Two players' takes on drug-testing reactions

[tbowles411]

http://golfweek.com/news/2014/aug/13/pga-tour-drug-testing-reaction-dustin-johnson-2014/

 

By Jim McCabe

August 13, 2014 9 a.m.

 

In the aftermath of Dustin Johnson’s announcement that he was taking time away from the Tour to address “personal issues” and the statement from the PGA Tour that it has not suspended the world’s 17th-ranked player, an old argument has heated up again.

 

The PGA Tour has been firm since drug testing began in 2008 that it would make public news of a player failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs, known as PEDs, but it would not reveal failed tests for recreational drugs. No surprise, the media have consistently argued against the Tour’s stance, but players for the most part are supportive.

 

“The fact that other sports (announce suspensions for recreational drugs) doesn’t mean that we should,” Kevin Streelman said.

 

“I guess they’re protecting the image of the Tour. That’s all I can think of,” Luke Donald said.

 

Still, Donald is like other golf followers. He has heard the rumors and seen where this story has spiraled. He wonders whether being more straightforward about everything might not be the best solution.

 

“I would say in general, society values people coming out and expressing what they’ve done and trying to make up for. Especially in the U.S., I think that’s a trait of a lot of American citizens,” Donald said. “They’re a forgiving nation. They’d rather see that than cover something up and pretend it didn’t happen.”

[Playaway]

Like everything it is all about money. Tour image stays clean dollars come easier to all involved.

[Bob57]

Luckily ambien doesn't appear to be on the list of banned substances...

[nochct1]

[quote name='Bob57' timestamp='1407957834' post='9926143']
Luckily ambien doesn't appear to be on the list of banned substances...
[/quote]

Luckily Enbrel doesn't appear to be on the list of banned substances...

http://www.enbrel.com/index.jspx

Keep up the good work with your posts....

[avrag]

There is that stupid distinction between PEDs and "recreational drugs" again. Who invented that BS? Cocaine and THC are PEDs, they are banned substances under the WADA code, because they can [size=5][b]E[/b][/size]nhance [b][size=5]P[/size][/b]erformance for certain tasks and under certain circumstances. And they are [size=5][b]D[/b][/size]rugs.
Performance Enhacing Drugs.
And they have been considered "doping" in certain sports, especially in those which require concentration, forever. By making this distinction, the PGA is bs-ing everybody, because most of the drugs which have the ability to enhance the kind of performance needed in golf are drugs which influence your heart rate, your level of concentration or your awareness and not drugs which let your muscles grow or make it easier to run 42 kms.
A substance doesn't need to build muscles or enhance your stamina to be a PED.

[63@Oakmont]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1407968214' post='9927295']
There is that stupid distinction between PEDs and "recreational drugs" again. Who invented that BS? Cocaine and THC are PEDs, they are banned substances under the WADA code, because they can [size=5][b]E[/b][/size]nhance [b][size=5]P[/size][/b]erformance for certain tasks and under certain circumstances. And they are [size=5][b]D[/b][/size]rugs.
Performance Enhacing Drugs.
And they have been considered "doping" in certain sports, especially in those which require concentration, forever. By making this distinction, the PGA is bs-ing everybody, because most of the drugs which have the ability to enhance the kind of performance needed in golf are drugs which influence your heart rate, your level of concentration or your awareness and not drugs which let your muscles grow or make it easier to run 42 kms.
A substance doesn't need to build muscles or enhance your stamina to be a PED.
[/quote]

There can be arguments made for substances that are allowed to still be performance enhancing... I have no issue with the guy getting stoned in his time off... I don't think it enhances his performance... It is however on the banned list and he knows that so getting caught is his problem...

[farmer]

THC might enhance your performance in the sport of going to sleep with your headphones blaring Led Zeppelin, or competitive cookie eating. Cocaine might enhance your performance in the Paranoia Open. Neither would help you in any sporting event.

[Vindog]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1407968214' post='9927295']
There is that stupid distinction between PEDs and "recreational drugs" again. Who invented that BS? Cocaine and THC are PEDs, they are banned substances under the WADA code, because they can [size=5][b]E[/b][/size]nhance [b][size=5]P[/size][/b]erformance for certain tasks and under certain circumstances. And they are [size=5][b]D[/b][/size]rugs.
Performance Enhacing Drugs.
And they have been considered "doping" in certain sports, especially in those which require concentration, forever. By making this distinction, the PGA is bs-ing everybody, because most of the drugs which have the ability to enhance the kind of performance needed in golf are drugs which influence your heart rate, your level of concentration or your awareness and not drugs which let your muscles grow or make it easier to run 42 kms.
A substance doesn't need to build muscles or enhance your stamina to be a PED.
[/quote]

Vijay has taken one for the team and has brought to question both the validity of those claims, and the credibility of the WADA in general. But that point is moot.

