Thiago Silva Admits Cheating on UFC 125 Drug Test
by Nate Wilcox on Mar 30, 2011 7:32 PM EDT
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Yesterday Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer filed a complaint alleging that the urine sample submitted by Thiago Silva at UFC 125 was "inconsistent with human urine". Silva took a decision win over Brandon Vera in that event which has since been overturned due to Silva's drug test failure.
Today Silva took to the UG and fessed up:
We make decisions every day of our lives. Some are good and some are bad. When you make abad decision, you can either make the situation worse by trying to cover it up or lie about it or just stick your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it even happened or you can own up to it with an honest explanation, accept the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people affected by it, learn from it and move on. I'm choosing the second option.
I used a urine adulterant when giving a sample following my fight with Brandon Vera. I did so in an attempt to alter the results of the test and knowingly broke the rules of the Nevada Athletic Commission. This was a terrible decision on my part for which I will be punished. I am prepared to accept this punishment, learn from it and move on. I apologize to the Commission, the UFC,Brandon Vera and the MMA fans.
I do want to explain the circumstances behind my actions. Please do not interpret this as an attempt to justify my actions. I know they were wrong and I know I made bad decisions and I know I deserve to be punished. That is why I began my statement with an admission and an apology before going into these details. This is not an excuse, only an explanation.
I had been tested on five prior occasions while fighting for the UFC before the Brandon Vera fight. Four of the tests were urine only and one included a blood sample as well in New Jersey the day before the fight. I passed each of those tests. I suffered a severe back injury shortly before theRashad Evans fight. It was the biggest fight of my career and there was no way I was going to pull out of it. I fought and lost and was out of action for a year rehabilitating the injury and getting ready to fight again.
I reinjured my back 45 days before the fight with Brandon Vera. After not fighting for a year, I made the decision to not pull out of the fight. I also decided that the only way I could continue with the fight was to take injections in my back and spine that contained substances prohibited by the Nevada Athletic Commission. I also made the decision to use a product to hide the presence of these substances in a urine test.
These decisions were mine and mine alone. I did not share this information with anyone prior to the fight for fear that I wouldnot be allowed to fight. I obviously made a terrible decision. I have since learned that it may have even been possible to fight had I been open and honest and disclosed the injury and treatment prior to the fight. I also realize that not being allowed to fight as a result of the treatment would have been a better result than the mess into which I have now gotten myself.
Again, I take full responsibility for making the decision to break the rules and try to cheat the system. I will accept the punishment I receive and will learn from this. I plan to come back as a better person and professional as a result."
If Silva is telling the truth, and I have no reason to doubt him, this is another example of the rules distorting the game. The purpose of performance enhancing drug testing is to prevent athletes from gaining an unfair and dangerous advantage by using drugs to improve their performance. In this case Silva's misunderstanding of the PED testing regime simply became a barrier between a fighter and needed health care.
HT BE reader MMA Buffet
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"No Contest" seems like an apt description of that fight.
by CaptnAmerca on Mar 30, 2011 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
So technically it was performance enhancing....for the sake of making it so he didn't fall apart on the way to the cage
And not so that he would have the power of Super Hulk during the fight. Branden Vera’s foot is in his mouth up to the hip…
You know Joe, Brandon Vera is considered to be a Heavyweight George St.Pierre because he just comes, comes, and comes again... -Mike Goldberg, UFC 57
Cheick Kongo looks like a cross between Evander Holyfield and pop singer Seal!
Melvin Guilard looks like a little Kevin Randelman!
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Well,
we don’t know whether this is true or not. Thiago could’ve been 100% and used steroids just for the performance edge. He actually played his cards very well here, great job by Silva’s management.
At any rate, I don’t have a huge problem with PED’s anyways, so I say carry on. The fight will rightfully be made into a NC.
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by ElliotMatheny on Mar 30, 2011 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Come on Thiago
Smh I’m disappointed
by rscott94 on Mar 30, 2011 1:16 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Where is the misunderstanding?
That seems like you are siding with Silva… he knew what he did was wrong but did it anyways. There was no misunderstanding from what I am reading.
Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.
here
I have since learned that it may have even been possible to fight had I been open and honest and disclosed the injury and treatment prior to the fight.
try reading
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
its still blows me away
that people will demand answers to a post that contains the answers they require
even a gynecologist from the 1500s would say thats the worst thing he has ever seen…
Jonny Bench called.
by Sterling Archer on Mar 30, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
At first, I cringed...
then I realized there probably weren’t gynecologists back then, and went back to finishing my lunch.
Oh, there were
Just not professionals.
Which leads me to the nasty thought ever:
A homeless woman’s vajayjay. Not just the smell, the taste.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
you...
i like you
Jonny Bench called.
by Sterling Archer on Mar 30, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
1700s
hows your tuna fish sandwich?
Jonny Bench called.
by Sterling Archer on Mar 30, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
sombody reads wwtdd.com
"Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong." - Dennis Miller
by djganesh on Mar 30, 2011 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Are you a DJ
Classic misdirection
Jonny Bench called.
by Sterling Archer on Mar 30, 2011 2:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Not to rain on the parade
But gynecologists from the 1500’s were called ‘midwives’.
That's not misunderstanding, it's willful ignorance
If Thiago didn’t understand how his medical treatment might run afoul of PED testing, he had the ability to find out. He chose not to be honest because he was afraid the reply would be “sorry, you can’t fight”. That would suck but it’s a recognized danger of being a professional fighter. You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
Thiago may have misunderstood the PED rules but he compounded a possibly innocent mistake with the very deliberate mistake of substituting his own judgment for that of the Nevada Athletic Commission. There’s no fucking way to spin that right.
If the system is broken then fix it. But if you agreed to be bound by certain rules you don’t get to unilaterally change them 45 days before the fight just because you really, really want to.
And then there’s the bit where he continued to lie about it until he was absolutely, unquestionably caught. Sorry, I don’t give much credit for coming clean after it’s certain that you’re going to be punished anyway.
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
I will admit that the system sucks
If Thiago misses the fight then he doesn’t get paid and all the time and money invested in his training camp is for nothing. Them’s the breaks when you’re an “independent contractor”.
