BALCO II: The Orlando Case?

Loomis: 'All we want to sell is hormone replacement'
By Tom Farrey
ESPN The Magazine
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=farrey_tom&id=2783117

The raids in Orlando and elsewhere effectively mark the formal start of the government's full-scale assault on compounding pharmacies, which differ from traditional pharmacies by creating custom creams and other products tailored to the needs of individual patients. They have become major players in the anti-aging industry, and a growing threat to big pharmaceutical companies whose drugs often cost more.

The most telling line in the story and probably the most ignored and glossed over. Follow the money, right? Isn't that what we hear all the time? Follow the money.
Interesting, very interesting.


Also, this quote: Because it doesn't seem to be the facts as reported to us by the media or the pollsters. Accoridng to them, it's all athletes and young kids.

"As far as athletes, most of our patients don't walk up to the counter," Naomi said. "We're FedExing it [to clients] so we don't actually see the person. As far as names coming through, famous athletes, we don't see them. I mean, there are a couple, but ..."

"It's a very small number," Stan said, interjecting. "I don't know of any active athletes. It's the weekend warrior where most of it is going."

And from this follow-up story:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2781674

Victor Conte, the founder and president of BALCO, the Bay Area lab which has been the focal point in the federal steroids probe, said he was not surprised by the raid.

"People from all walks of life now are using performance enhancing substances. From athletes to movie stars, there seems to be an ever-growing need to find a competitive edge," Conte said. "Maybe it's time to fully realize that we are now living in a pharmacologically enhanced society."

Maybe its just me, but Conte and Canseco it seems have been closest to being on the mark with their comments and analysis of the situation than most. Sometimes the message gets lost due to the perception of the messenger.

Baseball News and Stories that just won't go away

Agents raided the Signature Pharmacy Lab in Orlando to provide fresh names and reputations to add to the fire that is the story of steroids in baseball. Not surprisingly only Gary Matthews name (black) is leaked.

Gary Sheffield (black) meanwhile is skewered publicly for not throwing Barry under the bus either in his new tell-all book or in his interview with Hall of Famer Peter Gammons, who pointedly reminded Sheffield that he and Bonds did not get along. In fact, Sheffield must have confounded Gammons and all of white America by stating in the interview that he was rooting for Bonds to break Ruth's record, more than anyone.

That fool must be on drugs, huh? When you can't be prompted into saying what you're supposed to say by a Hall of Famer, maybe you yourself are not qualified to be a Hall of Famer, even though you're closing in on 500 home-runs. Get ready for the end of career bend-over job Sheff, you have to know it's coming.

Speaking of which, the Veterans Committee met today, as it does apparently every two years now, and failed to see their shadows, which means that guys that were previously F_ _ _ ed over by sport writers for the fifteen or so years they had a chance to elect them, now have to wait another two years until this group of morons meets again in two years to say to Ron Santo, Jim Kaat, Gil Hodges, Tony Oliva among others, YOU'RE NOT WORTHY!!! YOU'RE NOT WORTHY!!!

And how about Curt Flood and Marvin Miller? Curt Flood is a player who if you asked baseball fans of today I'll bet anyone not older than 40 would even be able to tell you who Flood was and what he did that influenced baseball so much. And Marvin Miller is reviled too much to ever make it in. And both men did more to make baseball what it is today, in spite of the fact that the know-it-alls of the day told us both would destroy baseball. And they are not allowed entrance because they are judged by those whose contributions to baseball pale in comparison or are non-existent. But those pricks are already in the Hall and damned if they are not going to keep it an exclusive club.

Hey guys, it's not Augusta, you can be inclusive and it doesn't reflect in the least on your accomplishments. Yes, it does add to the pool of people who can sign autographs with the cute little HOF initials next to it on a baseball and sell them on E-bay for outrageously inflated prices. Maybe that's the motive, economic greed, turf protection.

By the way the Veterans Committee is made up of all the current living Hall of Famers, who seem to think that they are voting on people for sainthood, or for passage into heaven. It's a joke.

In fact the initial Baseball Hall of Fame process as voted on by the sportswriters is a joke. CAN YOU SAY...INHERENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST??? I thought that you could.

These sanctimonious pricks, many of whom don't come close to the standards they seem to hold out for other people should have their ballots disclosed publicly. If they can't justify why they are keeping people out, they shouldn't have a ballot. Same with sports writers or whomever is delegated to vote.

Football seems to elect almost anyone who didn't kill someone (allegedly) and can't wait to send in others who were active participants in events that led to the murder of multiple people. Oh, and drug users, hey they'll just be more fun at the subsequent Hall of Fame get togethers. Who's turn is it to bring the hookers? Hell, let the Playmaker do it he's a rookie.

Disgusting, really disgusting. The more I think about it, those that they let in vs. those that they keep out, in both football and baseball, every year it seems like they turn what should be a great PR event for and celebration of the individual sport into a mockery and a sham.

The Veterans Committee's actions are so stupid, disgusting and revolting that it actually made the details of Tommy LaSorda's forays with the newest version of the Hollywood Madam understandable and palatable.

Yuck, mental image of Tommy LaSorda naked, I'm scarred for life.

