by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
Track and field grabbed the 'roid spotlight in May, when the Trevor Graham BALCO-steroids trial settled into center stage in San Francisco. Almost as if on cue, the world 100M mark fell to a relative novice in New York, when the month ended, thus generating the question: "are any modern track marks free of doping and 'roiding taint?"
Trevor Graham -- coach of Marion Jones, and disgraced world record holders Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin -- fell to one charge of lying to investigators as two other charges went deadlocked last week in the BALCO courtroom scene. Graham lied about his involvement in supplying performance enhancing drugs to athletes he coached at Sprint Capital USA during the past decade. Many track athletes revealed doping proclivities during the two week trial, either by their own admission, or by the testimony of dope dealer Angel Heredia.
Stars of the Graham trail included IRS/FDA agent Jeff Novitzky, also lead investigator on every Barry Bonds probe. Dope dealer Angel Heredia revealed that Graham planned on Jones taking undetectable PEDs like EPO, HGH, and insulin. Olympic gold medal holder, and UNC track assistant coach, Antonio Pettigrew admitted to drug use prior to his 2000 '400 by 4' relay race in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. That brings to three the number of members of that team proven to be dopers, leaving only world record holder Michael Johnson clean (Even Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown is a doper).
We also heard how ex-world record holder/juicer Justin Gatlin worked underground for the FBI, when his dirty urine for testosterone obliterated his world 100M mark. Gatlin appeared to be trying to recover some of the grace in the eyes of IAAF officials by cooperating with federal investigators.
Graham's legal woes demonstrated for all the world to see the corruption behind the USA track machine. This pus oozing out of the illicit doping leads to suspicions about all US track athletes, the esteemed Michael Johnson too.
You snooze (don't dope) you lose -- like Duane Ross. Ross didn't go for the Trevor Graham blueprinted (patent applied for) plan of EPO, HGH, and insulin (slin).
May closed as Jamaican Usian Bolt sped to a new world records of 9.72, defeating challenger Tyson Gay's best, and breaking Asafa Powell's world mark. The Jamaican prodigy has now recorded 2 of the world's best three times, in only five tries at the 100M in organized competition. Bolt's timely record set off a maelstrom of controversy about the record, and the role of doping. Discredited, disgraced Ben Johnson -- he of 1976-Seoul-Gold-Medal-Dope-Disqualification-Winny fame -- claimed all track records of the past few decades were tainted -- except his own purged mark, which was sabotaged by Carl Lewis's anabolic chicanery.
Does all that sprinting warp a man's thoughts? Back with more dope for you later this week...
Monday, June 2, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 25
Monday, April 7, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 30
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
Last week opened with President George Bush throwing out the first ball at the Washington Nationals spanking new stadium. Bush snubbed Mitchell-report steroid-busted Nat's catcher Paul LoDuca, rather tossing the ball to the Nat's manger Manny Acta. Interesting because Bush co-owned the Texas Rangers about the time, Typhoid-Steroid-Mary Jose Canseco rode into Arlington Texas.
The main events for last week's 'roid action occurred in the San Francisco Bay area, and wherever Typhoid Jose Canseco chose to inject himself into the action.
A San Francisco courtroom could barely contain the ego or beard of now-defendant former-cyclist Tammy Thomas. Thomas, an elite cyclist at one time, found herself banned from cycling when she tested positive for shaving and for the steroid norbolethone (precursor to THG, the clear). The story goes that one surprised tester saw shaving cream on Thomas' face when she answered the door for a unscheduled doping test.
IRS-BALCO superstar investigator Jeff Novitzky held court in court during the trial last week. Novitzky will also be bringing the heat when Barry Bonds sits on the hot seat later this summer; it was expected the Thomas trial might presage the US Government's game plan for the Bonds proceedings.
Thomas herself had much to lose in this trial. She attends law school at the University of Oklahoma, following her ban from cycling because of the drug-cheating. If convicted of perjury or obstruction of justice, it would be doubtful if Thomas would be accepted into a state bar for the practice of law. Why did Thomas not simply shave off the mask of secrecy to testify truthfully when she was given immunity in the original BALCO Grand Jury? Tell the truth, and all would be forgiven. Is it in the DNA?
The jury announced a very unfavorable verdict for Thomas late Friday: she was convicted of several counts of perjury, and one count of obstruction. Apparently forgetting that she will be sentenced by the sitting judge, she screamed at the jurors and the prosecuting attorneys: "I already had one career taken away from me. Look me in the eye. You can't do it.''
As the LA Times suggests, Thomas might look herself in the mirror to inspect the cause of her demise. Her 'roid rage in the courtroom just might prompt the judge to require Thomas look even longer into the eyes of her jailers, at sentencing.
Further down the bay, Victor Conte announced he will be penning a 'tell-all' book on the BALCO conspiracy. That prompted a lawsuit from fighter Shane Mosley who Conte says will be named as a juicer. A certain baboon might also be retaining a lawyer, as it served as a steroid guinea pig in Dr. Don Catlin's UCLA lab during the BALCO investigation. No reports on disturbances of the baboon's shaving habits.
Jose Canseco cannot refrain from the bright lights and dark comments. Canseco appeared on Letterman to promote his new book 'Vindicated' He also accused the White Sox brass of knowing player like Maggs Ordonez juiced. The White Sox were not amused. Neither are MLB investigators who chased Canseco into a New York bathroom, nor the government who says they have Canseco and his pal Roger Clemens in compromising photos at the Florida party.
