Djokovic

Ok mate, points well made. I disagree on the example you provide of your own experience, because we're talking about a different level. As you said, you need a minimum skillset to make it at pro level, but once up there the differences can be very small. PEDs will never make you Messi (which doesn't mean Messi couldn't benefit too, as he clearly did -legally, mind- from HGH), but for 2 similarly-skilled DMs, the ability to outmuscle, out-run, out-jump or out-last can be the defining factor. If that 5% that gives you the edge can come from PEDs, then it must be tempting if suggested.

Again, I've repeated myself too, just wanted to underline that point above. You made your points well and yeah, I'm merely speculating.

Perhaps I'm just too cynical about the world around me, after all.

Oops!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-01-27/zidane-admits-using-creatine-in-juventus-doping/125686

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Truth is, I've been going back a bit after than Zidane link, and without any great effort found quite a bit relating to very big names, more 'matter of fact' comments than kiss and tell stories.

Johnny Rep:

“Indeed I took an amphetamine pill before a European Cup game. But that was not that extraordinary,” Rep said. “Looking back you think there maybe was something. But what do you think about the South Americans we faced in the Club World Cup with Ajax? They were stiff through amphetamine.”

http://www.espnfc.com/netherlands/story/1517675/ex-netherlands-star-used-amphetamine

Johann Cruyff (2002): "Doping in football is nothing new. It's been going on a long time. It didn't used to be spoken about so much because technique was predominant over strength"
http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2002/03/04/mas_futbol/1015196450_850215.html (Link in Spanish)

Then there were all the positive tests in Italy back at the turn of the century ... household names such as Guardiola, Jaap Stam, Fernando Couto, (with Figo, from a safe distance in Spain, accusing the Italian authorities of targeting only foreign players).

There's the Brazilian FA doctor sacked for suggesting Ronaldo's later cruciate injuries were caused by his being stacked with steroids by PSV as a teenager, even though former player (and also qualified doctor) Socrates supported this theory, both arguing that he had developed a muscle structure than the ligaments nature had provided him with were unable to cope with. (Plus the still unsolved mystery as to what hit him just before the '98 WC final.)

There's all kinds of allegations of doping in Italy in the 80s and 90s -such as the Juve doctor convicted, and later cleared-, and the freakishly high and unexplained incidence of ALS in former pros there (which could, in fairness, also be due to a huge variety of reasons unrelated to doping).

Beckenbauer admitting that in his playing days they were given "vitamin injections" without actually knowing what they were being jabbed with.


To be honest, that's quite a lot of smoke given how little it took to find that info; certainly enough to ask why more hasn't been / isn't made of these stories.

Ah, I also found this:

http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/2651315/ioc-drops-sepp-blatter-from-world-anti-doping-agency-board

Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse!

Murray lost to a guy ranked 50th. Does that mean he's stopped taking drugs as well then?

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comment by Curly 💩 (U1103)
posted 2 hours, 15 minutes ago
Murray lost to a guy ranked 50th. Does that mean he's stopped taking drugs as well then?

+++++

Good point to make and a natural conclusion if you use the OPs logic

You have to bear in mind thought that the OP is a Celtic fan and paranoia and conspiracy theories are embedded deep in their DNA
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Said like a true bigot

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