by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
Oh yes, there are other sports continuing in the world outside of Beijing. If there is sport, there is juice.
Former Michigan football player Rondell Biggs will stand charges of possessing Winstrol tablets. Biggs claimed to be coaching the Wolverines at the time, although no explanation why Michigan football sucked last year.
Nasty reports came from Plano Texas, where NFL steroids dealer David Jacobs's autopsy reported indicated Jacobs showed tons of testosterone in his blood at the time of his death. He shot his fitness model girlfriend Amanda Earhart-Savell once in the back, five times in the chest, and once in the back of the head before turning the gun on himself twice (chest and head). Savell tested for amphetamine in her bloodstream, attributed to dieting for a contest. Love the world of bodybuilding, huh? Drugs, sex, and suicide-murder. Jacobs was linked to NFL lineman Matt Lehr and linebacker Ryan Fowler, connections often forgotten. Lehr was also romantically involved with the slain fitness model.
To round out the Non-Olympic news, a few minor league baseball players tested positive for 'roids, and UFC fighter James Irvin loaded up on narcotics, not nandrolone.
Also note Bulgarian tennis player Sesil Karatantcheva comes back after a steroid suspension. Check out that tat.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 27, Part 2: Non-Olympic Juice
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 27, Part 1: Olympic Juicers
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
Hello from the steroid capital of the world, Branson, MO. Anti-inflammatory steroids that is, not the anabolic type. It's the Tour de Milk of Magnesia here, not the Tour de France. In this Olympic 'Roid Report we review of the past several weeks of Olympic juice, making Beijing the real 'roid capital of the world -- for several weeks this year.
Forget baseball, football, and pro-wrestling. The hot juice action now occurs Beijing. There have been more suspensions prior to the 2008 Olympics than cables holding up the the Brooklyn Bridge.
One wire service estimated over 40 athletes have now been suspended due to doping prior to the Olympics. At Steroid Nation we continue to count bodies (so to speak) but we can say that are far more athletes suspended for illicit drug use than that.
A major development occurred when the 'face' of the Olympics in Europe, Russian middle distance world record holder Yelena Soboleva went down to suspected urine conspiracy. Many other talented Russian female track stars were reported to be part of the systematic gaming of the urine dope tests....world class track stars, cyclists, and . The World Anti-Doping Agency agency is reportedly really pissed off about the Russian shenanigans. Wonder if the Russian female athletes used the Whizzinator?
The corruption has reached to bribery: A Hungarian Olympian stands accused of attempted bribery to pass a urine dope test.
The American swimmer Jessica Hardy took clenbuterol, an illegal beta-adrenergic drug, as opposed to the legal beta-adrenergic drug Dara Torres takes for asthma. The difference is in the paperwork. Clen promotes muscle growth, reduces fat, and opens the airways, thus contributing to those butterfly wins. However, the US doping authorities botched paperwork on Hardy so that swimmer Tara Kirk was unable to fill the vacant Olympic slot.
We mentioned world record holder Yelena Soboleva as a juiced jock; there are several other world champions, and former Olympians who will be on the dull end of the needle sitting at home this Olympiad: Russian race walkers (including world record holder Vladimir Kanaikin), a steeplechaser & cyclist, an Italian cyclists & fencer, and many American track stars, tons of Greeks (here and here), a Danish cyclist, and the entire Bulgarian weightlifting team will be watching the 2008 Olympics because of doping violations. Those juicers are just the tip of the needle.
However we all have consolation because President George Bush signed an new international anti-doping agreement before he flew off to join in the Beijing Olympic Opening ceremonies. Does he know about the steroids in Gay Lube Oil?
Monday, July 28, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 20
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
The Tour de France once again finished peddling: peddling through several weeks of impossible bicycle racing, as well several weeks of questionable public relations spew. The Associated Press trumpets drug-cheating problems (Sastre wins doping-scarred Tour de France), meanwhile Tour director Christian Prudhomme announces victory over dopers (Race director hails 2008 Tour de France as victory over doping cheats). Only a dope would buy those headlines completely. Does anyone recall, one day later, that Spain's Carlos Sastre won a very existential race amid the various -- but limited -- doping scandals?