Mental note: Don't read Deadspin on a full stomach.



P.S. - Of course, today we also hear from the law-breaking reporters from S.F. (exempt from the law of course because they are reporters and the only Amendment that counts is the first Amendment, right?) details about Barry Bonds hat size and other examples of his physical change over the years, like nobody has noticed Roger Clemens' head turn into the Great Pumpkin over the years and his body type transform from ectomorph to mesomorph before our very eyes. Sorry ladies, I don't know details of his shoe size, you'll have to find that out for yourself.

The take home message the media seems to want to deliver almost daily is that only the few black guys that are left in baseball cheat. Or they are seemingly the only ones the media cares about or seems to want to harp on ad nauseum. The white guys will get a pass or our sympathy, but they are allowed to move back into the publics good graces at warp speed compared to persons of color.

And it was the same type of coverage when baseball was suffering a public black eye due to the cocaine abuse headlines years and years ago. You can look it up.
So we really haven't progressed that much as a society, as much as we'd like to believe otherwise and that is truly disgusting.

And this is the foolish, hysterical climate in which we are making the type of public policy decisions that lead us to testing High School athletes for drugs, not all students, just athletes. We don't care if the other kids do steroids apparently.

I've always heard that you should not see how two things are made, laws and sausage. Well, laws or public policy made in this type of climate is like making sausage in a public restroom (or a NYC Taco Bell - Yum Yum, no pun intended, this sausage tastes a little mousey today)

Whether you agree with the mans politics or not, I thought one of the good things Bill Clinton did as President was attempt to open a dialogue on race in this country. And like most problems, our reflex as a country was to say "We don't have a problem, really we don't".

Well maybe we do. And the first step of course is to recognize the problem and admit to it. A poll taken by Markitecture recently, asked people if they thought:

"There is very little racial prejudice in Sports". Simple Question.

In 2002, 31% Agreed - 40% Disagreed - 29% I presume were Not Sure.
In 2006, 19% Agreed - 41% Disagreed - 40% Not Sure???

So clearly we are moving in the wrong direction, just from a public perception standpoint.

And equally as clear IMO, is that this is an issue that is as important or more important to remove as a scourge from our society. Isn't it? Or do we need a poll rather than our common sense to tell us:

Which is a more important problem to solve in our society today?:
a) Steroids - Cheating in Sports
b) Racial Prejudice in Sports

Someone asked me recently why I write about the steroids issue so much, and it's not so much about Bonds or Sosa or McGwire as it is about the ripple effect some of the issues have throughout society, from youth sports, to civil rights, to race relations, to character in sports and on and on and on.

There's too many layers to the story to have it presented in as simplistic and moronic a fashion as it currently is. That's why. I'd rather write about just sports. Maybe someday.

Sad News - Passing of Dennis Johnson

Larry Bird called Dennis Johnson “the best I’ve ever played with.”

What a great compliment to a great, championship player, and what a quote to have as an epitath. It would be like if you or I could quote Mother Theresa saying that we were one of the nicest people she ever met. I'd want that on my tombstone.

And it was true. Everywhere he went, teams won games and championships.

One of the things I heard among the post-mortems was ESPN's Michael Wilbon saying that he wanted to do a retrospective on DJ's career and his producers tried to dissuade him by saying that the current generation doesn't know who Dennis Johnson is as a player.

Wilbon was angered and said, correctly so IMO, that he wanted to do the piece anyway because THEY NEED TO KNOW WHO HE IS. And Wilbon is right.

This guy would not appear on many highlight reels, but his 14 blocks (from a guard) in a Finals MVP performance, his stifling defense and clutch shooting and rebounding was the glue that allowed his team's other stars to shine. And if his star shone a little less brighter, so be it, his TEAMS WON.
What a concept.

We hear a lot about shutdown corners in football, this guy was a shutdown guard.

I heard a lot of people find it difficult to come up with a modern day comparable player and I'm not sure I can either. DJ was one of a kind. A WINNER.

R.I.P. DJ.

The Debut of Dice-K....and the Mysterious Gyroball

Perhaps only the Barry Bonds home-run chase and maybe the Derek & A-Rod he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not relationship will generate as much excitment and human drama as the new Red Sox import from Japan and his mysterious gyroball.

He could be as much a phenom as Mark Fidrych and Dwight Gooden when they debuted. And he could be just as dominant, especially in the early going. I predict he will light up Fenway Park in the spring with multiple games of 10 or more stikeouts (or ストライクアウト if you're scoring in Japanese).

The Red Sox will hold their collective breaths and hope so, especially those who signed off on the $50 million dollar plus posting fee to sign him. In addition to the scrutiny this unprecednted initial investment brings, this guy may also hold the key to the Sox pitching fortunes this year, along with sophomore Jonathan Papelbon and the health and fitness of Curt Schilling.

Some interesting websites that are analysing this new pitch:

Alan Nathan's The Physics of Baseball Website and other references:
http://webusers.npl.uiuc.edu/~a-nathan/pob/gyro.html

This site has some nice videos of "the pitch"
http://accc.riken.jp/E/HPC_e/gyroball/

And ESPN checks in with The Demon Sphere
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=gyroballsearch

Steroids? And the HR King? Say it isnt so Hank!

