Saturday, August 19, 2006
Marion tests positive!!
So after all was said and done, Marion Jones proves what many had suspected for long: that she was using performance enhancing drugs. At this point, it doesn't even warrant much attention any more. Track & Field athletes complain about the lack of recognition they get compared to other sports and its no wonder why. The sport is completely immersed in the use of drugs as a cheating mechanism to gain an edge over competitors. No one is beyond suspicion, and it's been proved that more often than not, those suspected were warranted.
As a former sprinter (I raced in high school in Nigeria where we didnt have weights and other equipment to increase our performance besides our natural talent), I cannot phathom how she would still feel the need to take EPO under the cloud of suspicion that she was. If there was any one who had a zero margin of error, it was Jones. So why risk whatever comeback attempt you had in you? why risk whatever legacy and integrity you might have built in your short reign as the queen of track?
Well, the optimistic side of me says let's wait until the "B" sample comes out, maybe, just maybe, she might be cleared of any wrongdoing. But does it really matter? Does it matter if it comes out negative? Her reputation as a clean runner was damaged by her ex-husband C.J. Walker, and her ex-boyfriend and father of her son Tim Montgomery, both of whom were banned for using steroids. But now, she has put the stamp that helped mail her conviction letter. She has destroyed her image and everything she stood for. What little fanbase she had has no doubt been erased, thanks to her betrayal.
If her second test comes back positive, Marion would receive a two-year suspension since she has no prior positive tests. It means she can still be eligible to make a comeback. The question is, do you want her back? We all root for the comeback kings and queens of this world. But, not in this situation. Never has a banned athlete come back to reach the top of his or her event in track & field, so why expect Jones to achieve this feat? Besides, coming back wouldn't help squash any more rumors about drug use, which only tarnishes the image of the sport further.
Jones has nothing more to offer track & field and the sport has nothing left to offer her. She's made quite a bit of money from it and endorsements that she can live off of. She should quietly retire out of the limelight.
As a former sprinter (I raced in high school in Nigeria where we didnt have weights and other equipment to increase our performance besides our natural talent), I cannot phathom how she would still feel the need to take EPO under the cloud of suspicion that she was. If there was any one who had a zero margin of error, it was Jones. So why risk whatever comeback attempt you had in you? why risk whatever legacy and integrity you might have built in your short reign as the queen of track?
Well, the optimistic side of me says let's wait until the "B" sample comes out, maybe, just maybe, she might be cleared of any wrongdoing. But does it really matter? Does it matter if it comes out negative? Her reputation as a clean runner was damaged by her ex-husband C.J. Walker, and her ex-boyfriend and father of her son Tim Montgomery, both of whom were banned for using steroids. But now, she has put the stamp that helped mail her conviction letter. She has destroyed her image and everything she stood for. What little fanbase she had has no doubt been erased, thanks to her betrayal.
If her second test comes back positive, Marion would receive a two-year suspension since she has no prior positive tests. It means she can still be eligible to make a comeback. The question is, do you want her back? We all root for the comeback kings and queens of this world. But, not in this situation. Never has a banned athlete come back to reach the top of his or her event in track & field, so why expect Jones to achieve this feat? Besides, coming back wouldn't help squash any more rumors about drug use, which only tarnishes the image of the sport further.
Jones has nothing more to offer track & field and the sport has nothing left to offer her. She's made quite a bit of money from it and endorsements that she can live off of. She should quietly retire out of the limelight.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Testosterun!!!!!
Ok so I know I gotta do a betta job of making regular comments on this blog. Just tryna figure out this whole blog commitment thing. So Since June, I've been an intern at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (rounding up this August) so I guess I've been putting in my time somewhere else. But I'm back now, and that's what counts. So let's get this show on the road!!!
The biggest issue, at least to me now, is this issue of testosterone use by Tour de France champion Floyd Landis (who is he?) and World and Olympic 100m champion and co-world record holder Justin Gatlin.
So I don't know much about the cycling world, and I won't claim to, so I'll make my observations based on how it appears to me. It seems to be a bit suspicious that a guy who was knocked back into 11th place, with no hope of making it back into contention, raced the race of his life to pull back into first place; and his positive test happened to come at this same stage??? We are still waiting to hear about his 'B' sample, but with the number of excuses that have emanated since the test was released, the odds don't look to be in his favor at this point.
Going into track & field, a sport I know a lot more about. It still baffles me how Gatlin, a 24-year-old who has accomplished what most couldn't in a lifetime in two years on the pro circuit would jeopardize his career with a drug so easily traceable. Now that's where my puzzlement comes. It's not like testosterone is the new form of THG where it might go by unnoticed. And every athlete gets tested at every meet, so why gatlin, who already got suspended over a positive test in college(for using an ADD controlling medication), would knowingly take it. It was also in unusual high amounts so I have my suspicions about his knowingly using it. Now the burden of proof will be on Gatlin, whose 'B' sample also came back positive and he (or his coach) hasn't done a good job of doing that thus far. Trevor Graham has argued that a disgruntled masseur rubbed it into his body, which no one is buying, and it has everyone laughing all the way to the conviction room. Gatlin himself hasn't said anything beyond he as no idea how it got into him. Now I know he has such an incredible talent and speed that he can easily be trumping his competition on any given day, so I'm throwing myself on a limb that he is telling the truth. But what I think is irrelevant, and Gatlin still needs to find someone to convincingly admit that they sabotaged him, which would be extremely difficult. We might be seeing the end of the next dominant American sprinter, and promoters all over are cursing out in disgust about the loss of money they would've made from all Powell-Gatlin showdowns.
The biggest issue, at least to me now, is this issue of testosterone use by Tour de France champion Floyd Landis (who is he?) and World and Olympic 100m champion and co-world record holder Justin Gatlin.
So I don't know much about the cycling world, and I won't claim to, so I'll make my observations based on how it appears to me. It seems to be a bit suspicious that a guy who was knocked back into 11th place, with no hope of making it back into contention, raced the race of his life to pull back into first place; and his positive test happened to come at this same stage??? We are still waiting to hear about his 'B' sample, but with the number of excuses that have emanated since the test was released, the odds don't look to be in his favor at this point.
Going into track & field, a sport I know a lot more about. It still baffles me how Gatlin, a 24-year-old who has accomplished what most couldn't in a lifetime in two years on the pro circuit would jeopardize his career with a drug so easily traceable. Now that's where my puzzlement comes. It's not like testosterone is the new form of THG where it might go by unnoticed. And every athlete gets tested at every meet, so why gatlin, who already got suspended over a positive test in college(for using an ADD controlling medication), would knowingly take it. It was also in unusual high amounts so I have my suspicions about his knowingly using it. Now the burden of proof will be on Gatlin, whose 'B' sample also came back positive and he (or his coach) hasn't done a good job of doing that thus far. Trevor Graham has argued that a disgruntled masseur rubbed it into his body, which no one is buying, and it has everyone laughing all the way to the conviction room. Gatlin himself hasn't said anything beyond he as no idea how it got into him. Now I know he has such an incredible talent and speed that he can easily be trumping his competition on any given day, so I'm throwing myself on a limb that he is telling the truth. But what I think is irrelevant, and Gatlin still needs to find someone to convincingly admit that they sabotaged him, which would be extremely difficult. We might be seeing the end of the next dominant American sprinter, and promoters all over are cursing out in disgust about the loss of money they would've made from all Powell-Gatlin showdowns.