The underlying technological development at the heart of 2008's Tour doping involved a new form of EPO, called a CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator). EPO (or erythropoetin) is a naturally produced hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells (RBCs). In medicine this hormone/drug may be used for patients with anemia due to AIDS, or cancer, or kidney failure (EPO is natrually synthesized in the kidneys) increasing the RBCs in a person who is not producing adequate red blood cells due to the disease state. In 'blood doping' the increased number of RBCs enhances the blood oxygen carrying capacity in an athlete, thus giving the blood doper an advantage in receiving more oxygen to stressed tissues. Track and cycling athletes for years have been appropriating illicit EPO to cheat in races (ala Marion Jones).
Roche Labs manufactured a new type of EPO called CERA, which is not ejected from the body by kidney elimination as quickly as the older variant of EPO. Apparently a few cyclists in the Tour thought that dope testers would not pick up the latest drug development. Wrong. Although initial reports indicated the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) teamed with Roche to produce a stealth molecule allowing discovery of the new EPO, that was a mistaken piece of news; Apparently WADA knew about the new CERA version of EPO, and thus was ready to test for the larger molecule.
Tour officials also modified the concept of a 'biological passport' -- a health parameter database on athletes that gives a fingerprint of their physiology over time. The Tour tested for irregularities in certain blood measures to tip them off to drug-cheaters. This procedure allegedly tipped off doping control to several Tour dopers.
The biggest name caught doping at the Tour was Riccardo Ricco the rising Italian cycling star. Ricco tested positive for the new EPO; word was that Ricco ran from the testers in a desperate attempt to avoid taint. Also caught on Youtube fleeing from testing control was Spaniard Carlos Beltran, who rode for Liquigas, the Cannondale bike squad. Moises Duenas Nevado, from Spain, who rode for Barloworld ( a large Euro corporation), dropped an EPO tainted urine. Leonardo Piepoli, -- also on the Saunier Duval-Scott team with Ricco -- didn't test positive however something in his possession motivated the cyclist to be escorted out of the race, and we suspect it wasn't something good. Finally, on the last day Kazakhstan's Dmitri Fofonov fluffed-up, testing positive for a European stimulant. Borat not be proud.
After Ricco's and Piepoli left the Tour in disgrace Ricco's team, Saunier-Duval, packed up the doping bags and left the race possibly never to return. To add to the fun and games Ricco, Beltran and the others spent time in a French lockup, as doping is a criminal offense in the European country. Five, 5 cyclists, busted for doping...Yahtzee!
Tour teams continued to be suspect of doping. Luiqigas signed doper Ivan Basso on, which tainted the team's credibility from the start. Eventual winning team CSC is headed by Bjarne Riis -- winner of the 1996 Tour, and esteemed chronic doper...birds of a feather. Would the Boston Red Sox hire Barry Bonds to manage their team?
The Tour de France is now a troubled doping event, reflecting a troubled professional sport. Huge doping scandals plague the Tour de France: Festina in 1998, Operation Puerto in 2006. Floyd Landis in 2006-2008. The Tour leader sacked in 2007 (see Tour dopers on trial). Where is George Mitchell when cycling needs him? Who can clean up this tainted corrupt sport? Even the physicians involved with cyclists -- like Dr. Jesus Losa -- appear to be tainted. Overall, the 2008 Tour appeared to dial down the doping; now, where does this event cycle to in the future?
Monday, July 14, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 6
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
As American slides into the baseball summer All-Star break, and the Olympic Games slide into the quiet before the Beijing storm, steroid doping enthusiasts(?) focused on the Olympic athletes and the Tour de France riders.
The 2008 Tour -- after huge busts in 2006 (Floyd Landis) and 2007 (Alexandre Vinokourov, and Michael Rasmussen) -- was determined to monitor doping. Almost any drug known to man appeared at some point in the history of the tour. EPO and blood doping, anabolic steroids (Landis), amphetamines, and anti-inflammatory injections, appear to be the most frequently abused drugs during the long ride. Tour authorities thought this year's race might be different. Surprise!
By Day 5, Tour officials announced suspicious signs of doping, followed by news that Manuel Beltran tested positive for EPO, a hormone that promotes production of red blood cells thus increasing oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. The alleged doping may have been nailed by serial blood tests of normal physiological measures. Another major cyclist, Riccardo Ricco was dodging rumors of abnormal blood measures at the end of the week too. Meanwhile, the French announced that last year's dopers -- Alexandre Vinokourov, Iban Mayo and Italian Cristian Moreni -- may be subject of criminal charges in France.
