Should drugs be banned in sport? (Part two - As Medication)

Drugs in sport have been an issue for many years, but not many people realise some banned drugs are in vital medicines the athletes might one day need to survive. So why are these drugs banned? Well scientists suggest that any athlete that needs such medication isn’t fit to compete anyway. So a ban in this instance could save them, because a sick or injured athlete shouldn’t be out playing competitive sports.

Another argument against medication being the exception to the ban is simply that if they take pain killers then this will enhance their performance and is therefore cheating. Killing the pain will stop any pain happening during the sport, which will then result in the athlete being able to work harder for longer.

In part one of ‘Should drugs be banned in sport?’ I revealed that I believe performance enhancing drugs shouldn’t be banned. This was because although they help your performance, they cause long term damage to the athlete and that the athlete should get clued up on the facts before taking anything. However, this so called “medication” has no side effects. It is also hard to get hold of as it has to be subscribed, so the lucky athletes will have a huge advantage and this is unfair.

I understand some athletes need the medication to survive, but then maybe it’s their time to give up the sport and get a new job. Life is unfair and only a few people have it in them to become athletes and if you need medication which will help you play sport, then you shouldn’t be playing.

Let’s keep sport fair and kick out anyone who is subscribed any major medication by their doctor. So in answer to part two: Yes it should be banned, partly for their safety, but mainly because it’s only available to a few who will get an unfair advantage from taking the pills.

Money to Burn, the Big Three Free Agents in Baseball

The season’s over, the Phillies won, and while Philadelphia sets fire to the city, 29 other teams are looking to fix their problems and get to the top next year.

It may seem unlikely for a team like Pittsburgh or Kansas City, but who had the Tampa Bay Devil Rays winning the American League pennant? Okay I wouldn’t put money on the Pirates, but I digress.

The 2008-2009 offseason really presents an outstandingly talented free agent class. While it’s tricky to say where players will end up, especially when their agent makes decisions, then changes his mind, I can say where it would make the most sense for players to go.

CC Sabathia- The biggest fish out there. Sabathia is an innings eater, among other things. The hefty lefty is a rarity in the free agent market- a left handed ace pitcher, in the prime of his career. There has been a lot of talk that Sabathia is headed to the National League and west coast, after dominating the NL Central and being from California.

However the New York Yankees have made no secret about their desire to bring in Sabathia, and with a new stadium opening up this season the Steinbrenners will want to make a splash. The deepest pockets in baseball will spend whatever they have to in order to land Sabathia, and as a bonus he makes a lot of sense in their rotation. Sabathia-Wang-Pettitte-Chamberlain would be as solid a front 4 as any in the league.

Another place that would work would be the Dodgers, who recently let go of former ace Brad Penny, and may look for a big name replacement for Manny should he sign elsewhere.

Manny Ramirez- The enigma that is Manny Ramirez is always a fun one to discuss. There are lots of teams that would fit for Ramirez, and not many who seem interested. The Dodgers are making a big push to keep him in LA short term, but it seems unlikely that he would sign a contract for fewer than 3 or 4 years. He wanted out of 2 guaranteed years at $20+ million in Boston, one would guess he wants longevity over a big payday in the short term.

Ramirez is a game changing force in the lineup. When he’s locked in, there is nobody more dangerous at the plate. Anyone looking for proof can watch what he did after the trading deadline, where he hit .396 with a 1.232 OPS. The problem comes when “Manny is Manny”, and he begins to alienate teammates and members of the clubhouse.

So where does that leave him this offseason? To me, the team that makes the most sense are the Mets, but Minaya has said he doesn’t want to be involved. But realistically, the Mets need somebody to shake up that clubhouse and take some pressure off of David Wright and Jose Reyes. For all his problems, Manny managed to get along with everybody on the Dodgers in his short time there. Given Jerry Manuel’s player-friendly attittude and the large Latin influence in the Met clubhouse, I think Manny would be a huge hit with the Mets and their fans.

However with Minaya seemingly uninterested, it’s tough to say where he will go. As a Boras client, Manny will likely take wherever gives him the most money, but it’s difficult to determine who’s willing do that. The usual suspects for these types of players (Yankees, Mets, Red Sox) all don’t want or need Ramirez.

I’d venture to guess that California is a good fit for Manny’s laid back attitude, and may end up on the Dodgers or Angels when all is said and done. You never know with Manny, though.

Mark Teixeira- Tex is the premier “everyday” building block out there this offseason. While Sabathia pitches every fifth day, and Manny is approaching his 40s, Teixeira is the guy teams can build around. A gold glove, switch hitting first baseman with power is a good fit for any team. The Angels are making a push to sign him, but he is likely to test the free agent market.

With over $80 million coming off the books for the Yankees, they may be able to sign both Teixiera and Sabathia with money to spare. Giambi’s option was declined, and there is a huge hole at first base for the Bombers. There’s a potential snag in the future for the Yankees, though. They have players like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada who may be in need of a position change in the near future, and first base is the easiest transition. If Teixeira is locked up, they may be stuck with an immobile Jeter and a weak armed Posada up the middle on defense.

Should New York GM Brian Cashman opt not to sign Teixiera, there is rumored interest from the Red Sox and Angels. Don’t be surprised if the Maryland native ends up playing for the Orioles. Peter Angelos has never been shy about spending money, and this rebuilding AL East team needs a face for the future of the franchise. There’s a pretty solid core with players like Adam Jones and Nick Markakis, Tex would add some legitimacy to their lineup. They won’t win games without pitching, especially in the American League East, but you have to start somewhere.

