Drug Testing?
- Thread starter CrownCityCorey
- Start date
I think we should separate out recreational use and performance enhancement use.CrownCityCorey said:
What percentage of players in the WPC do you think were taking enhancement drugs to play? My guess is less than 5%.
Maybe in US tournies the figures are higher. I don't believe it is common in snooker.
What are your estimates and what are they taking?
CrownCityCorey said:You know who Jimmy, he came & played Bryce in AZ a few years back.
The drugs they should look for are the illegal and prescription ones. If you have prescription ones in your system, then you must provide a legitimate medical reason (doctor's note) for it. If not, bye, bye
Yeah. I know who it is. It was the same story here. He was visibly on something but his chemical mixture must have not been right because he played terrible that day.
BRKNRUN said:So when was the last time you felt like you were playing a player that was "on" (something)???.....I will guess 2 years...
I've engaged in a little chemical warfare on more than one occasion, but I don't know when the last time was. Honestly, I don't pay too much attention unless it's visibly obvious.
Do pro golfers or poker players have to submit to testing? Seems Daly made comments some years back saying guys would come up dirty. I don't think they test, but honestly don't know for sure.
I threw in poker because in most sports, steroids is without question the biggest problem. Steroids give almost everyone more speed, power,etc...
Seems to me, no drug in the world will make someone consistently play better pool in a tournement format with anywhere near the effect of steroids in games like baseball or football. Pool seems closer to poker than football. Its athletic but not power based- who's going to take steroids so they can break harder?
Seems people want Olympic committee rules around here. What about caffeine, using asthma inhalers, being on cold medicine? How far are people suggesting they go with this? I can see the illegal drugs thing, but what if someone has a prescription for an adrenaline blocker?
***I think someone said there was a max .04 alcohol stipulation in the testing process the IPT wants, Jimmy, is why someone posted the ladies partying it up.
I threw in poker because in most sports, steroids is without question the biggest problem. Steroids give almost everyone more speed, power,etc...
Seems to me, no drug in the world will make someone consistently play better pool in a tournement format with anywhere near the effect of steroids in games like baseball or football. Pool seems closer to poker than football. Its athletic but not power based- who's going to take steroids so they can break harder?
Seems people want Olympic committee rules around here. What about caffeine, using asthma inhalers, being on cold medicine? How far are people suggesting they go with this? I can see the illegal drugs thing, but what if someone has a prescription for an adrenaline blocker?
***I think someone said there was a max .04 alcohol stipulation in the testing process the IPT wants, Jimmy, is why someone posted the ladies partying it up.
Drug users on TV.
I dont think it would be good for the sport to have all these pool players bouncing off the walls on black beuties; or to have them comatos in their chairs junked out. Also it wouldnt be good for a player to be falling down drunk, cursing his opponent.
BUT... there are only 150 people. They were hand selected. It would be pretty easy to spot the abusers in the crowd.
Personally I dont think they should drug test for anything, because what you do in your own private life is your business, and no one elses. Anyone read "Banking with the Beard" the part about the junkie; they would make him clean up before taking him on the road. He wasnt junked out while playing... because he knew he couldnt play as well.
I dont think there is a problem with anyone that was picked... none of these guys are hopped up on oxycontins or beta blockers. But if they are, and they can do it without being noticed... they will never play as consistant as those who are not. The cream WILL rise.
I dont think it would be good for the sport to have all these pool players bouncing off the walls on black beuties; or to have them comatos in their chairs junked out. Also it wouldnt be good for a player to be falling down drunk, cursing his opponent.
BUT... there are only 150 people. They were hand selected. It would be pretty easy to spot the abusers in the crowd.
Personally I dont think they should drug test for anything, because what you do in your own private life is your business, and no one elses. Anyone read "Banking with the Beard" the part about the junkie; they would make him clean up before taking him on the road. He wasnt junked out while playing... because he knew he couldnt play as well.
I dont think there is a problem with anyone that was picked... none of these guys are hopped up on oxycontins or beta blockers. But if they are, and they can do it without being noticed... they will never play as consistant as those who are not. The cream WILL rise.
bud green said:
Ahh, well, that would probably never happen. That sounds more like something someone made up to exaggerate the extent of drug testing. Basically, what I'm pretty sure Corey was talking about when he started the thread was illegal and illegally obtained prescription drugs.
Drug testing to play pool? Why not? I piss in a bottle once a week for this fine government, ya just get used to it when you have to do it. The people that got selected should be taking this serious because there's plenty of guys waiting in the wings to get a spot to have a chance to make that kind of money. (My avatar is just a joke, please don't take it serious)
Blackjack said:
I already stated that the IOC empowering international federations like the WCBS actually prevents sports entrepreneurs from getting involved in sports. Traditional Olympic sports have almost entirely been choked out of reaching their potential. Athletics, gymnastics, swimming and dozens of others.
It has been non-olympic sports such as tennis, golf, F1, pro-wrestling, soccer etc that have thrived and the IOC has been trying to some of them back on board to gain credibility.
Centralized, government protected governing bodies are assured to stifle development. Just as centralization and government protected monopolies in idustry lead to poor products and services.
I met Michael Payne, former marketing director of the IOC a few months ago, the guy is credited as having played a major role in saving the IOC from its likely demise before 1984, and gained some more insights into the IOC that convinced me the organization is not a good platform for sports seeking to become high profile successful sports.