Interesting that Beltran teamed with US cycling and cultural icon Lance Armstrong. Other Armstrong cycling buddies implicated in doping include: Floyd Landis (testosterone), Alberto Contador (Operation Puerto), Tyler Hamilton (blood doping), and Freddie Andreu (blood doping), Birds of a feather?
With the Olympics pending, observers recounted past dopers, and defined current possibilities. Just who should be considered the world's fastest female sprinter? Flo-Jo (Florence Griffith-Joyner) who holds the historic world record, an unassailable 10.49; Marion Jones, second at 10.65; or Frances Christine Arron at 10.73? A conversation with Arron -- who will run at Beijing in 2008 -- reveals she considers her effort tops, dismissing the other 2 female sprinters for doping. She offers particularly harsh words for Jones:"She has lied for years," Arron said. "She treated everyone as idiots. I'm not choked she is going to jail. Many people criticised me because I was always the one who lost in the Jones-Arron battle, even if I had very good results. We started running together in 1997. She has stolen my best years. Everything could have been different for me."
Although other Olympic hopefuls were caught juicing, particular scrutiny continues on 41 year-old Dara Torres who has never urinated a positive doping test. Opinions on Torres alternate between hero worship as the mother of one takes on the young athletic does ("bucks" didn't work here) beating them in the water, or abhorrence of her ripped muscular physical appearance combined with gravity-defying personal best times in the 5th decade of life which could only be (the argument goes) masterminded with artificial hormonal aid.
At Steroid Nation, we tepidly entered the debate until San Francisco Chronicle columnist Gwen Knapp said Torres was suffering a double standard: men get away with juicing, and women don't. Did she mean Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, and Mark McGwire are all now home free for the Cooperstown Hall of Fame? Did she mean the press was all over Marion Jones from the beginning (took 8 years and multiple denials before she admitted to doping) and Tammy Thomas immediately (took about 4-5 years before she was convicted of lying about steroid use)?
Indeed Torres, now engineering her 3rd comeback (yes her third) swims faster in sprints than she did while a collegiate star at Florida State during WW2, and in the '84, '88, '92, '00 Olympics. In Sydney. she impressively hurdled doping questions about her 2000 Olympic appearance. One would think 8 years, one baby, several surgeries, and a long layoff would bring even more juicing heat on her during the 2008 games in Beijing. However Dara daresya to find a dirty urine in her multi-epoch career. It's going to be All-Dara-All-the-Time for the next month (along with the All-Brett-All-Favre-All-the-
In other juiced Olympic news, the Greeks destroyed their livers with
Meanwhile back in the boring US of A, the only doping action in the major sports consisted of opinions about megajuicer Jason Giambi's mustache. At least Giambi didn't use the Butt Wedge or the Urinator to grow his mustache...or did he?
Monday, July 7, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 29
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
July, the gateway to August and the 2008 Olympics. July, the Tour de France. July, when the weightlifters all bail from competition.
Beginning last week and striding (or stroking) into the early days of July, US athletes competed for berths on the 2008 Olympics team and airfare to Beijing China. Olympic athletes also face more stringent dope testing preparing for the Olympics than in previous years.
In the USA camp, drug-cheat and ex-gold medal winner Justin Gatlin, did not run in the '08 Olympic trials. Gatlin or no Gatlin, the USA showed speed to burn: Tyson Gay fired up the 100M in an wind-aided 8.68. However Gay pulled a hamstring in the 200, falling hard o the fast new track in Eugene OR.
Several once-juiced athletes qualified for the US track team: Torri Edwards a female sprinter, and Demu Cherry in women's 100M hurdles. Both served suspensions in past years for doping: Edwards a stimulant, and Cherry a nandrolone metabolite. None disgraced themselves as much as former world record holder Tim Montgomery who plead guilty to heroin charges last week.
US gymnast Morgan Hamm failed to inform the USOC of his therapeutic use of an anti-inflammatory steroid for hip pain; this did not sooth US Olympics officials who need both Hamm and his twin brother to compete at Beijing.
The big news over in Omaha, when US swimmers competed for Olympics slots included an incredible performance by superman Michael Phelps, and superwoman Dara Torres. Torres (photo to the left) a 41 year-old mother defied gravity, swimming faster that she did 20 years ago to qualify for her 5th Olympiad. Cynics howled at the moon attempting to identify if she doped. This appears to be futile exercise: she never tested positive for the juice even when questions arose in 2000. Torres attributes her amazing physique to stretching, and not weight machines (? lifting). Torres feel so righteous she volunteered to offer every body fluid and a couple abdominal organs for dope testing. Fava beans anyone?
