Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

[TransMonk]

So, I was on the eliptical machine yesterday evening, huffing and puffing, 25 minutes into my hour workout and trying to concentrate on the calories being burned out of my body. I have the TV tuned to Sportscenter, which is a horrible show, but I need the mindless babble while I'm melting fat and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader requires too much brainpower.

Sportscenter was recycling the day's news...Jets are going to release Jones, Syracuse is #1, Canadians are good at hockey, college football players are looking for jobs, and A-Rod is being questioned about some doctor who was providing PEDs or steroids or some such to MLBers. I was paying enough attention to this last story to crack a smile through my exhales at A-Rod's "no comment" to questions involving his involvement with this doctor. However, as I went back to counting how many reps per minute I was doing, I heard that weenie Mike Greenberg say at the end of the Dr. PED story: "...and New York Met's shortstop Jose Reyes."

Because I was not paying attention, I have no idea as to the context of why Reyes would be mentioned in the story about PEDs, doctors and A-Rod.

Did anyone else see this...and if so, can you help a brother out with some context?

[metirish]

It's nothing , Reyes got a perfectly legal blood spinning treatment from a doctor in Canada who is suspected of trying to bring performance-enhancing drugs across the border.The FBI spoke to Reyes about the doc and that was it....we hope.

I guess some people are wondering out loud why all these rich athletes are going to Canada to get treatments that are available in the USA.

Edited March 2, 2010 by Guest

[TransMonk]

Whew...that's a relief. I can't help but think ESPN is trying to sensationalize the story by including Reyes' name. This is how rumors get started. Especially with Jose batting 3rd right now.

Or maybe I should just pay closer attention. Thanks, Irish!

[Guest Edgy DC]

I guess some people are wondering out loud why all these rich athletes are going to Canada to get treatments that are available in the USA.

Seems to be a reasonable question, given the context.

[metirish]

I guess some people are wondering out loud why all these rich athletes are going to Canada to get treatments that are available in the USA.

Seems to be a reasonable question, given the context.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Well, I don't doubt Reyes is just as dirty as A-Rod, and that this whole "blood-spinning" bullshit isn't just an elaborate cover for serious doping and I wish Reyes would just distance himself from this prick, who got caught when he forced assistants to run HGH across borders from him and was associated with any number of athletes who are are proven cheats.

Good stuff in the Snooze on this just the other day.

[metirish]

Yeah, I would tend to agree with that JCL. Woods brings the guy to Florida and he's not licensed to practice for treatment after his knee surgery. Obviously there is a lot of shady stuff going on with him.


Question.

Would the Mets know that Reyes was seeing this guy?

[Frayed Knot]

Would the Mets know that Reyes was seeing this guy?

[Guest themetfairy]

Blood spinning? What the heck is that?

It reminds me of the movie Ruthless People, when Bette Midler is telling her kidnappers that she hopes she doesn't miss her doctor's appointment. When Helen Slater asks what's wrong, Bette says that she's going for her urine injection.

"Why?" asks Helen.

Bette answers, "It promotes weight loss."

Helen - "Does it work?"

Chubby Bette, snapping, "Yeah, it works!"

That sounds about as medically sound to me as blood spinning, whatever the crap that is.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I suspect willful ignorance is the gateway to a lot of dirty athletes. You're rich and famous, but everybody wants your job and it can all come crashing down in moments. Some money-grubbing charlatan has a technique that can help you. Your conscience is briefly pricked and you ask, "You're not doping me are you?" And he responds, "No... NO! Whoah, uh-uh. Never even thought about it, but I totally understand your concern. We're just taking some blood, and... spinning it. Not doping it but spinning it, you see."

You should know better, but he's telling you exactly what you want to hear. By the time you wise up, you're in too deep to turn back, and all that's left is the cover-up, and the lie piled on lie that it entails.

[TransMonk]

Wiki says:

Blood-spinning is a method used by athletes to shorten the time to heal an injury. Small samples of the athlete's blood are spun in a centrifuge to increase the concentration of growth hormones. Calcium and the enzyme thrombin are added, forming a gel that is high in natural growth hormones. The sample is then injected into the wound, which can then heal as much as five times faster.

Using this procedure can fall foul of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) due to possible non-natural elements introduced into the athlete's body. A notable case where this procedure was used is that of NFL player Hines Ward. Following this there have been calls to legalize the procedure as scientists argue that it does not improve performance, only recovery time.

[metirish]

I'm picturing Jeff Goldblum circa "The Fly" and horrible mutations coming for Reyes from the blood-spinning .

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Blood spinning? What the heck is that?

It reminds me of the movie Ruthless People, when Bette Midler is telling her kidnappers that she hopes she doesn't miss her doctor's appointment. When Helen Slater asks what's wrong, Bette says that she's going for her urine injection.

"Why?" asks Helen.

Bette answers, "It promotes weight loss."

Helen - "Does it work?"

Chubby Bette, snapping, "Yeah, it works!"

That sounds about as medically sound to me as blood spinning, whatever the crap that is.

[RealityChuck]

Question.

Would the Mets know that Reyes was seeing this guy?[/quote:368cd6ow]Reports I've seen said:

1. Yes, the knew.
2. They told him that doctor had a shady reputation and tried to dissuade him from going.
3. Members of the Mets medical staff went with Reyes to make sure the doctor wasn't giving him any banned substances.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Carlos Beltran has been added to the witness list.

