The Prevalence of Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Recently I read an article about Lance Armstrong, the former U.S. cyclist, and his gripe against 60 Minutes.  Armstrong won seven Tour de France races after having beaten testicular cancer.  While his feats are in no doubt remarkable, he has been dogged in recent years by doping allegations and taking PEDs.  He was submitted to 24 unannounced drug tests from the fall of 2008 to March 2009 with all the tests coming out negative.  Armstrong has denied the allegations and went as far as to demand that 60 Minutes issue an apology due to the inaccuracies of their story featuring former teammate Tyler Hamilton saying Armstrong took PEDs.  Another former teammate, Floyd Landis, was stripped of his victory in the 2006 Tour de France for doping.  He at first denied it but admitted in 2010 to doping and also accused Armstrong of doing the same.

The history of athletes using drugs goes back to before World War II.  The Nazis supposedly tested anabolic steroids on prisoners and even Adolf Hitler.  In 1954, a Soviet doctor admitted that he gave the power-lifting team testosterone injections.  In 1960, Sports Illustrated published Our Drug-Happy Athletes which detailed the use of amphetamines, tranquilizers, cocaine, and other drugs in sports.  Nine years later, Sports Illustrated did a three-part investigation about performance-enhancing drugs in sports.  Sources predicted that the use of drugs would explode into an epidemic.  In what now is seen as eerily prophetic, Los Angeles Dodgers team doctor Robert Kerlan said then, "The excessive and secretive use of drugs is likely to become a major athletic scandal, one that will shake public confidence...." How true that would soon become.

In 1973 and 1976, the East German women's swimming teams dominated at the World Championships and at the Montreal Olympics.  In 1975, the IOC added anabolic steroids to its banned substances list.  At the 1988 Olympics, sprinter Ben Johnson's gold medal in the 100 meters is stripped and his record time is deleted from the books after a urine sample has the anabolic steroid Stanozol in it.  Female sprinter Marion Jones won five medals at the 2000 Olympics but was later stripped of those medals when she admitted to taking PEDs. She served six months in prison after pleading guilty of lying to federal agents.

Baseball would soon fall victim when in 2002, Ken Caminitti admitted to taking steroids in 1996.  Jose Canseco admitted in his book in 2005 that he took steroids and they were also used by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.  The Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball was released in December 2007 where Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte drew the most attention.  Clemens' personal trainer testified that he injected HGH and testosterone into Clemens on numerous occasions. The company BALCO and its founder Victor Conte are thrust into the spotlight when it is revealed that the company made and distributed an undetectable steroid. Several athletes including Jones and Barry Bonds are subpoenaed to testify. Bonds, despite being the current home run king, has denied using any steroids.

What has become painfully clear is that today's athletes want that extra edge to be better than everyone else.  Feats like Lance Armstrong's and Barry Bonds' eventually fall victim to scrutiny as is any other remarkable feat or achievement.  No sport is immune to the effects of steroids when even cyclists are doing it. Steps have been taken to curb its use and punish those who abuse the rules.  The damage, however, has been done as the athletes that we have looked up to are just cheaters. How damming is that? Is anything sacred anymore?

Excerpts for this blog taken from sportsillustrated.cnn.com

One Play That Altered Baseball Fate

The title can refer to a number of plays in baseball history but I have decided to focus on three particular plays that bouyed one team, and devastated the other. Two of them are in direct relation to each other.

The first happened in the 1986 American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels.  The Angels entered Game 5 up three games to one and looking to end the series at home and go to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. In the ninth inning,  Angels closer Donnie Moore came in to face the Red Sox Dave Henderson. With two outs, Moore was one strike away from ending the game but Henderson hit a two run homer to put Boston up 6-5. The game eventually went to extra innings where Boston would prevail. They would win the next two games to move on to the World Series.

In that same World Series, the Red Sox faced the New York Mets.  In Game 6 and with a three games to two lead in the series, Boston led 5-3 going to the bottom of the 10th inning.  New York rallied to tie the game and were down to their last out with Mookie Wilson at the plate.  After working the count, Wilson hit a slow grounder to first base. Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner was there to field it but the ball went through his legs to score the winning run for the Mets. New York would win the title in Game seven.

In 2003, the Chicago Cubs faced the Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series.  The Cubs were up three games to two on the Marlins and had a 3-0 heading into the eighth inning and were only five outs from going to their first World Series since 1945.  With a runner on second base and one out, the Marlins Luis Castillo hit a foul ball toward the left field wall. The Cubs' Moises Alou came toward the wall to make the catch but as he leaped to get it, Cubs fan Steve Bartman tried to get it and the ball bounced off his hands. Fan interference was pleaded but not granted and the at-bat continued. Castillo then walked on a wild pitch which advacned Juan Pierre to third.  What proceded was the Marlins scoring eight runs in the inning to take a 8-3 lead and eventually win the game. They would go to win Game 7 and advance to the World Series.