The dope testers worked overtime abroad. Bulgaria lost an entire weightlifting team to juice. The Chinese cracked down on several athletes. Lord Coe in the UK looks dimly on sprinter Dwain Chambers -- a BALCO player -- attempt to override the lifetime ban Britain slapped on the track star. Euro indoor champ, Slovak shot putter Mikulas Konopka, appears to be banned for doping, serving life plus 3.
The biggest loss occurred when Turkish gold medalist 4ft-11inch Halil withdraw from the upcoming Beijing Olympics, thus spoiling his opportunity for a 3-peat in weight lifting. Mutlu (photo to the right) said he was coming up short on training lifts. Mutlu cast a long shadow on his achievements when he was nailed with a steroid suspension.
The 2008 Tour de France rolled out a less than star-studded stable of cyclists, cut down by the pervasive doping offenses the past several years in pro cycling. While Floyd Landis considered appealing his recent loss of the 2006 Tour to the man in the moon, Alejandro Valverde took Day One. Valverde's lead, implicated in the huge Operation Puerto doping scheme in Europe, suggests connoisseurs of the doping scandal may yet be served in the '08 Tour. Then again, even the EPO test employed to catch blood doping cheats, draws lab validity questions. (and here)
Oh yes, and the PGA began steroid testing; John Daly they are looking at you, dude.
Almost a quiet week in baseball. Ex-trainer Brian McNamee asked the court to dismiss Roger Clemens's defecation suit (anyone catch that?) against him. Mega-juicer Jason Giambi is making a case to be on the 2008 All-Star team, as Mitchell-report add-on Todd Williams would just like to make an MLB team.
Several weeks of the Tour de France and several weeks until the Beijing Olympics. Wonder what steroid surprises lie ahead?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 22
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
"Terry Bradshaw". Just the name itself demands respect and awe from...well from someone out there, probably in McKeesport PA. The week kicked off with the word spreading that the legendary Steeler QB admitted to using steroids. However, knowing the impulsive Bradshaw, questions remained whether the current football commentator meant anabolic steroids, or anti-inflammatory corticosteroid or simply an aspirin or two. As we go to press, Bradshaw clarified the entire thing: maybe it was the anti-inflammatory kinds of steroids he said. Or maybe as Hollywood Henderson said "He can't spell cat, even if you spotted him the C-A". At least Bradshaw is still alive, which is more than can be said for many of his juiced Steeler teammates.
From off-track to on-track. The US Olympic trials continue in Oregon this week. The new track must be incredibly fast, because the times run there fall into the "simply amazing" category....or the 'simply juiced' category. As one writer asks: 'Can we enjoy track anymore', with the long shadow of steroid-use hanging over every race, and every record.
Tyson Gay ran an incredible 9.68, although wind-aided. A high school kid zoomed to a 10.01, the fastest high school sprint in the US track history; Jeffrey Damps will run back punts at Florida next fall. Women loved the track with 100M times in the 10.8 range. The women's 100M winner, Muna Lee, never broke 11.00 before her win in Oregon at 10.85. Mark Zeigler summed things up about the roid cloud: "Whether it is the Beynon Surfaces track or a sizzling generation of American sprinters or the gentle tailwinds or illicit doping rearing its head once again, the performances at steamy Hayward Field yesterday were nothing short of stunning." Track controversy in all race venues continued, even in the marathon -- Hawaii Marathon winner Ambese Tolossa found himself suspended for morphine.
One runner who will not be stunning in Oregon will be Justin Gatlin -- former world record holder and drug-cheat -- although not for lack of legal effort. Gatlin obtained a restarting order 10 days ago, apparently allowing him to defy international regulatory agencies banning the sprinter from competition. However the Pensacola judge reversed himself over the weekend. Nonetheless, Gatlin was back in court, this time in Georgia; that effort to subvert the anti-doping agencies ran aground too. Looks like Gatlin will be grounded this week outside the Olympic trials.
