12/22/24
December 21, 2005
The end for Puerta.: ITF hits Mariano Puerta with an eight-year ban for a second drug offense, effectively ending his career.
posted by lil_brown_bat to tennis at 04:04 PM - 18 comments
sorry 'bout the ], btw Fixed.
posted by justgary at 04:25 PM on December 21, 2005
It seems as though the link goes to the site's homepage. I checked out the poll on the site. Looks like the majority of voters so far, think it was a fair punishment. I am for harsher penalties against abusing performance enhancing drugs, but holy foot fault! The quotes from the ITF say it all. They conclude it was inadvertant and couldn't have enhanced his performance! Eight years is a lifetime/career! Guess they wanted to seem compassionate. His career is over. That is way to harsh.
posted by tselson at 04:32 PM on December 21, 2005
"The tribunal accept that the substance ... entered my system entirely inadvertently and without my knowledge as a result of accidental contamination by an over-the-counter medicine which my wife was taking.'' Why such a harsh penalty when the conclusion the tribunal came to was that it had no effect on his performance and wasn't taken intentionally? I think the anti-doping stuff is getting a little out of hand. I guess it doesn't matter too much for Mariano Puerta, at 27 his career is in its twiilight. Or what Tselson said.
posted by HATER 187 at 04:41 PM on December 21, 2005
It seems as though the link goes to the site's homepage. I hate sites like that. It's findable, you just have to rummage through the news. Grr. Here's a link to an article on SI.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:42 PM on December 21, 2005
The link is scrolling on the ticker at the top of the page.
posted by HATER 187 at 04:43 PM on December 21, 2005
The ITF's sanction was welcomed by World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound. "You're dealing with somebody who's tested positive twice in less than two years and clearly doesn't think the rules apply to him," Pound said. I think we already had our jokes about this guy, but man, he's an a-hole. Hey Dick, it was inadvertant and didn't enhance his performance. I'd like to follow Mr. Perfect around for a week. If only I could catch him J-walking, his career would be over! Maybe McEnroe will pound him for me.
posted by tselson at 05:07 PM on December 21, 2005
Here is the link on Tennis.com. ``My position has always been that I did not deliberately or knowingly ingest any prohibited substance,'' Puerta said. ``The tribunal accept that the substance ... entered my system entirely inadvertently and without my knowledge as a result of accidental contamination by an over-the-counter medicine which my wife was taking.'' I don't know about you but if I took skydivedad's medication (over the counter or not) I would know it. I get really tired of hearing "I did not deliberately". If they are going to agree though, I think this is a harsh penalty.
posted by skydivemom at 05:23 PM on December 21, 2005
skydivemom, I think you'd know something had happened, but not necessarily that you'd ingested his meds, if you know what I mean. I could be wrong about this, but I think they're implying that the cross-contamination may have happened as a result of very close contact.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:38 PM on December 21, 2005
Oh my......never thought of that! (blushes completely) I understood it as being he accidentally took her medication. My bad.
posted by skydivemom at 06:22 PM on December 21, 2005
I understood it as being he accidentally took her medication. My bad. I'm goofin'. I have no idea.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 06:44 PM on December 21, 2005
Eight years? Hey that'll mean the ban is lifted just when he qualifies for the seniors tour! Does anyone know if they drug test the old dudes? In my over 35s football league, there would definitely be some strange results. Fortunately WADA don't seem to bother with us.
posted by owlhouse at 10:14 PM on December 21, 2005
Puerta knew that if he got caught again that it was basically it for him.. He screwed up and that's that.. No more chances for him.
posted by 2sweet<> at 11:07 PM on December 21, 2005
I have to admit, I cannot recall inadvertantly putting something in my mouth. However, is the ITF blindly being lead by the "World Anti- Doping Agency?" Who the hell are they? How do you get that job? "Chief Dick Pound, WADA." Is this a joke? I hate to go here, but I kinda wish this Richard Pound would have had it out for Mcguire / Sosa/ Bonds. They obviously were enhanced. Maybe Puerta is a cheater, but if they can ban him for eight years while concluding it was accidental and didn't enhance his performance... I don't know what else to say. The WADA needs to target serious performance enhancing drugs and crackdown on them. Busting people for taking asthma medication or anti-hypertension medication, or f-n sudafed is absolutely ridiculous. I took a vitamin C and two aspirin this morning. Hope nobody finds out.
posted by tselson at 11:10 PM on December 21, 2005
I took a vitamin C and two aspirin this morning. Try some more. This article has nothing to do with McGwire, Sosa or Bonds. I also cannot remember when the WADA last tested any of them, or when any of them even tested positive one time. We have had these discussions countless times, and every time someone brings up those three names. Just tell me when McGwire or any of them ever "tested" positive.
posted by jojomfd1 at 10:29 AM on December 22, 2005
Just tell me when McGwire or any of them ever "tested" positive. Can't. Personal opinion. I should have saved my opinion on those goofballs for an appropriate post.
posted by tselson at 11:55 AM on December 22, 2005
Well, also, WADA has nothing to do with MLB's regulations...for the time being, that is.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:32 PM on December 22, 2005
McGuire admitted to using a banned substance he wasn't tested for. Besides things are a little different in tennis as it is in baseball.
posted by 2sweet<> at 11:38 PM on December 22, 2005
Perhaps the most interesting bit: this was considered a light sentence, and came about because the ITF tribunal acknowledged the likelihood that the contamination was both accidental and inconsequential: The three-man tribunal said the drug apparently came from effortil, a medication Puerta's wife takes for hypertension. "We accept on the balance of probabilities that the player's contamination with effortil was inadvertent," said the ITF tribunal, which met Dec. 6-7. "The amount of etilefrine in his body was too small to have any effect on his performance." Wonder what body parts they would have cut off if he'd done it on purpose? (sorry 'bout the ], btw)