Most Suspicious Performances: All sports edition

[blackcat]

Australian swim team from 1996 through to 2008 was amped to the max. Some have come basket cases now. Perkins is about the only normal one.

Thrope and Hackett have gone bananas.

a bit like the British track cycling "successes", but just not quite as "successful".

 

[Nick C.]

Re:

Nick C.
I should hire an editor before posting. Or maybe just go check myself; but I'm lazy. Anyway, I stand corrected.
Point still stands, though. Guy came out of nowhere to hit 50 home runs. I believe but am not sure (mental note: check before posting) that his previous high was somewhere in the mid-twenty range. Excuse me while I go to google.

Sorry to have struck a nerve. I just had never heard him referenced as diminutive so I double-checked. It created a more ludicrous impression to the people who have no idea who he is, which is probably most of the board, than the reality was, which was pretty out of hand anyway.

 

[the delgados]

Nick, you didn't strike a nerve at all. Just made me realize I should double check before posting. For some reason I thought he was small, but I was wrong.

 

[thehog]

Australian swim team from 1996 through to 2008 was amped to the max. Some have come basket cases now. Perkins is about the only normal one.

Thrope and Hackett have gone bananas.

a bit like the British track cycling "successes", but just not quite as "successful".

The British track success was based on the Charlie Walsh model along with the Australian Swim team. Centralised funding and coaching. All very important to keeping the doping in house and have no one going rouge on their own and getting caught. A lot of the Aussie cyclists on the track squad did in fact go rouge as was the competitiveness to become one of Charlie’s Angels.

Neiwand and Vinney the obvious candidates for those who just lost the plot on who their really were as human beings. Very sad.

Brett Aiken a notable exception. He was just plain awesome naturally. Probably the best cyclist Australian ever produced. Maybe the best cyclists in the world at 4k and short distances on the road. In a normal world he would have won one day classics.

O’Grady was a chump. As was Matt White. The chemical brothers as they were known.

Britain did well as they managed to win track gold with a bunch of very average cyclists. How guys like Wiggins became who they did goes to show you that drugs really do work when taken consistently, as part of a regulated and measured program and finally when its top shelf, grade A produce (none of that Chinese or Russian stuff).

 

[Nick C.]

Re:

Nick, you didn't strike a nerve at all. Just made me realize I should double check before posting. For some reason I thought he was small, but I was wrong.

Oh, my bad. Lenny Dykstra was a short guy who in all likelihood 'roided.

 

[the delgados]

Nick,
If Dykstra wasn't gearing up as a player (which he most certainly was), he was definitely on some kind of juice after his career ended.
I recently read a book about him written by a close associate and it is sad to say the least.

 

[HelmutRoole]

Re:

Seb Coe's 1:41 800m

http://youtu.be/o0e1yaMIM08

Commentator, while Coe is 40m from the line: "He's showing no signs of weakness in his legs."

 

[thehog]

Re: Re:

Seb Coe's 1:41 800m

http://youtu.be/o0e1yaMIM08

Commentator, while Coe is 40m from the line: "He's showing no signs of weakness in his legs."

Watching that it only tells how utterly absurd it was. There was no pacemaking, poor track conditions and he could have gone another lap!

 

[More Strides than Rides]

Re: Re:

Seb Coe's 1:41 800m

http://youtu.be/o0e1yaMIM08

Commentator, while Coe is 40m from the line: "He's showing no signs of weakness in his legs."

Watching that it only tells how utterly absurd it was. There was no pacemaking, poor track conditions and he could have gone another lap!

More pacemaking than the current 800m record, which also belongs on the list.

That being said, Rudisha's 800m Olympic run was beautiful. Drugs or not, he is such an enjoyable runner to watch. Actually, may be my favorite athlete to watch, in any sport.

 

[twisted pairs]

Re: Re:

That being said, Rudisha's 800m Olympic run was beautiful. Drugs or not, he is such an enjoyable runner to watch. Actually, may be my favorite athlete to watch, in any sport.

Dude wasn't even breathing hard. That was stupid.

