Bode Miller - Skier, Dumb A##

[boulder_courier]

:butt: Has anyone read this jerk's comments in an article in velonews?

I mean...come on....this guy is an idol and role model for many young skiers and he comes off saying this BS... :butt:

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/9026.0.html

[flydhest]

I read the article . . . just to be clear, what exactly is it that you find wrong with what he said?

I'm not saying I think he's right, I just want to understand why you think he's a "jerk" and a "dumb ***"

[Argos]

Not agreeing with Miller, but looking at his point, It's a different sport, maybe he's refering to the benefits it has for competeing against gravity at high elevations?

Again, I'm NOT agreeing with him that EPO should be legal.

[boulder_courier]

I read the article . . . just to be clear, what exactly is it that you find wrong with what he said?

I'm not saying I think he's right, I just want to understand why you think he's a "jerk" and a "dumb ***"
Well....I don't know...may be advocating the legalization/use of a performance enhancing drug. I thinks it's irresponsible and wreckless....

[boulder_courier]

Not agreeing with Miller, but looking at his point, It's a different sport, maybe he's refering to the benefits it has for competeing against gravity at high elevations?

Again, I'm NOT agreeing with him that EPO should be legal.

Taking EPO would increase the O2 capacity beyond the genetic capacity of any athlete regardless of sport thus giving the athlete an unfair advantage over his competition. It begs the question then - Would if all athletes are taking EPO and all are on an even playing field? It becomes unfair then when one atlete does not want to take a drug because of the possible health risks, morals,etc.........

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . who thought Mr. Miller's comments a bit, er, odd.

He's correct as far as he goes, which ain't very far. Sure it might be beneficial to the athletes--IF everyone used them, IF everyone used them equally, and IF whatever enforcing authorityy there were could enforce their use fairly and equally. But we have enough trouble now enforcing NO drugs while taking into account keeping track of which ones really do bestow an unfair advantage vs. which ones are medically necessary, keeping track of and devising tests for new ones, etc., etc. Can you imagine letting people use anything they want and trying to keep THAT fair, as well as keeping people from literally killing themselves?!?! Aye, Car-UMBAH!

It's that simple but inescapable ramification that seems to escape him. This reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live skit about the "All Drug" Olympics, where Kevin Nealon tries to clean & jerk a thousand pound barbell and his arms rip off because he was guzzling some bizarre concoction of steroids, amphetimines, and rat poison, and furniture polish.

It also reminds me of a local club hike I went on about five years ago. One fellow hiker showed up in his old Mercedes diesel wagon with a hot water cooler tank full of vegetable oil in the back seat. The whole car smelled like French fries, and he went on and on, preaching about how if only everyone would switch their cars to vegetable oil, there would be no more energy crisis. He simply could not grasp the point I tried to make to him that to power EVERYONE's cars with vegetable oil, we would have to cultivate a field of vegetables equal to the surface area of the planet Jupiter. He was not a dumb guy, but he just could not get his brain around that. Miller sounds like he's doing the same thing.

He also doesn't seem to grasp what remarks like this may make people think the next time he gets some really good race results . . .

BBDave

[Argos]

I was attempting to look at his line of thought, that is all.

[Fixed]

bro your never goin to get rid of drugs. war on drugs, just say no, none of that works.i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[BumbleBeeDave]

Yeah, I see your point. I just think the way it is NOW is a can of worms. But if we did what he suggests it would be a far BIGGER can of worms!

BBD

[67-59]

Can someone explain to me why he'd hold his breath for 2 minutes? Seems that may be the source of his need for more O2 carrying capacity.

Hello? Is there anybody in there?

[flydhest]

Lots of substances enhance performance, some of them are called drugs. It seems from the follow up to Argos, the point is that if a drug improves one aspect of an athletes performance past what others could do (is it clear that anyone who takes EPO will increase his/her oxygen capacity of anyone past Armstrong's genetic capacity?). Does this mean that if a drug will only make up for a person's genetic inferiority, then it's ok? Like eyeglasses? I couldn't hit a baseball to save my life without glasses, but with them, I can. If I could take pills to correct my eyesight (for example, if part of my eyesight problem was with muscular control or something) wouldn't that enhance my performance?

Drugs, in a controlled environment, can be very safe and effective. He's arguing for a particular use. It might violate my view of sports--which is admittedly pollyanna-esque--but why is he an *** for discussing it?

