keats Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Sports Are Giving Steroids A Bad Name! Written by John Romano I was ranting to my father the other day about the latest kink in the baseball steroid scandal when he reminded me about a study he conducted in medical school in Rome. He and a fellow researcher conducted a study on the effects of deca duradolin in combating muscle wasting in starving pigeons. Why deca? Because it had just come out and his professor asked him if he would like to conduct the study. Why pigeons? there are a lot of pigeons in Rome... Anyway, his study concluded that deca was safe and efficacious in treating muscle wasting. The study was published in 1956.I'm not saying my father's work was ground breaking, I'm using it to illustrate a point in time, from then until now, marking one clinician's observation - whom I know for certain has no agenda - of the curious path the group of this rather innocuous drug has taken. Thousands and thousands of credible studies have been conducted on steroids over the last 50 years since my dad did his with similar findings. Through the results of those studies numerous therapeutic protocols were derived. These therapies have been approved and administer by clinicians by the millions around the world with tremendous life affirming affects. To find such a drug touted in the same league as cocaine by a high profile anti-doping advocate - himself a clinician - stinks to high heaven.Why is it that today, Dr. Gary Wadler, a world renowned "expert;" a man with ties to the World Anti Doping Agency and the Olympics; man that has appeared before Congress and on Cable TV news and the main stream press, is making the preposterous assertion - as an expert - that steroids are "like cocaine?"I want to be very careful here in indicating what this means because it is open to three distinct interpretations. First, let me give you the quote again from ABC News:, "HGH is only approved for people with dwarfism and muscle wasting from diseases like cancer and AIDS. A doctor can write a prescription for only those two reasons, according to [Dr. Gary] Wadler." Then a direct quote from Wadler: "Anything else is really illegal. Just like cocaine."First of all, doctors do not write prescriptions for cocaine. Cocaine is a schedule II drug and steroids are schedule III. Doctors write prescriptions for Valium. Valium is a schedule III drug, like steroids, so if Wadler wasn't grand standing, what was he doing?What I think he was doing was what any professional alarmist would do to satisfy their agenda when he's getting interviewed by NBC News. What sounds more nefarious? "Just like cocaine,' or ‘just like Valium?" Which phrase is more likely to raise more eyebrows? Get him more attention, make it seem more dangerous than it is?The second inference I guess one could draw in comparing steroids to cocaine refers to the illegality of it. However, if he was to make an accurate comparison, he would have said "just like Valium." Steroids compared to cocaine makes them appear worse coming from the mouth of a supposed expert because cocaine is a street drug and has a far more nefarious connotation. Which leads me to the third possible interpretation of what Wadler meant when he said "just like cocaine." Criminals on the street trade in cocaine and they also traffic in steroids. So, "just like cocaine," refers to the market in which you must acquire your drugs be they cocaine or steroids. He could still have said "just like Valium" because you also have to go to the street for Valium without a script.What I'm lead to believe is that Wadler is misleading the public. And that's about as dark a coat as you can wrap a man who aught to be riding a white horse. It is only because of the drug scandals that have permeated the media that he can get away with something so repugnant and pharmacologically bankrupt. and sell it to the media.My dad is as methodical a members of academia as they come. And as the good researcher he is, his path is generally centered in the middle of the road until he is given solid evidence to turn. But before he dose he will stop and look both ways. As a clinician far removed from the issue, his opinion today on steroid's ranking in the public eye is bewildering. How could this innocuous drug that saved the lives of a bunch of starving pigeons end up at the center of congressional hearings, negative propaganda, documentaries, and a sports scandal so large it sought to sail America's reigning home run king down the river? To any non-biased clinician this would have to seem perplexing.I think it is the true practitioner in the medical field - my father's peers - who would question not what steroids did to sports, but rather, look at what sports did to steroids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclenz Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Nice job with your email to Tony Wall, Keats. You got the oblivious response that you would expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelk Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 For further reference to those who are unaware regarding the issue of Steve Turbull the bodybuilder featured at the beginning of the episode (I missed the begining and was told this was who it was). Whilst I have been around the scene a long time, I did not know Steve, one of his very close friends and himself a past National champion, has been a very long time friend of my family for over 25 years and we were well aware of the issues of Steve's health at the time of his stroke.Steve's own father had a stroke at a very young age also, and as his condition was considered hereditary, was declined ACC payout for his stroke on these grounds and that it was NOT caused by steroid use. As an aside about Steve, at the 88 nationals Steve was told by Lou Ferrigno- special guest, that if he went to LA for a year he'd win the Mr Universe- thats how good he was. Lets remind people that our own government agencies have concluded through sound investigation nearly 20 years ago, what Tony Wall could not.Steve was one of the premier truely