From the Website www.protrade.com comes this interesting piece. We are often told by pundits that we need to connect the dots of circumstantial evidence in order to convict one Barry Lamar Bonds of steroid use in his assault on Hank Aaron's HR record. This article brings up some valid points using some of the same logic and methodology to circumstantially indict one Henry Aaron. Wow!!!

Interesting to note the use of Tom House quotes, which came and went without much of a furor. Why wasn't there the same level of moral outrage or consternation or ex-post facto indictment of players from the 60's and 70's? We know that recreational drug-use was a major social problem at this time. Why wouldn't we believe this extended to baseball? And why do we feel it was limited to recreational, non-performance enhancing drugs? Oh sure, these guys were doing cocaine and amphetamines, but steroids, Nah!! Players were well-paid and had an interest to protect back then as well, didn't they?

We know that the Hall of Fame is slowly being littered with the busts of those whose recreational use of cocaine during their careers stained the game and provided a less than sterlng example to our nation's youth. Where was the "integrity of the game" litmus test when these guys passed muster? Oh, I guess we can pick and choose which law-breakers we want in and which we choose to exclude. Isn't that special?

Maybe Mark McGwire might have been better served if that reporter found some lines of cocaine on a mirror instead of a bottle of andro, right? Shameful, disgustingly shameful.

It is ironic that Tom House is the player who caught Hank Aaron's 715th home-run.
The evidence forms a neat little circle. Also, effective use of Davey Johnson's unusual, Brady Anderson-esque home-run production. What happened there, chief?

I have graphs that clearly show that when one looks at home-run production, relative to the the production of the rest of the league (to adjust for different eras and conditions), the line showing production by age of Mr. Bonds very closely matches that of Mr. Aaron in terms of late stage of career productivity.

In other words, the rising tide of factors (like expansion diluted pitching, smaller stadiums, tighter baseballs, etc.) that lead to increases HR production will be reflected across the entire population by examining the change in the mean. Hence, the phrase "a rising tide lifts all boats". Comparing the individual's production relative to the mean would show unusual spikes in production that might be a cause for concern. You have to do both or you get an obscured visual image. To look at one to the exclusion of the other is like trying to hit with one eye closed. You might be able to do it, but it wouldn't look good nor would it be as effective as trying to do it with both eyes open.

Aaron's and Bonds' path of productivity as shown in these graphs, are not all that unusual for superstars and clearly not any more unusual than that of Davey Johnson's and Brady Anderson's among others. A one year spike is clearly more questionable.

You also have to remember that not too many power hitters play beyond age forty. Mays, Williams, Aaron, Bonds, etc. are exceptions to the rule. Many HR hitters like McGwire and Ruth are not playing at age 40 or more, so we are looking at a relatively low sample size which means we really don't know what normal is. Especially for a group (superstars) who by definition are not normal. That's important to remember also. Anyone who says they know what's normal and what's not regarding this sub-group is not being totally truthful or pushing an agenda or worse.

Bonds is usually indicted, tried and convicted by many on the basis of his late career jump in productivity, however when you compare his productivity jump vis-a-vis that of the rest of the league (his peers), his gains are not to be unexpected from a statistical standpoint.

One would and should expect that the productivity of the elite stars (Bonds, Sosa, McGwire) would jump a little higher then that of the "Average" player.

In fact if you compare Bonds' career HR productivity relative to the league average vs. the same statistical comparison of Aaron's career year-to-year, for each chronological year of age Aaron vs. Bonds, they run virtually neck and neck from the beginning of their career until at least age 40.

I will post the graph as soon as I master the technology.


http://www.protrade.com/content/DisplayArticle.html?sp=S8687c664-c2d1-11db-9291-83f05e1a00a7

Steriods. And the HR king. Say it isnt so Hank!
Smart 3 Not Smart 0 Comments 2 | Feb 22 2007 04:05 PM PST By BayAreaBaller
Topics: barry bonds hank aaron bud selig mlb jose canseco steroid steroids baseball home run king

STEROIDS GROUND ZERO: 1973 ATLANTA BRAVES
(Or what you will NOT read in Game of Shadows)

One of the more distressing fabrications which has emerged from the BALCO case has been the erroneous contention that the so-called 'Steroids Era' began in 1991 with Jose Conseco as its architect.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The San Francisco Chronicle, in a May 3rd 2005 article quoted former Major League pitcher Tom House of the Atlanta Braves as saying that steroids were rampant in the game in the late '60s and throughout the '70s.

House, perhaps best known for catching Hank Aaron's 715th home run ball in 1974 in the Atlanta Braves bullpen, said he and several teammates used amphetamines, human growth hormone and 'whatever steroid' they could find in order to keep up with the competition.

"I pretty much popped everything cold turkey', House said. "We were doing steroids they wouldn't give to horses. That was the '60s when nobody knew. The good thing is, we know now. There's a lot more research and understanding."

