What was The Doping Case for you/your countrymen?

[RobbieCanuck]

Depends on the Province.

'Stubble jumpers' as the folks from the post-wheat-harvest-really-flat-territories are called, never apparently learn how to corner. Probably don't know what that big wheel is for. At the same time, those from lotusland have no idea of how to drive in snow.

Dave.

Actually if you are driving north on Main in Winnipeg and turn left on Portage there are no breaks in the road (the TransCanada Hwy) until a stop sign at a T junction in Cache Creek BC a distance of about 2100 kms or for the Americans about 1300 miles.

As a person who grew up a stubble jumper in YWG and could drive in snow, and now live in lotus land (YLW), I can drive in snow and corner! But I suspect you are from back east where they don't know how to drive at all!!

 

[RobbieCanuck]

Hi Pat,

Before Ben Johnson, Canada achieved international notoriety with the very first doping positive for steroids at an international event - weightlifting at the 1983 Pan Am Games.

Ben Johnson's positive lead to the Dubin Inquiry, Canada's equivalent of the US Mitchell Report on Baseball. Yes, that was a very big deal.

Helping underscore the context, prior to Ben's positive at Seoul '88, and a full two decades prior to adoption of the WADA code for Athens, Canada had adopted mandatory drug testing for Canadian Olympic athletes in 1984.

The Johnson scandal could have tarnished many generations of exceptional Canadian sprinters. Johnson was expected to finally let Canada enjoy the limelight and make up for injured Harry Jerome at Tokyo 1964. Fortunately, I don't think that his positive did tarnish multiple generations, though.

One thing that Canadians didn't and, with long memories, don't appreciate was the Carl Lewis (and others) situation. A clear and obvious doper himself, he went overboard in chastising Johnson.

In a similar light, Canadian cycling circles still have a very dim view on Grewal's gold at Los Angeles in 1984 over Steve Bauer as information came to light about the orchestrated doping by the 1984 US Olympic Cycling team.

On that note, arguably Richard Pound's interest in anti-doping was catalyzed by the doped athletes he faced in Montreal 1976.

Perhaps it is just me, but I think Canada took almost as big an exception to Reefer Ross Rebagliati and his second hand smoke Bullcrap at the Nagano Olympics than they may have reacted to Ben Johnson.

And then there was Genevieve Jeanson. What a freak show.

However, Canadians do seem to be incredible naive and don't press the issue when folks like Chris Sheppard, Seamus McGrath and Ryder are collectively implicated. Like, c'mon, that is organized and coordinated. Nor was there anything like a signicant outcry over Michael Barry.

Though there are grounds for argument that Canada has done a lot on anti-doping, Canadians kind of thinks that doping doesn't really happen here. Like it is too cold, or something.

Dave.

Good post Dave, but I think Canadians take doping more seriously than you would suggest. But I agree, there is a lot of naitivity about doping in Canada but I don't think more so than in other countries especially among athletes.

 

[blackcat]

Jeebus BC, Warnie took the slimming pill to look good for the camera! His mum made him!!!

how about all the vanity and image enhancing drugs Warnie is on now.He is thinner and leaner than he ever was as a full time athlete playing test matches with days in he field. he is on a $hit load of drugs his cosmetic doctor has prescribed, and the off-label gear he is getting from other sources for his "health" procedures

 

[D-Queued]

Actually if you are driving north on Main in Winnipeg and turn left on Portage there are no breaks in the road (the TransCanada Hwy) until a stop sign at a T junction in Cache Creek BC a distance of about 2100 kms or for the Americans about 1300 miles.

As a person who grew up a stubble jumper in YWG and could drive in snow, and now live in lotus land (YLW), I can drive in snow and corner! But I suspect you are from back east where they don't know how to drive at all!!

Count yourself among the enlightened!

To your suspicion, arguably, at this point, I hail from out west, back east and down south - and am even trying to manage all that concurrently. I've had the pleasure of many an LA traffic jam, and years of pre-GPS challenge in street-sign-less Boston. I do know Winnipeg pretty well, the border crossing at Warroad even better and have even driven across the country to and from Timmins and/or Rouyn Noranda, in the middle of winter, many a time. Watch out for Meese.

The worst drivers in Canada - here in lotusland. Though it appears the Albertan west coast envy is influencing their driving behaviour (Could Alberta be home to Canada?s worst drivers?)

As bad as the natives are, if you see prairie plates in lotusland, give them more space.

Good post Dave, but I think Canadians take doping more seriously than you would suggest. But I agree, there is a lot of naitivity about doping in Canada but I don't think more so than in other countries especially among athletes.

Thanks. A little poetic license, along with residual frustration over the McGrath, Sheppard, Hejesdal, and Barry situations.

Dave.

 

[craptastic]

As another Canuck, I and friends remember the whole Ben Johnson affair as a joke of Canada going through a drug trail of the obvious while the rest of the world especially the U.S. (cough cough Carl Lewis, flo Jo ) didn't give a f@ck and had the system jacked to their advantage while Canada languished as an easy scape goat. Blame Canada they're nice polite people and won't object to their sprinter getting caught doping. plus the whole **** Pound hypocrisy of being the second in command/heir apparent to Juan Antonio Samaranch during the most corrupt period of the ioc. Added salt to the wound. His appointment to wada seemed like a petulant child who lost out being class president of ioc and demanded another soap box to put a spotlight on himself.

Just saying.

 

[Carstenbf]

Riis. Remember as a kid TDF coverage was limited to a short mention on the news. Being clueless I remember us laughing at some dane placing 147th, not knowing that the person in question could've done great anyways.

Then this guy comes along. With a shot to win the darn thing! If that evul Berzin would just go away! Unthinkable, yes downright surreal. Ofc, turned out it was. Took me most of a decade to accept.

Hautacam '96 still stuck with me as one of the greatest sporting moments for me however. Weird that.

 

[Dr.Guess]

Interesting read guys ans gals, cheers!