Obviously he wasn’t confident that anyone would take care of him if he did the right thing and got screwed because of it.
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
He's not saying he didn't know he'd get in trouble.
He’s saying that he didn’t know there was a way to treat himself without getting in trouble.
He thought he was forced to choose between fighting illegally and not fighting, so he chose to fight illegally. In fact (as he now points out), he had a third option of which he claims he was unaware.
Based on his account, his motives were less malice and more desperation.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
Based on his account, yes.
But using perspective from a Third-party account? I would lean towards him not being completely honest and having time to come up with a strategy where he takes the least hit, PR wise. The more believable story, the less doubt. Obviously I don’t know him personally but my opinion of his character wasn’t that of a white knight to begin with. I just think siding with him on this one right away is a little reckless.
Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.
I did read the article
And it sounds like you believe that he didn’t willfully cheat the system. Again, where is the misunderstanding? Unless you are believing someone who got caught cheating? Try not being snarky and explaining your position instead. Honestly.
Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.
he tried to cheat
because he misunderstood the rules. He used a masking agent to conceal drug usage that likely would have been approved by the commission.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
In this case Silva’s misunderstanding of the PED testing regime simply became a barrier between a fighter and needed health care.
There was no misunderstanding. If Thiago didn’t know what he did was against the rules he wouldn’t have used the adulterant at all.
Well, he didn’t understand that he’d get caught with fake piss. That’s misunderstanding the PED testing regime.
by Shnak on Mar 30, 2011 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i think it could have been worded different than misunderstanding. Thiago was hurt and didn’t want to miss “work”, it happens all the time and people bend the rules so they can continue work. I don’t believe that Thiago was using any performance enhancing substance, it was as stated, he just needed proper medical attention.
see above
Thiago found out later he possibly could have disclosed the injury and treatment and still fought.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
But that isn’t a misunderstanding to me…that is taking the easy way out. He could have researched what was allowed, he could have reported it as soon as it happened to the NSAC had them tell him if he could continue with the treatment and fight or not, he could have done a million things to find out sooner….but he chose to try to cover it up and get away with it.
by rtwil on Mar 30, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Yeah, that's exactly what he's admitting to.
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
Not justifying it at all, but you get desperate. I can at least sympathize with the man’s desperation, needing to fight, to not lose money, etc.
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Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but...
you appear to be laying the fault of any misunderstanding at the feet of the commission rather than where it belongs: with the fighter.
by skeebop on Mar 30, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
no
I’m not interested in the blame game.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
by Nate Wilcox on Mar 30, 2011 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'll rec that
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
It's not about blame
It’s about responsibility.
Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.
it's about a stupid rule set
with a completely impotent enforcement regime that is penalizing Silva for getting necessary medical care.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
This is all predicated on believing him though…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly
this could all be a front to gain him sympathy. it seems to be working pretty good too.
by steak_knife on Mar 31, 2011 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm disappointed
that we didn’t get some convoluted, BS excuse that we normally get in these situations. This explanation seems reasonable enough. We all make mistakes and at least he’s owning up to it. Of course, he did need to get caught first…
yeah
it’s more of a “ok, you got me”, his previous position was “I’m not worried since I didn’t do anything wrong”
business as usual
Exactly
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
We need comparison pics
Thiago fighting Brandon Vera looked huge, he’s always been pretty jacked but he looked a lot bigger than he did in his last fights.
I’m going to say that there may have been a back injury but he then treated it with a healthy dose of vitamin S
what?
We don’t know what he took or why. What would comparison pics tell you? PED does not necessarily equal whatever Hollywood conception of steroids you’re thinking of.
by ruckus on Mar 30, 2011 1:23 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
hahahahaha @ ruckus...
Guy…. if you believe his “oh poor me and my back story” then so be it. I guarantee you thats not the 100% truth. Half the fighters are on PEDs in order to perform better, look better, get more money, and get the W against their opponent. End of story.
A lot of people dont realize that if you look better you are more marketable. Also if you win a lot you are more marketable. PEDs do this. a TON of fighters take these in order to achieve these examples. Its no secret. Obviously PEDs also help you recover from injury but I mean come on…. Silva has been on PEDs prob for a number of years at this point. Not a big deal.
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by DJ Pullout on Mar 30, 2011 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
whats not helping SIlva's case is his stance on the whole thing.
At first he was all “Whatever I didnt do anything wrong so Im not worried about it”
Now he’s all “Yeah I know I did this so Ill fess up now that you caught me.”
I mean come on.
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wow... nothing but conjecture in that post
I didn’t make any of the statements that you’re arguing against so I’m going to ignore the actual content of your comment.
But, I did want to point out that your sig is 6 lines long and includes your AIM name.
6 lines of pure PED power....lol
www.facebook.com/djpullout
www.twitter.com/djpullout
www.myspace.com/djpullout
www.djpullout.com
AIM = djpullout
info@djpullout.com
uh
that’s not funny.
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
by Chris Hall on Mar 30, 2011 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thiago Silva
Has a well documented back injury that has caused him to pull out of fights. If what he says is true, it was glucocorticosteroids (like cortisone) and not any sort of PED. If.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
You seem really well versed in a lot of this stuff Ronin
Out of curiosity, how do you know so much about it?
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
I am an SC Coach, although private these days and just a few hours a week. I got into all of the endocrinology end of things originally years ago trying to sort out fact from fiction for guys who were using or planning to use various forms of gear (never supplied or even referred, but advised when asked) – there is an incredible amount of bad info out there, ranging from misinformation or disinformation to total bullshit, even among the highest levels of athletes and trainers as well as doctors, believe it or not.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 31, 2011 8:46 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Thanks man
I’ve seen you speak intelligently on here on the subject many times so I was just curious. Great to have someone on here that knows his stuff and can give some depth and context on these issues when they come up.
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
This might be the best Roid confession we've had in pro sports
Certainly one of the most articulate and a thousand times better than “I’m not here to talk about the past”.