On the testing front, a new report on the EPO urine test cast doubt on the ability of anti-doping agencies to pick up EPO cheats. The drug, that expands the red blood cell count, was not detected very well by anti-doping labs. This is an unfortunate development with the Olympics only weeks away and the Tour de France days away, and knowing that drug-cheats like Marion Jones once used EPO to perform better. A huge drug bust in Australia led authorities to wonder if a big conspiracy was brewing to enable athletes to dope fro the Beijing Olympics this year too.
Intrigue surrounded horse racing again this week. Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow not only insulted other trainers, his horse was nailed with a high level of clenbuterol. This guys must be trying his best to displace Roger Clemens from the seat of 'silly steroid infamy' this year. One of Dutrow's enemy's found his horse with a high level of Clen too...possible sabotage?
Great one-off stories this week. Horse-steroid using bodybuilder Julie Coram (photo to the left) in Manitoba hired a New York lawyer to bail her out of the hot juice of a positive steroid test. Gold medal winning swimmer Gary Hall vented about 'roid use in Olympic swimming. The women running the 100M at the Oregon Olympics had traps like linebackers -- hey it's all good (Torri Edwards photo to the right).
New Flash: this just in, the results for the 2006 Tour de France. Floyd Landis lost..again. Everyone can quit holding their collective breathes (for about 2 years now). Later...
Monday, June 23, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 15
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
Here is something to get you up and going this week: Viagra as a performance enhancing drug, on the athletic field, not in the bedroom. Experts in athletic doping like Don Catlin suspected that sildenafil (Viagra) could be used to enhance physciological aspects of athletic performance; the drug increases blood flow to various organs and muscles. Word came out that multi-drug cheat Roger Clemens took Viagra when he took the mound -- pitching mound. Several media outlets now report on viva Viagra, which would not be illegal in sporting events at this point.
Sadly, PED or Viagra use may have led to the demise of a bright NFL prospect -- Heath Benedict. Benedict played college football for a small D-2 South Carolina school, however impressed NFL scouts as a top lineman for the 2008 draft. Benedict died at home in March. Autopsy revealed an enlarged heart, and drugs were found near his body. Two vials -- Viagra and Arimidex (anti-estrogen) and an unknown syringe lay beside him. Speculation centers on the role of toxic PEDs in the athlete's death.
An athlete might take an illegal drug, yet still be able to compete at the Olympic trials. That's what sprinter Justin Gatlin wants to see happen. Following a positive urine test for testosterone in 2006, Gatlin received 4 to 8 years suspension, depending on what agency ruled against him. Earlier in his career Gatlin tested positive for amphetamine, which he said he took for ADHD; however he served a one year suspension nonetheless. When he tested positive for the androgenic drug at the Kansas race, US agencies ruled the sprinter needed to sit out competition for 8 years. The Court of Arbitration for Sports ruled that Gatlin, once the 100M world record holder, should sit for 4 years -- 2006 to 2010. However a judge in Gatlin's home town of Pensacola, Fl issued a restraining order (against whom?) purportedly to allow Gatlin to run in the 2008 Olympics trials now starting in Oregon. More to come on this story -- which is to be expected when legal systems start clashing jurisdictions.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) long ago ruled Human Growth Hormone (HGH) illegal in Olympic type athletic events. That ruling never stopped drug-cheats like Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery from using HGH to cheat competitors. However, new developments continue in the use or misuse of HGH in sports. Researchers look for new biological dog tracks to catch drug-cheats. WADA says new HGH testing may be ready for the Beijing Olympics later this summer. And some even doubt HGH enhances performance.
Veterinarian medicine and drug cheating appeared bust last week. Horsemen appeared on Capitol Hill to testify about the doping of race horses. However, the main protagonist of the horse racing spring -- Rick Dutrow -- pulled up lame before the event. Nonetheless horse jockeys and horseman came out with a statement against steroid doping of horses. In a weird related event, two horsemen long known for their anti-steroid stance feel a colt of theirs was a victim of sabotage when the animal tested positive for clenbuterol, which neither endorses or uses for horses. The trainer -- Larry Jones -- trained Eight Belles the filly who died on the track after the Kentucky Derby.
The other event related to vet medicine occurred in Canada where Julie Coram -- a figure competitor -- tested positive for Equipose -- a horse steroid, boldenone -- along with other androgenic metabolites during an event (photo above). No reactions from jockeys on this horseplay.