[bscinstnct]

"Stop with the &#*?@ drugs. They're making your mind into mush. You hear me?"

[Hawkeye77]

The Tour and WADA differ in their in and out of competition prohibited lists. The Tour is more restrictive that way. The Tour uses the term "drugs of abuse", meaning socially abused substances, whereas WADA does not make that distinction. The Tour policy states the Tour may not publish results related to drugs of abuse.

I think the Tour should stick to the WADA terms and classifications, and publish related to any violations for prohibited substances. I didn't care previously, but I see some deterrent effect, the Tour wanted to be an Olympic sport and the issue will just get larger over time.

Protecting disclosure of suspension based on testing for cocaine or marijuana, for example, doesn't further any rational goal I can see that works in the Tour's favor at a time when everyone talks about "growing the game".

[MtlJeff]

Talk about basketball players, football players or hockey players....and people think they are thugs. Talk about golfers, they are gentlemen

The tour has an image to protect. If someone tests positive for coke, heroin, and 13 different kinds of horse testoterone, he will miss 6 months with a "broken wrist"

[HighSpeedScene]

Meh. Release it, don't release, I don't care. Regulate it, don't, doesn't matter to me. In any endeavor or any sport.

[SlickT73]

WADA bans freaking cold medication...don't want to go there. The policies around drugs used to be designed to disincent athletes from risking harming themselves in order to succeed. Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

[Mr_Rogers]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1407976512' post='9928077']
The tour has an image to protect. If someone tests positive for coke, heroin, and 13 different kinds of horse testoterone, he will miss 6 months with a "broken wrist"
[/quote]

How many do you think will miss the Olympics with "broken wrists" or "back injuries"?

Maybe it won't matter. Maybe the Olympics doesn't hold much appeal to PGA golfers, I don't know. I do know they don't hold back results though. Heck, a Canadian snowboarder one gold in Nagano with THC in his system. Oddly enough he went into the medical marijuan business haha

[avrag]

[quote name='farmer' timestamp='1407970704' post='9927533']
THC might enhance your performance in the sport of going to sleep with your headphones blaring Led Zeppelin, or competitive cookie eating. Cocaine might enhance your performance in the Paranoia Open. Neither would help you in any sporting event.
[/quote]

Most doping experts think otherwise. Athletes in the 1910s and 1920s used cocaine on a regular basis in almost all sports because it made them more aware and let them feel less of the pain that comes when you are near physical exhaustion. THC was used in sports, where being sedated a little helped to relieve certain types of anxiety, like some shooting events at Olympics.
We are not talking about getting wasted on either of those drugs here, like people do in their free time just for kicks. This is about using them in a very precise manner to achieve exactly the state of mind that's needed for the task at hand.
The ignorance about this never seizes to amaze me.

[avrag]

[quote name='SlickT73' timestamp='1408030396' post='9932189']
WADA bans freaking cold medication...don't want to go there. The policies around drugs used to be designed to disincent athletes from risking harming themselves in order to succeed. Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
[/quote]

Everybody can take a cold medication under the WADA code, when there is a medical need for that. There are certain medications that are banned and that aren't really necessary, because there are others which have the same merits without having the side-effects, which make them PEDs.
But there is a lot of abuse with those medical exemptions. 90% of all top cross-country skiers "suffer from asthma", so they are allowed to take medication for that. The poor things. I wonder why somebody who suffers from asthma takes up a sport that is all about endurance and takes place outdoors in the cold.

[avrag]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1407976512' post='9928077']
Talk about basketball players, football players or hockey players....and people think they are thugs. Talk about golfers, they are gentlemen

The tour has an image to protect. If someone tests positive for coke, heroin, and 13 different kinds of horse testoterone, he will miss 6 months with a "broken wrist"
[/quote]

I am pretty certain that, when making the deal with th IOC, the golf authorities were able to get exemptions just like the NBA, the NHL and MLB did. It is like "We subscribe to the WADA code, and we start testing for those substances, but we have our own regime about suspensions, and we want a guarantee that none of our guys are tested at the Olympics like people in all other sports are."
This is pretty much what the NBA, the NHL and MLB got, and it will be the same with golf.
This also shows you, how "honest" the athletes in all of these leagues are, which should not be a surprise, because they are show-business and all about TV-ratings first and foremost.

