Mark Cuban Wants Performance-Enhancing Drugs

[freedom&justice]

In the latest Men's Journal, on newsstands tomorrow, David Kushner asks the Dallas owner what he thinks about performance enhancing drugs in the NBA. Cuban responds:

Drugs that are detrimental to your health should be outlawed. But if it's not bad for your health and it'll enhance your performance, why should you not be allowed to take it? It makes the game more interesting. It just makes sense. But it doesn't make sense in the context of the current controversies over drugs in sports.

To me this all comes down to two things:

Who do we trust to decide whether or not something is "bad for your health"? If it's the same people who gave us thalidomide, Vioxx, lead paint, trans-fats, or whatever it is that killed Elvis, then I'd just as soon we hold off.

Would it really make the game more interesting? We go to games to cheer the efforts of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and the like. They work with hoops and balls. The NBA is a showcase for their talents with tools that include a basketball, high-tops, sweat, and creativity. If cutting edge therapies become the major factor in who wins games, then the Bryant and Nash take a backseat to anonymous chemists A and B -- who work with pipettes, safety goggles, and centrifuges. Imagine the post-game interview (apologies, I am a total ignoramus): "Ever since my bio-engineering team fused an extra molecule to my supplemental glycogen, I've been snagging more late-game rebounds, my jumper is falling nicely, and my sex life is out of this world! Now if you'll excuse me, there's somewhere I need to be ..."


http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-24-30/Mark-Cuban-Wants-Performance-Enhancing-Drugs.html

:lmao

[resistanze]

Explains Dirk's testicle shrinkage.

[nkdlunch]

explains why Dirk and Stack are starting to look like neanderthals

[samikeyp]

Translation:

"The Cialis/Red Bull cocktail my boyfriend and I share works wonders for us!"

:)

[ponky]

wtf kind of link is that? one paragraph in which the last sentence creates confusion as to who wrote it? i'd prefer to read the entire interview before judging whether or not this is another ridiculous statement by cuban.

[DarrinS]

I thought this thread was going to be about Viagra or Cialis. My bad.

[freedom&justice]

^ Dunno, it's an except from an article that's supposedly coming out. The title's a bit misleading, but the funny part comes from the dude who runs the ESPN-sponsored blog, truehoop's Henry Abbot.

Cubes' statement was this:

Drugs that are detrimental to your health should be outlawed. But if it's not bad for your health and it'll enhance your performance, why should you not be allowed to take it? It makes the game more interesting. It just makes sense. But it doesn't make sense in the context of the current controversies over drugs in sports.

It's basically saying he's in favor of athletes using performance-enhancers, but only if it isn't harmful. The only thing that leads to people assuming Cuban said that last quoted line is the fact that he's said some pretty dumb things in the past, and it remains to be seen whether he really said it or the blog writer put words in his mouth. Abbot's closing line was funny as hell though. :)

[Fabbs]

wtf kind of link is that? one paragraph in which the last sentence creates confusion as to who wrote it? i'd prefer to read the entire interview before judging whether or not this is another ridiculous statement by cuban.
Plus even if it is, what is so horrible about saying non harmful naturale type enhancers should be okay? As if the limpers who diss the idea wouldn't hop on a harmless natural viagra or viagraette in 2 seconds.

[zrinkill]

Cheaters never win ..... :lol

[Phenomanul]

Isn't Gatorade a performance enhancing drink????

[bdubya]

How about performance-enhancing surgery? Rip's got an endorsement deal for lasik. How is that really different from 'roids or whatever?

[sprrs]

Performance enhancers are ridiculous. Why not have Robots playing against robots then? Part of what makes competition so special is the human factor. Devin Harris and Tony Parker's speed are special because you'd be hard pressed to find them anywhere else. Manufacturing something like that to help players who weren't born with those gifts is ridiculous.

[MajorMike]

Well, geez, look at how much bigger Cuban has gotten the past 4 years. No wonders he favors enhancement drugs.

I say owners should be drug tested as well - held to the same standards as their employees.