 

[Singer01]

Re: Re:

That being said, Rudisha's 800m Olympic run was beautiful. Drugs or not, he is such an enjoyable runner to watch. Actually, may be my favorite athlete to watch, in any sport.

Dude wasn't even breathing hard. That was stupid.

it hillarious looking how far behind the last person was, and then seeing that they still ran world class times.

 

[Singer01]

Pretty much all the womens track WR's but Flo Jo, Koch and Kratochvílová win special alien prizes for setting world records that will outlive the human race.

i agree with Koch and Kratochvílová, nobody has been even close for 30 years, though the 800 record is the most likely to go of the 2 IMO.

not the most suspicious in terms of not beleiving he was clean, but purely from an aesthetic point of view there is no way that little skinny, nerdy looking god botherer should have been able to triple jump 60 ft.

couldnt Edwards benchpress 330lbs too? 150kgs?

Like Agassi and his powerlifter "coach" made him bench in this vicinity, #NOTNORMAL

is that true? not doubting you but even taking all the juice under the sun lifting that weight with that body is phenomenal.

 

[blackcat]

is that true? not doubting you but even taking all the juice under the sun lifting that weight with that body is phenomenal.

actually, i need to edit that. it was 300lbs i think. I remember reading it in the year after he completed the WR jump. My memory is good on this, even tho i revised it down.

because it struck me, just like you, as not credible. A guy who looks like a jockey.

Just when I saw that Agassi benchpressed 300lbs too. Cos when he takes off his shirt, even after he came back the second time, there is just no visible pectoral muscle. yes he has a chest, yes he has pecs, but when he takes his shirt off at change of ends, no muscle that looks like it benches 300 pounds.

But, we know the kenyan runners are on steroids, specifically testo, and hgh, but they weigh less than jockeys. So this "by sight" measure, needs to be highly qualified

 

[blackcat]

Singer01, cant find any reference online to his benchpress. I would have read it before the internet papers and archives.

 

[blackcat]

actually, found this reference

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054891138

What are good body weight to lifting weight ratios? Jonathan Edwards the Triple Jumper was 70kg and could bench 122kg and clean 150kg. Anyone else know of mainstream sportpeople who could lift savage weights? Apparently, Christian Cullen could bench more than anyone in the All-Blacks pack back in the day.

so that is only ~270lbs.

I read a significant number, because like Singer, it puzzled me.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

del1962, no way Glen McGrath put on 20kgs. 10kgs max, dripping wet.

See him without his shirt off in his final season. Still rake thin, not as bad as Rasmussen, but not much better fo' shur

From the horses mouth http://www.theage.com.au/news/crick...-ashes-walkover/2006/08/30/1156816968172.html

@del1962 you are a Brit correct? but do you remember Bruce Reid, ok, he may have been injury prone, he was, but he did not stick on the 20kg. Thing about Mcgrath, when he still put on the whites, he still looked like the rail thin 22 yo debutant. And he only slowly put the weight on. But he still should have been naturally thin like Bruce Reid or Kareem Abdul Jabaar.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

Honorable mention to D.Wade as well - that jaw has gotten ridiculous.

all of their heads are massive and have androgens going thru them.

and whenever I (me) mention this, everyone says phrenology smears... But it is ok for JV to say it

but Dwyane Wade always had that jaw naturally. But, I mimic your intuition if we got X-Rays from a decade ago when he skull plates and mandible should have fused and stopped growing, then it grew after it(DW and his jaw) matured, it kept growing cos of the exogenous androgens.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2005/vaughters_1999

"The users can have their balls shrivel up and their foreheads grow larger and whatever

http://grantland.com/features/daring-ask-ped-question/

Sports Fan Me has Googled athletes’ heads and jawlines, studied their sizes, then mailed before/after pictures to friends with the subject heading, “CHECK THIS OUT.” Sports Fan Me has learned to trust his inner *** detector, to swiftly question any accomplishment that seems extraordinary or superhuman.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

IMO would be surprised if fast bowlers were doping. The most likely candidates for it in cricket are late order hitters who're good at the 20 over format. Why? Follow the money. The best way to make serious cash in cricket now is to be someone who can consistently clear the ropes in a twenty20 run chase.

