Cuban thinks steroids could be useful (and ESPN is ironically funny)

[indeedproceed]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, responding to a question about the 10-game suspension of Orlando's Rashard Lewis, says steroids could be used to help athletes recover from injuries as long as they are prescribed by doctors and that it could be proved there would be no long-term damage.

"I'll get killed for saying this," Cuban replied, "but I'm not so against steroids if they're administered under proper supervision and there is no long-term damage. ... If somebody thinks it's controversial, fine. To me, it's just common sense. I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids."

You know my first thought was "yes", in that steroids would be of great value, especially to older players coming back from injury.

But then I thought about it, and wouldn't steoids affect the whole body, not just the injured area? How would you regulate who could take steroids, and why? One would think that smart players would 'time' injuries to maximize the potential benefits of the drugs, time it so that the fatigue of the season doesn't show, or they're just right for the playoffs.

In other news, look at Cuban's last sentence.

"To me, it's just common sense. I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids'."

And ESPN's website:
(look at the headline)

[Fafnir]

I don't think its practical to allow athletes to use it for rehab. Doctors can be found to write perscriptions for anything if you have money.

I like how Cuban knew exactly what ESPN with do with the article.

[Rondo2287]

I dont know enough about their effects on the body but if it appears that they do more good than harm, then I think hes got a decent point.  

[Chris]

Honestly, in context, I think he is just stating the obvious.  Saying that if it were proven that Steriods had no long-term negative affects, they could be a good thing for helping people recover from injuries, if taken properly.  I completely agree. 

But he is smart enough to know that his statement would be taken out of context, and turned into a media frenzy that gets him more publicity. 

[GKC]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, responding to a question about the 10-game suspension of Orlando's Rashard Lewis, says steroids could be used to help athletes recover from injuries as long as they are prescribed by doctors and that it could be proved there would be no long-term damage.

"I'll get killed for saying this," Cuban replied, "but I'm not so against steroids if they're administered under proper supervision and there is no long-term damage. ... If somebody thinks it's controversial, fine. To me, it's just common sense. I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids."

You know my first thought was "yes", in that steroids would be of great value, especially to older players coming back from injury.

But then I thought about it, and wouldn't steoids affect the whole body, not just the injured area? How would you regulate who could take steroids, and why? One would think that smart players would 'time' injuries to maximize the potential benefits of the drugs, time it so that the fatigue of the season doesn't show, or they're just right for the playoffs.

In other news, look at Cuban's last sentence.

"To me, it's just common sense. I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids'."

And ESPN's website:
(look at the headline)

Nobody is going to "time" injuries, especially since you need a legit bad injury to get use of steroids.

And look, the can have people regulate steroids, which many normal people take for muscle damage. The only problem however is it could increase a semi-NBA black market for steroids (just like every College has that one guy with ADD who everyone gets their adderall from).

But if it's just used for the purposes of injury recovery, I'm for it. It's just hard to see if we can keep it purely for that purpose.

[indeedproceed]

Nobody is going to "time" injuries, especially since you need a legit bad injury to get use of steroids.

And look, the can have people regulate steroids, which many normal people take for muscle damage. The only problem however is it could increase a semi-NBA black market for steroids (just like every College has that one guy with ADD who everyone gets their adderall from).

But if it's just used for the purposes of injury recovery, I'm for it. It's just hard to see if we can keep it purely for that purpose.

I think that's being a little shortsighted.

I'm not saying that people will 'time' tearing an ACL. But someone might 'time' when they decide to seek treatment for their shin splints, or their bone spurs.

They might 'time' it for somewhere in late february, or early march, right when the older body needs that punch in the arm, when the fatigue is really starting to set in. It would be a distinct and obvious advantage. I don't think that's outlandish.

[Fafnir]

Nobody is going to "time" injuries, especially since you need a legit bad injury to get use of steroids.

And look, the can have people regulate steroids, which many normal people take for muscle damage. The only problem however is it could increase a semi-NBA black market for steroids (just like every College has that one guy with ADD who everyone gets their adderall from).

But if it's just used for the purposes of injury recovery, I'm for it. It's just hard to see if we can keep it purely for that purpose.

I think that's being a little shortsighted.

I'm not saying that people will 'time' tearing an ACL. But someone might 'time' when they decide to seek treatment for their shin splints, or their bone spurs.

They might 'time' it for somewhere in late february, or early march, right when the older body needs that punch in the arm, when the fatigue is really starting to set in. It would be a distinct and obvious advantage. I don't think that's outlandish.

Or they'd just time an injury for the offseason and then really use them to build strength for the season.

[indeedproceed]

Nobody is going to "time" injuries, especially since you need a legit bad injury to get use of steroids.