Relating to Roger Clemens, his ex-trainer -- and chief accuser -- Brain McNamee, put some Clemens memorabilia up for bidding on Ebay. The items brought over 4000.00. We at Steroid Nation want the Rocket's bloody syringes for the DNA (we aren't going to clone Clemens, really)
It was revealed last week that juiced-pro wrestler Chris Benoit's wife Nancy text-messaged him about 'roid rage before he went ultimate 'roid rage on everyone. Incredibly, Bill Romanowski did not go 'roid rage on the guy who Photo Shopped his head onto the Romo Raider body.
Ken Griffey Jr. said the professionalism he learned from his father prevented him from juicing. However, Griffey might object to the long term effects on muscle that unprofessional anabolic steroid users seem to acquire, as noted in scientific studies. Perhaps this steroid priming is needed for the anabolic effects of HGH for drug-cheating sluggers. Might these chronic changes contribute to those career home run records certain Bay Area players recently set. Or to the single season records set by Big Mac Missouri players in St Louis, where a state lawmaker says juicers should suffer consequences or else. Stay tuned, we might learn more about these juicy issues later in the summer.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 23
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
The BALCO/steroid/perjury trial of Tammy Thomas in San Francisco this week got hairy... literally. Federal prosecutors think Thomas gave them a 'bald'-faced lie when she denied anabolic steroid use. As we mentioned last week in the Roid Report, a physician recorded that Thomas needed to shave her beard daily; also we found out the drugs grew hair on her chest, caused male-pattern baldness, and deposited 60 pounds of muscles on her bones.
Patrick Arnold -- steroid chemist genius -- testified he communicated extensively with Thomas, as well as sent her some norbolethone and THG (this is documented in a very important piece Mark Fainaru-Wada penned for ESPN). To cover her muscular butt, Arnold promoted Thomas to concoct a story about the morning after pill:
Arnold, knowing that norbolethone had characteristics similar to contraceptives, offered one explanation for Thomas.
"I suggested to Tammy a cover story could be contrived that involved telling the doping agency that she was on the morning-after pill," Arnold testified. "… She was interested in pursuing that avenue."
Asked to define a cover story, Arnold said, "A false story to cover up the truth."
Ironically, Thomas' doctor also noted genital enlargement in Thomas, likely due to the androgenic effects of the anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids act as a pretty good counter to conception, thus obviating the need for anything 'morning after' except possibly 'morning after' surgery to correct gross genital abnormalities. Side effects of these drugs in females may be particularly brutal.
Steroid guru Arnold's ex-girlfriend opined that the brilliant chemist sucked at business. Former women's bodybuilder Kelcey Dalton (pictured - right) said the operation only received $10-20 per vile of 'the clear'. Imagine, world-class track records, Olympic gold medals, and MLB home run records on the cheap.
IRS agent and BALCO superstar investigator Jeff Novitzky took time off his pursuit of Jose Canseco to testify in the Thomas trial. He related stories of pursuing the BALCO operation of Victor Conte, including combing BALCO trash for needles and syringes. We will hear similar testimony this summer when Novitzky testifies in the Barry Bonds ritualistic perjury trial of the millennium. Bonds's lawyer must be preparing defenses even as we symbolically speak; let's hope they aren't too trashy.
Speaking of the man and the legend, the mighty Jose Canseco's book leaked out to Deadspin this week. Excerpts from his Pulitzer-Prize contending book "Vindicated" condemned the despised A-Rod -- Alex Rodriguez -- and also Magglio Ordonez. Not only did Canseco point the hated A-Rod to a steroids dealer, but A-Rod pointed himself toward Canseco's woman, the lovely Jessica ex-Canseco. Did we mention Canseco holds some animosity toward A-Rod?
Canseco continues to live in denial about Roger Clemens's juicing, prompting some writers to wonder if money exchanged hands there.
Fainaru-Wada and fellow "Game of Shadows' author Lance Williams held court at Penn State recently with steroids expert Charles Yesalis. Yesalis shocked the free world by stating 90-95% of NFL players use HGH; this shocked the free world that pays zero attention to the huge bodies out there for the NFL.
Mike Wallace -- of "60 Minutes fame" pays attention; Canseco claims Wallace showed interest in PEDs including HGH. Does Wallace juice to maintain his incredible 90 year-old physique? Stay tuned...tick tick tick.
Jose Guillen (Royals) and Jay Gibbons (Orioles) received a reprieve this week, when fickle MLB Commissioner Bud Selig backed off a 15 day suspension for the two due to their PED use. And for good reason: they only cheated for the good of humanity and their financial bottom lines. Baseball seems to be all about financial bottom lines and not integrity of the game (ask the old timers)
Lastly, some athletes mixing doping and drugging missed out on the big reprieve of life: famous pro cyclist Valentino Fois, dead at age 34. Fois -- a teammate of famous cyclist Marco Pantani who also doped then died at an early age -- lived a tortured life of doping, drugging, drinking and depression. Not to get into moralizing, but that's a behavioral equation that leads to trouble.
The MLB season opens this week; here's hoping the player can stay away from doping, drugging, drinking, and dying this year. Just don't go near ex-jocks, cops, nor Myspace for your dope supplies.
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