Ollerus

A Dime a Dozen

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The first date is a tough time for any young man. After successfully gaining the attention of a beautiful, young maiden, the young man must then prove his mettle on an exclusive outing that will hopefully build upon a blossoming relationship. Of course, this young man might have a number of what can only be described as major quandaries invade and soon take over his mind:
What to say, where to go, and what to wear are all worried over for unreasonable amounts of time until the young man is somewhat pleased that his selections will appeal to the beautiful maiden. As he makes his way to her ever-so-humble abode, one last little quandary creeps into his mind. Should he, as a young man, show up at the door empty handed, or bearing gifts..such as flowers? Will she spurn his advances for not placating her? Even worse, what if she rejects him for being too forward? What if she’s allergic to flowers? Oh, god what if the flowers kill her???
Have you ever been in this young man’s position? Ladies, do guys have better chances of wooing you if he shows up on your porch with a dozen, red ones?

Should guys bring flowers on the first date?

Should drugs be banned in sport? (Part one - Performance Enhancing)

So, it’s a big question on all sports fans’ minds at some point during their life. Is it really necessary to ban any drugs, peformance enhancing or otherwise? Surely taking drugs to enhance your peformance isn’t strictly giving you an unfair advantage because anyone can get hold of them. I am going to attempt to look further into the issue to try and find an answer to my question.

Firstly, why do athletes take these drugs? Well there are three main reasons:

1. To enhance performance. This is the main reason many drugs are banned in sport. Some drugs can make your muscles bigger, or give you an overdose of energy causing you to race past opponants, which is crucial in almost all sport. So this is why even medication can be banned as athletes may find it easy to get their hands on pills, which will help you to get better when you’re ill, but will give you unfair bursts of speed and energy if you’re healthy.

2. As medication. It is hard nowadays for athletes to get the correct medication because the doctor has to prescribe only medicines which comply with the rules of the sport. This rule seems to me clearly unfair because if an athlete falls ill, he is faced with two choices: Take the medication and risk a ban, or leave the medication and become more ill and, in some cases, die.

3. Recreational use. Drugs such as cannabis are banned in sport and is in fact illegal in most countries as it is thought to be harmful. This kind of drug, however, doesn’t improve your performance. It is more likely to make it worse. The main reasons authorities give to ban these recreational drugs are that athletes and sportsmen act as role models or even heroes to kids, teens and adults all around the world. There are strict punishments for any athlete, amature or professional taking these drugs.

Today I will talk about performance enhancing drugs. Drugs such as steroids are used for a number of reasons, including dulling the pain response in the body, building muscle at an accelerated rate, reducing weight, lowering stress, and even hiding other drugs that may be in the system. So this is obviously cheating, right? Well scientists suggest that drugs can’t make you any faster. It’s true. They say drugs are used merely for utilising the human capacity for self-improvement and removing the effects of genetic inequality. In addition to this, anyone can get hold of these drugs. It’s not illegal. It’s just taking these drugs if you are an athlete can get you a ban. So really there’s nothing wrong. Anyone can get them; bofs suggest they can’t make you better than your body can physically take and no one has access to them more than anyone else.

There is a problem with taking them though. I say this because only a fool would want to put there bodies through the effects of these pefromance enhancing drugs. As the bofs say, it won’t make you a lot better it will just help you reach your potential. But hard work and non-stop training can help with that. So here are the side effects of using steroids:

Men may develop:

• Prominent breasts
• Baldness
• Shrunken testicles
• A higher voice
• Infertility

Women may develop:

• A deeper voice
• An enlarged clitoris
• Increased body hair
• Baldness
• Increased appetite

Both men and women might experience:

• Severe acne
• Liver abnormalities and tumors
• Increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Aggressive behaviors, rage or violence
• Psychiatric disorders, such as depression
• Drug dependence

I personally wouldn’t want any of those things, even if it got me a gold medal in the 100m sprint. I am a man so basically I will become a bald, infertile woman - with acne. Also these drugs aren’t cheap. The average price of a ten millimetre bottle of steroids is around US$75 or about £37 for us Brits. So my next question: Why bother with them? That’s one I find hard to answer.

Drugs are ruining lives for athletes; who think drugs will help them improve. Usain Bolt is a newly famous sprinter, who smashes world records without the aid of any drugs. He is a true hero which people respect. I don’t think performance enhancing drugs should be banned in sports, however athletes need to be educated on the consequences of using harmful drugs.

Obama or McCain?

Saturday, November 01, 2008

With Election Day looming over the “land of the free, and home of the brave” many, if not all of us have already chosen the candidate we’ll be voting for, or supporting, on Tuesday. However, which is truly more qualified to lead America through the myriad of problems it’s facing? From huge economic meltdowns that threaten the well-being of the entire planet, to Homeland Securities that are constantly being tested and threatened, the next President will have some pretty big objectives to pass in order to get this nation back on the right track. America is on the verge of making serious history, no matter which way it goes. Either the first female Vice President or the first African American President in our history will make headlines across the globe. With only 3 days until the nation chooses a president, do you know the facts about the candidates? Does emotion, media hype, gossip, rumors, racial loyalty, parents/friends/teachers, religious beliefs, or logic influence your decision?

Which candidate do you support, and why?

Speak your mind here.