Justin Gatlin and the IAAF make me sick

Amen. This is why no one cares about track anymore. It's a farce. Every time medals are returned and prize money is recouped cheats hundreds of athletes out of honest opportunities. Gatlin belongs in prison for defrauding thousands of people, and stealing millions in prizes.

Aside from the foul language, which may make this awesome post get deleted, I agree with everything you said.

I can't stand the guy. He has no place in our sport. Keep him out forever.

I used to love Tyson Gay. I saw him as the only guy with a chance to take down Bolt. Ever since he got caught I have no choice but to not respect the guy any more. Even though I shouldn't I still like him more than Gatlin. Maybe it's because he doesn't go saying ridiculous stuff like this. I'm American and I have always rooted for Americans over our rival Jamaicans. I can honestly say that now I will be rooting for Bolt and Blake over Gay and Gatlin. Smh. What has our sport become.

This is an excellent explanation for why they just need to stop testing.

Not quite. Without testing, that forces all athletes to use drugs if they want to be competitive. Some of these drugs could have negative effects down the road. I don't think someone should be forced to take drugs to be competitive. BUT, that being said, fck it and remove the testing. I don't really care as a fan and I want to see sub-9 100s, sub 40-400s, and 800m mirror marathon times.

Nobody but mediocre runners give a damn about whether the top sprinters are doping or not. Just like these same mediocre runners love to watch NFL and MBL and couldn't care less about what they inject at night time.

Doping is what makes sprinting fun. Go cry elsewhere.

Why the anger with the IAAF? They banned Gatlin for eight years only for the CAS to reduce the ban to four years. If the IAAF had had their way he would have been unable to compete until last July.

let'emdope wrote:

Nobody but mediocre runners give a damn about whether the top sprinters are doping or not. Just like these same mediocre runners love to watch NFL and MBL and couldn't care less about what they inject at night time.

Doping is what makes sprinting fun. Go cry elsewhere.

Exactly! The decline in popularity of track started long before it was widely known that drugs were prevalent in the sport. Times change, tastes change, get over it.

Don't blame Gatlin or the IAAF.

"Doping is what makes the sport fun"

What exactly about doping makes the sport "fun?" Is it fun to always wonder who is clean and who isn't? Is it fun for the harder working, naturally faster runners get beaten and lose money to athletes like Gatlin who have no moral compass and will do anything to win? Is it fun to knowingly watch people destroy their bodies with drugs in order to run faster and beat the competition? Is it fun having to take away medals years after the race is over because someone cheated? Obviously drugs make runners faster. I don't think that faster times=more fun to watch. A 10.0 race at 100m can be just as exciting and fun to watch as a 9.7 race. I always loved track because it is you vs. yourself. You always pushing yourself to improve and get as fast as you can. It shouldn't be you vs. yourself and drugs.

"nobody but mediocre runners give a damn"

Where are you getting this from? How many elite athletes have you polled who care about doping? My bet would be much more of them care about other elites doping rather than hobby joggers who have no financial interest in racing.

I would love nothing more than a Gatlin WR this summer. Nothing of note has happened in athletics since London. This would wake up a few fans.

More likely that Gatlin is cleaner now than Bolt was in 9.58

The first bust was for not sighting a waver form for ADHD medication. He got 2 YEARS just for that. then he actually juiced, and got 4 years (the appropriate ban). The IAAF has looked into the possibility that ped's could have a lasting benefit, and found that after a standard 2 year ban is completed, there are no benefits. The IAAF more aggressively tests former ped offenders and gives them more random tests than non-(former)dopers. Until the rules are changed and lifetime bans are automatic, Gatlin is an amazing athlete.

Hear hear! Gatlin makes me puke every time he opens his mouth. He talks like he's a blemishless virgin standing at the altar when everyone knows he's the village bicycle and shouldn't be allowed to wear white. People can cast aspersions about Bolt all they like (his 200m progression is pretty strong evidence that he's progressed naturally, extrapolate over to 100m and same thing goes) but he hasn't been convicted! Gatlin will never have my respect if he wins gold at the next ten olympics.

Take a lesson lpd, some trolls actually can be funny....

I'm not going to defend his actions.

I am going to question yours' in a moment.

First, we have a system of punishments and then a "redo," as long as we have that, so it goes. I am, again, for Life time bans for first time positives, with triple samples and solid chain of custody plans.

Now, as far as all this people yelling "this person or that person is a liar and a cheater..."

Well judging by the baseline behavior of this board. And little things like the statistics around humans and lying. (The average human lies 4 times every 2.5 minutes, via shaving the truth, spinning, leaving things out to outright lies.)

What is it the bible followers say? "Let he (or she) who is without sin, cast the first stone."

OR, in practical terms, stop bitching and whining on this useless message board and write to the organizations that can actually make change.

The Blojo's make a great pretense of being anti-drug, and then joke that they are both dopers because they used caffeine before races (probably at a time when caffeine was illegal for sports use/ a PED).

And when I've asked them to create an Anti-Doping resource page for fans, they make a lame excuse for not doing it. Well, USATF has one, why can't "vaunted" (well, sell-stroking, self vaunted, LRC" do something that would probably take their sherpa 2 hours work?????