House, 58, estimated that six or seven pitchers per team were at least experimenting with steroids or human growth hormone. He said players talked about losing to opponents using more effective drugs,

"We didn't get beat, we got out-milligrammed", he said. "And when you found out what they were taking, you started taking them".


According to Rep. Henry A. Waxman in his March 17,2005 opening statement before the House Government Reform Committee:

"Congress first investigated drugs and professional sports, including steroids over 30 years ago. I think perhaps the only two people in the room who will remember this are me and Commissioner Selig, because I believe he became owner in 1970".

In 1973, the year I first ran for Congress, the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce concluded a year-long investigation that found--and I quote--"drug use exists...in all sports and levels of competition...In some instances, the danger of improper drug use--primarily amphetamines and anabolic steroids--can only be described as alarming".

Bowie Kuhn, and the powers that be at the time, quietly squashed the entire tawdry episode and with good reason: it would cast suspicions on an African-American slugger who was challenging one of baseball's most cherished records: The career record for home runs.

Compare Hank Aaron's stats at the beginning of his career and then notice how his HR% began to increase beginning when Hammerin' Hank was 37 years old.

HR% is defined as being the number of HRs per 100 ABs.

Age HRs HR%
33 44 7.3
34 39 6.5
35 29 4.8

Nothing unusual about these statistics; it is a typical profile of a slugger in decline as he ages. But then Hank began to undergo an 'enhancement.'

Age HRs HR%
36 44 8.0
37 38 7.4

What explains this spike at a latter age? Expansion? Perhaps. But then what happens?

Age HRs HR%
38 47 9.5
39 34 7.6

Hank...What's going on buddy? Aaron's HR% were TOPS in the NL in both 1971 and 1972. Hmm.

Age HRs HR%
40 40 10.2

Which leads us to 1973 when at age 40 in just 392 at bats, juiced 40 HR's for a HR% of 10.2. Once again TOPS in NL for the THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR and the HIGHEST HR% in the ENTIRE 23 year career of Hank Aaron.

Hank Aaron at 40 was not the only Atlanta Brave to hit 40 Hrs that season. Teammates Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson blasted 41 and 43 HRs respectively.

Darrell Evans

Year HRs HR%
1971 12 4.6
1972 19 4.5

1973 41 6.9

1974 25 4.4
1975 22 2.8

Notice a statistical anomaly? Let's see what Davey Johnson did.

Davey Johnson

Year HRs HR%
1971 18 3.5
1972 5 1.3

1973 43 7.7

1974 15 3.3
1975 Played 1 game
1976 Did not play MLB

Notice a statistical anomaly? It would be one thing for Hank Aaron to undergo an 'enhancement', but what are the odds that not one but TWO teammates would both have career years in HR's and HR% in the SAME YEAR as when a Congressional Committee issued its final report saying that anabolic steroids were rampant in the game? Why did Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson both experience career spikes in HR's only to return to earth the following year? And how did Hank finish up?


Age HRs HR%
41 20 5.9
42 12 2.6
43 10 3.7

So what happened? Enquiring minds want to know.

The 1996 Baltimore Orioles set at the time the team HR record for one season. Brady Anderson's 50 HR season was viewed suspiciously.

The manager of the 1996 Baltimore Orioles? Davey Johnson.

The only question remains: What did Bud Selig know and when did he know it?

Fay Vincent circulated a draft steroids policy in 1991. Selig knew that if the scab of steroids was picked off, the puss of the 1973 Atlanta Braves would be oozing all over the game. The scandal of Hank Aaron's HR record being tainted by steroids use would have been a PR disaster at the time and. personally, extremely painful to Bud Selig who, after all, is a long-time friend of Hank Aaron.

Hence the boardroom coup which ousted Fay Vincent and made Bud Selig 'Acting Commissioner', while still maintaining his position as the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, a blatant conflict of interest.

So long as Bud Selig remains in charge of Major League Baseball, the American public will never get to the bottom of the steroids scandal which has sullied the game. He has too much of a personal vested interest in Hank Aaron.

Besides, after this season, Barry Lamar Bonds will BE the HR KING.

LONG LIVE THE KING!!!

Barry Reports to Giants Camp...and Barry Too.

Barry Bonds reported to Giants camp today primed to continue his quest for both a World Championship and the all-time home-run record. He appeared a bit lighter both physically and in terms of the size of his entourage, which has been reduced due to the terms of his new contract.

He did have a surprising new teammate and locker buddy in the person of former A's ace Barry Zito. With another Barry to help keep the throngs of reporters busy, maybe the Giants locker room will be even more improved over the one last year. The Giants did seem to have a bit of chemistry last year and new manager Bruce Bochy may be the recipient of one of the more cohesive Giants teams in recent memory. Zito is just an unbelievable addition to this years staff, replacing Jason Schmitt at the top of the rotation.



Bonds appeared to be in great shape according to most accounts, rocketing five home runs on his first day. He appears a bit lighter than previous years, and certainly people will make of that what they will. Judging by his comments however, he doesn't seem to be any less combative than in the past. First day headlines will be about Bonds invitation to Feds to continue to investigate him. Like they needed more incentive.



It is good to see the two Barry's getting along and having fun with what could turn into a burdensome season due to the intense media coverage that promises to only get more intense as Bonds approaches Aaron.