He is now with F1 as Bernie Ecclestone's right hand man.
Show me some cases of sports that have become successful after they have joined the olympics, then you may have a case study worth comparing and considering.
Some facts:
1. WPA is not inviting cooperation, they are charging a hefty fee.
2. Billiards is not likely to be included in the Olympics before 2016 at the earliest and you'd even get good odds it won't be included in the next 20 years.
3. By joining the WPA, the IPT would have limitations placed on their decision making process. Interferences and pressures that may not suit their interests in development. So yes, KT does have something to lose out of cooperating with the WPA.
Are you also a big fan of the EU and empowering the centralized US Federeal Government? The economics are basically the same.
I guess its a good sign that someone is willing to spend more money on testing for drugs (150 players times 200 per test = 30K) than most pro events in the US have in their prize fund. Reno is next month at the Sands; first is what, $12K ?
The cheap drug test ($20) doesn't test for anything other than a few illicit drugs. Illegal prescription drugs and anything other than speed,thc,coke,etc... is usually done on a Gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer and tests like that start to get expensive quick.
Did I mention that when the column gets dirty or contaminated you get things like trailing peaks and other errors that can give you erroneous results? Might only happen 1 in 10,000 but if its you, too bad.
Hey Jimmy! the test that can trace back the farthest is a hair sample test. My friend ended up shaving his head they took so much hair for the test (so he could work for Frito-Lay chips). My question is, what hairs are you going to give them in that case?
Once players start getting paid big $$, they probably won't think testing is that big a deal. If they asked players to test for the money that's out there now, they'd tell them to get ****ed most likely.
The cheap drug test ($20) doesn't test for anything other than a few illicit drugs. Illegal prescription drugs and anything other than speed,thc,coke,etc... is usually done on a Gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer and tests like that start to get expensive quick.
Did I mention that when the column gets dirty or contaminated you get things like trailing peaks and other errors that can give you erroneous results? Might only happen 1 in 10,000 but if its you, too bad.
Hey Jimmy! the test that can trace back the farthest is a hair sample test. My friend ended up shaving his head they took so much hair for the test (so he could work for Frito-Lay chips). My question is, what hairs are you going to give them in that case?
Once players start getting paid big $$, they probably won't think testing is that big a deal. If they asked players to test for the money that's out there now, they'd tell them to get ****ed most likely.
It's happened to me 3 times in less than 3 years of testing. All 3 times it came out positive in the bottle for thc, but after going to the lab and being tested, came back negative. Up until just 5 weeks ago, all of my tests were sent to the lab because they always come out positive for opiates because I take vicodin and finally the government figured out that I don't take anything else that fits into the opiate category. As far as how much these tests cost? I have no idea, they pay for my testing.bud green said:
While I am for testing, they need clear guidelines.
In the mean time, don't eat too many poppyseed bagles!
In the mean time, don't eat too many poppyseed bagles!
Jimmy M. said:LOL! Looking for something to try?
Desoxyn (or "desi's", as the pills are referred to as) was real popular. Take two of those and call me in the morning. Let me know how you did in the weekly tournament.
I had one player that I won't name tell me that he "won't go into the box without a 'desi'". Yeah, there are no problems. lol.
Desoxyn is methamphetamene, right? I don't do that. Caffeine is my limit on speed, via coffee and chocolate. The govt forces that crap on innocent children, but I'm not a child so I'm not forced to use it. With my attitude though, it may not be long before they're jamming it down my throat.
Twice now, I've been labeled as saying there are no drug use/abuse problems in pro pool. My posts used the word, "if" before, as in "if there are no problems..." and was followed with a question. OK on that?
Thanks to all who pointed out problems with pro players' drug use.
Jeff Livingston
CrownCityCorey said:(snip)
The drugs they should look for are the illegal and prescription ones. If you have prescription ones in your system, then you must provide a legitimate medical reason (doctor's note) for it. If not, bye, bye
See, this is the direction it goes and this is one of my main reasons for being against drug-testing. You are basically saying that the pool industry should be DEA agents. When the War On (some) Drugs has been shown to be a complete and utter failure for its 40+ year history, why advocate becoming a part of that farce?
Private organizations can require tests to do business with them if they want, but the costs (and I don't mean just dollars) can be higher than they know, what with lost opportunities, etc. I would never go to work for someone who made me piss in a cup and it would be his loss as I'm a good, proven worker. Now if the boss lets me look in his wife's underwear drawer, I might pee for him as a trade.
Jeff Livingston
Gabber
Banned
chefjeff said:How do we know you haven't been beating your wife if you won't let us see her?
Jeff Livingston
We could have her examined/tested?
Do you remember Ben Johnston?
How would you feel if you had trained everyday for 8/15 years to be the best and just when you are about to achieve that goal ,some guy who is CHEATING [ full of drugs] pips you on the post?
Is that ok with you?
Do you agree with that?
Look at the recent Baseball drug scandals. The sport is AWASH with players on steroids and G-d knows what and they dont want to do anything about it. Are they the kind of hero's that you want your kids to look up to? Any kid? I dont think so.
If KT is really serious about changing the face of pool, the players have to be clean. Thats probably one of the reasons why he doesnt want to work with the other pool orginisations - too many conditions.
Last year, R. Ferdinand, top player for Man U and England was suspended for 9 months!!!!! just because he MISSED a drug test [ BTW it was between seasons!] He never proved positive for any banned substance.
Gabber