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Mar 30, 2011 1:20 PM EDT reply actions 12 recs
This is hardly a confession
When they tested his first sample he said “My blood is clean”
He had months to fess up.
by Hashmo on Mar 30, 2011 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I doubt he took steroids
I’m pretty sure they don’t inject those in the back. I’m guessing it is some sort of pain killers.
Glucocorticosteroids are, not AAS
And they are in no way anabolic or performance enhancing in and of themselves.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
What Thiago did is by definition a performance enhancer. Artificially healing an injury that wouldnt have healed otherwise is, by textbook definition, artificially enhancing his performance. Who is to say Vera didnt have nagging injuries through his training that he DIDNT treat with banned substances? Wouldnt that be a classic example of a fighter using banned substances to gain an artificial edge?
If you are looking at it that broadly,
then so are lidocaine direct injections, NSAIDs, whirlpool soaks, ice wraps, massages and everything else used to heal or work around injuries. Being effectively injury free, by whatever means =/= taking a true PED that allows you to be more than possible naturally.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Catabolic steroids are the glucocorticosteroids. Or more accurately, glucocorticosteroids are catabolic. They both inhibit protein synthesis and cause protein breakdown in skeletal muscle tissue.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Thought so, wasn't sure
What is the main benefit cheaters draw from it?
To my knowledge, CS make the user more intense, stronger and more focused. But counter-intuitively, they reduce muscle size. They also make give you help give you super human endurance and resist sleepiness.
Is this true?
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
The main benefit is their outstanding anti-inflammatory properties. A single deep IM injection of something like Depo-Medrol will greatly decrease inflammation for up to 3 months. I have had a direct injection into my knee and the swelling went from looking like a softball to essentially normal within 2 days.
The problems are multi-faceted though. They are extremely effective and have probably done more for prolonging the collective careers of pro athletes in general than anything else, but they are very tricky to use.
For starters, they are catabolic, but they also lead to degradation of connective tissue when directly injected repeatedly. You build up a considerable resistance to their benefits rather easily, and when used as a general medicine (not directly injected anywhere) they can really screw up your endocrine and immune systems.
I honestly can’t see any performance enhancement, other than the removal of swelling/inflammation related injury constraints. When I received mine IV in addition to the direct injection, my doctor tried to give me an RX for Ambien, telling me that I might not be able to sleep well the first few days, but I never noticed that personally.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the thorough answer
Its kind of confusing, because all cyclists dope. No one says why.
One thing I know for sure, cyclists are much much skinnier when competing.
Maybe they take them to cause atrophy but maintain or increase strength due to adrenaline and other hormonal factors.
I also imagine that they are taking designer catabolics or at least very specific and effective compounds.
I’ve read that CS can cause almost manic states, which seems would be ideal for racing 300 miles on a bike as fast as humanly possible.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
I have never worked with any cyclists, but by reputation they are on the cutting edge of sketchy endurance enhancing drugs. Analogs of EPO and blood doping are almost requirements to even compete if they are to be believed.
I’ll have to ask around about the benefits of catabolic drugs on performance you mentioned as I can’t recall ever hearing anyone talk about them doing that. Of course, everyone who has openly mentioned using them are using for injury-related reasons.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
From what I've gathered
They cheat all across the board.
EPO’s, blood doping, AAS, CS, amphetamines. You name it.
Sadly, like you said, it is a necessity to even compete.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
Maybe using all those endurance-enhancers...
requires catabolics to relieve damage done to the body? Complete uneducated speculation on my part here.
"With gold thou boughtest Gýmir's daughter,
and so gavest away thy sword:
but when Muspell's sons through the dark forest ride,
thou, unhappy, wilt not have wherewith to fight."
~ Lokasenna
It’s pretty late though, and that undercuts the credibility of his story. I’m not killing him over it, but there’s no way to know what he was taking, or how bad the injury was. Anyway. Suspension, overturn the fight, give the win bonus to Vera, move on.
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Mar 30, 2011 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i mean obviously
he still had to sign off on it and probably asked for a word or two revision. I’m not giving him all the credit, but it is inf better than a lot of the other nonsense we’ve had to endure.
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Mar 30, 2011 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
ah come on
you shouldn’t give him any credit for that letter, but you may give him credit for being sorry (if you buy that excuse). I mean, I can’t see Thiago proof reading that and asked for a a word or two revision, have you heard the man speak in English? He could have wrote that in Portuguese and asked someone to translate it, but even then it’s safer to assume this is just a PR move by his management to save face, which is more than common in show biz. Sure, he may have asked someone to write it for him, or he may have been approached by someone with the text written but there is no way he wrote that.
business as usual
thats what i said!
stop arguing with me by agreeing with me!
http://mixedmartialartsblogger.wordpress.com/
by Cory Braiterman on Mar 30, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
No Orcus, you're just awesome
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
In fairness to McGwire, the purpose of that congressional hearing was explicitly not to talk about the past.
That everyone there wanted to do it doesn’t make it wrong from Mark to have wanted to stay on topic.
I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.
The Giambi
“Ya I took em. I took em to cheat and get better. Ya know, hit the ball harder cuz I’m bigger.”
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
no way silva wrote that.
That dude can barley speak English his manager prob. hired some P.R. goon. If Thiago took steroids then he is a huge d bag because he was acting like a disrespectful jerk in that fight. I hope he is telling the truth in his P.R. politician apology.
"Cry in the dojo. Laugh on the battlefield"
by lawdawgfightcrew on Mar 30, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
or the Jason Giambi apology.
you know, the one where he couldn’t talk about what he was apologizing for, but did it anyway?
by Victor Rodriguez on Mar 30, 2011 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I completely disagree with this:
The purpose of performance enhancing drug testing is to prevent athletes from gaining an unfair and dangerous advantage by using drugs to improve their performance. In this case Silva’s misunderstanding of the PED testing regime simply became a barrier between a fighter and needed health care.
Say Fighter A gets injured during his camp, but goes through it, fights anyways and loses, maybe because he’s not up to his full abilities. Fighter B decides to take something illegal to help him through it, and wins. No matter what Fighter B took, it helped him win. That shouldn’t be allowed.