If Zito's laid back attitude only slighlty rubs off on Bonds, maybe the team will gel into a contender. Giant fans can only hope. The season long HR chase only goes so far for fans weary of waiting for a World Series championship.

Another early sensation in Giants camp has been the pitching of first rounder Tim Lincecum. The smallish right-hander, throws bullets, with a devastating curveball to match. He is invoking memories of Tim Hudson and if he can have half the early success Hudson had for the A's, the rotation will be markedly improved. If either Lincecum or lefthander Johnathan Sanchez produces as a starter, the G-man could have the makings of a solid rotaion with Zito, Morris, Matt Cain and Noah Lowery as the projected top four starters.



As always the health of several players will hold the key to the Giants fortunes. Aside from Bonds, Armando Benitez, Ray Durham and Matt Morris need to remain healthy for the Giants to contend. Bengie Molina replaces Mike Matheny as the regular catcher. Molina just has to be solid defensively and contribute occasionally offensively. Dave Roberts will join ageless wonder Omar Vizquel at the top of the line-up and provide solid defense up the middle. As usual, however the Giants offense fortunes will ride on who protects Barry Bonds in the lineup and how well they produce. Durham and Rich Aurillia are the early candidates. Where have you gone Jeff Kent?

From Journal of Neuroscience: Mother's love can manipulate genes

This is truly amazing research!!! Mom's are amazing!!! But I would venture to say that while most of us knew that intuitively, it helps to have the results of a high-powered,

scientific study to back things up. Just in case you get backed into a corner by a sciencey type at a cocktail party or something. Or you could just stuff an hors d'oeuvres down his throat. Whichever works best.


Mother's love can manipulate genes

February 15, 2007

*Maternal care is so powerful it can change our genetic make-up, writes
Ian Sample in London.*

A GOOD dose of motherly love may be enough to alter our genetic code,
leaving us less fearful and stressed-out in later life, researchers have
found.

The striking claim suggests that rather than our genetic blueprint being
fixed before birth, our bodies can tweak their biological book of
instructions, allowing us to adapt more swiftly to a changing world,
instead of waiting millions of years for evolution to take its course.

If the finding is confirmed it could lead to dramatic insights into the
effects of upbringing and life experiences on a vast range of medical
conditions, including obesity, diabetes and depression.

The discovery follows tests in rats in which newborns were raised by
mothers who spent different amounts of time licking and grooming their
young. Researchers have long known animals brought up with a lot of
maternal care are less easily frightened and more adventurous. The
tests, by a team of geneticists at McGill University in Montreal, show
that motherly care has its calming effect by altering the expression of
a gene that governs the brain's response to stress.

The genetic tweak leads to more stress receptors growing in part of the
brain called the hippocampus, which together act to dampen down the
body's reaction to stressful situations. Later tests suggested the
genetic changes were long-lasting and were even passed to future
generations.

The study, published in the /Journal of Neuroscience/ this week, is the
latest in the field of epigenetics, which describes how each of the
genes we inherit is tweaked by the molecular equivalent of a volume
control, with some being silenced and others being flicked into overdrive.

A co-author on the paper, Moshe Szyf, said the changes were, in effect,
a fast-track way for the body to fine tune itself to its surroundings.
"The fact that the social environment can change genes in a very stable
manner has immense implications if it's true for humans," Dr Szyf says.
"By moving people from one environment to another you might completely
reprogram their genome and cause either positive or negative effects on
them later in life."

Anything that caused a regular, long-term release of chemicals in the
brain, from extended bingeing to a sustained bout of sexual activity,
might lead to epigenetic changes. Previous studies have hinted that
starvation in malnourished babies may lead to similar changes that alter
their metabolism, predisposing them to obesity in later life.

The changes witnessed in the rat tests make sense, a geneticist at
Cardiff University, Rosalind John, says. A mother raising its young in a
dangerous environment might devote less time to grooming them, so the
young will become more fearful --- a life-saving trait if there is a
grave threat from predators.

Zero for 150 - What an Epidemic!!! - Do I Hear 500??

I suppose these high school kids all made the switch to HGH using their paper-route money once they got wind of the steroid tests. You know how these cheaters are, always one step ahead of the law.

Give me a @#$%^&*+ break.

There's $100,000 of taxpayers money well spent. Doesn't matter, it ultimately gets charged back to the participants parents in fees and time spent selling candy bars, attending car washes, etc.

Guess those inflated numbers regarding high-school users we heard about before congress and in the media were either flat-out lies or fabrications to promote an agenda. Wonder if anyone will be punished for perjuring themselves, or in this case I think the correct term is prostituting themselves.

Props to the website www.steroidnation for highlighting this story. It surely will not make the front pages or the Sports Center lead.





AP New Jersey
Random steroid tests on N.J. high schoolers all negative
February 18, 2007, 1:49 PM EST
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ New Jersey's first in-the-nation tests of high school athletes for steroid abuse showed no positive results among 150 random samples taken in the fall, according to the group that administered the tests.