[mrt99]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1408032298' post='9932461']We are not talking about getting wasted on either of those drugs here, like people do in their free time just for kicks.
[/quote]

Actually, in the case of DJ, that's exactly what we're talking about. Hence the repeated references (that you can't seem to wrap your mind around) to "recreational" drugs.

[avrag]

[quote name='mrt99' timestamp='1408034111' post='9932751']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1408032298' post='9932461']We are not talking about getting wasted on either of those drugs here, like people do in their free time just for kicks.
[/quote]

Actually, in the case of DJ, that's exactly what we're talking about. Hence the repeated references (that you can't seem to wrap your mind around) to "recreational" drugs.
[/quote]

You don't seem to be able to wrap your mind about the fact that you can call it a recreational drug all you want, it has the potential to enhance performance in certain ways, when used correctly and with the intent of using it to enhance performance.
Nobody knows anything about what Dustin Johnson really did. We assume he tested positive for cocaine. If he did, we don't know if it was during a tournament and we don't know how much he had taken.
So NO, we are not necessarily talking about getting wasted on it in Dustin Johnson's case, which is why the "recreational drug" talk is BS.
Wrap your mind around that for starters.

[mrt99]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1408034934' post='9932955']
[quote name='mrt99' timestamp='1408034111' post='9932751']
[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1408032298' post='9932461']We are not talking about getting wasted on either of those drugs here, like people do in their free time just for kicks.
[/quote]

Actually, in the case of DJ, that's exactly what we're talking about. Hence the repeated references (that you can't seem to wrap your mind around) to "recreational" drugs.
[/quote]

You don't seem to be able to wrap your mind about the fact that you can call it a recreational drug all you want, it has the potential to enhance performance in certain ways, when used correctly and with the intent of using it to enhance performance.
Nobody knows anything about what Dustin Johnson really did. We assume he tested positive for cocaine. If he did, we don't know if it was during a tournament and we don't know how much he had taken.
So NO, we are not necessarily talking about getting wasted on it in Dustin Johnson's case, which is why the "recreational drug" talk is BS.
Wrap your mind around that for starters.
[/quote]

If you seriously believe that DJ took cocaine (or marijuana) to improve his performance on the golf course, I've got some beachfront property in Nebraska to sell you.

[marmooskapaul]

I couldn't care less what kind of drugs they take...I play better on beer...lol...I say don't test and let law enforcement hand out the punishment. If they get caught with drugs in their everyday life, by the cops, they will pay the price like anyone else. I don't need/care to know every time an athlete gets in trouble for a failed drug test. It's really none of my business??
One other thing, about cocaine not enhancing performance. I don't know about golf, but their is a certain team that beat Georgetown in the NCAA Championship in the mid 80's that might disagree...lol
Paul

[J-Blade]

I remember hearing years ago that the tour was coming down on guys for taking beta-blockers (Commonly used meds for hypertension). The players didn't have high blood pressure, but were taking the meds as a cure for the yips...

[Mr_Rogers]

[quote name='avrag' timestamp='1408032847' post='9932561']
[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1407976512' post='9928077']
Talk about basketball players, football players or hockey players....and people think they are thugs. Talk about golfers, they are gentlemen

The tour has an image to protect. If someone tests positive for coke, heroin, and 13 different kinds of horse testoterone, he will miss 6 months with a "broken wrist"
[/quote]

I am pretty certain that, when making the deal with th IOC, the golf authorities were able to get exemptions just like the NBA, the NHL and MLB did. It is like "We subscribe to the WADA code, and we start testing for those substances, but we have our own regime about suspensions, and we want a guarantee that none of our guys are tested at the Olympics like people in all other sports are."
This is pretty much what the NBA, the NHL and MLB got, and it will be the same with golf.
This also shows you, how "honest" the athletes in all of these leagues are, which should not be a surprise, because they are show-business and all about TV-ratings first and foremost.
[/quote]

Very interesting. I do know a few NHLers have spoken out against the NHLs testing and policies saying it's a joke. They want more stringent protocols and tougher penalties. Kind of refreshing to hear, but I doubt the NHL or the NHLPA want it to happen.

[Seamus_McDuff]

NBA and NHL players are tested by USADA. American PGA Tour players will also beginning in August 2015.


http://www.usada.org/testing/results/athlete-test-history/

[63@Oakmont]

I saw Dustin asking spectactors for their twinkies and any other snacks that they had in their back packs... Im pretty sure he was stoned...He also commented to his caddy that he thoguht that he was driving the ball way too fast.