The only thing Thiago Silva should’ve done here was to do like everyone else who gets injured during a fight, pull out and take the time to get better.
by Shnak on Mar 30, 2011 1:22 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs
Yeah, I guess...
I’m misunderstanding Nate’s logic in that response. Silva cheated and admitted to it.
I disagree with this:
The only thing Thiago Silva should’ve done here was to do like everyone else who gets injured during a fight, pull out and take the time to get better.
We saw it with Sonnen. It is not the only thing, why not approach the commission, reveal the issues and be advised what would be legal to use to relieve the pain? Why the hiding?
Sure. But let’s assume that there was nothing he could do legally to help his back heal in time. If there was something legal he could’ve done instead, he would have to be pretty stupid to do what he did here, wouldn’t he?
And that wasn't stupid?
Being honest is not stupid, and I’m sure there are different treatments the commission would advise him he took the easy way out.
there's nothing illegal about receiving a prescription treatment from a doctor
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by Nate Wilcox on Mar 30, 2011 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Exactly
What’s illegal (or disallowed) is to have those treatments in your system when you fight.
Someone clearly told Silva that just admitting it was his best bet.
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by Derek Suboticki on Mar 30, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
He did it even thought he knew (or he thought he knew, same thing in this case) it was illegal.
by Shnak on Mar 30, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
True, but
its only allowable under WADA (all major ACs use their Prohibited List) with the proper TUEC.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
There is nothing illegal, but when those treaments are banned and your opponent may not have the benefit of those same treatments for HIS injuries sustained in training, then it is cheating.
There is no excuse
for not going through the proper channels to have it approved, especially something like this that would be a lay-up, unless he feared he would not be allowed to compete due to the severity of the injury itself.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Who said he got it from a doctor
by disinferno06 on Mar 30, 2011 3:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
we do need to remember
there is a difference between a substance that is illegal and something that is banned by an athletic commission. we still don’t know what he took, or what the effects of it may be. it could have been some cortisone or some shit.
that being said, if he was going to cheat he could have at least used HUMAN piss. he could buy some kid’s piss from a Day Care center like on The Wire. didn’t anyone learn anything from that show?
by Victor Rodriguez on Mar 30, 2011 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Nate is crazy on this one. The fact that this treatment may not have increased Thiago’s bench press by 75 lbs doesnt mean it isnt a performance enhancer. It enabled him to fight in a manner that he would not have been capable without the banned substances. Look up “performance enhancement” in the dictionary and you will see a pic of………well, that.
by Hutchy on Mar 30, 2011 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
not really
you’d get a picture of the 1988 Oakland Raiders.
by Victor Rodriguez on Mar 30, 2011 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
How does the ADA tie into this?
Could the back injury be considered a temporary disability under the ADA? If so, are the athletic commission’s rules preventing him from working while receiving treatment a violation of the ADA?
There is a protocol in place for AC approval, it just was not used.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Well I do sort of appreciate the full on ownership of this mess, but it doesn’t help his case that he waited it out this long. He really thought fake urine was the way to go? Always better for a public figure to just out themselves completely and fall on the mercy of public opinion. Pretty foolish of him to go to these ridiculous lengths without actually talking to anyone about the situation. Punish him with a few months suspension and let’s move on.
What's this war in the heart of nature? Why does nature vie with itself? The land contend with the sea? Is there an avenging power in nature? Not one power, but two?
by Kwisatz Haderach on Mar 30, 2011 1:23 PM EDT reply actions
...
"Honour is like virginity, it can only be used once." - G. Clemenceau
by Firm1 on Mar 30, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 10 recs
sooooooooooorrrrry
You know Joe, Brandon Vera is considered to be a Heavyweight George St.Pierre because he just comes, comes, and comes again... -Mike Goldberg, UFC 57
Cheick Kongo looks like a cross between Evander Holyfield and pop singer Seal!
Melvin Guilard looks like a little Kevin Randelman!
-Mike "All black people look alike to me" Goldberg, UFC 62/64
Mark McGwire says
“you’re doing it wrong”
As cynical as I could get over this, at least the man gave a nice apology. Obviously he tried to lie to hide it, but at least when he got caught he didn’t invent a spanish version of himself to blame.
Carlos Sonnen approves of this post.
by Snake_Pliskan on Mar 30, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
he'll probably get a worse punishment than he'd have gotten if he continued to deny it or made a defense for it though
a la Chael Sonnen and Sean Sherk.
business as usual
i really, really hope not
people who make these admissions should not be punished. i am so tired of lies from athletes.
mind you, i don’t really love carefully tailored confessions either (think, say, of a-rod’s confession).
but bullshitters should not be rewarded.
I agree that bullshitters should not be rewarded
and that happens a lot, but I think all of them should be punished, the ones who confesses included.
business as usual
when i said
“people who make these admissions”
i meant, as compared to people who don’t make them. they should be punished for cheating, but not for confession to cheating, if you see what i mean.
He’s a bigger man to admit his mistake as opposed to Sonnen
by devious1 on Mar 30, 2011 1:28 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Chael’s tiny balls do not approve of your post.
by Snake_Pliskan on Mar 30, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
2 months ago...
http://www.tatame.com.br/2011/02/10/Thiago-Silva-nega-possivel-doping-no-UFC
Thiago Silva – “Looks like (the NSAC) did two tests, one was positive and the other negative. My blood is clean, I’m calm, took nothing.”
What he meant was
“my blood is clean. Well, the blood I gave them was.”
"Honour is like virginity, it can only be used once." - G. Clemenceau
by Firm1 on Mar 30, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
he’s not owning up to anything. he’ just not lying in the face of being caught red-handed. it’s been weeks since they flagged his sample. he had all that time to come clean but didn’t. he was clearly hoping he’d somehow get away with it. c’mon.
i’d respect him just saying he did and got caught. not trying to now act like he’s owning up to anything. he got caught. he waited all this time and said nothing, hoping, somehow, against hope, he’d somehow test clean. he’s not owning or manning up to anything.
