so their clients can keep playing and get a paycheck, I guess Selig should get a bit of a break.
It’s clear that the players want steroids allowed in sports so they can put up big numbers and then get a big payday…..thats totally sick.
August 16th, 2012 10:33 pm
Dennis
Some one suggested this on Radnich’s show yesterday, it might have even been him. They should do like they do in college. If someone is caught cheating that mean he was ineligible to play at the time and thus the whole team forfeits any wins when that guy was in the lineup. I guess we can call it the ‘Penn State’ rule. The Giants would be in last place right now and the season would be over but I am sure Stan would love it. You have to admit it sure would change the risk involved with taking PED’s. I don’t think it would totally solve the problem but it sure would cut back on it.
August 17th, 2012 7:28 am
Frank in Minnesota
You know, this might be a fact of life here…there is big money in playing professional sports and really, it is sort of like hitting the lottery and an athelete only has so much time to perform…yeah, it is too tempting and this whole thing will be repeated often…so let’s not lose our composure…it is what it is and there will always be a human element to this. In the past we had ball players admit to using the spitball, or sandpaper or cork bats and they are in the Hall of Fame (Lowell, I am sure you may have voted for some of them ) and we only laugh at their edge that they took…but it is cheating, so why are we so quick to condemn players who use peds? seems like the same to me…
August 17th, 2012 9:08 am
Stan
And why do I post how Gary Radnich likes to play both sides,hedging his bets?..He himself said the first day that it was racism that Melky was suspended and why Braun wasn’t..the effort to protect Braun wasn’t there for Melky because he’s black.
He said that the first day..and since then,he’s done nothing but call Cabrera a bum,a cheat, and “He will never play for the Giant’s again”..no more,Melky was singled out..
Even accounting for his looses screws,and I’m sure Lowell knows what I mean,that is so disingenuous to do on 50,000 watts,its near a crime to kick somebody down because your now playing to the demographics..and going against what he had said at first. And hasn’t repeated since!.
August 17th, 2012 10:58 am
Kay
I feel like they all cheat, and the dumber members of the league are the ones who get caught. Mota got caught twice; he must not be very bright. So instead of having moral outrage at Melky for cheating, my quite disillusioned reaction is that they all cheat, there are no morals, and Melky is just one of the less intelligent players out there.
August 17th, 2012 12:44 pm
Stan
This might not be published…but another example of how Radnich likes to play both sides. How many times have we heard Radnich say about (and he’s hinting about Grant and Lowell over Harbaugh) sports hosts and writers ” We just TALK about it,they PLAY(ed) it. Or coach,etc. See,in one sentence he devalues his own chosen profession,makes all who might be critics as worthless opinions. And yet,How many times has he said he doesn’t go to games and do locker room interviewsbecause “Why should I have some kid (pro athlete) with no education or degree look down at me while he doesn’t even know better to get out of his own shadow? Its humiliating”. Well,where do you stand besides on both sides? . I can go on with other examples..he makes fun of Hosts who get angry (Bruce most likely) while he rants about Bonds and Felipe?..then he’s again on both sides.
On and On..
August 17th, 2012 3:45 pm
Stan
WHAAAT? You allow spam on your blog??..I had too wait 20 sec for a add that took the whole page. Say no Lowell!
August 20th, 2012 12:59 pm
CohnZohn
Stan, I plead innocent.
August 20th, 2012 4:10 pm
Stan
Hasn’t happened since Lowell. Might have been the last site I was on causing that.
August 22nd, 2012 1:09 pm