All three of these single plays dramatically altered the fate of the three teams involved.  The Angels never made the playoffs again until 2002 when they did win the whole thing.  Boston's struggles continued as the "Curse of the Bambino" lived on until 2004 when the Red Sox had a miracle of their own when they beat the New York Yankees in the ALCS and eventually won the World Series. The Cubs have not been as lucky as their struggles still continue and they have not won a playoff game since then.

If Donnie Moore gets that last strike, the Angels face the Mets in that World Series and not the Red Sox. 2002 maybe never happens. In the same respect, if its the Angels advancing, then Buckner's error doesn't happen.  If Buckner does field that ball, the Red Sox would have already ended the curse and 2004 never happens (or isn't as special).  As for the Cubs, if Alou does catch the ball, then there are two outs.  The game would be tied as Jeff Conine's sac fly is just a fly out and its anyone's game from there.  Who is say though that Alou could have really caught that ball in the first place. 

One play that will forever live in baseball history and forever be celebrated by one team, and cursed by the other.

The Sacramento Kings- Twist of Cruel Fate

The Sacramento Kings may have for all intensive purposes played their last game in Sacramento.  The team may be moving to Anaheim next season.  Their final game was against, who else, the Los Angeles Lakers.  The Kings rallied from 20 points down and Kobe Bryant's three-pointer forced OT where the Lakers prevailed in the end 116-108.  Oddly enough, it was nearly 26 years to the day that the Lakers beat the Kings in their final game in Kansas City before moving to Sacramento.

While on the subject of these two teams, it brings me back to the 2002 Western Conference Finals.  The Kings were the #1 seed in the conference and many thought they would win the title.  Three particular games stick out to me. Game 4 is one.  The Kings had a big 24 point lead in the first half.  The Lakers came back to cut the lead and it was down to two points on the final possession.  With time winding down, a missed layup by Shaquille O'Neal was swatted away by Vlade Divac and the ball went straight to Robert Horry who won the game on a three-pointer.  Instead of Sacramento being up 3-1, the series was tied 2-2.

In Game 5, it was a Mike Bibby jumper with 8.1 seconds left that gave the Kings the win but only after Kobe Bryant missed the potential game winner.  Game 6 was controversial as many calls went against the Kings and the Lakers shot 40 free throws including 27 in the fourth quarter.  The Lakers won the game 106-102. Game 7 was tense with 16 ties and 19 lead changes.  The Kings were done in by poor free throw and three-point shooting and lost 112-106.  The Lakers, not the Kings, were headed to the NBA Finals. 

There are plenty of What If scenarios here.  What if Divac just grabbed the rebound and not batted it to Horry?  The Kings would have won the game and eventually the series in Game 5 which would spare any of the dramatics of Game 6 and 7.  Of course if Bibby missed the shot in Game 5 or Kobe makes his shot, there would not have been a Game 7 at all.  If Game 6 wasn't fixed (allegedly), the Kings probably would have won.

Instead though, the Lakers came out on top.  While the final game may have been meanningless to the Kings, for one moment it brought back memories of that series.  Once again, it was the Lakers driving the dagger into the Kings hearts.

The USFL and Its Impact on the NFL

The United States Football League operated from 1983 to 1987.  While the league did not last long, it did spur the careers of some notable players including some from my favorite team, the Bills:

Jim Kelly

Kent Hull

Scott Norwood

Ray Bentley

Doug Flutie

Marv Levy

Other notable players included Steve Young, Reggie White, Doug Williams, Bart Oates and Gary Zimmerman among others.  What is of note is that a lot of these players made significant contributions to their respective NFL teams over the course of their careers.  Without them, it is probably safe to say that their teams would not have been as successful as they were.  Kelly, Hull, and Levy were major parts of the Bills success in the late 80s and early 90s and the main reason they went to four Super Bowls. Without them, the Bills may still have been a moribund franchise that might not even had stayed in Buffalo.  Flutie was a part of a Bills revitalization in the post-Kelly years as he led the Bills to the playoffs in 1998 and part of the reason the team was able to stay in Buffalo.

Reggie White is one of the all-time sack leaders who had success with the Eagles and Packers and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997.  Steve Young led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win in the post-Montana era in 1995.  Doug Williams was the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.  Bart Oates was part of a Giants and 49ers offensive line that won three Super Bowls. Gary Zimmerman was a seven-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro who played for both the Vikings and Bronco and won a Super Bowl with Denver in 1997.