Gatti. Dekkers. Pele. Aoki. Kang. Vanderlei. Basillio. Harry Greb.
by theworldsoldestsport on Mar 30, 2011 1:34 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Yep, agreed. Also I don’t know if we should necessarily trust his back injury excuse.
by Horselover Fat on Mar 30, 2011 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah
not trying to hate on Silva, but he can say whatever he wants about what happened/ what he took since it can’t really be debunked, and what he’s confessed to is probably the least offensive, most likely to be forgiven type of PED-use situation.
I was one of the authors of the Port Huron Statement.
Yes, exactly. To be honest I don’t really care though, hope he doesn’t get suspended for too long. I’m not sure if that makes me a bad person or not.
by Horselover Fat on Mar 30, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
We can only compare his response to every other athlete who has been caught...
and if you can’t see the difference in the above statement with dudes being charged for perjury by Congress, or with Josh Barnett, then I don’t know what to say.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but to say, “At least he’s better than everyone else!” isn’t saying much.
None more gangster.
Tweeter!
I disagree
judging by the way other athletes have handled getting busted for PEDs, there is merit in handling it better than the others who have come before.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
There is definitely merit in handling it well, but it seems to me like this apology is partly intended to draw attention from the fact that he cheated.
None more gangster.
Tweeter!
That seems kind of unfair
If he apologizes, he is drawing attention away from the fact he cheated, but if he says nothing and doesn’t admit to anything, he is better off because he isn’t distracting from the fact he cheated….?
Given this scenario, there isn’t much he could do to right the situation.
unless he’s still lying now like he was a month ago.
A lot of people giving a guy the benefit of the doubt who we know was straight up lying about the same incident….30 days ago.
“Yesterday I was lying, today I’m telling the truth” – Bob Arum.
"You can't search me without probable cause Or that proper ammunition they call reasonable suspicion Listen while I bring friction to your whole jurisdiction" - Fugees
Like I said in the other thread
Why cheat against Brandon Vera? Cheating is bad enough, but this was an opponent you could’ve easily beaten. Suspension commence!
Also I don’t believe this is a big loss for the UFC. Silva hasn’t beaten a single top 10 fighter in the UFC and I believe all of his wins are against guys who were subsequently cut.
"If I had a dollar for every brain you don't have, I'd have one dollar." - Squidward Tentacles
Really?
Also I don’t believe this is a big loss for the UFC.
Each time an athlete gets caught it’s a black mark on the whole sport. Look at baseball.
I am not looking at it from a PR standpoint.
"If I had a dollar for every brain you don't have, I'd have one dollar." - Squidward Tentacles
He used to promote healing from an injury that he thought would keep him out of the fight. I’m not condoning what he did, but any sanctimonious blow hard who says that they would never use these substances if placed in the same situations aren’t considering all the factors. Many of these guys see PEDs as a means to either take their career and earning power to a new level, or maintain a career that may be derailed by injury. We simply don’t know how we would respond unless put in the same situation. This wasn’t a matter of feeling the need to get an upper hand over Vera, but of not wanting to pull out of the fight. For the holier than thou fans, take your pound of flesh with a disparaging comment, then move on. He’s admitted wrong doing, is willing to face the consequences of his actions and he apologized…good enough for me. We’ve all made shitty decisions and not all of us have owned up to them as well as Thiago has.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
If the alternative was not fighting at all...
Thiago may have simply needed the money. He hadn’t fought in a year.
"With gold thou boughtest Gýmir's daughter,
and so gavest away thy sword:
but when Muspell's sons through the dark forest ride,
thou, unhappy, wilt not have wherewith to fight."
~ Lokasenna
too bad i can't rec this more than once.
he’s taking it like a man at this point, and he’s willing to take his punishment.
i can forgive that.
by Victor Rodriguez on Mar 30, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Is it just me
Or is Thiago being this articulate and well spoken make him 10 times scarier?
They told me to put a signature here.......so I did.
by ANDERSONS GOT THE JUICE on Mar 30, 2011 1:46 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah...
Thiago probably scared a keyboard from functioning properly so another different human being not afflicted by Rapeface Syndrome had to take up the task.
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I gotta say...
I’m actually very impressed with Thiago’s statement. For all of the Rafael Palmeiros and Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and A Rods and Chael Sonnens and Josh Barnetts, this is easily the most open, honest and revealing admission to PED use that we’ve ever seen in pro-sports. In the absence of a fighters union, the UFC should take it upon themselves to hole PED seminars and orientations for all fighters under their umbrella, to explain exactly what is banned and why. It can only benefit the UFC to prevent incidents like this one and to ostentatiously do all they can to promote a clean sport.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 1:47 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
In the absence of a fighters union, the UFC should take it upon themselves to hole PED seminars and orientations for all fighters under their umbrella, to explain exactly what is banned and why. It can only benefit the UFC to prevent incidents like this one and to ostentatiously do all they can to promote a clean sport.
This is a very good idea. Almost any legitimately prescribed medical drug is allowable under the right circumstances. Fighters need to know what the deal is.
Maybe even have a liaison of sorts at the UFC level to guide fighters through the approval process.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly...
it works both ways too- it allows fighters to know what the deal is, but also creates a “no excuses” stance, aka the Chael Sonnen clause, for the commissions and the UFC against those who break the rules.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Unfortunately it will probably take it happening to a higher profile guy who legitimately errs before the UFC would take that initiative.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
right...
I’m also operating under the assumption that the UFC has a desire to clean up their league, and I’m not 100% convinced that’s the case.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think they give a shit, honestly.
The only way they’re bound to care is if it ends fucking up with their business.
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
well said...
and it very well could. Like I say above, it can only benefit the UFC to educate their fighters, but without looking at the books, we have no idea as to whether these guys getting popped has any impact on their bottom line. Like Ronin says- it’ll take a huge start after a huge fight to get popped before they feel it in their books. This isn’t Affliction- one popped main eventer won’t fold the company, but were that to happen in the UFC, they’d certainly feel the economic impact.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions
It has to be a champion the one who pops. If it is a GSP or Jon Jones, they're gonna feel the Heat, and I don't mean karo Parisyan which, if you think about it, would be kinda nasty.
