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Steroid Era and Athletes

Steroid Era and AthletesWith the fall of A-Rod and baseball being tainted forever by the “Steroid Era”, Anthony Olivieri, PA SportsTicker Pro Basketball Editor, writes that we should start to look critically at other leagues.  There is money to be made is sports and athletes will do anything to get an edge.  Who’s next?

Don’t deny it: NBA players take part in Steroid Era, too

By Anthony Olivieri
PA SportsTicker Pro Basketball Editor

Don’t let it happen to you, NBA fans.

Players in your league are on steroids, too. Just like baseball players, football players and any other athletes who need to recover quicker and get markedly stronger…

Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a controversy surrounding the sport’s best players to wake the fans up. Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, please take a bow…

Using (Lebron) James merely as an example, it’s hard to figure why his sheer size and strength never come into question, especially since they seem to grow exponentially each year.

Granted, LeBron is a naturally gifted athlete who already had a man’s body while just a teen. But there have been reports that he is up to 275 pounds while retaining a 45-inch vertical leap and a running back’s lateral quickness.

A recent Sports Illustrated article entitled “The Power of LeBron” examined parts of his anatomy integral toward the amazing things he does on the court.

“That James has gained weight is as much a mystery to him as anyone else,” the magazine wrote. “He doesn’t gulp protein shakes or pound down extra carbs, instead eating three square meals (such as oatmeal, chicken, salmon) prepared by his chef, with the occasional candy snack in between.”

The article said James started to follow a set lifting routine for the first time in June. Now, SI said he does so for 20 or 30 minutes every game day.

A couple bowls of oatmeal and 30 minutes in the gym? Is he training for seventh grade dodgeball?

Read the full article

If Lebron is a suspect then who else could we start looking at differently? Is this going to turn into a pro sports version of a steroid witch hunt?  What about other elite athletes like Tiger, Roger Federer, or soccer star Ronaldhino? Is this going to turn into a pro sports version of a steroid witch hunt?

The competitive drive that makes good players turn into great players can also lead down dark paths.  The performance enhancing drug (PED) issue is magnified on the pro level because that’s where the media is focused but we’ve all lived it.  Whether it’s  the bottle of creatine stuffed discretely in the back of a gym locker in H.S. or the 180lb defenseman in college who could suddenly squat 330lbs and looked like he had muscles on his ear lobes, I’ve personally witnessed my share of PED use.

What is your take on PEDs? Give me your experiences on the lacrosse field and in the gym.  What can we do to change this culture of athletes and drug use?

My answer: start from the ground up.  I’ve coached both youth and high school lacrosse and never once did I bring up PEDs or talk to my players.  That was a mistake. Good habits start young and that’s where we can collectively do our part. Did your lacrosse coaches ever talk to you about the steroid/ PED issue?

Give your take in the COMMENTS