Long ass post but fuck the haters! (TLDR at the end)
1.) Anyone who exercises regularly at a local gym will see a significant number of individuals using exogenous testosterone or any other type of hormone supplement simply to look more aesthetically pleasing, risking the balance of their endocrine system, integrity of their liver, functional ability of their heart, etc. All with absolutely no money at stake.
Now think about professional athletes with literally millions of dollars at stake. Look at the top ten of any weight division- Josh Barnett (who I am a fan of outside of the cage, he plays D & D and is a pro-wrestler, the guy is awesome) is a top ten guy with some wins, and some losses to the other guys in the top-ten. He also has about 4-5 failed drug tests.
What are the statistical odds that he is an mid top-10 guy with all these drug busts, and the individuals who beat him are simply superior without being pharmaceutically enhanced/aided in some way. I understand that genetics, camps, and gameplans come into play here, but it seems to be almost every single card has at least one drug bust.
I'm not condoning it in MMA whatsoever, but I also think its important for people to be realistic and understand that the majority of people in professional sports (from track & field to MMA) are most likely on PEDs.
And the majority of people wouldn't be interested in watching clean sports at the highest level after what we've seen. Track and field would be too slow, MMA would see guys fatigue.
No doubt there are genetic freaks out there with excellent work ethic and the perfect coaching etc across all sports. And at the highest level most athletes are these genetic freaks- but they are most likely using PEDs as well. Maybe the highest levels could be achieved without any pharmaceutical enhancement whatsoever. But it would be incredibly foolish to think that it currently is. Its like lies and politicians, the two just go hand in hand.
2.) I don't condone Jon Jones' actions (the dude is an absolute sociopath and seems to have no true remorse for his actions which is scary) But you all know he was never going to be loved because he represents everyone's insecurities - there was a thread here from 2013 where he made a simple tweet about Chael Sonnen's TRT usage potentially being liked to prior PED usage and he got BLASTED for it. I understand the irony now but the dude wasn't even being a dick about it at the time- people had said far worse.
The dude won the genetic lottery (regardless of PED usage), destroyed everyone's favorite fighters, and had the physical potential to be a huge star. The only thing he was lacking was that true charisma you see in a guy like Conor. But Jones fell into the trap that happens to a majority of young athletes/celebrities (from fucking Disney stars to Johnny Manziel to fucking Justin Bieber):
1.) early success at a young age and a ridiculous amount of money equivalent to or greater than some of the greatest minds in society (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc).
2.) early hate, usually because of jealousy and insecurity of the haters but also sometimes genuine dislike
3.) viewing themselves as untouchable due to their success in their entertainment field. Sort of like a God-complex.
4.) bad influences and the party lifestyle
5.) over-exposure by the media
The entertainment keeps churning out this same exact story for literally decades now and fans keep having the same response while ignoring the trend.
Entertainment is great - music, sports, TV, etc gives us inspiration, motivation, and can really really help people out of bad spots. You can watch a great fight or movie, listen to a great song and it can really motivate you to get out of a bad spot, work harder, etc. It also gives you something to look forward simply for viewing pleasure. For this reason entertainers should have a lot of respect.
But its hard to not see that the way society views entertainment is flawed and that's a significant part of why these young early success stories consistently turn out so poorly. There are neurosurgeons who can literally remove a tumor from your brain and they are in a lesser pay bracket and receive a lesser amount of attention than a Jon Jones or Conor Mcgregor. I understand that the success of an athlete probably seems more achievable, is more entertaining, and is more relatable to most people in society, but the same if not greater dedication is present in some of the other great minds who receive far less attention but we would turn to in an instant if we needed their skills.
Maybe we value entertainment a little too highly. Anyway had to get that rant off my chest. I'll let my old-ass grandparent hands stop typing now and let my old-ass grandparent brain stop.
TLDR: 1.) For the 1000th time, Nate Diaz said it best. Not a single PED bust should shock anyone. And for anyone who has done sports or participated in athletic events it probably doesn't.
2.) Jon jones= Justin Bieber = Johnny Manziel = Disney stars. Society has things backwards but what else is new.
