8/11/15 7:58 AM

i never hear about top-level triathletes getting popped. ever.

strange.

what's the state of testing (and abuse) in the pro long-course tri scene?

do they even test at all? is it any good?

8/11/15 9:03 AM

They are about as clean as pro football (both american and soccer) and athletics to include long course stuff.

In other words, they are juiced out of their minds. The only reason that pro cycling gets singled out is because people expect cyclists to be dopers and it is sensationalized for the coverage. People know of cycling because they hear about the doping, then they tune in. It is proof that any coverage is good coverage in media.

On another note, Tom Danielson just got popped. He has request B sample testing and is denying any wrong doing at this time.

8/11/15 9:28 AM

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/08/news/the-test-that-caught-tom-danielson_381086

8/11/15 9:39 AM

Cycling is the only one to admit it. Okay, baseball too.

Low hanging fruit for the journalist, editor, publisher.

Consumers know the story so they don't need to re-read the article to participate in the discussion.

The other sports don't need to clean up their act.

<sarcasm> Everybody wins. </sarcasm>

It sucks.

8/11/15 10:40 AM

What is the PED deJour anyway? Still EPO, only in micro micro dosing???

8/11/15 10:59 AM

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/08/10/log/VRBgOooiudiXlMrbUAJP2L/story.html

8/11/15 12:21 PM

One good thing about the doping scandals is that it might help people keep a reasoned perspective on the value of sports, versus other things in life.

Their is not so much inherently "fair" about sports, anyway, given substantial genetic differences as well as socio-economic differences that affect how much time and resources can go into an athlete's training and racing schedules.

The value of sports is that an athlete can experience the rewards of effort within the world that they and their sport actually exist, whether or not someone else cheats!
The downsides can be corruption, even up to government level, and the way that non-sports-minded kids and adults might be made to feel less adequate or worthy.

The other value of sports, that really drives it, is the business end of it (and perhaps the political value of venues like the Olympics as well). Sports fuels the economy of western societies, for better and for worse. Think of all the advertising that is centered around sports! You've got sports cars, sports drinks, sports apparel and sports channels that add up to billions in annual revenue.

But how good of a thing is competitive sports, anyway? I'll not get my knickers in a knot worrying about doping since I am not so much invested in competitive sports.