I also find dismissing Merritt as a "convicted drug cheat" a bit exagerrated.
Unless I'm missing some basic facts:
- He was convicted for DHEA (was he convicted of something else?)
- He failed 3 tests, 3 months in a row
DHEA is a weak drug, not really known for it's athletic performance enhancing benefits, especially for young athletes. It's an adrenal steroid, and not an anabolic one.
That he got caught 3 months in a row, points to a real ignorance that he put himself in a position to fail drug tests. It doesn't sound like any cover-up. I can't believe any professional athlete would knowingly put himself in that position, especially with a weak substance not necessarily known for the kind of performance enhancement he needs in the 400m. But even if he did, we must chose between genuine ignorance, or stupidity, and not a willful participation in some kind of secret performance enhancing drug program.
Of course he should have known better, and he broke some very clear rules, but calling him a "convicted drug cheat", or concluding that DHEA helped him beat Wariner is a bit too much. This simply isn't the same magnitude as the BALCO scandal, or lying to federal prosecutors, or taking some 5th generation synthesized EPO. Attempting to gloss over this distinction, with a catch-all phrase, is a step towards ignorance and mis-information in itself.