http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 2 Jul 2008 23:51:41 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-730485 Look, I'm aware many players from all teams were using steroids during the 1970's, and the Steelers have had plenty of players linked to it from their "dynasty" years, so I'm not here attacking them or saying they should give back their rings, blah, blah. But my concern is with the logic that "steroids were legal than so why should it matter..." First let me state that I believe steroids should still be legal to adults in America. Obviously I don't think they should be allowed in professional sports, but for regular people who understand how they work and are educated on the ways to use them, steroids can be very helpful for body growth, healing from injuries, and even as a treatment option for certain cancers and even HIV. However, I think people who use the "steroids weren't illegal than so why should it matter..." logic are forgetting why steroids were deemed illegal by the US government in the first place. The main reason was because of their widespread use in professional sports! So while steroids weren't illegal back in the 1970's (or if the 70's were the decade of drugs like pointed out in the blog) their use by professional athletes correlated directly into why they are now illegal. I do also have a problem with the logic that the 1970's were a decade of drug use, so therefor it's okay. That's like saying "before the 1960's African Americans didn't have the same rights as white people, so it's okay that racism existed, it was just the time period." Now obviously I don't think you would say that or any reasonable human being would use that logic, but it's the same logic used in the argument that the 1970's were a decade of drug use so it's okay. We as a society should never use a time period to excuse peoples' behaviors. 730485@blogcritics.org Wed, 2 Jul 2008 23:51:41 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-729348 Drinking in the days of Prohibition was illegal. Does that mean that if you drank a beer yesterday you broke the law? You people that say the Steelers cheated for using Steriods when they were legal are absolutely ridiculous. Your stupidity with an argument like that is really sad. 729348@blogcritics.org Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:00:18 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-729281 Callmemaddy and tstocksl have this right and I think Callmemaddy is very insightful for 16. Eric, you must be too young to rmember that steriods were used by all teams and continue to be used for healing. My Dr. just gave me a shot in the elbow the other day to help heal my tendon. Steroids do have legit medical purposes in the 70s and now. It's like if everyone had been taping defensive signals and THEN it was outlawed, no one could complain about the Patriots. Every team in the 70s used steroids and it wasn't against the rules. 729281@blogcritics.org Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:14:32 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-729248 Vindicated! After 30 years of claiming that the Steelers of the 1970s weren't really as good as cracked up to be, it is nice to see the walls crumbling down around their "dynasty". They have received far too much credit for far too long. Bradshaw's admission isn't the first time the 70s Steelers have been linked to steroids and I don't think we yet know more than just the tip of the iceberg for how many of them were really involved. Bottom line, the Steelers knowingly cheated with the goal of having better performance on the field. There may have been other teams who had players doing similar things, but it sure looks like using steroids was a regular part of their team culture and that it helped them achieve team success that they probably would not have achieved otherwise. In a perfect world they would have to give back their SB trophies and rings, but I am pretty sure that will not happen. But, at this point it doesn't really matter because at least the sports world is realizing that they weren't the greatest team of all-time, but instead the greatest cheats of all-time. 729248@blogcritics.org Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:37:15 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-729243 Everyone did steriods in 70s-80s even the Bears and they still lost all the time.Tallent is tallent, so for him to come out and say this its nothing new. We all new they did them look at the Radiers in the 80s and the 85 bears. 729243@blogcritics.org Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:58:04 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-729128 Steroids -- the new "dirty" word! Having broken several bones, including having a bad rotator cuff and busted neck vertebrae, cortisone shots keep me functioning! In other words, there are truly legitimate medical reasons to use them. But, I see the writing on the wall -- Our great politicians will probably ban them (it is an election year, don't you know...). GO STEELERS! 729128@blogcritics.org Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:33:21 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/26/190313.php#comment-729080 Good blog. I listened to the interview. Bradshaw was talking about the minimal medical attention given to players throughout the league in the 70s. To single out Bradshaw or the Pittsburgh Steelers as cheaters requires ignoring the fact that the 70s were the Wild Wild West of steroid use for all teams in the NFL. All teams were starting to use steroids then to get bigger and stronger, and heal quicker. Guys died. From many teams, not just the Steelers. Now steroids are still part of every team's routine, they've just learned how to control and manage them to 1. make their players bigger, stronger, and healthier 2. keep them alive 3. get away with it We all know this. I wouldn't be surprised if these attacks were coming from disgruntled Patriots fans trying to deflect attention from their lying, cheating, arrogant, overrated coach. 729080@blogcritics.org Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:49:43 EDT