That's the most reliable way to look valuable to a franchise that is considering whether to hire you or not (Same equation as with power hitters in baseball in the late 90s). Even fast bowlers can get hit out of a game if an "eye" player chances his arm, but late order hitters who can reliably finish are gold dust.

nah, they are all doing it now. The fastbowlers more than batsmen. But that West Indian batsmen with the shoulders, he is one of the worst. And the NZ one day captain,who was a keeper. But the Australians all do it. batsmen, bowlers.

no wonder all the australian bowlers are breaking down, they are supercharged the rocketfuel of CJC-1295 and other peptides

here are two power hitters no doubt doing major programs

Brendon McCullum NZ captain

Chris Gayle West Indies power-hitter

 

[del1962]

Re: Re:

del1962, no way Glen McGrath put on 20kgs. 10kgs max, dripping wet.

See him without his shirt off in his final season. Still rake thin, not as bad as Rasmussen, but not much better fo' shur

From the horses mouth http://www.theage.com.au/news/crick...-ashes-walkover/2006/08/30/1156816968172.html

@del1962 you are a Brit correct? but do you remember Bruce Reid, ok, he may have been injury prone, he was, but he did not stick on the 20kg. Thing about Mcgrath, when he still put on the whites, he still looked like the rail thin 22 yo debutant. And he only slowly put the weight on. But he still should have been naturally thin like Bruce Reid or Kareem Abdul Jabaar.

Vaguely remember him, not as good as Alderman or MCDermott though, anyway I would expect when you put weight on as a bowler you would look moor like Beefy and have the injury problems he had, great Cricketer Beefy and he could drink any Australian under the table which is saying soemthing, though probably not the crap stuff they caall beer down under though, but proper beer.

And if you are looking for a muscle bound england cricketer then Ben Stokes is your go to guy, I like him but he has spent some time in the gym, interestingly his dad played rugby league.

 

[Singer01]

Re: Re:

del1962, no way Glen McGrath put on 20kgs. 10kgs max, dripping wet.

See him without his shirt off in his final season. Still rake thin, not as bad as Rasmussen, but not much better fo' shur

From the horses mouth http://www.theage.com.au/news/crick...-ashes-walkover/2006/08/30/1156816968172.html

@del1962 you are a Brit correct? but do you remember Bruce Reid, ok, he may have been injury prone, he was, but he did not stick on the 20kg. Thing about Mcgrath, when he still put on the whites, he still looked like the rail thin 22 yo debutant. And he only slowly put the weight on. But he still should have been naturally thin like Bruce Reid or Kareem Abdul Jabaar.

Vaguely remember him, not as good as Alderman or MCDermott though, anyway I would expect when you put weight on as a bowler you would look moor like Beefy and have the injury problems he had, great Cricketer Beefy and he could drink any Australian under the table which is saying soemthing, though probably not the crap stuff they caall beer down under though, but proper beer.

And if you are looking for a muscle bound england cricketer then Ben Stokes is your go to guy, I like him but he has spent some time in the gym, interestingly his dad played rugby league.

didn't one of the aussie cricketers once drink 52 cans of beer on the flight over, i think it was david boon.

 

[thehog]

Re: Re:

del1962, no way Glen McGrath put on 20kgs. 10kgs max, dripping wet.

See him without his shirt off in his final season. Still rake thin, not as bad as Rasmussen, but not much better fo' shur

From the horses mouth http://www.theage.com.au/news/crick...-ashes-walkover/2006/08/30/1156816968172.html

@del1962 you are a Brit correct? but do you remember Bruce Reid, ok, he may have been injury prone, he was, but he did not stick on the 20kg. Thing about Mcgrath, when he still put on the whites, he still looked like the rail thin 22 yo debutant. And he only slowly put the weight on. But he still should have been naturally thin like Bruce Reid or Kareem Abdul Jabaar.

Vaguely remember him, not as good as Alderman or MCDermott though, anyway I would expect when you put weight on as a bowler you would look moor like Beefy and have the injury problems he had, great Cricketer Beefy and he could drink any Australian under the table which is saying soemthing, though probably not the crap stuff they caall beer down under though, but proper beer.

