Do not bother . Pipolio was a denial illusionist Indeed I had showed him Maradona jumping running like a healthy man at WC90 while Pele was barely walking on pitch WC66 (for the law banned anysubstitution) - YET he played DUMP not to swallow the truth
But never tested positive. Never. 300-500 tests and never caught. We only know it now thanks to wiretapping and links with dubious doctors. Tell me, for which club team does the former team doctor of US Postal work nowadays? That is the whole travesty of this drama. It is time that they start to look at tennis, football, soccer whatever. It is halfheartedly regulated/prohibited which results in all sorts of double standards and so on. Are the skulls the most prestigious and competitive events though?
Puck, Lance Armstrong just admitted to having been on doping agents on each of his seven Tour de France wins. I'm surprised you missed it
Lets take a look at the football players who are according to bigsoccer members the top 10 of all-time: 1 Pele 916 - never complicit in anything but Havelange did complain during 1966WC that Brazil was too strictly monitored and tested with regards to doping. He explicitly said this. Result: no issues during 1970WC, no tests or monitoring in the six months before 1970WC and during the WC. Other than this very minor thing, he never was involved or linked with anything. 2 Diego Maradona 883 - tested two times positive, it is proven that Moggi protected him during Napoli years. One time a positive test for ephedrine, the same substance for which Carl Lewis tested positive which almost costed him the Olympic Games. 3 Johan Cruyff 853 - although there is compelling proof that he did not use anything and that his attitude in this matter was even a source of conflict between him and the club and/or team doctor (and had a role in his departure), his Ajax team-mates became complicit in organized doping programmes. I would not bet my wallet for it. 4 Alfredo Di Stefano 786 5 Franz Beckenbauer 747 - admitted usage of blood doping among other things in 1977. Warned in same interview for the dangers and arms-race in football. National team tested positive during 1966WC but positive test never became public by FIFA let alone punished. 6 Ferenc Puskas 719 7 Michel Platini 664 - never suspected of anything but his club Juventus was during his playing days. See Paulo Rossi for example. 8 Garrincha 648 9 Ronaldo 584 - on drugs during childhood years. Possibly the source of his later knee injuries. 10 Zinedine Zidane 560 - was fed with creatine at Juventus in order to let his muscles grow. At Madrid linked with blood bank/doping doctor in Switzerland, in particular before 2006 World Cup. As I said against toni-soprano, I have mixed feelings about Armstrong. On the one hand he was a cheater, blackmailer and a bully. On the other hand he is the typical Texan winner and a cancer survivor who gives people hope.
Maradona also gave the greatest footballing performance of all time while on coke (a debilitating drug), so I don't see why he would need doping during his prime. As for the ephedrine ban in WC94, FIFA later reversed it as a banned substance and it has been alleged that Havelange allowed in only at WC94 to prevent Argentina from winning. As for Armstrong, he became a media legend because he won after surving cancer, the victories are finally declared invalid.
Yes, I don't see him as a criminal. If someone wants to make that case, it makes more sense to mention the ties to the Italian mafia and match fixers. In the end it also boils down to the nature of high end sport. Or as Cruyff, and later Hulshoff, once put it: "Sport at the top level is right-wing. It is you or me. You win or I win. It makes sport simple, interesting and cruel. It does not start with compassion." Also for his high pedaling frequency and because he penetrated into a continental European sport. Imagine an European winning MVP awards in american football.
The match fixing allegations apparently cost Napoli and Maradona at least one Scudetto (87-88) if the rumours are true. If sports are indeed a right-wing proposition, especially soccer with its nationalist subculture, a browbeating victimist like you (no offense intended) will probably not find any happiness following it.
you should have watched his interview with Ophrah earlier lIVE on TV. He admiited using drugs in EVERY contest. There was one time he was tested "positive" ( witnessed with another team mate interview atsame time ) but somehow "they" (committee) got it taken care of = selon his team mate wordings He was NOT so normal: at time he seemed very honest, other time he was like a natural pathetic liar .... I think hye DOPED too much and he was abnomal now
And won one UEFA Cup for them, if the rumours and hints are true. In every post you do nothing else than insulting me. That is only of the last two days. He admitted using but denied that he ever tested positive. Officially he was tested over 300 times at least and never tested positive. It is too easy to see someone suddenly as a pathetic figure while he used to be a hero. It isn't that clear cut. Someone who I see as pathetic is Novak Djokovic who tells blatant lies in front of the camera if he claims that tennis players are more strictly tested and the cleanest athletes in the world. That is really pathetic and suspicious as well. He said "tennis player belong among the cleanest athletes in the world" and "I don't mind to be tested 30 or 40 times in a year", pretending that they take it serious. Only problem is that they don't. In 2011 they executed 21 out of competition tests, including males, females, singles, doubles and wheelchair tennis players.