Oooh, you want to make the guy look even creepier? Crop out his face and set it against a white void background.

[Ceetar]

Question.

Would the Mets know that Reyes was seeing this guy?[/quote:1hhs4pv1]Reports I've seen said:

1. Yes, the knew.
2. They told him that doctor had a shady reputation and tried to dissuade him from going.
3. Members of the Mets medical staff went with Reyes to make sure the doctor wasn't giving him any banned substances.[/quote:1hhs4pv1]


Woah.. You expect me to believe a Mets player went to the Mets for permission, the Mets didn't like it, but they worked together in a way to make everyone happy? No way!



I mean, obviously it's suspect, but Reyes' comments did seem to suggest he went there as a result of the injury, and that it didn't work, and that it wasn't like he was a regular doctor Jose saw regularly.

[Guest themetfairy]

TM and LWFS - thanks for the info.

[MFS62]

What set off the investigation was when the Doctor's nurse was stopped entering the US from Canada. Her car was randomly searched, and they found drugs that are still illegal in this country, while legal in Canada. Some of them were "PEDs". That led to an investigation of the doctor and the names of several prominent American athletes were found on his patient lists.
There is, as far as I can tell, still no evidence that he prescribed, or gave, anything illegal (in the US) to any of those athletes. Nor is there any evidence that he added anything into the athletes' blood when he re-injected it.
Yes, this might be considered blood doping, which is illegal in some sports (someone above mentioned bike racing). But whether it is the exact same thing is still unclear.

Later

[ashie62]

What set off the investigation was when the Doctor's nurse was stopped entering the US from Canada. Her car was randomly searched, and they found drugs that are still illegal in this country, while legal in Canada. Some of them were "PEDs". That led to an investigation of the doctor and the names of several prominent American athletes were found on his patient lists.
There is, as far as I can tell, still no evidence that he prescribed, or gave, anything illegal (in the US) to any of those athletes. Nor is there any evidence that he added anything into the athletes' blood when he re-injected it.
Yes, this might be considered blood doping, which is illegal in some sports (someone above mentioned bike racing). But whether it is the exact same thing is still unclear.

Later[/quote:1xx69mw3]


Spot on..This type of doping gained prominence in cycling...As far as Reyes, Arod..who knows what crap got pumped into them

Its all plasma over the dam now

[Valadius]

Here's my guess - he's providing big-name athletes with sexual-performance-enhancing drugs.

[ashie62]

Here's my guess - he's providing big-name athletes with sexual-performance-enhancing drugs.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yes, this might be considered blood doping, which is illegal in some sports (someone above mentioned bike racing). But whether it is the exact same thing is still unclear.

Later[/quote:2g689360]

Pretty clear, actually. (Psst... Ashie-- reading is fundamental. Reading comprehension, moreso.)

Leaving aside the surface similarities, one-- "doping"-- is an injection of fresh, concentrated blood, something which gives a proven/measurable boost to endurance, the night before/day of an endurance sport event. The other is reinjecting a gel derived from the athlete's own blood-- and mixed with calcium and a naturally-occurring hormone-- to promote faster healing. There's no "boost" to anything on-field from said process-- A-Rod, Reyes, and Woods all sought the guy's treatment while injured.

To my mind-- and the Feds' mind, presumably-- the question is whether they touched/knew anything about the other stuff that Doc was doing, not whether this particular procedure constitutes anything illegal (sporting-brand or actual, bars-and-fines-brand).

[MFS62]

Now that you defined the difference (which I had not read before), it is clear.
Not the same thing.
And your guess that they will be interviewed about the illegal stuff makes sense, too.

Later

[Guest Edgy DC]

And I'd say there is evidence to suggest actual PED use by the athletes. It's certainly circumstantial and insufficient, but it'd be silly to ignore the red flags.

[ashie62]

Yes, this might be considered blood doping, which is illegal in some sports (someone above mentioned bike racing). But whether it is the exact same thing is still unclear.

Later[/quote:36c6b5cv]

Pretty clear, actually. (Psst... Ashie-- reading is fundamental. Reading comprehension, moreso.)

Leaving aside the surface similarities, one-- "doping"-- is an injection of fresh, concentrated blood, something which gives a proven/measurable boost to endurance, the night before/day of an endurance sport event. The other is reinjecting a gel derived from the athlete's own blood-- and mixed with calcium and a naturally-occurring hormone-- to promote faster healing. There's no "boost" to anything on-field from said process-- A-Rod, Reyes, and Woods all sought the guy's treatment while injured.

To my mind-- and the Feds' mind, presumably-- the question is whether they touched/knew anything about the other stuff that Doc was doing, not whether this particular procedure constitutes anything illegal (sporting-brand or actual, bars-and-fines-brand).[/quote:36c6b5cv]


What did I miss? Thanks

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

NP... Monky and I explained the differences 'tween spinning and doping above in the thread.

[Valadius]

Breaking: Feds want to talk to Beltran now regarding this case.

[MFS62]

I wonder what sport she plays?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100308/cm_huffpost/490080

Later

[Fman99]

I wonder what sport she plays?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100308/cm_huffpost/490080

Later[/quote:8vtuse1u]

I wouldn't really call "being a dumb fuck" a sport. It's more of a pursuit.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I wonder what sport she plays?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20100308/cm_huffpost/490080

Later