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought about that too
I think champs got popped for them before (I think Sherk did but my memory isn’t the best out there so I could be wrong), but that was a long time ago, nowadays a champ pissing dirty will change the public’s perceptions more IMO as well.
business as usual
Absolutely.
Someone like GSP who is a massive draw, a young potential star like Jon Jones, or even a cash cow like Lesnar will be somewhat of a setback.
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Take a look at Dana White
and tell me he cares about drug or steroid use(that’s not effecting his business negatively).
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
I don't like that comparison...
Dana White isn’t fighting, he doesn’t have to take tests- he only gives a shit if it affects “this thing,” and it’ll take more than Thiago Silva getting popped to do it.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm talking about is attitude towards drugs and PEDs
I also said the same thing, as long as it doesn’t affect his business he doesn’t care.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
i dunno about drugs
but PEDs? that’s different. if a guy pops for smoking weed, i’m pretty sure he would not be as concerned as if it were Stanozolol.
by Victor Rodriguez on Mar 30, 2011 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
i guess t. silva playing some drum on vera's back
was some kind of roid rage.
cuz that was a dick move
Nothing but RESPECT for Matt "The Terror" Serra
http://gotmma.org/ - Korean MMA blog
I thought it was a good move to get him to move around so he could punch Vera's face
and it worked
business as usual
And Vera's nose got smashed by The Fist of 'Roid as a result.
For great justice:
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
you can either make the situation worse by trying to cover it up or lie about it or just stick your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it even happened or you can own up to it with an honest explanation, accept the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people affected by it, learn from it and move on. I’m choosing the second option.
He’s sticking his head in the sand?
/fucking counting, how does that work?
Follow my Twitter or be a dick! @BVandDietPepsi
by BVandDietPepsi on Mar 30, 2011 1:54 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Nice catch BV
Conducting an experiment on knocking people out in particular ways would be unethical.
I'm just wondering....
couldn’t his dealer get any HGH? Problems=solved. In 5 years, HGH will be treated like Cortisone shots.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 1:54 PM EDT reply actions
You'd figure
It would be my first choice.
If I could afford it, I’d probably be taking it right now.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
Hgh isn’t nearly as effective as properly used glucocorticosteroids for that type of injury.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
thank for the info...
Mr. Alazado
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Starting 45 days out
It would have helped with his strength and energy levels a lot and never been detected.
The said, he was probably taking more than cortisone shots before that fight. Cortisone doesn’t make you look stronger than ever after a layoff and an injury.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
I wasn't saying he took Cortisone...
Cortisone’s legal. And enough people across all sports have taken PEDs and still sucked to the point where we’re not able to draw a hard conclusion that Silva’s performance was directly attributable to PEDs.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Meaning
I think HGH would/could have helped. And he seemed bigger and stronger than he ever has, so it makes me think maybe he was taking something else.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
Ronin seems to more about the subject than either of us...
so I’m deferring to him.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, Cortisone is legal,
but it is a banned substance that cannot be used without a TUEC (therapeutic use exemption certificate).
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions
The said, he was probably taking more than cortisone shots before that fight. Cortisone doesn’t make you look stronger than ever after a layoff and an injury.
He may well have been, and going to the extreme of using synthetic urine certainly makes me suspect that, but with the type of back injuries he has had, the use of cortisone-type medicines both as an epidural and as either a direct, IV or deep IM injection are come and effective, so long as they are done infrequently to avoid major side effects.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Yep
It seems like he had enough time to disclose it and get a TUC if he wanted to be honest about it.
Like you said, the lengths he went to make it seem like there was something crazy in his piss.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
I agree
Isn’t he a US-based guy now, and for the past several years? ATT iirc? Obviously he did enough research to come up with whatever brilliant plan he tried, so his claim of ignorance of protocol rings a bit hollow to me, but at this point all I have is what he has said.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions
On a related note
I once heard a NBDL basketball player said they made him(and every other guy) do a pull their pants down and do a full 360 naked before the piss.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
That is really the only way it can be done, although someone mentioned on another comment section about people using catheters to put someone else’s clean urine into their bladder…smh
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Commonly known as an “Oil Change”.
If you can't wow them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit.
I don’t even want to know how you know that…its not a La thing I hope ;p
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
No
I meant La as in Louisiana, just to give DayGeaux some grief. Haven’t seen Harsh Times though.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
It was made popular by the movie “The Program”. It’s a movie about college football.
But yeah after Mardi Gras everybody sits around and gets an oil change so we can still use or liver.
If you can't wow them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit.
Ha!
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
i once heard a story bout two gay dudes who got nasty infections pissing back and forth into each other through a tube.
You got some clever street name for that?
The Program is classic. Its how I learned to over power drunk women.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
That called “Crossing the Streams”. Everybody knows YOU DON’T CROSS THE STREAMS! Learned that from Egon Spengler. (completly made up BTW).
And The Program teaches many life lessons, like how to talk trash in a football game.
“You’re the guy who shot my mother aren’t you? You were trying to steal her car, you cocksucker. You didn’t think I was going to find you n****, but I got you now, n****. I’m gonna bust your gut open and watch you die”
If you can't wow them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit.
Reminds me of John Randle
He would spit in his hands and wipe on his face. While staring you down.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
Oh well, he owned up.
There are worse things in life, let him be.
by SkeezinSteevin on Mar 30, 2011 1:56 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Good for Silva
The pressure placed on injured athletes in MMA is absurd to begin with. Meanwhile Carwin says nothing and the UFC looks the other way.
I really don’t think he deserves to be punished anyway. Injured fighters are under tremendous pressure to compete. They don’t have it nearly as good as athletes in team sports, who in general have far more financial incentive to sit out injuries, not to mention free healthcare and a massive team of professionals to watch their backs.
Wasn’t the Carwin thing all hearsay though? How can you compare the two.
by SkeezinSteevin on Mar 30, 2011 2:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
There is no proof that Carwin actually took what he received, and it happened before his UFC days.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
The Carwin issue is a poor comaprison...
Carwin never failed a test, and those shipping manifests on which his name appeared were from before his entry into the UFC. Carwin is not accused of any wrong doing during his time with the UFC, and there’s no evidence, circumstantial or otherwise that he has.
