Lance Armstrong has given up his fight against numerous doping allegations. Armstrong conceded – never admitting that he did it – and never admitting that he didn’t. 14 years of athletic achievements have been taken away including 7 Tour de France titles, all winnings since 1998 have been taken back, and he is not allowed any affiliation in any sport associated with the World Anti Doping Code. This announcement comes on the heels of 2 major league baseball all-stars being suspended 50 games for positive steroid tests, Melky Cabrera, and Bartolo Colon.
I don’t care
You may not agree with me and you might get downright pissed off with what I’m about to say. I don’t care that Lance Armstrong and these other men took steroids. I don’t watch sport for the beauty of the endeavor. The amateur ideals since day 1 of the modern Olympics held in Greece was a crock of shit. The fact that the Olympics are still hailed for the beauty of sport is inane. In Canada at least these are athletes who are ignored by their country for 4 years. Many of their families are bankrupted by their sport in their attempt to succeed.
Yet, when Canada wins a bronze medal in 3 meter synchronized diving I’m supposed to have Canadian pride despite the fact that I didn’t know the sport existed until 5 minutes after they won? I have been friends with numerous great Olympians. None of them won a medal. The one commonality is that all of them struggled financially up to and after the Olympics. Have a read through my good friend Alexandra Orlando’s awesome book Breaking Through My Limits: An Olympian Uncovered to see what Olympians actually go through (she also set the record for gold medals on the Commonwealth Games). Sport is not beautiful in its ideals people so let’s stop being tricked into thinking it is.
Sport is beautiful in its accomplishment. The joy of being a spectator is seeing what these superhuman’s can achieve. I don’t care what country they are from. My national pride isn’t garnered by a diver, long jumper, or even a hockey team. My national pride comes from low crime rates, free health care, and a beautiful landscape (among other things).
Sport Sociology Time
Want a different view? Think about this. Sport is used by the Governments of the world to control the masses. If we’re concerned whether a Nascar driver can race around the track 500 times fast we stop caring about the inadequacies of the Governments that are spiraling the world economies into deeper and deeper holes.
While I admit that I enjoy sports (baseball mostly) I’ve thought long and hard and beg you to do the same. Why do you watch football on Sunday? And why do you care that somebody who you never met took steroids?
Read into a sport sociologist named Jean-Marie Brohm. Much of his work is in French but you can get some good translations. He’s taken marxist theories and applied them to sport.
Here are 3 of his main thoughts straight from the Wikipedia page:
1) Sport is not simply sport but a means of government, a means of pressure on public opinion and a mode of ideological framing of the populations and of parts of the youth, and this in all countries of the world, in totalitarian countries as well as in so called democratic countries. This was noticeable during the big political events which were the Olympic Games in Moscow, the soccer championship in Argentina and, more recently, in France.
2) Sport has become a sector of accumulation of wealth, money, and therefore also of capital. It attracts considerable amounts of money; I would even say today it is the most spectacular showcase of the globalized society of commodities. Sport has become a key commodity of this society.
3) The last point, the ideological aspect properly speaking. Sport constitutes a political body, a space of ideological investment in gestures and movements. You can see this for example with Combat sports. It’s also an ideological valorisation of efforts via asceticism, training, self-sacrifice; sport is presented as an ideological model. Sport institutes a bodily order founded on the management of sexual drives and aggressive impulses; insofar as it seems that sport is a form of social appeasement, social integration, reducing violence, allowing fraternity; this type of discourse to me is a load of muddled illusions and mystifications. We have therefore scrutinized sport starting from these three viewpoints: political, economical, and ideological.”
Back to Steroids
Another statement by Brohm which I agree with is that when an athlete becomes a professional he no longer has ownership of his body. Similar to Karl Marx theory of the Bourgeois being the controlling society the athletes body is now owned by their coaches, team owners / managers, and the fans who pay to see them perform.
When I watch sports I want to see an athlete jump higher, bike faster, and hit baseballs farther. I don’t care how they do it. Back in 1998 I was mesmerized by the home run battle between Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr. Although my boy Griffey ended up losing out it was an epic battle. I don’t care (and neither did the rest of the world) that they took steroids. I wanted to see these guys smash home runs, and smash they did. It was years later that the world decided to care during the first baseball inquest. Now it’s an all-out witch hunt ruing careers at every turn.
For all those who believe that these great men (and sometimes women’s) achievements are due to steroids I’ll give you a dose. See if you can accomplish a fraction of what they did. So what if Barry Bonds head has grown 8 hat sizes since his rookie year?
He’s still an incredible athlete. The roids gave him an edge. He wasn’t the only one taking them at the time yet still become arguably the best home run hitter in baseball history.
When I go to a ball game or watch sports on tv (which happens less and less these days) I want to see the extremes. I don’t care about the beauty of sport I want to see dingers. I want to see bigger, faster and stronger — no matter how it’s achieved.