And if you are looking for a muscle bound england cricketer then Ben Stokes is your go to guy, I like him but he has spent some time in the gym, interestingly his dad played rugby league.

didn't one of the aussie cricketers once drink 52 cans of beer on the flight over, i think it was david boon.

Booney 52 can record still stands today! Although there are unconfirmed reports that the 2003 winning World Cup rugby team from England broke the record.

The Boon record makes a great story: https://www.thefanatics.com/web_blog.view.php?web_blog_ID=169

 

[Cake]

Re: Re:

IMO would be surprised if fast bowlers were doping. The most likely candidates for it in cricket are late order hitters who're good at the 20 over format. Why? Follow the money. The best way to make serious cash in cricket now is to be someone who can consistently clear the ropes in a twenty20 run chase.

That's the most reliable way to look valuable to a franchise that is considering whether to hire you or not (Same equation as with power hitters in baseball in the late 90s). Even fast bowlers can get hit out of a game if an "eye" player chances his arm, but late order hitters who can reliably finish are gold dust.

nah, they are all doing it now. The fastbowlers more than batsmen. But that West Indian batsmen with the shoulders, he is one of the worst. And the NZ one day captain,who was a keeper. But the Australians all do it. batsmen, bowlers.

no wonder all the australian bowlers are breaking down, they are supercharged the rocketfuel of CJC-1295 and other peptides

here are two power hitters no doubt doing major programs

Brendon McCullum NZ captain

Chris Gayle West Indies power-hitter

Again, I'd be surprised if either of those gentlemen were doing it, specifically because they've always looked as chunky as they do in those pics, Gayle especially so. I can't think of any suspicious physical change.

I can however think of one particular succesful batsman who has bulked up a lot in the last 5 years. But as said gentleman doubtless has expensive lawyers I shall refrain from saying who.

 

[The Hitch]

Ok, I haven't done the whole - you know they are doping by their body, thing, but with Steelers qb, "big Ben" Roethlisberger, I had to laugh when I saw his pre NFL photo.

And now.

 

[danielovichdk2]

Mr. Olympia, is no doubt the place where you have athletes with most dope in their body.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

Re:

Ok, I haven't done the whole - you know they are doping by their body, thing, but with Steelers qb, "big Ben" Roethlisberger, I had to laugh when I saw his pre NFL photo.

And now.

Again I have to mention that photographic images tend to be virtually meaningless to assessing size (or proportion) because of the effect of the focal length of the lens being used on perspective. The only way to make an apples-to-apples comparison is if the same focal length lens is used (or equivalent length, if format is changed).

Note the difference in the interpupillary distance in the two images of Big Ben. According to my digital image analysis software, his eyes are about 9% further apart in the second photo. Not only that, his face is nearer perpendicular to the lens in the first image, which means the second image's true difference would be in excess of the 9% figure. So you cannot in fairness attribute any differences to Lily Pharmaceutical until you first have removed the differences caused by the change in lenses. And the increase to the size of his jowls in the second snap also tells me these two photos were separated by a lot of cheeseburgers. I'll wager his waist also is at least 15cm larger in the second.

This is not a perfect representation but it's the best I could find in a rush:

The photographer did not intend to keep interpupillary distance identical between the images, but he accidentally did rather a good job, at least until the two shortest focal length images. The 24mm example is the most aberrant (too wide, the same problem as with the second Big Ben image), and the 19mm example is too narrow, which accounts for their seemingly exaggerated changes relative to change in focal length (although rate of change does grow more 'radical' between focal lengths shorter than a 'normal' lens) But even that goes to prove my point that, unless deliberately staged for that purpose, photographs tend to be a rather poor indicator of size and/or proportion. The shorter the focal length, the closer the model's nose appears and the further away her ears. Which has the net effect, especially once interpupillary distance has been equalised, of making the face appear narrower.

And just as was the case with Barry Bonds, any journo seeking to prove a point deliberately is going to shoot a shorter lens in order to better make their point. So the fact that Ben's face appears broader in the second image is not necessarily reflective of the truth.

None of which means that he's not doped to the gills, only that these snaps in no wise constitute evidence either way.