All tournament-bound high schoolers randomly sampled tested negative for performance-enhancing drugs, according to Bob Baly, assistant director with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

New Jersey became the first state to administer the test to athletes amid concerns that high schoolers might be bulking up to be more competitive. National studies have shown that about 2 percent of teenagers use steroids before graduating from high school.

The scholastic association, which oversees high school sports, plans to test about 500 athletes during tournaments for various sports in the 2006-07 school year. The $100,000 cost is split between the association and the state Education Department.

Baly says the money is well-spent, even if every test is negative.

"If we find out that people aren't doing something illegal because they're afraid to get caught, then we're successful," he told The Philadelphia Inquirer for Sunday newspapers.

(Emphasis added - Bad Jersey - C.S.)

In Philadelphia, St. Joseph's Prep stopped testing for steroids years ago.

"It was too costly and it wasn't productive," said Gil Brooks, who coaches St. Joseph's football team. "We didn't find anyone who tested positive."

(Emphasis added - Good Philly - C.S.)

The National Federation of State High School Associations reported in its February publication that Illinois is close to starting steroid testing among high school athletes, and that it plans to use New Jersey as its model.

(Look out Illinois - Monkey see, Monkey do - C.S.)

___

Bye Bye Tiki Barber - Next Stop HOF??

Apparently not, if you listen to some of the talking heads (braying jackasses) who by the way don't blink an eye at Crackpipe Mike's entry. Shame on Emmitt Smith for defending his inclusion with the statement "It ain't the Hall of Life". You'll fit right in with O.J. Maybe Tiki's class and dignity will distract the recent crop of Hall of Shamers just like I guess it distracted the current Giant roster of jackasses and creeps.

Some of Tiki's notable accomplishments:
from Giants.com article by Micheal Eisen
http://www.giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=24322

Tiki Barber retired after the 2006 season as one of the greatest players in Giants history and one of the very best NFL players of his era. Barber set more than a dozen franchise records and accomplished feats achieved by very few players in league history.

*Barber holds the Giants record for career rushing yards with 10,449, or 3,552 yards ahead of runner-up Rodney Hampton. That is the 17th-highest total in NFL history.

*He owns the top three and four of the top five single-season rushing totals in Giants history. The record is 1,860 yards in 2005. Barber rushed for 1,662 yards in 2006 and 1,518 yards in 2004.

*Barber rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his final five seasons. That was the NFL's second-longest active streak, behind LaDainian Tomlinson's six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

*No Giant ever carried the ball as often as Barber. He had 2,217 rushing attempts. He also holds the single-season mark with 357 in 2005.

*Barber led the Giants in rushing every game from the beginning of the 2002 season through the end of the 2006 season, an NFL-record 80 consecutive games.

*Barber averaged 4.7 yards-per-carry, a franchise record. Of the 20 running backs with 10,000 yards, only two Hall of Famers have a higher per-carry average: Jim Brown (5.22) and Barry Sanders (4.99)

*Barber had 38 100-yard rushing games, exactly twice as many as Giants runner-up Joe Morris. The Giants were 25-13 in the regular season when Barber rushed for at least 100 yards. Barber has the Giants' last 36 100-yard rushing games.

*The 234-yard outing in his finale was the fifth 200-yard game of his career. Barber has five of the seven 200-yard games in Giants history. It is the second-highest total in NFL history. Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson had six 200-yard games.

*Barber had 17,359 total yards (rushing, receiving, returns and fumble yardage). That is the 11th-highest total in NFL history and is 7,497 yards ahead of Gifford, who is second among all Giants.

*Barber owns the top five single-season total yardage marks in team history, including a record 2,390 in 2005, the second-highest total in NFL history. He had 2,127 yards in 2006.

*Barber holds the team record with 15,632 yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving). That is the 10th-highest total in NFL history. Put another way, only nine players ever to wear NFL uniforms gained more yards from scrimmage than Barber.

*Barber played 154 regular season games. He averaged 101.5 yards from scrimmage in those games. That placed him fifth in history among players who have played at least 150 games. The first two players on the list are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The next two will be:

Players averaging 100+ scrimmage yards per game in career (min: 150 games):

Barry Sanders 118.9

Walter Payton 111.9

Marshall Faulk 108.8

Curtis Martin 103.8

Tiki Barber 101.5


*When he became the 20th player in NFL history with at least 10,000 rushing yards he also had 5,118 receiving yards. Only two other players in history have accumulated more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards: Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (12,243 and 5,411) and likely future Hall inductee Marshall Faulk (12,279 and 6,875).

So when you look at these type of accomplishments and then see that in a recent ESPN fan poll 2/3 of fan's DO NOT think Barber has done enough to enter the hallowed Football Hall of Fame, led on no doubt by at least 2/3 of the ESPN football "experts", you shouldn't question the credentials of one Tiki Barber, rather you should question both the collective intelligence of the fan respondents and the credentials of the assembled jackasses who populate the ESPN screen. To quote Warren Buffet, "A public opinion poll is no substitute for thought".

Maybe if they spent less time taking phone photos of their little units for the ladies viewing pleasure like one of the football pundits or laid off the crackpipe once in a while, they would be more knowledgable about the sport they covered.