The fans like you could have easy one stop shopping to write governing bodies, shoe companies and get your opinion out there to someone who might have some influence.

I remember 3 things I learned from a business mentor as I climbed the ladder from employee to founding exec.

1. On time in business is late. ("Notice how the billionaire that funds you shows up an hour Early for every meeting with you?" "He's there early to make sure he had no traffic problems, to have time to use the restroom, get a coffee, study his notes a final time before the meeting.) Wise.

2. If you have a deadline on a project, set it 3-5-7-14 days before the actual deadline and leave yourself time for review and redo if needed.

3. Take any concerns or complaints to someone who can actually do something about it.

#3 is for fans who don't want a Gatlin back in the "game."

If we're going to complain, let's complain to someone / some organization that we might be able to influence, that might be able to do something about it.

Lastly, based on pure gauging their behavior on this website and off, I am not fully convinced that the Brojo's want to see doping ended, or lifetime bans.

Wittingly, or unwittingly, it seems to me they enjoy more making headlines and rants about it, than truly contributing to something that could end up in lifetime bans.

Where is the fans resource page for fighting doping? "Oh, we give up because we don't think fans can have a say..." (Basically what the Brojo's told me in an email. They think you are powerless, so there's no point. Do you think you are, or do you want to be powerless??? Nonetheless, they want to flog "former cheaters" with copy littered with terms like "cheater _______ ______," "doper ______ ______." Which is all fine and good to stir up ire, then they give you Zero Leadership, dear average or new fan, to figure out what you can do."

We never know until we try.

I once wrote a snail mail cold call letter to the CEO of a Fortune 50 company. Specifically, because it was so out of the ordinary in today's world for anyone to do that, I heard from the CEO, AND it ended up in a deal between their giant co., and my tiny startup. The point is, I would have never known had I not had the idea to write an old school business letter, and then the follow through to mail it. Years later, an employ of that huge company, contacted me and said that that letter created a new rule in that old school company, and the rule was named after me! [The rule was that they would now answer every inquiry from any small tech startup that reached out to them, and stop acting like a 900lb Gorilla.] Fun stuff, the message is, we are powerless if we believe and behave as if we are powerless. My equally 900lb billionaire investor was impatient with my approach, and all kudos after the deal was inked.

Ergo, I recommend all fans, true fans, consider themselves stake holders in this sport and take action. If your passion issue is when the other cogent orgs are going to approve (as I believe the IOC has) track athletes wearing 3 additional logos on their uniforms, then figure out whom to write, and write!

If it is lifetime bans, get on a writing campaign for that.

You are only powerless if you believe you are, and it has been my experience that the Brojo's believe you are powerless.

Take action with people who could actually do something about it.

USATF, and internationally, write letters to Kenya's governing body, and Ethiopia's too. You never know...

Enjoy the Sport!

This scene should make you laugh. At the 5 minute 10 second mark, Greene, Boldon and Thompson are thanking their steroid gods...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iHssHveNzw

Gatlin fan deal with it wrote:

The first bust was for not sighting a waver form for ADHD medication. He got 2 YEARS just for that. then he actually juiced, and got 4 years (the appropriate ban). The IAAF has looked into the possibility that ped's could have a lasting benefit, and found that after a standard 2 year ban is completed, there are no benefits. The IAAF more aggressively tests former ped offenders and gives them more random tests than non-(former)dopers. Until the rules are changed and lifetime bans are automatic, Gatlin is an amazing athlete.

Agreed.

What makes me sick is sanctimonious, self-righteous blowhards who prattle on and on about how certain they are of their opinions, but don't seem to concern themselves with with facts and evidence. They substitute their dislike for an athlete or group for actual well-reasoned argument and substantiation of evidence.

I bet that most of the anti-Gatlin sycophants on LRC have never actually looked into the so-called first offense (see here

). And Gatlin served the penalty he was given for his actual first offense - a four year ban is pretty serious.

You can dislike Gatlin that's an opinion but if you want IAAF to change the rules put your focus there.

kod3200 wrote:

“It was a magical night for me. Doha is a great place for me and with that performance I put out a statement. … That was for him (Usain Bolt). I just wanted to go out and put down a good time.”

I hate the smear doping cast over our sport as well; however, you seen to show a lot of love for the Jamaicans when per capita, Jamaica is perhaps the dirtiest country in the world. Also, Gatlin paid a severe penalty for his misdeeds, the only thing worst could have been a life time ban. Would you feel better about things if he was running slow?

kod3200 wrote:

And what happens when Gatlin's drugs finally over power Bolt's hard work and honest efforts?

But earlier, regarding Bolt, you said "(and I'm not saying he's clean, but I'm also not saying he's doping, we really don't know),"

How can say that you don't know if Bolt is clean and then make claim of his honest efforts?

Can't you also say that you don't know if Gatlin is currently on PEDs?

If Bolt turns out to be a better cheater and better liar wouldn't that make your whole point moot?

Gatlin has faced more scrutiny and testing than Bolt has.

Aren't you impressed that someone could be removed from the sport for four years at his very prime and come back to be better than ever while being subjected to more tests than anyone ever?

Gatlin is the American dream of redemption and persistence.

YIKES, somebody needs to get laid...