Dominicans, steroids and Miguel Tejada...

[Berzin]

In the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, there is an article on Miguel Tejada and how differently steroid use is seen in in the DR as it is in the states. Here is a quote-


"Dominicans have an easy explanation for their collective shrug whenever the subject of steroids arises. They argue that just as stealing bread is not a crime when a man is starving, taking performance-enhancing drugs is acceptable when a player is desperate to get off an island where the poverty rate hovers around 40%. "Whats' wrong[in the U.S.]", says Fernando Mateo, president of Hispanics Across America, a New York-based advocacy group that lobbies Major League Baseball on Latino issues, "isn't so wrong there"."

"For baseball, fighting steroid use in the Dominican Republic has been like throwing punches underwater. The island that produced nearly 12% of the major leaguers on last year's Opening Day rosters and more than 20% of the All-Star starters last July, also produced one-third of the positive tests in the major and minor leagues in 2007."

"Though the summer and winter leagues have tested for steroids since 2004, the country's labor laws prohibited teams from suspending players who tested positive; violators were instead referred to counseling. But after intense lobbying by Major League Baseball, the Dominican government reinterpreted its laws. Starting this summer, players who test positive will face the same escalating 50-game, 100-game and permanent suspensions doled out by MLB."


Even though Miguel Tejada says he has never used steroids, he is facing the same perjury charges as Barry Bonds, with proof residing in two checks he wrote to then-A's teammate Adam Piatt for $3,100 and $3,200 to purchase Deca-Durbalin and HGH in March 2003 from Kirk Radomski, the personal trainer and former New York Mets clubhouse attendant.


Questions-

So, is this laissez-faire attitude towards steroids really common among dominicans?

Do any of you think Miguel Tejada is lying?

Since Tejada was already in the majors and a wealthy man when he allegedly purchased these steroids, should the lackadaisical cultural attitude towards steroids be used as an excuse for such behavior?

Feel free to toss in any thoughts related to these topics.

[Chip]

I know for a fact that steriods are widely used among guys at the local gyms. In fact one guy even showed me a bottle he stores in his locker. He is also the same age and height as me, but whereas I weigh 170 with a benchpress around 285, he weighs 230with a benchpress around 400. He told me before he took steriods that he weighed a little bit more than I do. I know of at least 2 to 3 other guys at the same gym who use it.

[El sabelotó]

Originally Posted by Berzin

"Dominicans have an easy explanation for their collective shrug whenever the subject of steroids arises. They argue that just as stealing bread is not a crime when a man is starving, taking performance-enhancing drugs is acceptable when a player is desperate to get off an island where the poverty rate hovers around 40%.

(Talk about romanticizing the situation...)

That's as absurd as saying that most Dominican ballplayers as free-swingers 'cause "you have to swing the bat in order to get off the island."

Oh, what nonsense!

[A.Hidalgo]

I agree ridiculous. That Fernando Mateo is a knucklehead who ought know better. Obviously he does not seem to care for the health ramifications of his fellow Dominicans. You know its like a Dominican fighting roosters in the states, getting caught and saying "but its legal in the Dominican Republic"....idiots.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...218/index.html

[Kyle]

i need some dominican steroids to boost up my arm strength. i get tired after lifting 6 presidentes...
seriously, i heard dominican drug stores have many substances that are banned in the US...
someone please clarify this.....

[Chip]

Originally Posted by Kyle

i need some dominican steroids to boost up my arm strength. i get tired after lifting 6 presidentes...
seriously, i heard dominican drug stores have many substances that are banned in the US...
someone please clarify this.....

I don't know about illegal substances, but I do know even thought there are laws here about having a prescrition for cetain items, aparrently it isn't widely respected.

[Mr. Lu]

Here's the skinny, 'roids in the DR are easy to get and prescriptions aren't a requirement. In some cases neither is a doctors note or any type of official note. Go to the pharmacy and ask for whatever you want and if you can't get what you want there, just head over to the health food and supplement stores. I know of three or four places that can get you high quality stuff like Winstrol and all the "juice" to "stack" properly. Real steroid users know that you need to "stack" the stuff meaning taking more than one anabolic for an extended period of time and then cycling on and off etc.

At the end of the day the stuff is very common in the gyms etc, and there is a laissez faire attitude towards the stuff, but I add that there is also a lot of misinformation and a lack of information with regards to this. Most young guys don't seem to have a problem with a little "puya" as they call it here. The short terms effects are worth it for them.

Also there is a lack of misinformation on the government level, for example you can get ephedra products over the counter here and products like phen phen are also common here. There is also a thing called "alcachofa" which is a weight loss "miracle" and a variety of other products, though I don't feel like getting into it.

The prevailing attitude is that a bit of roids ain't bad...at least for the time being. I'm in the gym 5 days a week so I have a pretty good idea of what goes on. It's kind of sick actually. But still Dominican baseball players are good, not because of roids, but because poverty sucks and they see it as the most attainable way out of it.

[Chip]

Speaking of side effects and taking steriods, the one guy I mentioned who uses the steriods said he hasn't had many side effects but that he doesn't take them all of the time. However, he said a another guy at the same gym who is on them who (btw, who must have gained like 50m pounds in muscle in 4 months) can't seem to get his wife pregnant. Then there is the one guy who is so muscle bound it looks gross. We could chock it up to ignorance, but what do all of the athletes on roids in the States and other parts of the world use as an excuse?

[Mr. Lu]

Originally Posted by Chip

We could chock it up to ignorance, but what do all of the athletes on roids in the States and other parts of the world use as an excuse?

Ignorance, Competitiveness, Money and self esteem issues...at the end of the day a million dollar contract is worth more than your health or legal issues in the future. Ever talk to a pro athlete about? The pressure for some is too much so they turn to the alternative.

In the end a lot of Dominican athletes are ignorant because of a few reasons. Firstly, the education level here is low so they don't get this in health ed and secondly, they trust their handlers and coaches blindly, basically believing anything they say. Finally, for some people they know the consequences, but at the prospect of a US$100,000 signing bonus and a better life for your family a few shot in the butt seem worth it to them...don't under estimate what poverty will make you do...

[Chirimoya]

A few years ago our cleaner asked us to lend her RD$3,000 for 'vitamin injections' for her son who was hoping to be signed up.