Bye Bye Tiki, you will be sorely missed.

Beemer Update - Almost Six Months Later

It's hard to believe it's been almost six months since Beemer's injury, but he's made great progress. From the initial prognosis after surgery, when we were told he likely had a less than 50% to walk again, to now he has regained the ability to walk and run with a bit of a limp and gimp here and there (maybe he's just imitating my gait).

He was pretty good about his rehab and exercises, although he didn't really like the water therapy at all. We met some good people in support groups of owners who have dachshunds who have been through this type of event. I'm not sure how we would have gotten past the uncertainty without them. We're taking Beemer to a party with about 40-50 dachshunds tomorrow. What a site.

It's good to see the little bounce in his step and his ears flopping around when he runs to greet you or goes to get one of his toys for you to play with. At the time, we thought we might never see that again. We had to "puppy-proof" the house so he doesn't climb stairs (which he will mischievously do if you turn your back and leave the gate down) or jump off couches anymore.

But otherwise he's good as new and hopefully ready for many more years of good health, albeit a couple of pounds heavier due to the reduction in activity (again like me).

No wonder I love this dog.

AP College Top 25 List of Graduation Rates

This top 25 list should get much more attention than it does. It's the AP's final top 25 football rankings plus others receiveing votes. Some schools on the list are clearly also football and basketball powers, so clearly you can compete and not lower standards or sell your schools academic soul to the devil.

It's just one of the reasons I continue to cheer for old Notre Dame, they do things the right way and still compete.

For all the noise we hear on occasion about dumb jocks, it appears that based on these numbers, (when compared to the rates shown in the picture above) that football players at most of these fine institutions of academic learning and pigskin proficiency, are succeeding at a rate higher than their student peers.

Top 25 Graduation Rates
Team Players' graduation %
1. Navy 98
2. Boston College 96
3. Notre Dame 95
4. Wake Forest 93
5. Nebraska 88
6. Florida 80
7. Penn State 80
8. Texas Christian 78
9. Virginia Tech 74
10. Michigan 71
11. South Florida 66
12. Boise State 65
13. Maryland 64
14. South Carolina 64
15. Auburn 63
16. Texas A&M 63
17. West Virginia 63
18. Wisconsin 62
19. Oregon State 60
20. UCLA 59
21. Rutgers 58
22. Tennessee 58
23. Arkansas 55
24. Georgia Tech 55
25. OSU and USC 55

Barely passing graduation rates in the AP rankings: Brigham Young 53, Louisville 53, Oklahoma 52, Houston 51.

Teams that should be dropped from bowls on overall graduation success rates: Hawaii 49, LSU 49, California 44, Georgia 41, Texas 40.

From the Boston Globe story: Graduating to a new standard
By Derrick Z. Jackson, Globe Staff | December 4, 2006
http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/extras/12_04_06_graduation_rates/?p1=email_to_a_friend

Godspeed Barbaro: NPR's Scott Simon's Tribute

You might find this final tribute to a champion a poignant eulogy, very eloquently stating why many of us DID place significant importance on the trials and triumphs this beautiful champion.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7146854

Then again, judging by some of the complaints I've heard of the coverage, a significant number of sports fans feel that too much is being made of and "too much being done for a mere horse".

If the media coverage of this sports tragedy is somewhat overdone, I think in part at least, it may be due to the fact that many sports reporters, at least the ones that are around my age, remember vividly the match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure in 1976. That race resulted in Ruffian having to be put down after a night or two of hoping for a vetinary miracle that would save her. This was the famous "battle of the sexes" race between the best colt and the best filly of the day.

This was an era where women were just making there way into the workplace in significant numbers (imagine that). Billie Jean-King had just vanquished Bobbie Riggs in the tennis version of the "battle of the sexes" that seemed designed to send women back to their rightful place (the kitchen, I presume).

Ruffian not only was unbeaten, but at the time, had never been anywhere but in the lead at any significant, measured point in any of her races. A true champion and a true tragedy when she broke down. I'm not sure the popularity of horseracing as a spectator sport has ever recovered. As Scott Simon says about Barbaro "something precious burst in front of us". I agree, and we all hoped and prayed that the vets could work some sort of equine magic and put her back together, just as we hoped for the same for Babrbaro. Maybe the greatest victory Babrbaro can give us is that the advances and knowledge of what works and what doesn't work when these powerful yet fragile athletes do break down will ultimately save horses in the future.

As Simon says, "it's useless to complain about what makes us..fall in love" and beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose, but the essence of what makes us grieve in these cases is what makes all of us love sports in the first place and that is that "champions carry the hopes of others". We dream that someday, in some way we can all achieve the greatness of champions.

The paradox is that we know too well that "greatness walks hand in hand with grief...greatness by it's nature is ephemeral. Part of the experience of witnessing it is ultimately watching it come to an end. It's this fleeting nature that makes it so wonderful to find and so difficult to lose".