For everybody who is going to comment and hate on me in this post I have two questions for you:
1. How much do you care about the athletes you gain national pride watching them synchronize dive in the Olympics as little as a month after competition? Do you even remember their names?
2. How much do you care about the long-term health of the athletes you watch on tv. Let’s assume that steroids cause long-term negative effects? After you see a guy hit a home run or set a record and post about it on Facebook do you think about it 2 weeks later. Do you ever stop to think about what these athletes are doing in their old age or how they may be suffering? I’ve got bad news for you. Most professional football players are so beat up after their careers they can hardly walk. Given that the average football career is 2 years and most don’t have educations (even those that played in the NCAA has lacklustre degrees) their lives are tarnished by sport. Do you care or even think about them?
What about the kids?
I agree it’s a problem for the kids coming up in the ranks thinking that they have to take steroids to compete. Knowing a lot of young athletes I’ve got bad news for you. It’s rampant and not going to change anytime soon. There is no solution for it. Vilifying great athletes and taking away their achievements because they were the unlucky ones who got caught isn’t going to change anything.
Here’s my solution. How about parents around the world start teaching the love of movement instead of the never ending search for accolades and trophy’s?
Exercise is a beautiful thing and I believe that the love of movement is the most important thing we can instill in future generations. Sport is always going to a means of controlling the masses. At the top tiers there will always be efforts to cheat and gain a competitive edge. Caffeine was once made illegal in some sports. How stupid is that? It cannot be controlled. There will always be more money and motivations in cheating the systems than in controlling it.
It’s not up to WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) or anybody else to control steroids in sport. They will never be able to do it anyway. It’s up to the parents of kids to recognize what’s more important. So I ask you what’s more important? A trophy or a lifetime of movement, proper education, and a healthy appetite for independent thought.
So about Lance Armstrong
Let’s assume Armstrong took steroids (although nothing has actually been proven). Who cares? Let’s celebrate the achievements of this great athlete. What he accomplished in his career was unparalleled. The same goes for Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, and any other athlete who has been vilified for their use of PED’s (Performance Enahancing Drugs). They are illegal because some overarching agency decided that they shouldn’t be allowed. If creatine were discovered today I’m willing to bet it would be called performance enhancing and made illegal by some organisations because of the unfair advantage it gives. Gaming the system isn’t going anywhere. It’s just being forced to morph.
So let’s throw out the ideals of sport and call it what it really is — Bigger, Faster and Stronger.
A note for comments. Share your thoughts. I encourage them but please keep it productive. Those that aren’t productive will not be published. I look forward to hearing from you.
Photo credit: Vélocia
I agree with most of what you are saying, however, I am one of the few that actually cares what happens to an athlete after their career, and for that reason am opposed to the use of doping. I am not so stupid to think that it is not being used, but the testing atleast makes sure the usage is within certain limits. Like you said, good atletes do not own their bodies anymore and are often pressured to use. When the checking stops we might end up with a lot of ruined lives, like happened in eastern europe in the 80′s. I am scared of what will happen when there are no rules, there is so much money involved and even politics things will eventually escalate. In the case of Lance it is strange, he played by the rules, i.e. No positive testing, so there is nothing to pin on him except what some people said. Most interesting is that all the 2nd and 3rx place winners in the tours he won have tested positive. So even if he did it, his opponents did too, and they don’t have a clue who to pronounce the winner now.
True that many others he competed against also tested positive and I appreciate your thoughts. We’ll probably never know what actually happened. Consider that what you hear in the news especially about cases like this are almost never complete.
Funnily enough I came to the same conclusion about sports when I was in my early teens and I stopped liking football (soccer) because, really, why do I care at all if people I don’t know are succeeding? I don’t gain any pleasure from living vicariously through them. I have my own life to live properly and enjoy.
The point about the Olympics you made resonates with me too. Everyone was shocked when I told them I didn’t care that the Olympics were happening as I’m a personal trainer. I don’t care about sports I didn’t know existed before the Olympics came on, and, no I don’t care that we’re the host country so I should “care.” You’re 100% right to ask people in a months time to name an Olympian who isn’t called Bolt, Daley or Ennis. They won’t be able to. That is the reality these athletes face.
People rallying against Armstrong as well are pathetic. You don’t just take ROIDZ and ‘cheat’ your way to winning SEVEN titles of one of the toughest endurance races of all time. Especially against the elite of the elite athletes at that time who too are most likely on PEDs. People have no clue, especially considering that they think it is only 1 or 2 rouge athletes who get caught doing it. The public needs to be more educated in general.
I was pressed to write my thoughts on the Olympics in more detail but decided against it for not other reason than I didn’t want to deal with the emails I’d get in return.