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Much respect for admitting his guilt, instead of hiding behind lies, and excuses.
I expected him to say he had been drinking Kevin Randleman’s pee as a training regimen.
Or lesnar's Tears as a supplement. That's what really popped him, I think.
I believe he was just embarrased to admit he stalked Lesnar following the Cain loss just to acquire product.
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Say it aint so, Thiago...
They made a video game about Yakuzas. It’s called Yakuza. And it’s about Yakuza
gocyborg.com
In my head
I saw Thiago reading this while pacing back and forth in a locker room with a scowl on his face. Upon finishing reading the letter, he did his trademark throat cut gesture.
Meet me on Monsta Island. Where the girls look good and the MC's be Wildin'.
Also, follow me on Twitter @DeoWade
The pitbull is probably more of a sad puppy right now
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
by TheFilt on Mar 30, 2011 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
All Brazilian ATT members look alike, huh? Is that what you’re saying?
by John Danaher's Hair on Mar 30, 2011 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Stephanie Guimaraes
Meet me on Monsta Island. Where the girls look good and the MC's be Wildin'.
Also, follow me on Twitter @DeoWade
Yes you’re right. I bet Paul Thiago and Thiago Tavares are sad as well
"The men who get on best with women are those that get on best without them" Lee Christmas
hmmm
I’m choosing the second option.
Umm, no. You got caught.
Por isso eu tomo ópio / é um remédio / sou um convalescente do momento / moro no rés-do-chão do pensamento / e ver passar a vida faz-me tédio
Obviously.
I still remember the time when he said he was confident that there was nothing wrong with his test.
by Unabomberman on Mar 30, 2011 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow…everyone’s really buying this? C’mon. There’s no way a professional fighter with half a brain who has a condition he could have disclosed and been treated for legitimately uses a whizzinator to fake a piss test.
I’m sure am not. Taking an illegal substance is one thing, but knowingly taking an illegal substance AND trying to mask it by using a whizzinator or another device is an entirely different thing. He should get two years suspension, if not more.
two years is a loooooooooong time for a fighter's career
no one deserves that type of punishment to be honest, a year is long enough already. this ain’t a criminal court.
business as usual
Exactly. The point of punishment is to deter people from doing something. If you give them a wrist slap, it’s not going to stop anyone in the future from doing it.
Look here, Silva said to himself, “hey, I’ll take this drug and try to hide it. If I get caught, no big deal, I’ll take a 6 months or a year punishment and heal up properly, which I probably would’ve done anyways.”
If you make that 2 years, Silva would’ve thought much longer about taking that chance…
And besides, a lot of other sports have lengthy suspensions. I’ve heard that people like to compare MMA to tennis around here. Well tennis’s punishment for taking illegal drugs is 2 years. And that’s just for taking the drugs per say, I wonder what’s their punishment for actually trying to hide it through means such as the whizzinator…
2 years.
I'm getting really tired of this line of thinking
Chael Sonnen: "I have a medical problem (given), on my own accord, I cannot compete in this sport (ok), so I should be allowed to use drugs to allow me to compete…..
Thiago Silva: I have an injury (ok), on my own accord, I cannot compete in this fight (alright), so I should be allowed to take drugs that allow me to compete…..
Warren305: I’m no a professional fighter (given), on my own accord, I cannot defeat Jon Jones in a fight (obviously), so I should be allowed to carry a baseball bat and hand gun into the ring to face him…..
No, No, No. If you can’t compete 100% Naturally, you are cheating. No one should be given a pass to cheat because they need to, in order to win.
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
by warren305 on Mar 30, 2011 2:45 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Yeah I know I cheated, but if I didn't, I would fail
Well as long as you needed to, I guess it’s ok. -Athletic Commission
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
Just as long as you let us know
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
By definition its not cheating if it is allowed by the AC.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
No, No, No. If you can’t compete 100% Naturally, you are cheating. No one should be given a pass to cheat because they need to, in order to win.
Essentially no fighter is 100% natural when you get right down to it, the difference is that some substances are banned without the proper TUEC (exemption). If Thiago has a valid case he has no excuse for not going through the proper channels.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Right
That is what I am getting at. Every elite level athlete uses various supplements, protein powders, aminos, NSAIDs and all sorts of other things. The difference is what is allowed (and under what circumstances) and what is not. Of course, I am of the opinion that the vast majority of elite combat and contact sport athletes have used something classified as a PED at one time or another.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I think we had this discussion once before around the time of the Chael Sonnen thing.
I agree with you on that – the availability and widespread use of supplements and other drugs has taken us to a point where we’re well past what the human body is “normally” capable of. The hard part is drawing the line between what’s acceptable and what’s not. I’m personally a little iffy on allowing TRT. If you’re the kind of person who needs TRT in order to remain competitive, maybe you’re in the wrong line of work.
None more gangster.
Tweeter!
by alicks on Mar 30, 2011 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
To me TRT should be allowed in sports when medically necessary, but only under very strict conditions. Year around blood testing (for actual levels within normal range) done every 2 weeks or so and possibly the medications stored with, drawn by and injected by approved facilities instead of being dispensed to the patient would eliminate the vast majority of the potential for cheating.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d be okay with it if testing actually was that stringent. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, that’s not the case. My (admittedly limited) understanding is that if you’re able to obtain a TUE, the potential for abuse after the fact is pretty high.
None more gangster.
Tweeter!
Under the current system I agree
CSAC has provisions for anytime/random testing (for whatever), but the only way imo that cheating can be largely eliminated with the TRT issue is year-around, every two week blood tests.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
i once heard a story
About two gay dudes who nasty infections pissing back in forth into each other through a tube.
"Run and tweet THAT, homeboy."
I'm not going to pretend to have the answers
Or be some kind of moral superman. I say, if you can’t compete without some kind of substance, you are a cheat. There is certainly a lot of gray area, but there has to be a stopping point. If someone breaks a bone, and it doesn’t heal properly, should they be allowed to compete with cybernetic limbs?
