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Monday, June 29, 2009

 

THE APOLOGIST FLIPPANTLY RESPONDS!

By Jeff Everson

Marty - a first point to your last point -- I have always fully admitted that I am a full-of-it, admitted hypocrite! (As I have written, I might be a whore, but at least I am a consistent whore!)

On a 2nd point, in your side note to me, where you suggested it will take pair of big Kahuna’s for me to publish your editorial, this can’t be so, since, thanks to steroids, my once plump grapes are more like shriveled raisons. No big Kahuna’s necessary!

Now, on the merits: I firmly believe that all your points are self-evident logical truth. I believe that Arnold has, no doubt, already given very serious thought to the steroid issue and any association thereto, via his event.

But, he has had to ask, “What are the likely outcomes of any major effort to test or remove steroids, and as regards doing so in his event, what are the realities on the ground dictating potential success, or probability of failure?” Arnold’s not exactly a dumb or naive guy. Austria produced Otto von Bismarck and realpolitek and Arnold is a pragmatist.

The Arnold Classic bodybuilding events are sanctioned by both the IFBB and now the NPC. If Jim Lorimer and Arnold fervently wanted to do steroid testing, at least in some divisions, say beginning with all the women events, they have to be granted a new sanction. I don’t think it is just money and legal costs.

Indeed, doing so would involve nonstop nightmares for those running the NPC and IFBB. (They all would surely have to contemplate this on the Conan tree of woe). As an example, years ago, Bob Goldman, myself, John Traetta (and co-promoter of the Ms. Olympia in 85), and Wayne DeMilia, were able to prod Ben Weider to begin testing the women in the 1985 IFBB Olympia. This testing did not last long, fully gone by the time I was gone from my Weider employ 5 years later which I do not see as coincidence.

The reality is, as you say, that roids are a 100% deal; literally, every IFBB pro bodybuilding competitor uses them. Therefore, for the NPC and IFBB, to switch over to all-natural and 100% (randomly) tested events, this would be a major paradigm shift. Bodybuilders (and all Americans) are not adept at concrete conceptual change. In the ‘real’ world, it took years before women could vote. It took 200 years before blacks ‘were considered equal’ to whites and just last week some very sincere guy left a message on my machine saying, “For the sake of his young daughter, I need to get all the blacks out of Planet Muscle.” That’s no shit!

As well, a corrections officer authority in Minnesota, won’t allow Planet Muscle to be delivered to inmate subscribers, due, (she says), to nudity. To your point, evidently, the fact that muscle magazines are full of those violating federal controlled substances drug laws is of less concern to her than an exposed Gluteus Maximus. Would she rather the male prisoners potentially spread STD’S instead of self-flagellating their angst, boredom and depression, while fantasizing over some gorgeous globular globes? There were 65,000 rapes in prison last year alone.

Back to the point, ‘bodybuilding’ is not our national past time. We don’t even sing the national anthem before the Arnold Classic. While an Arnold physique event winner might be mainlining his or her kidneys with Deca-filled horse syringes, with nary a media whimper, in baseball, Sammy Sosa takes an over-the-counter herbal, that probably had some traces of clinically dead DHEA in it doing zilch, and my goodness, the media cries a veritable river. It’s not as if the Dominican was soaking in Dan Duchaine’s vintage bathtub.

Professional cyclist Tyler Hamilton was recently disqualified for 8 years because he took an OTC herbal for depression. What the hell was that? St. John’s Wort or SAM-E? (Once more, if you eat red meat in the USA, all of you are fuller of more Stromba steroids than you’ll ever know). We should all get a grip because (now), many would rather federal agents had not been digging through Balco garbage cans so fervently and instead, had wallowed more in Bernie Madoff’s garbage books! I say again, switching to allnatural physique is a major paradigm change. Talking is different than doing. Testing in physique would be a real big deal for both the NPC and IFBB. (We could just switch the name for the IFBB to Injections for Bigger Bodies. That would be easier).

Remember, for all his amazing multiple-field success, which he alone earned, this does not obligate Arnold to ‘save the world’, or least of all, physique competition. Remember, Arnold admitted (according to journalist Rick Wayne), starting steroids in his late teens, unheard of in the late sixties. The best available anecdote and observation might suggest he used steroids up to about his 30th year, perhaps ceasing and desisting after winning the 1980 Sydney Olympia and only juicing with carrots for Conan, Predator and Terminator #1. So somehow, for Arnold, he might feel he would be a real hypocrite going vigorously after an activity that was inextricably a part of his bodybuilding success and fame.

I agree that he, as a head of state, probably should not be seen in a congratulatory scenario with perceived druggies, but Arnold is that pragmatist. He has very, very serious problems in California. Conceivably, if CA does go functionally defunct on its financial bond obligations, China opens shop and renames Sacramento to Shanghai.

There’s no doubt that Arnold fervently cares about bodybuilding, as well as what people think about him. He wants to be successful and even well-liked. He is compelled and driven to do good and sincerely wants to do good. Who knows, maybe fighting steroids will be part of his future.

Consider as a theoretical, as to money earned in his yearly namesake event, – while rewarding steroid users monetarily may be less than kosher, would you begrudge the Oak making a million on his event each year, if you learned that he in turn donated that million every year to the Special Olympics? Your point is well taken! Concept and paradigm are worthy of thought and discussion. This is what PLANET MUSCLE is uniquely about. I for one greatly appreciate your input and hope readers do too and would appreciate reader feedback.




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