Other women in the PED world news this week include several Olympic competitors who will be suspended for the Beijing Olympic Games (and here), and interestingly Greg Anderson's wife. Anderson, as you recall, worked as Barry Bonds steroids and PED source; the bodybuilder spent months in jail rather than turn on Bonds. However, as part of the pressure on Anderson to fess up on the career home run record holder, the IRS appears to be leaning on Nicole Gestas, Anderson's wife.
With all this PED intrigue brweing, Fox Sports came up with a list of sports Top Ten Train Wrecks. Drugs, including steroids look like universal currency for screwed-up human beings, including Jose Canseco. The could have losted Ex-NFL player David Boston, a multi drug, multi-PED abuser.
Lastly, the fake phallus with the bogus urine -- the Whizzinator made the news again. The downfall of one Onterrio Smith -- the disgraced Minnesota Viking running back -- the multi-toned custom-ordered penis facsimile to beat the dope testing made the news this week as competitors pull out all stops for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
THE (WET) 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 8
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
The flood waters rolled in to the Midwest as we at the Steroid Nation struggled to beat these rapid-moving currents on steroids. Luckily the steroid world slowed down for us as we sandbagged our way past the soaked crises.
Speaking of soaked, you wonder what Bud Selig and Don Fehr soaked the night before their Congressional testimony on steroids in 2005. Chairman Henry Waxman appears a bit miffed at the dynamic duo, thinking they fibbed about steroid testing in the early 2000s. Hell hath no fury like a Congressman on a roid rage.
It didn't take long for Big Brown's trainer Rick Dutrow to put the big bay back on the juice again. One loss and the hoss is back on Winny in the flank again. Who says steroid withdrawal didn't have something to do with the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner's Belmont swoon?
Baseball slipped out of the roid spotlight for Big Brown, and all his juiced-up track buddies; however baseball is back. Jose Canseco's lawyer filed a lawsuit against the "Juiced" deadbeat. Just in time for Canseco to be named one of the Top 10 Train Wrecks in Sports, by Fox Sports. How is that for 'Vindication'?
Ex-Oriole, and ex-juicer Jay Gibbons sent out a letter to MLB teams asking for something -- anything -- in terms of a tryout. Considering MLB power seems to be down now that baseball tests a little more rigorously for steroids, one would think Gibbons would get someone to inject him into their organization, but no. Damn you Mitchell Report, damn you.
Although not directly related to the juice, we could not help but note that LSU promoted their 5-6 wide receiver Trindon Holliday as the faster football player ever to strap it on. We suggested they read a little about Bullet Bob Hayes, who was both an Olympic Gold Medal winner in the 100M (10 flat), and an All-Pro NFL receiver with the Dallas Cowboys (number 22 above). Hayes is credited with covering 100M faster than any human who lived --a 8.6 split in the Tokyo 4x400 -- naturally.
See you all next week, high and hopefully dry,
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 1
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
The Movie "Bigger Stronger Faster" opened a couple weeks ago to good critical review. The film looks at the use of anabolic steroids, and the prevalence of cheating in the USA. As if on cue, events deliver more and more material for discussion. Seems that in American if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.
Track and field appears so traumatized by all the dope-cheating, that fans and press greet a new 100M world record (by Jamaican Usain Bolt) with intense skepticism on the legitimacy of any track record in the steroid era. Skepticism justly earned by recent events including the Gold Medal the USA 400x4 team will be giving back from the Sydney 2000 Olympics. When Antonio Pettigrew admitted a long history of doping, that meant only Michael Johnson appears clean in that USA gold medal Sydney 4x400 team.
Steroid Nation moved on over the past week. A major shock went through the nation when admitted and convicted steroid dealer David Jacobs -- dope dealers to the NFL -- was found dead with his on-off girlfriend Amanda Savell -- a former college tennis player and noted fitness model. Jacobs allegedly dealt juice to former Dallas Cowboy Matt Lehr and perhaps others. Jacobs claimed to be a professor of passing the NFL doping tests with NFL players as willing students.
Jacobs worked out a deal with the Feds, that led to meeting with NFL officials where he gave them some hot info on NFL doping. Did some NFL player bump the steroid dealer off? Was he mobbed-up and in trouble (he commented to ESPN's Shawn Asseal that the people he deals with are "The kinds of people I know about could put a bullet in the back of my head.")?. Was this some love triangle? Or was all the heat coming down simply too much for the convicted felon? The authorities say this was a double wound (gut and head) suicide.