1.) Anyone who exercises regularly at a local gym will see a significant number of individuals using exogenous testosterone or any other type of hormone supplement simply to look more aesthetically pleasing, risking the balance of their endocrine system, integrity of their liver, functional ability of their heart, etc. All with absolutely no money at stake.
Now think about professional athletes with literally millions of dollars at stake. Look at the top ten of any weight division- Josh Barnett (who I am a fan of outside of the cage, he plays D & D and is a pro-wrestler, the guy is awesome) is a top ten guy with some wins, and some losses to the other guys in the top-ten. He also has about 4-5 failed drug tests.
What are the statistical odds that he is an mid top-10 guy with all these drug busts, and the individuals who beat him are simply superior without being pharmaceutically enhanced/aided in some way. I understand that genetics, camps, and gameplans come into play here, but it seems to be almost every single card has at least one drug bust.
I'm not condoning it in MMA whatsoever, but I also think its important for people to be realistic and understand that the majority of people in professional sports (from track & field to MMA) are most likely on PEDs.
And the majority of people wouldn't be interested in watching clean sports at the highest level after what we've seen. Track and field would be too slow, MMA would see guys fatigue.
No doubt there are genetic freaks out there with excellent work ethic and the perfect coaching etc across all sports. And at the highest level most athletes are these genetic freaks- but they are most likely using PEDs as well. Maybe the highest levels could be achieved without any pharmaceutical enhancement whatsoever. But it would be incredibly foolish to think that it currently is. Its like lies and politicians, the two just go hand in hand.
2.) I don't condone Jon Jones' actions (the dude is an absolute sociopath and seems to have no true remorse for his actions which is scary) But you all know he was never going to be loved because he represents everyone's insecurities - there was a thread here from 2013 where he made a simple tweet about Chael Sonnen's TRT usage potentially being liked to prior PED usage and he got BLASTED for it. I understand the irony now but the dude wasn't even being a dick about it at the time- people had said far worse.
The dude won the genetic lottery (regardless of PED usage), destroyed everyone's favorite fighters, and had the physical potential to be a huge star. The only thing he was lacking was that true charisma you see in a guy like Conor. But Jones fell into the trap that happens to a majority of young athletes/celebrities (from fucking Disney stars to Johnny Manziel to fucking Justin Bieber):
1.) early success at a young age and a ridiculous amount of money equivalent to or greater than some of the greatest minds in society (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc).
2.) early hate, usually because of jealousy and insecurity of the haters but also sometimes genuine dislike
3.) viewing themselves as untouchable due to their success in their entertainment field. Sort of like a God-complex.
4.) bad influences and the party lifestyle
5.) over-exposure by the media
The entertainment keeps churning out this same exact story for literally decades now and fans keep having the same response while ignoring the trend.
Entertainment is great - music, sports, TV, etc gives us inspiration, motivation, and can really really help people out of bad spots. You can watch a great fight or movie, listen to a great song and it can really motivate you to get out of a bad spot, work harder, etc. It also gives you something to look forward simply for viewing pleasure. For this reason entertainers should have a lot of respect.
But its hard to not see that the way society views entertainment is flawed and that's a significant part of why these young early success stories consistently turn out so poorly. There are neurosurgeons who can literally remove a tumor from your brain and they are in a lesser pay bracket and receive a lesser amount of attention than a Jon Jones or Conor Mcgregor. I understand that the success of an athlete probably seems more achievable, is more entertaining, and is more relatable to most people in society, but the same if not greater dedication is present in some of the other great minds who receive far less attention but we would turn to in an instant if we needed their skills.
Maybe we value entertainment a little too highly. Anyway had to get that rant off my chest. I'll let my old-ass grandparent hands stop typing now and let my old-ass grandparent brain stop.
TLDR: 1.) For the 1000th time, Nate Diaz said it best. Not a single PED bust should shock anyone. And for anyone who has done sports or participated in athletic events it probably doesn't.
2.) Jon jones= Justin Bieber = Johnny Manziel = Disney stars. Society has things backwards but what else is new.