To further that point, how do we know who is truely special anymore? The difference between Sam Bowie and Bill Russell, may have just been a matter of physical injuries. If Bowie had TRT or HGH, he may have been the greatest b-ball player of all time! Conversly, if Randy Couture hadn’t had TRT, he may have been a flash in the pan, no body.
It cheats the sport
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
It is a very difficult topic
I think that medically necessary treatments should be allowed, but their approval must be contingent on the athlete agreeing to much stricter testing/monitoring procedures than are normal for their sport.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
But to the matter of gray area
I say, allow anything and everything the athlete wants, and make – all sport – into a chemistry experiment.
Or allow nothing. No Whey Protein, 5-hr Energy Drinks, Creatine, nothing. Because really, a lot of what is banned or not banned, comes down to who has the best lobbyist anyway.
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
Anywhere
Just pick a list of things that you and your opponent (and your promotion, and your sanctioning body) can agree on. The trick is once you have that agreement, honor it. Don’t short-circuit it on your own and then lie about it.
Never approach a vast undertaking with a half-vast plan.
That is a good idea
Level playing field
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
I would of said a sniper rifle and a mile distance between us
But then he’d just use his jaaaaaaaaaaaab (long jab)
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
Fake Piss....
Props for the admission, he faked his piss… He could have been on every roid in the book and we will never know… Sorry, but he needs to get a year suspension…. If he only gets 6 months, what’s to stop the next guy from juicing his mind out, faking and then giving a sob story about an injury… This is the worst type of fail IMO.
That was a good apology. He admitted what he did, took responsibility, and seemed repentant. It was not “I’m sorry if you feel I lied,” or any of the various other non-apology lines people use. It’s not quite fair to criticize him for not admitting it earlier. He didn’t. He can’t go back and do it now. A genuine apology is the best he can do at this point. That, and not doing anything this stupid again.
by Finian1 on Mar 30, 2011 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Gotta respect him for being honest. I think some time off and a rematch with Vera is appropriate.
I think its easy to dismiss him as a cheaper but a lot of us forget that fighters are ppl with families to feed. Pulling out of a fight means not being able to pay bills. Im not a Thiago Silva fan but I hope he years from the situation and comes back a better fighter. His situation isn’t the same as Josh Barnetts lol
Are our bones not dust?
Is our Blood not Poison?
On my knees in the black light
Praying for Salvation, bitter Redemption
So throw your dice and cast your shadow
You may look away
But your children will not...
by ProfessorBLove on Mar 30, 2011 3:39 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
*cheater
Are our bones not dust?
Is our Blood not Poison?
On my knees in the black light
Praying for Salvation, bitter Redemption
So throw your dice and cast your shadow
You may look away
But your children will not...
by ProfessorBLove on Mar 30, 2011 3:40 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
People rob banks and murder people
To feed families.
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
by warren305 on Mar 30, 2011 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
gotta do what you gotta do, mane
PRIDE NEVER DIE!!!
by Jumbo Slice on Mar 31, 2011 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think a rematch would be very good for Vera..Silva is just better than him. Vera needs some wins, the last thing he wants is his nose busted up again and another L on his record.
How could you possibly know that Silva is just better than him
Performance enhancing drugs do, ya know, enhance performance
Reverse spinning back knee to the balls
Sports is human life in microcosm. ~Howard Cosell
The breakfest of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition. ~Nick Seitz
This is the kind of thing I'm talking about.
Rather than people saying, “Hey, wait – this guy cheated!” people are saying, “Well, his apology was really nice, so I’m a fan now.”
None more gangster.
Tweeter!
It's refreshing
"I am going to punch faces." --Wanderlei Silva
War Miller Bros.
Disappointing.
Not sure what to make of this yet. Still don’t feel like this is the whole story. It at least sounds like he had a valid medical concern rather than just your blatant performance enhancer…but all of this is still disappointing though. Especially when viewed in light of his behavior during the Vera fight, and his adamant stance that he wasn’t on anything.
I like this.
When it comes to cheating, the 2 extremes are Barry Bonds, and this. This is totally forgivable in my book. Come clean, be clean in the future and all is forgotten in my book.
Cover it up, and continue to lie and never get any credit in my book. That’s just how I feel about it. I like the way he handled this.
Not douchey enough for a Kindle yet.
If Bonds had better advisers and attorneys, this would be a non-issue for him.
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Only the amazing lyricism of Rihanna can put this into perspective
“Don’t tell me you’re sorry cuz you’re not
When I know you’re only sorry you got caught”
Pretty much how I feel about all cheaters who say they are sorry.
bullshit
so the guy issues a half-assed mea culpa that was written by a lawyer and half the people on BE are saying “gee, it sounds sincere. the poor guy had a back injury.” my ass.
Nothing excuses his actions
But it takes balls on his part to admit it.
Whether you think he’s honest or not is up to you. I for one think it’s a mix of both; he tried to get away with it, got caught, realized things and confessed. Maybe I’m just naive…
That being said, it doesn’t make his actions less wrong, so I hope he’s punished accordingly.
Nothing excuses his actions
But it takes balls on his part to admit it.
Which goes a long way toward explaining why Sonnen didn’t admit it…
"Sometimes I wonder if the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." -Mark Twain
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne
by The American Ronin on Mar 30, 2011 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
It all comes down to whether or not you believe what he has to say regarding it being something he could have legitimately have taken and fought if he reported it. As in, do you think it was that, or something non-injury related? I’m inclined to believe him in this instance.
And then God created Saturn ... and he liked it, so he put a ring on it.
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I don’t care.
I completely believe him in that he had back problems and needed something to still go ahead and fight. No problems there. My problem isn’t even that he took something he knew was illegal to help his back, it’s that he tried to hide it with fake piss. Had he not done that and been caught just for having an illegal substance in his piss, then he’d get the usual 3 month or 6 month suspension because he didn’t file the proper paperwork to get the exemption for his back problem. Trying to hide something is like fleeing from the scene of a crime and hoping the cops don’t ever find you. You just can’t do that.
just to clear things up.....
is this the same Thiago Silva that plays for AC Milan?
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