You're quoting out of context. If Armstrong never tested positive is because he had excellent chemists.
''10 Zinedine Zidane 560 - was fed with creatine at Juventus in order to let his muscles grow. At Madrid linked with blood bank/doping doctor in Switzerland, in particular before 2006 World Cup.'' Correct. He was doped at the World Cup.
Most of it is available on the internet. Few comments: Regarding Pelé I took this info from an article of the largest newspaper over here that discusses how South American countries felt robbed. Havelange is directly and publicly quoted (see previous post for the content of his message). It also mentions internal critique towards Stanley Rous btw (Dutch ref Leo Horn stepped down prematurely because he saw Rous and his Aston as a dictator). During 1970 World Cup an article appeared how everything from four years earlier was forgotten and everything was perfect for the Brazilians. Maradona cases are widely known. It is also known that Moggi protected him until Napoli lost their patience and instigated his fall from grace through a positive test. This is for example mentioned in the books of John Foot among other publications. In the same books you can also find something about 1980s Juventus (in relation to a few players like Rossi but explicitly not Platini). Potential doping at 1970s Ajax is accounted by Jonathan Wilson in English. I personally have the impression that Wilson isn't the biggest Holland fan or Cruyff fan but also physiotherapists have stated this. Wilson argues in my opinion too directly that it was solely built on doping (and neglects even heavier abuses in Italy and Germany with amphetamines and so on). Though, it doesn't necessarily mean that Cruyff took drugs. As Wilson himself notes, the juice was meant for the 'workhorses' (like Juventus?) and Cruyff rarely accepted the authority and expertise of the doctors and therapists. Beckenbauer did his testimony in 1977 in the magazine Stern. This is also widely mentioned on the internet, even on wikipedia. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Beckenbauer#Dopage Rarely mentioned are his motives for doing so. I saw the original interview and he simply warns for the dangers. He saw it as his responsibility to speak out. Story about hided positive tests by FIFA during 1966WC was revealed by Der Spiegel, a year ago. Article mentions classified letters, notices etcetera. Ronaldo story should sound familiar to you. Various biographies have said this and this is independently confirmed by people belonging to PSV, Barcelona and Internazionale. Even an Italian documentary made by Gazzetta mentions this. Zidane story regarding Switzerland was initially written by newspaper LeMonde. Zidane later admitted that it was true. Is also on internet.
Anyhow, my initial thought/argument was that various sports apply various standards, On top of that, a grey area exists between cheating and not cheating. Various levels of cheating also exist. That is why, in particular in a cross-sports comparison, it is often too easy to castigate and totally burn down someone. If I'm correct, also tonisoprano made that point regarding Armstrong. To be honest, someone like Djokovic with his moral high ground while tennis saw 21 out of competition tests in 2011 tends to make me more furious.
You asked for sources. I posted them. Here you have another one, if you insist http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...s-Operation-Puerto-scandal-goes-on-trial.html
Puck, the whole sport of cycling is dirty with doping. Doesn't mean all top athletes in other sports also are.
Really? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ims-drug-use-occurred-club.html#axzz2Jw2JG5kB http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1326605/ex-real-sociedad-chief-in-doping-claim?cc=5739
There is someone who is a greater champion than both Pele and Michael Jordan. His name is Kelly Slater: youngest to ever win a world title, oldest to ever win a world title, and has the most title wins in history with 11. The next greatest amounts of world titles is Mark Richards with 4. He is the healthiest person alive, doesn't consume alcohol or drugs and eats very healthy foods, low in glycemic index.
That's a niche sport that requires a level of dedication and courage that is arguably greater than in other sports such as basketball and soccer. Something has to be said for being the undisputed, unequivocally greatest of all time at what you do too (and what you do is exceptionally difficult). I don't know that there is such an athlete in any traditionally 'popular' sport.