ESPN (No) Personality Can’t Stay Away from Being A Rabble Rouser, Even After Being Sacked from Most Jobs

When you’re a one-trick pony, there should be no surprise that a lesson is never learned. Take Stephen A. Smith, for example. At one point in his career, he was writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and had his own radio and television show. All three have blown up in his face, and no matter what spin he may want to put on it, his controversial ways sealed his fate.

Smith has an uncanny ability to rub people the wrong way with his pro-African American views on everything in the sports world. Someone can be proud of their race and heritage, but when you’re supposedly doing your job - which calls for objectiveness - leave those ideas home. No one reading about a sports organization wants to hear which player is best black athlete. The old saying, “You root for laundry,” means just that - fans don’t care if the player is white, black, hispanic or other. We’re into the team because we grew up with them and cheer for the players wearing that jersey.

Because Smith turns off the majority of the audience - if you need me to spell it out, the white part of the audience - his ratings were not up to par and thus the reason for “Quite Frankly” bouncing around the schedule before being dropped a year and a half later. While the man knows his business, he loses a lot of his credibility by harping on social issues that have no correlation. A prime example is his latest “Up Front” column in the August 25 issue of ‘ESPN The Magazine.’ Calling himself an “angry black man” who has “no desire to be PC,” Smith sounds as if he were standing on a small platform in Times Square instead of sitting in front of a computer. Continue Reading »

An Unlikely Target Votes in Mandatory Provisional Suspensions

First, golf was talking about getting tough on steroids, which seemed ludicrous enough. But now another sport you wouldn’t think of when talking banned substances has taken steps towards punishing players who look for that extra edge. The International Tennis Federation voted in an anti-doping code that was necessary for compliance for inclusion in the Olympics.

Effective on January 1, 2009, the rules will be more flexible for suspensions, and what was described by the ITF as “increased flexibility of sanctions.” This another prime example of trying to get the ‘one up’ and show the public that an organization - in this case all of tennis’ governing bodies - is not going to have the necessity of its own Mitchell Report. The specter of steroids even lurks over the tennis court, albeit it for real or just for show.

Thailand Liquid Test & Deca Seized by Customs

Close, but no cigar. Over 150 bottles of liquid testosterone and Deca Durabolin nearly made it through Australian Customs, but the shipment was intercepted by the Dick Tracy’s of the Outback. A clever attempt on masking the steroids in bottles shipped from Thailand marked “Gay Lube Oil” was thwarted, and the quote from a Customs official didn’t seem to come out as planned.“They might think we won’t examine it because…it’s a bit yucky or whatever,” Richard Janeczko told reporters.

With the recent crack downs on performance-enhancing drugs, dealers have taken smuggling to the next level, and this is a prime example of that. What was once only expected from cocaine and heroin seizures, steroids have become a huge underground business, raking in millions of dollars.

Operations such as last years “Raw Deal” has put the war on steroids in the forefront, and seizures similar to the one in Australia may become commonplace.

A Bit Outdated, But Fairly Informative Until…

Good luck finding a new book that is up to date with anabolic steroids. Most of the staples are now considered ‘oldies,’ and have actually become collectibles for some. But for recent info on what is going on in ‘gear world,’ you have to come to websites like this one - I hope!

Steve Gallaway’s “The Steroid Bible” (Third Edition) is a spiral-bound book that is still available on www.AnabolicSteroids.com for $49.99, and that includes a report “Importing Drugs.” A bit pricey, as far as I am concerned, for a book that is from 1997 with a $24.95 cover price. Continue Reading »