Some of the NFL heat came down yesterday when the league allegedly suspended the Titans LB Ryan Fowler for alleged steroid activity with Jacobs. Fowler spent times on the Cowboy team about the time Lehr did. Where else will this trail lead?
The trail of the Triple Crown led to last place when Big Brown gave out a big whiff at the Belmont Stakes. Speculation about the once dominating horses poor performance nagged the post race debate. Was the horse hurting from a hoof injury? Did the big bay take too much time off.
Our speculation centered on anabolic steroid withdrawal. Trainer Rick Dutrow (now a household name) admitted to monthly Winstrol shots - drug of choice for the disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson. However the last steroid shot came either April 15 or just before the Preakness. Was steroid withdrawal a factor producing fatigue, lack of drive, and lethargy in the dominant winner of the Kentucky Derby?
One more mystery in this 'roided-up world. And, almost on cue, TO -- Terrell Owns -- stopped by to give his blessing to the juice. Seems TO missed an out-of-competition dope test, which means he may be subject to many extra tests during the upcoming season. Always leave it toe TO to upstage everyone else.
Monday, June 2, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 25
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, May 19, 2008
THE 'ROID REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 11
by Gary Gaffney, MD, Steroid Nation
The Washington Post suggests that the end of an era may be delivered with the trial of ex-Coach Trevor Graham this week in San Francisco. Graham inadvertently kicked off the BALCO brouhaha when he mailed a syringe (obtained from a juiced BALCO athlete) with unknown steroid to the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). At the same time BALCO's boss Victor Conte contacted authorities about what cheater Graham was. Resembled the shootout at the end of "Enemy of the State" when corrupt Government agents blasted at angry Mafioso who fired back.
The Post quotes USADA chief Travis Tagert thinking that athletes see the older generation of dopers nailed in court, which may deter future doping. (Has anything deterred cheating in sports?) Not with drug distributors like Angel 'Memo' Heredia available. A track athlete from Mexico who attended Texas A & M, Heredia is expected to testify in the Graham trial. He might give his account of the drugs American sprint medalists Maurice Greene and Marion Jones allegedly used:
"Time was very short. We kept it to the main stuff: growth hormone, insulin, EPO, IGF-1 [a growth hormone]."
Talent and some (alot of) drugs beats the clean competition every time.
Might a drug-free clean Olympics be possible? Not a syringe's chance in hell according to BALCO big boss Victor Conte. Conte, on his European victory tour recounts how the bad guys will pervert the Olympic spirit. Interesting that anti-doping officials embrace Conte who has met with big names like WADA's Dick Pound. Conte delineates what drug protocol UK sprinter Dwain Chambers took to compete in the world championships: THG, testosterone/epitestosterone cream, EPO (Procrit), HGH (Serostim), insulin (Humalog), modafinil (Provigil) and liothryonine, which is a synthetic form of the T3 thyroid hormone (Cytomel). That's all going to be cleaned-up soon right?
Chambers made legal moves to overcome the UK's Olympic ban on the drug-cheat. This did not please UK Olympic king Sebastian Coe who favors fair-play in sports.
Staying with track and field, an Austrian female record holder -- marathoner Susan Pumper -- faces a drug ban based on a positive EPO test last year. Has any track record in the past 30 years been set without the aid of illicit PEDs?
Woman showed well on the steroid scene last week. The aforementioned Pumper added to the list of feminine drug cheats. The 'Barbie' of the MMA -- Carina Damm -- knew damn well what she ingested prior to a match: nandrolone (see photo). Indian weight-lifter Kavita Devi peed male steroids too. Two Minnesota women found themselves in jail for selling exotic animal parts and involvement in steroids distribution: we will take 3 tapir claws and some Winny. With those resources why are the Vikings perennial losers lately? Lastly, Eight Belles -- the filly who broke down after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby -- tested free of steroids at autopsy. She might be clean at the Derby, which doesn't tell anyone what she ingested over her short life. Perhaps like Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown and 1976 Olympic gold medalist Ben Johnson, she used Winstrol at some point, increasing her muscles and decreasing her bone mass leaving her vulnerable to injury?Illegal PED use also scared baseball's week. Career and single-season home run record holder Barry Bonds extended his number of perjury-indictment dingers to 14 counts perjury and one count obstruction of justice...a very productive week for the slugger. Bonds keeps racking up the headlines despite his on-field inaction in 2008.
The Roid Week ended as we lauded the Royals Jose Guillen
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