With the Olympic games just around the corner, I guess we should be bracing ourselves for a flood of ex-sportspeople flogging performance enhancing chemicals and magic potions as part of the price we pay for the expensive coverage.
But the logic of the marketing escapes me.
Before the Games, we get plenty of stories about trying to get the drugs out of sport, but as soon as the Games start we have the Spin Doctors telling us that buying their potion is going to give you an advantage over your opponent.
Isn’t this the wrong message to be sending our kids?
Of course those of us with a sceptical bent remember when some of the companies have been prosecuted for making false claims, but those events quickly fade from view probably because MSM enjoy the advertising revenue that comes from downplaying the consumer protection law breaking. It’s just another example of how the they have fallen away from standing up for the population. A role they once proudly carried.
These days they are inclined to chase an individual who falls foul of the rules but when it comes to companies who need their advertising space, they hit the exits as quickly as possible.
Personally, I believe the whole process of writing drug rules and deciding what is or is not acceptable, is completely broken because it is now a vehicle for pollies. Either wannabees or ex, who suffer from some form of attention deficit, and who corrupt the process trying to big name themselves.
The case against the tennis player last Aussie Open was an example of how arbitrary the process is. The particular drug was examined for 10 years before they finally decided it was unacceptable, then they sank the boot into the player for missing the email.
The Essendon footy club was another interesting study, and before I get stuck in, I am an Essendon fan, but just look at how the process was handled.
Trial by Media used to be regarded as a bad thing, but in this case the leaks flowed freely through Caroline Wilson, and I don’t remember too many folk complaining about the denial of natural justice. Even worse, the penalty applied to the players meant the least responsible people in the fiasco were the ones punished the most heavily.
Claims that the players should have challenged the club and their medical experts were bizarre indeed. Currently one player is taking court action against the club just to find out what drugs were involved, and anyone who feels that a young player has any ability to make demands of the club is living a long way away from the real world.
So far these aggressive campaigns against sportspeople still seem to carry public Support, but I can imagine a time when we start to question how dinkum the rule changes are, and if there may be an unhealthy undercurrent from folk trying to build a profile for themselves.
One thing for sure though, youngsters starting out in a team environment will continue to be the soft target that gets hit the hardest simply because they have the least power.
the interviewer which concluded with ‘Don’t blush Baby.’ I was half listening at the time and didn’t catch the first bit but as soon as I heard that last bit I knew there would be repercussions.
and Pete Evans pushing their own magic potions for personal gain. Boy there are a lot of these and they seem to operate for quite a long time before the Legal System gets around to popping them in jail. Dr Oz is still free to trade at this moment in time. (Jan 2016).
improvement? The answer appears to lie right here. We actually have to turn to Choice magazine to expose the scammers.
brainless and disappointing. On the excellent side we have 
days we have other options and encouraging folk to drink the Kool Aide on a mostly manufactured concern is a lot harder.
The Aussies? Nope. They are just there. But the best of the Brits just reek of old school and it’s hilarious. Principal among them is Henry Blofeld with his “My dear old thing” and lately Phil Tuffnell has stepped forward to really add to the fun.
had enough. 
bowlers fault. A bowler takes a wicket? The batsman was inept. There is simply no outcome that doesn’t have some negativity hidden inside it. It would be a line ball between him and Tony Abbott over who whinges most. Tony wins on opportunity, Geoffrey on depth.
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