Part of the initial attraction of Barbaro is that he may have been the fastest racehorse since the great Secretariat. Secretariat's 31 length victory in the Belmont Stakes to secure the Triple Crown is truly one of the most jaw-droppingly awesome feats I have ever witnessed in sports in my lifetime, so when comparisons are made to him, it is bound to get those who witnessed Secretariat to hope that maybe, just maybe, we might witness a second coming of sorts and be lifted as high as Secretariat lifted us all with his performance.

A BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE AND A WORTHWHILE LISTEN!!! I agree with Mr. Simon that it seems impossible for any feeling person to watch this champion face his physical struggles with the same grace and grit and determination he displayed on the racetrack.
I feel for those who don't have that type of compassion in their heart. I wonder if they will ever experience the heights reached by true champions.

PLAY BALL!!!! You gotta love it.

Jon Weber (R) of Narajeros de Hermosillo...
Carolina, PUERTO RICO: Jon Weber (R) of Narajeros de Hermosillo of Mexico confronts umpire Francisco Ramirez (L) during their Caribbean Baseball Series game against Puerto Rico's Gigantes of Carolina at Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico, 05 February 2007. AFP PHOTO / Juan BARRETO (Photo credit should read JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images)

This is what I have to look forward to, luckily High School players generally show a higher level of sportsmanship than these guys. But this umpire is really showing remarkable restraint, so far. This player is almost as close as the guys in the candy-bar commercial in the Super Bowl. Yuck!!

This is the kind of heat we need around here as the snow falls along with the temperature. My first game is in T-minus 30 days. Weather permitting, of course.

The Carribean World Series is in progress for those lucky enough to have Fox Sports Espanol. Heck, you wouldn't even have to understand the announcers to enjoy the games.

Super Sunday - Recap

Going in this was going to be a no lose situation for me.

If the Bears win, I'm happy for the home-team, my neighbors and friends will be happy, people around here were all geeked up, in spite of the recent zero degree weather we've been having.

If the Colts win, the phrase "It couldn't happen to a nicer guy" almost doesn't do it justice.

For Tony Dungy to win the Super Bowl, as one of the most well repected coaches in all of sports, and more importantly, the classiest and most dignified men in sports, you had to root for him to get his just due this time around. It puts to rest the phrase, "nice guys finish last" and may be a model for coaches personality and behavior in the future, both on and off the field. Maybe we can dream a little, but I'm sure old habits will die hard.

The best part of the game was the halftime show, featuring Prince. One of the best guitarists in history, Prince did not let the crowd down. I thought he belted it right out of the park. It was awesome to see "Purple Rain" played with purple back lighting in a driving rainstorm. How can it get any better? If I didn't know better, I'd say God wanted to jam with Prince. They could have delayed the game a little longer IMO and let Prince really get down some with one of his signature songs.

PRINCE IS *&^%$#@ AWESOME. There had to be cigarette lighters going off in living rooms all over the country. HAHA.

The second half of the game was almost anti-climactic. The Super Bowl commericals certainly were. That sound you may have heard in the background while you were watching the game, was a giant flushing down the toilet of all the advertisement dollars that went to waste producing some of that drivel. Most of them had to be recycled product, since I'm sure I've seen a lot of them before. Must be one of them there "paradigm shifts" in the ad industry. Oh well, who cares, really? I'm just mad that I held it in for some of that, could have busted a bladder or something. Pisses me off, no pun intended. Maybe this TIVO thing is here to stay after all.

Congrats to the Colts. Maybe next year, the right Manning will win the big one. I hope Eli doesn't go a day without hearing, "Why can't you be more like Peyton?" He'll either man-up and get better as a QB or go psycho or something and flame out. Either way the Giants can get serious and find a decent QB. Again to dream.....

The best thing about the game really is we are now one day closer to hearing the magic words, Pitchers and Catchers Report in x # of days......I need something like that to get through these @#$%^&* below zero Chicago days, either that or the SI Swimsuit issue. ;)~

Hell, who needs Punxsutawney Phil?

Super Sunday - Bears will Roll

unfortunately for Tony Dungy, who I would like to see win as much as anyone. It's just that he's got his fate in Peytron Manning's hands and his history in big games is not good. He ought to be as giddy as a cranked-out schoolgirl Super Sunday.

Speaking of which, Rex Grossman may be in approximately the same condition for about an hour after kick-off or so. I predict two or three Pick-Sixes in this game.

If Lovie Smith listens to me and installs the "direct snap to Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson offense" we ought to be seeing our second ticker tape parade in Chi-town since we've been here. (see White Sox).

In fact, I'm kind off getting used to this. In Tampa, we where able to see the Bucs reverse their decades long record of franchise futility...... then the Tampa Bay Lightning went from expansion neophytes to Stanley Cup Champs during our time there..............then the White Sox busted up a forty year run without a pennant as soon as we moved here....... and now the Bears are going to reverse 20+ years of lacka, lacka Super Bowl success on Sunday ....... hey, you're not thinking what I'm thinking?

If the Bears win, I can move to San Francisco and reverse the Giants dismal record of World Series success and then, drunk and giddy with the power invested in me by the Gods of Sports, I can move back to Tampa and do the same thing for the Devil Rays????

Then I could die a happy man. Oh well, one can dream can't one??

Sorry Tony and Peyton, I see a Bears mauling here.