world class bodybuilders this country has ever produced, and should be well thought of as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclenz Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Tks MK for that. Pity he was not given that same respect in the program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pseudonym Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 You should contact the programme with this, Mike. What they've said would probably be defamatory (if it were possible to defame the dead). Illegal NZ needs to broadcast a correction, and explain how they came to the conclusion that steroids caused this bodybuilder's death. :x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Tks MK for that. Pity he was not given that same respect in the program.Yes, that's what I meant in my first post on the subject. Regardless of the reason for his passing, there was a strong claim made without facts. Exploiting someone's passing to sell an angle is pretty low. Thanks, Mike for giving us a bit more info on a talented athlete who deserved better than to be wrongly held up as a poster boy for steroid abuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamond Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 i thought one of the best bits was when the doc goes to him " you want me to give you a shot now dont you " and Tony goes " yeah " and the doc goes " ok then drop your pants and get ready" and Tony shits himself.The fact that you can get steroids fairly easily in NZ shouldn't really shock anyone anyway. I mean you can get anything these days if you look in the right places. I remember a thing they did over in the UK about 2 years ago, they got 100 or so banknotes at random and tested them and over half had traces of coke residue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpupthejam Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Just watched the programme online....what a load of horse shit.Yeh, because oh no!!! Steroids are a huge problem today and everyone wants them! Lets forget about the problems with alchohol, smoking and P etc........... :roll: You never know, this Tony twat might just one day need some steroids for some wasting disease and realise they are not an 'evil drug of doom'.Pah...all for a wanky story on some shitty TV show. Bollocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galantboy Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 well i also just watched it online , so what that be bought some on the net, to be honest i dont really give a shit.he just hypes it up to make it look like a big deal there are bigger problems out there like P for instance , i would rather get on the roids . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luigi Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Tony's response:Thanks for your feedback. Definitely interested in those other drugs as well, but obviously we decided to focus solely on steroids because of time restrictions. I thought our researchers did a pretty good job actually. Re side effects, isn’t testicular atrophy one of those?!!Your point on GP’s prescribing of dangerous drugs is a good one. I wouldn’t mind taking a closer look at that issue for the newspaper. Do you know of any GPs who are loose with their prescribing?what a dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclenz Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 You should contact the programme with this, Mike. What they've said would probably be defamatory (if it were possible to defame the dead). Illegal NZ needs to broadcast a correction, and explain how they came to the conclusion that steroids caused this bodybuilder's death. :xTotally agree. Its disgusting & very disrespectful towards the family. Emailed a Mate in Sydney who is a top Barrister for his opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auck_builder Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 what is his email addy - i suggest asking him to join nzbb for a Q & A 's session Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamond Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Good luck bro, that was last weeks news now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startinfromscratch Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 what is his email addy - i suggest asking him to join nzbb for a Q & A 's sessionacually, great idea re email addy!im sure having a few dozen emails from legitimate people might prompt a response!!anyone? keats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auck_builder Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Good luck bro, that was last weeks news now.soooo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 aint worth getting him on here...it will just be more articles for him to expose on tv perhaps...you will just be feeding him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclenz Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 what is his email addy - i suggest asking him to join nzbb for a Q & A 's session I have linked him to this thread & the TV2 On demand site. I will let you guys know if I hear anything but I expect he will not want to be too vocal on here due to the nature of his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpupthejam Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 I dont think this Tony twat even really cares about Steroids etc. He just likes to make a story for his own (and the tvnz's) benefit, while potentially ruining (or at least tainting) peoples lives in the process. His next investigations will be something like drug dealing grannies and drivers who park without paying....ooooh I cant wait!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musclenz Posted August 1, 2009 Report Share Posted August 1, 2009 Legal word is -"Initial thoughts are that defamation probably not the route to go, as the only person who has legal standing to bring an action for defamation (in the UK,AUS,NZ legal system) is the person who was defamed, who is dead." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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