[bcm119]

I wonder if he made those comments to make a point about the inherant risk in downhill ski racing. For most sports the issue is simple: sports are good, drugs are bad. Maybe Miller was saying that for his sport, its all dangerous all the time, whats the difference if you use some EPO? If that was his point (and I'm just wondering, not asserting that it was), I can understand that. Maybe he is just tired of the moral highground that "sports" are put on. In his case, (and in many other high risk sports) there is much more risk in doing sports than sitting around and smoking pot, for example. But the way he comes across in the article is definately silly, and I think it may be as much the journalists fault for taking some comments out of context as his own fault for making them.

[andy mac]

as if ski racing isn't expensive enough!

it is kinda refreshing to hear someone say what they think, not just the company line. he is a free spirit. ever watched him ski? a linked series of recoveries.

i know some folks who deal with him, will try and gauge the response.

[harlond]

As I understand his remarks, he's saying that it would be safer for downhill racers if they used EPO. As I understand his remarks, he is not suggesting that some use and others do not, so he is not advocating cheating or gaining an unfair advantage over his competition. As I understand his remarks, he is suggesting that permitting use of this drug would help prevent injuries. I've seen another story in which an official with the governing body agreed with his thesis. In that context, I have a hard time seeing his remarks as irresponsible and reckless.

Cheating is wrong, of course, but performance-enhancing drugs are not inherently immoral. I myself have used aspirin and other pain relievers in order to recover from exertions more quickly and perform better. Thus I don't see those who advocate their legalization or authorization for use in competition (which eliminates the cheating component) as being necessarily irresponsible or reckless.

[PeterW]

No comments about the article.

But I think that Bode is the most exciting athlete to come around in a loooong time.

For him to take on the Austrian ski establishment and win is extraordinary.

[Sandy]

Lots of substances enhance performance, some of them are called drugs. It seems from the follow up to Argos, the point is that if a drug improves one aspect of an athletes performance past what others could do (is it clear that anyone who takes EPO will increase his/her oxygen capacity of anyone past Armstrong's genetic capacity?). Does this mean that if a drug will only make up for a person's genetic inferiority, then it's ok? Like eyeglasses? I couldn't hit a baseball to save my life without glasses, but with them, I can. If I could take pills to correct my eyesight (for example, if part of my eyesight problem was with muscular control or something) wouldn't that enhance my performance?

Drugs, in a controlled environment, can be very safe and effective. He's arguing for a particular use. It might violate my view of sports--which is admittedly pollyanna-esque--but why is he an *** for discussing it?


I don't believe that he meant that "he is an *** for discussing it". He believes that he is an ***for the content of what he said and its possible ramifications.



Sandy

[Dekonick]

I continue to stand firm - I don't care what an athlete does to themselves; just don't force them to do it. It would be better if the access to the drugs were better controlled (go after the pharm companies, MD's who prescribe them irresponsibly...) and thus safer to use. You aren't going to be able to rid the sports world of enhancements no matter what you do. The best thing is to keep it safe.

Screw it; it doesn't matter. Athletes will do whatever it takes to win - I just worry bout the little guy's. A good friend of mine raced one year in the Euro peleton in the early 90's (cant remember the year- Ill have to ask him again) he quit because he was being pressured to take all kinds of drugs, therapies, etc. If it were his choice to take it - fine. If his team forces it NOT OK.

I'll stick to my prescribed medications from a physician I know and trust for conditions that the medications are indicated for - we really should be more worried about the bird flu that is about to wipe out 50% of the people who contract it (according to WHO)

Time to get my tamaflu....while I can. :)

[vaxn8r]

- we really should be more worried about the bird flu that is about to wipe out 50% of the people who contract it (according to WHO)

Time to get my tamaflu....while I can. :)
Way to hi-jack a thread Dek. Geez...

BTW, I'm getting a bunch of calls about Tamiflu prescriptions. My first thought was oh, they got that confused with the vaccine. Now I'm realizing they are preparing for "the end of the world".

[Dekonick]

Didn't mean to hijack! Seriously!

And even with a 50% mortality rate you have to consider the health of the host...

Perhaps If I get my EPO now...I can move to a mountain top where I can live with my tamiflu while I read L' équipe bash Armstrong. I might even be able to ski with B.M.!

OK - Any responses to the birdie flu or similar please do it on the thread I will go start now...so this one can remain all about drugs:)

[SPOKE]

if all the athletes have access to the same drugs and use them then the "competitive playing" field is level once again. then the only thing left to do is make the sport more difficult/technical in order to separate the more naturally gifted athletes.
just imagine a 5 week tour with 3+ weeks spent in the high mountains, 5 individual time trials, 3 team time trials, and 2 Texas cage matches!! :banana:

[Sandy]

Do the 2 Texas Cage matches first. That will weed out a lot of the participants, real fast.


Sandy