Hey Jonathan,,
Well said. Yep, some folks are going to get pissed but as an American, there would not be football as it is if many of these athletes were not enhanced in some way pharmaceutically (and illegally I might add). I don’t understand the logic in all this. It is like the world is in denial until it serves someone’s purpose. For example, we KNOW that our pro bodybuilders are on lots of steroids (and other stuff), yet they are rarely caught.. Well, how difficult would it be to follow one of these athletes around and catch them???? Duh!!!! Heck, I see many Law Enforcement professionals that I would bet my bottom dollar that they are on stuff too. Give me a freakin break. Either it is illegal or it is not. This is a very screwed up topic and I am glad you commented on it.
Thanks for your thoughts Brian
Thank you for saying this out loud: too many Americans are more aware of their fantasy football stats than they are of their own waist lines!
Depends on whether the head to head match is against your buddy or not. Haha, I agree with you.
Personally I have reservations about anti-doping for reasons which are similar to Brohm’s argument against sport in general. I don’t like the way it has become an instrumentalized bureaucracy that has power to not only make or break an athlete but to effectively wield that power over public opinion (if we’re gonna ride the critical theory train then choo-choo). Charlie Francis’s book Speed Trap details this, and this old article sums up most of it: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sex_news_sports_funny_grok/anabolic_athletics&cr=
I’d also suggest a perusal of Andy Miah’s work on the subject. Miah is a bio-ethicist who has published a modest body of work on how there is little ethical claim to the “cheating” allegations.
Thanks Matt. I’ll have a look into those resources for sure.
hi jonathan, so true when you say we put so much importance on being the best or getting the gold, instead of admiring all people that try the best at whatever sport they take part in…i’m now living in Ireland and have seen how the athletes who play gaelic football just for the love of the sport bring so much excitement to us all…how blessed to be able to bring people together every week and for 70 minutes we can all forget our problems and just enjoy the sport in front of us… so where i would disagree is that as long as one goes out & does the best they possibly can ( without drug enhancement) they are the true winners and no one can take that feeling away!!
So very true. I agree with you 100%. People striving to be the best for their personal satisfaction is great. Those achievements and intrinsic trophy’s I’m ok with.
Totally agree Jon, well said.
I would go one step further and say that it’s truly pathetic how much of a witch hunt is stirred up for steroid users (Who incidentally wouldn’t be able to compete at such an extremely high level if they weren’t using) when there are legal substances and toxins we ingest that are killing far more people per capita per year. But no one goes after them because they have corporate backing and lobbyists pleading their cases.
You are right, it does boil down to unrealistic expectations and flawed ideals. I mean really, we expect an NFL player to be able to do a 40 yard dash in 4.5 or less, squat 500 +, bench 315 +, have a rigorous practice and game schedule WITHOUT taking any chemical assistance to help them recover? Give me a break.
When asked by a friend if I thought if Usain Bolt is using, my reply was pretty simple: “I think there are far too many ways to keep ahead of or dodge drug tests to be sure, but I also think you don’t compete at that level without being on something.”
And you know what? I’m ok with that. It’s their life, not mine.
It’s the same as the RIAA trying to fight PTP sharing, they will always be one step behind, because their model of enforcement is flawed and they aren’t adapting to the changing times.
This steroid witch hunt is just another form of governmental distraction.
Interesting take about the football players. I never thought about that. I agree that there are legal substances that are much more harmful than more illegal ones. cough cough — cigarettes.
I actually like sports. I have seen a lot of good come from youth sport. There are a lot of positives that can be taught to youth before they get to the professional level. Some of what they are taught could help with the decisions they make as they progress in the sport of their choice. After saying that, if a profressional athlete can look themself in the mirror and be proud of what they accomplished and how they accomplished it I’m fine with that. They know the consequesnces, they made the choice.
Ahh, very good point Scott.
This article reminds of someting:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgopPV3a8wM&w=420&h=315
Seriously though. I agree. In my eyes, sport is meant to be entertainment. We don’t sit down to watch a game for the purity of the game, we watch it because it’s fun and engaging to see feats of strength, speed, endurance, etc.
That video is awesome!
Taking drugs to enhance sporting performance is a personal choice. It is still considered cheating, even if everyone else is doing it. As athletes we hold ourselves to the highest standard. It’s called integrity.
What athletes do is none of my business, who am I to judge them, however for every action there is a reaction or a consequence.
Definitely agree. It’s their decisions and ones they must live with.
Couldn’t agree more. And let’s not forget that Lance has raised half a billion dollars for cancer. This is a witch-hunt, pure and simple.
Not quite half a billion yet.. but yeah, close.
Right on Jon! Could not have put it better my self
Thanks Sheb
I completely agree with pretty much every point made in the article. Here’s something that should be contemplated. Before Lance, how many people really gave a crap about cycling as a spectator sport. How many people even after Lance brought more popularity to the sport could even name 10 of the top cyclists in the world. I can’t even name 2 or 3. By tarnishing Lance, this organization is only making cycling even less appealing than it already was.
