OT: Maria Sharapova banned from tennis for two years
Apparently she had been taking something (meldonium) for several years and wasn't aware that it was recently added to the banned substances list.
A two year suspension seems harsh, especially for a player her age.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/36482288
MOD EDIT - I think Hatter totally meant that part about spanking in jest, but to prevent further descent into hell in this thread, I have removed the reference and done some purging to tone it down. - LSA
it was a joke
Lets hope nothing happens to Genie Bouchard or there will be nothing worth watching left to watch.
Ana Ivanovic, Tsvetana Pironkova, Caroline Wozniacki, and many more
even Rory thought so
If Caroline ever gets busted, it will make golf fans wonder the real reason Rory doesn't want to play in the Olympics...
Are you kidding me??? There's a pipeline of 'em streaming from eastern Europe.
A think a good spanking would have been punishment enough.
pathetic, mad hatter
I think of The Mad Hatter and East German Judge as our two resident dirty old men.
I feel sorry for mad hatters mother, she can't be very proud...
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they have to put up with such a judgemental prick
They love me! Good day, sir!
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I see them speaking truth and human nature to what has become an insanely sensitive society. Just like pornography, I can't define when political correctness has gone too far, but I can see it. We are now at least several years beyond that point.
Chill out everyone.
I'd be happy to administer the spanking to Maria. A long line of volunteers, methinks.
I immediately figured the ban was for over-grunting.
It seems particularly harsh in light of the fact that she self-reported the violation too. Perhaps there were other circumstances forcing her to self-report that I'm not aware of, but it doesn't seem to want to encourage others to follow her example.
She tested positive, no?
I thought they tested her after her admission.
...and it was delicious!
I think it's ridiculous. She was taking the substance legally for the vast majority of the time, then all of a sudden it was banned. Quite a harsh punishment, and a shame.
A Russian athlete accused of doping? Who woulda thunk it
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While she was born in Russia, she has lived in the USA since she was 7. Hardly a Russian athlete in the sense you mean
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how about in the sense she cheated?
Correct, Comrade!
I'm beginning to think that you aren't actually Putin.
Putin. What do we have left on the planet, a dozen alpha males? Putin logs in here to keep pace with one of his 11 remaining rivals...our coach.
don't tell anybody
Is a lifetime in Women's Tennis
and at her age, her career is probably over. She might come back but any hope of winning another major is probably gone.
I'm torn between this...
She got 2 years instead of 4. Which means the international body determined she didn't intentionally cheat.
The standard is 4 if it is determined there was willful cheating.
She took a drug though for 10 years which isn't supposed to be prescribed for maintenance needs -- meaning not long term.
I think the witch hunt culture which exists post-Dick Pound's pursuit of cycling for years is clouding logic and reason here.
The moral of the story is if the world body sends you an email in December, you should probably read it before March.
Unless you want to quietly retire to the countryside with your millions
She was pretty clearly taking the drug for performance enhancement. I haven't seen any doctor anywhere say anything to suggest that the long-term use of the drug is appropriate. When you take things for performance enhancement, it's on you to make damn sure it continues to be legal. I don't have a huge problem with her punishment.
I guess I don't either with the punishment. Athletes are responsible for what they put in their bodies and especially after what Lance Armstrong pulled, there's going to be zero tolerance on excuse making. That's why she got 2.
She'll won't be in a GS again until she's 31. Her big time career is pretty much over.
BUT, she wasn't found to be cheating by the world body... I'm not going to go all Nancy Grace and state she "clearly" was cheating as you say. Nobody here can testify to her intent.
Russians cheat.
Don Cherry.
"Witch hunt culture?" What are you talking about? I'm a cycling fan and cycling was so loaded with PEDs that at the height of the era, riders could not even participate in top races (let alone win) without doping.
And doping is widespread throughout top levels of sport. I have zero doubt that it's a problem in tennis (a pitiful testing regimen and a strong media aversion to learning more keeps it quiet) and not just with Sharapova. It is, of course, everywhere in track. And I guarantee that it is extremely widespread in major team sports, for the simple reason that there are real competitive (and thus financial) benefits to it and it rarely if ever gets caught.
Sharapova getting suspended for this is, as in an analogous situation in cycling past with Alberto Contador, like Al Capone getting busted for tax evasion. There's more that can't be proven.
Dick Pound was censured by WADA and CAS for playing lose and fast with the rules.
NOWHERE in my post did I ever suggest that cycling wasn't dirty.
I was commenting about a person who took his cause to the exterme and who made things personal and the effects of such behavior.
If you're going to reply to what I said, please don't take liberties with it!
That's a fair response about Pound, but your greater point was about a witch-hunt culture against doping, a term suggesting that you think it is unfair and/or inaccurate. And my response was to discuss how widespread I believe doping to be.
Doping is indeed widespread. For every person in here bitching about the Russians have clearly forgotten their history about how effed up USA Track and Field has been. That's not the debate.
The debate I pose is this is a drug which was permitted for years. The reasons for the change haven't been communicated to the public -- perhaps it's in the email MS neglected to read in a timely manner. But where is the evidence she knowingly, willfully cheated? Where she tried to cover anything up? But because of the past, she gets two years anyway.
Ultimately I don't have a problem with the 2 years. For me, where MS has some 'splaining to do is this drug is not meant to be a maintenance drug.
I will always have that one Enrique Iglesias video with her in it. That will have to suffice.
Wrong hot, blonde tennis player. This is the only that can actually play.
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shit. (At least that video does still exist though).
She just couldn't finish
Exact opposite problem most men have, amirite MGoLadies???
I thought this was out there months ago, wonder what new info has come out outside of the news that she will appeal?
The news is old, the suspension just came down today
Yeah I looked and a provisional ban was handed down on March 12th, awaiting an offical hearing.
is developing quite nicely so far.
That's extremely harsh, and probably bad for tennis, however, I do agree with putting screamers like her and other loud female tennis stars far away from center court.
What's wrong with playing loud?
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