Former baseball player Darryl Strawberry admits he would have eagerly used anabolic steroids if they had been readily available during the 1980s in Major League Baseball. In a rare display of honesty from a pro athlete on the topic of steroids, Strawberry acknowledges the appeal of steroids to highly competitive athletes (”Strawberry says he would have taken steroids,” March 3).
“Hell yeah, I would have used them. Are you kidding me? I mean, come on. We’re competitive creatures and we have tremendous drive, high tolerance, all these things. I’m not saying that was the right thing to do. But if that was going on in the ’80s, that probably would have been in my system, too. I wouldn’t have denied it because you guys know I don’t deny anything.”
If Strawberry had not been consumed with self-destructive addictions that derailed his career perhaps he would have been more focused on behaviors that would have actually enhanced his performance e.g. anabolic steroids.
Ironically, Darryl Strawberry will probably not be judged as harshly as contemporary MLB players who have, either through admission or implication, been linked to performance enhancing drugs. Strawberry’s numerous off-field transgressions involving his cocaine addiction, sexual escapades, and spousal abuse did not improve his performance on the field; therefore, the general public and baseball fans who decry athletes of the so-called steroid era of baseball are not as offended by Strawberry’s misdeeds. A history of substance abuse, domestic violence involving various women including a pregnant woman, failure to pay child support are one thing but the use of steroids apparently represents an unforgiveable violation that forever tarnishes a player’s reputation. Read more
A severe cocaine addiction helped a convicted steroid dealer obtain a more lenient sentence against the objections of Acting United States Attorney Nora Dannehy according to court documents. United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz shortened the prison sentence of Edwin Porter (operator of Medline Pharmaceuticals sold via Anabolic-Superstore.com) since his “severe addiction to cocaine undoubtedly contributed to Defendant’s poor judgment” of conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids.
Edwin Porter completed a six month inpatient drug treatment program at Recovery House Inc. as a condition of his bond followed by another six months of weekly outpatient substance abuse counseling at Southwest Behavioral Clinic. Consequently, Judge Kravitz granted Porter a downward departure of six months from the Government’s sentencing recommendations of 30-37 months such that Porter was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment at facility that offers a Residential Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program. Read more
Former NPC Bodybuilder Tom Vigliatura has been falsely accused of selling steroids by reporter Lee Hammel of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette newspaper in Massachusetts. However, I am certain that this false accusation is the least of Thomas Vigliatura’s concerns; Vigliatura has been in prison since August 2005. He was sentenced this week to 51 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit his home and his defunct supplement store, T. Vig’s Sports Supplements Unlimited for selling Ecstasy, Cocaine and GHB – but NOT steroids (”Bodybuilder gets 51 months, forfeits home and business,” March 24).
Thomas J. Vigliatura, 40, of 118 Santoro Road, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy from 2002 to 2004 to distribute illegal steroids known as GHB and GBL and to possess cocaine and Ecstasy as well as distribution of GBL and GHB.
Reporter Lee Hammel wants to throw in steroid distribution as one of the charges when he erroneously identifies GHB and GBL as steroids. It upsets me that so many reporters remain blissfully ignorant about anabolic steroids and fail to perform even basic fact checking when it comes to basic questions like “what are anabolic steroids?” Why should reporters stick to the facts? Maybe Hammel just assumed that he was selling anabolic steroids since, after all, Vigliatura was a competitive bodybuilder.
Anabolic steroids are already being demonized by the current tidal wave of steroid hysteria permeating the United States. There is no need to false associate steroids to a criminal case involving cocaine and ecstasy, police corruption and threats against a federal prosecutor that has nothing to do with steroids. But anything to further demonize steroids must be the new journalistic standard?
Thanks to reporter Lee Hammel, the Associated Press has picked up the story and syndicated it nationally using Hammel’s inaccurate reporting regarding steroids (”Bodybuilder sentenced on drug charges,” March 25).
Thomas Vigliatura pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute illegal steroids and possession of cocaine and Ecstasy…
Information from: Telegram & Gazette, http://www.telegram.com
The distribution of drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and GHB has been a different enterprise from the distribution of anabolic steroids. (Although this distinction is starting to disappear as the federal steroid witch hunt threatens to push the entire steroid market completely underground.) The differences in cocaine/ecstasy/GHB distribution and anabolic steroid distribution is highlighted by the former group’s reluctance to testify or “snitch” on co-conspirators and the latter group’s widespread and eager willingness to “rat out” co-conspirators in exchange for leniency (”Bodybuilder’s sentence is bulked up by judge: six months,” July 27, 2007).
[Thomas J. Vigliatura] reiterated his contention that he refused to testify out of fear of reprisal to himself and his family…
“In no way was I trying to attempt to impede justice in any way,” Mr. Vigliatura told the judge before sentencing. “Most of you don’t know what it’s like where I live.”
Mr. Vigliatura’s real concern is his “reputation as a stand-up guy…”
Mr. Vigliatura did not want to be known as “a cooperator, snitch, rat, informant.”
Steroid dealers and distributors have not historically had the same concerns. But the federal war on steroids is close to succeeding at making the underground anabolic steroid market more dangerous than ever before for steroid users and steroid dealers alike.
Bob Lee, the district attorney for Santa Cruz County, has an explanation for the huge quantity of anabolic steroids and growth hormone linked to a man indicted for steroid importation and distribution – he was a steroid addict!
“Like many people who are involved in drugs, they have to pay for that addiction somehow. It appears he’s stolen from his family for years and years,” Lee said.
According to DA Bob Lee, James Edward Moore, Jr’s steroid addiction was so severe that he had to steal significant amounts of money from his father. The District Attorney has filed misdemeanor charges of grand theft and is preparing to file felony charges for theft and identity theft.
A recent survey of “male adult non-medical anabolic steroid users” offered a clearer picture of the average steroid user. Apparently Bob Lee is unaware that anabolic steroid users are not like abusers of illicit narcotic drugs.
“Although often considered similar to abusers of narcotics and other illicit drugs (e.g., heroin or cocaine), non-medical anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) users follow carefully planned drug regimens in conjunction with a healthy diet, ancillary drugs and exercise,” said Jack Darkes, a study co-author.
“As opposed to the spontaneous and haphazard approach seen in abusers of psychotropic drugs, everything is strategically planned to maximize benefits and minimize harm.”