What if the USFL never folded or never existed and the players still were in the league or never played in the NFL?  I think it is quite obvious that their respective teams would not have been as successful without them.  Kelly’s time in particular in the USFL actually benefitted him as he was able to gain valuable experience that helped him in his Bills career.  While the USFL did not last, the players mentioned above and others used that short period of time to find long-term success.

The Ramifications of an NFL Lockout

The Super Bowl is the culmination of a long journey for two NFL teams with one being crowned the winner.  It might possibly be the last NFL game that fans will see for a while.  There is still the looming possibility that a lockout will occur on March 4 if an agreement can not be reached between the owners and the players.

The NFL has not had any labor related work stoppages since 1987 which is longer than MLB, the NBA, and the NHL.   There were two strikes in the 1980s, one in 1982 and in 1987.  The ‘82 strike lasted 57 days and reduced the season to nine games.  The main issue was gross revenues. The player’s association wanted the players to get 55% of the gross revenues. They ended up accepting a one time $60 million payment to return along with upgraded minimum salaries and enhanced benefits.  The 1987 strike only cancelled one game and replacement players were used for three weeks.  The main issue in this strike was free agency.  While free agency was not granted, eventually it came about in 1993 as a result of an anti-trust lawsuit.

The current collective bargaining agreement was supposed to expire at the end of the 2012 season but in 2008 the owners opted out two years early.  The 2010 season did not have a salary cap.  The main topics this time around are extra regular season games (adding two more), player insurance, limits on rookie salaries, revenue division, and benefits for retired players.  Losses could reach $1 billion dollars with no agreement by September.

This could be potentially disastrous for the NFL.  The longer that this lockout drags on affects many different things.  Free Agency, offseason workouts (held at training facilities), the subsequent signing of drafted players, mini-camps, training camps, preseason, and regular season games would all be affected. Any of these being delayed would hamper the start of the 2011 season if one in fact would take place.  Some think there may not be a 2011 season.  The NFL has enjoyed tremendous success over the last few years and remains the most popular sport. A lockout would severely damage its image and I believe may have an affect much like with baseball following its strike in 1994. It took a few years to get fans back in the game with some not going back at all.  If the NFL wants to save the sport, it needs to come to some sort of agreement with the players. Better sooner rather than later.

What If......

Continuing with the What If.. series I look at the 1995 AFC Championship game that pitted the Indianapolis Colts against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Years before Peyton Manning led the Colts to a Super Bowl win following the 2006 season, Indianapolis made an improbable run in 1995 that almost led them to the Super Bowl.  The team was led by Jim Harbaugh who quarterbacked the Colts to a 9-7 record and a wild card berth.  They beat the San Diego Chargers 35-20 in the Wild Card round for their first playoff win in 24 years and their first since moving to Indy in 1984.  The next week, the Colts beat the #1 seeded Kansas City Chiefs 10-7.  It set up a match-up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The year before, the Steelers were upset by the Chargers in the AFC Championship game. 

Harbaugh earned the nickname "Captain Comeback" and nearly led the Colts to victory in this game.  With the ball on the Steelers 29 yard line and Indy down 20-16 with five seconds left in the fourth quarter, Harbaugh threw a Hail Mary pass and the ball came down in a crowd of players in the end zone.  Wide receiver Aaron Bailey had the ball on his chest briefly but the ball fell to the turf and the game was over. 

The Colts were the first #5 seed to advance to the conference title game since the 1990 playoff expansion.  To think that Jim Harbaugh and not Peyton Manning could have led the Colts to the Super Bowl (and maybe even won it).

What if........

Continuing in the series of What if moments takes us to January 8, 2000. Bills and Titans in the AFC Wildcard playoff game.  The Homerun Throwback or Music City Miracle as it is called.  The Bills take a 22-16 late in the fourth quarter and seemingly have the game won. Kicker Steve Christie kicks a short kick and Lorenzo Neal fields the ball. He then hands off to Frank Wychek who then passes the ball across the field to Kevin Dyson who then races 75 yards for the winning touchdown.  The play is reviewed and eventually upheld.  The Titans win the game and subsequently go all the way to the Super Bowl.

The question remains that if the Bills win that game then the Titans don't go on to their miracle run to the Super Bowl.  Some thought the Bills could have gone to the Super Bowl that year. They had a defense that only allowed 229 points (14.3/game) that was second in the league.  A Rams-Bills Super Bowl would have been interesting.  Since then however, the Bills have not made it to the playoffs. 

In that Rams-Titans Super Bowl, if Dyson scores on the final play of the game and is not tackled by Mike Jones of the Rams, that game goes into overtime where either the Rams eventually win or the Titans cap off their Cinderella season with a Super Bowl victory and Kurt Warner never becomes a hero.

Again you wonder, What if..............