And look, the can have people regulate steroids, which many normal people take for muscle damage. The only problem however is it could increase a semi-NBA black market for steroids (just like every College has that one guy with ADD who everyone gets their adderall from).

But if it's just used for the purposes of injury recovery, I'm for it. It's just hard to see if we can keep it purely for that purpose.

I think that's being a little shortsighted.

I'm not saying that people will 'time' tearing an ACL. But someone might 'time' when they decide to seek treatment for their shin splints, or their bone spurs.

They might 'time' it for somewhere in late february, or early march, right when the older body needs that punch in the arm, when the fatigue is really starting to set in. It would be a distinct and obvious advantage. I don't think that's outlandish.

Or they'd just time an injury for the offseason and then really use them to build strength for the season.

I could see guys doing that. But eventually they'd need to stop, and would lose a good chunk of what they'd strived to build.

[Fafnir]

Nobody is going to "time" injuries, especially since you need a legit bad injury to get use of steroids.

And look, the can have people regulate steroids, which many normal people take for muscle damage. The only problem however is it could increase a semi-NBA black market for steroids (just like every College has that one guy with ADD who everyone gets their adderall from).

But if it's just used for the purposes of injury recovery, I'm for it. It's just hard to see if we can keep it purely for that purpose.

I think that's being a little shortsighted.

I'm not saying that people will 'time' tearing an ACL. But someone might 'time' when they decide to seek treatment for their shin splints, or their bone spurs.

They might 'time' it for somewhere in late february, or early march, right when the older body needs that punch in the arm, when the fatigue is really starting to set in. It would be a distinct and obvious advantage. I don't think that's outlandish.

Or they'd just time an injury for the offseason and then really use them to build strength for the season.

I could see guys doing that. But eventually they'd need to stop, and would lose a good chunk of what they'd strived to build.

Not really if you read about how a lot of guys used it. They'd be in off cycle for pretty most of the regular baseball season.

[GKC]

Nobody is going to "time" injuries, especially since you need a legit bad injury to get use of steroids.

And look, the can have people regulate steroids, which many normal people take for muscle damage. The only problem however is it could increase a semi-NBA black market for steroids (just like every College has that one guy with ADD who everyone gets their adderall from).

But if it's just used for the purposes of injury recovery, I'm for it. It's just hard to see if we can keep it purely for that purpose.

I think that's being a little shortsighted.

I'm not saying that people will 'time' tearing an ACL. But someone might 'time' when they decide to seek treatment for their shin splints, or their bone spurs.

They might 'time' it for somewhere in late february, or early march, right when the older body needs that punch in the arm, when the fatigue is really starting to set in. It would be a distinct and obvious advantage. I don't think that's outlandish.

What I mean though, is I don't think EVERY injury, like shin splints or bone spurs, require steroids. I was thinking things where you actually recovery from surgeries such as a torn ACL or micro-fracture surgery.

The NBA could do something like, everyone who tries to get a prescription, has to have the pharmacist or doctor confirm it with the league and the league agrees if that's enough of an injury to warrant it. Something that simply allows for there to be no loopholes.

[Fafnir]

Something that simply allows for there to be no loopholes.

I don't think there is a simple way to do that.

See how difficult it is for the NFL for players with serious asthma. The situations are complicated and doctor's often have very different opinions.

[indeedproceed]

Yeah I think theoretically it makes some sense but practically it would be completely abused.

[fairweatherfan]

Sure - the reason why steroids are banned and other supplements aren't is mainly that steroids are extremely damaging to long-term health.  No one denies that they work, and work well.  If steroids can be administered safely (a huge if) I don't see why they should continue to be banned. 

[Amonkey]

I think the problem with steroids is there just isn't enough study on the long term effect of steroids, and since every steroids is different, even if there is a long term study in one specific steroid, it's not true for other forms.  Someone mentioned that steroids doesn't affect just the injured area, but the whole body.  That is true and that's what concerns physicians.  The increased level of hormones in the body causes a reaction system in your body, where the elevated X amount of hormones increases the X amount of blood level which increases X of another hormone that affects the X amount of this and that.  I mean, we have had the NFL for over 100 years and we are still discovering the effect of head trauma during games.  I think it's just too difficult to prove the efficacy of steroids today.

[HomeRunBaker]

I dont know enough about their effects on the body but if it appears that they do more good than harm, then I think hes got a decent point.  

Without getting into a great debate there is plenty of evidence of terrible negative long-term affects of steroid use......and some of it isn't really long-term but rather fairly quickly. Notice how quickly guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, (brace yourself sox fans), David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and many others completely lost their hand-eye coordination almost overnight. 

Cuban is very wrong here in voicing any type of support toward steroids......although he is correct in that usage can be very beneficial short-term for an NBA player primarily from a recovery standpoint during long and grueling 82-game schedules.