Also maybe I’m mistaken, but to clarify, isn’t Lance being accused of blood doping, not steroid use? Those are two very different things. I don’t know how much help steroids are for ultra endurance athletes. Blood doping is just having your own blood pumped back into you which isn’t even a foreign substance, so the fact that that is considered cheating seems ridiculous. Maybe I’m wrong.
I don’t know the details of what he was accused of but remember hearing something about blood doping back in the day. And good point, I can’t name one other cyclist.
It’s hard to think of professional sports (as well as the Olympics) and not include PED’s in the equation.
Consider the points made in this NPR article:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2012/08/24/160017038/making-peace-with-our-cyborg-nature?utm_source=NPR&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20120826
Wicked good article. Thanks.
I think as trainers, coaches, players, and parents we should care about athletes breaking the rules of their chosen sport. I don’t think it should matter why they cheated eg. Too win the cup, make more money, everyone else is doing it etc. I know above I posted that if someone can look themself in the mirror and be proud of what they did and how they did it, I’m alright with that. The more I thought about it the more I’m not alright with it. I’m a trainer, coach, and parent and I want to be able to say too my kids and the kids I train that it’s not alright to break the rules. Regardless of the circumstances and the level of success these olyimpic and pro athletes have achieved. These young kids are seeing possible success through cheating which can’t be a good thing. I truly believe that sport has life lessons that carry over into our everyday lives. I also believe that for every one person whose life has been tarnished by sport, there are hundreds or even thousands whose lives are better for it.
Very true. So it’s up to the parent or youth coach to instill the proper lessons from sport into kids as opposed to the win at all costs mentality.
I’m not angry for me or “the public” or any crap like that, I’m angry for the athletes who missed out.
Every athlete who places higher by breaking the rules means someone who followed the rules missed out. They worked hard and smart, followed the rules – and lost. You talk about the sacrifice of the athletes, the money they’ve spent training – well, because the top guys use drugs, these up and coming athletes are forced to make greater sacrifices and spend more money – either continue to compete knowing they’ll lose, or risk their health and spend their money on drugs.
You feel sorry for the Lance Amstrongs of the world. I don’t. He got millions of dollars in endorsements and got to win. I feel sorry for the guy who trained hard and smart and wouldn’t take drugs – and lost.
True that some likely missed out but the reality is that 99.99999999% of athletes never make a cent from their sport.
I received this response as an email and thought it had a lot of value so I’ll add it here. This is from Ross B:
Sport, to me, demands fairness, if it is at all going to be enjoyable to watch. Fairness of rules, of sponsorship, and of evaluation. There is nothing so boring to me than watching an Olympic basketball game between USA and any of her opponents. The US team consists of professionals, paid to be the best. The Olympics is/was supposed to be about amateurs. Similarly, there was nothing so boring as watching the East German and Soviet Union gymnastic teams destroy their competition in the Olympics of the 70s. Most of those athletes were so doped up, it’s a wonder any of them survived any length of time.
When sports are played with similarly funded players, with similarly fed players, and with similarly overseen players, we then see the true athleticism of the individual. That, to me is exciting! Usain Bolt running 100 m in 9.58 s is fantasticly entertaining. Ben Johnson’s disqualified run of 9.87 s was initially exciting as hell (I was at a friend’s house – it was a great party – I found out that drinking 15 shooters makes lying down difficult – my female friends took great delight in watching the slo-mo replays of the men’s 100 m dash – apparently their block and tackle is hard to keep still, at those speeds) but the subsequent pall when he was tested and disqualified was disheartening at best. Carl Lewis, who then took gold, was even less exhilherating because he, too, was caught using PEDs, but his evaluation was not fairly applied. He won, Ben lost. The Olympics became a lot less appealing after that.
So, in my view it is fairness that defines the interest I have in watching sports of all flavours. If Lance would have been allowed PEDs, then all athletes should be allowed them. Isn’t there a seperate bodybuilding competition specifically designed for those who live cleanly? The other competition freely admits athletes who use PEDs. Conversely, until these latest Olympics, the line between able bodied and disabled athetes, was fairly clear. There is an entire set of events designed for people with a variety of disabilities. My point is, sport is good to watch and to do when you know that the playing field is even. Otherwise, we may as well just watch televised video games.
Great post Jon. Regarding Armstrong, even if he was doping, who’s to say his rivals weren’t. Heck, you’d have to have lived under a rock for 20 years to think cycling is a “clean” sport. Drugs or not, the man’s a legend, and a hero to many, not just for what he achieved on the bike, but for his attitude to life and battle against cancer.
I just read this, and find it fascinating in light of all of the discussion around steroids and PED use.
You have to check this out!!
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/august/cooling-glove-research-082912.html