[Sumo] Steroid Silliness (or Ignorance and Arrogance)

[Joshua Maciel]

I'll try to keep this polite. No promises though.

On Dec 8, 2007 1:17 PM, Scott M. Kahn <smk1 at columbia.edu> wrote:

> Moti,
>
> You bring up many issues, I'll try to respond in separate posts out
> of time considerations.
>
> Let's start with Takanohana and his alleged steroid abuse.
>
> If you are wondering whether I had access to his urine sample test
> results, if they were ever performed, or information about how he
> may have dabbled in pharmaceuticals, I admit, I was not privy to
> this first hand information.
>

Read: I have absolutely no proof

My personal conclusion that Takanohana was a steroid abuser is based
> on public information and changes in his appearance over the years.
>

Read: This is my uneducated opinion based on eyeballing someone on the TV.

Takanohana and Mark McGwire have shared a number of physical
> similarities, rapid weight and muscle gain during the time when
> steroid abuse allegedly began, similar problems with their facial
> appearance, and similar weight loss after retirement, faster than
> what would be expected if steroid abuse wasn't involved, almost to
> the point that they don't resemble themselves.
>

Read: I am ignorant about what Mark McGwire did.

(for those who are interested, he was taking
androstenedione<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androstenedione>which was
perfectly legal and over-the-counter at the time, and has dubious
ability of actually building muscle according to studies done on it)

There is absolutely zero proof that Mark McGwire had done any sort of
illegal performance enhancing drugs that is publicly available. It may exist
behind closed doors somewhere, I don't know, but it certainly is NOT public
knowledge for you to bally about as incredibly weak proof of the alleged
steroid use of someone in an entirely unrelated sport.


> I'm sure you remember that as Yokozuna, Takanohana was out because
> of liver problems, consistent with toxicity from oral anabolic
> steroid abuse.  And, Takanohana's knee problems are consistent with
> the effects of stresses from abnormal muscle buildup and weight gain
> (see exhibit B, Barry Bonds).
>

You know what else liver problems are consistent with? Drinking a lot. Know
what sumo wrestlers are often known for? Drinking a lot.

Know what else knee problems are consistent with? Putting a lot of stress on
your knees. Know what else may cause knee problems for a sumo wrestler? Sumo
wrestling.

But I'm sure that Dejima's knee problems are caused by steroids too. And
look at those blotches on his lower legs! They must be steroid-related.
That's not natural! And I hear that Rafael Palmeiro had a mole once. If that
ain't conclusive, what is?


> Add to this the expectations thrust upon Takanohana to uphold sumo
> royalty against the likes of Akebono, and you have your motive.
>
> So, now I'd like to ask you a simple yes or no question, no
> qualifiers allowed.  Do you, yourself really believe that
> Takanohana did not abuse steroids?


I believe that there's no specific reason to suspect that Takanohana did
steroids over any other sumo wrestler from Jonokuchi on up. And unless you
have proof to sway that belief, I would highly recommend not bantering about
your personal (very very VERY uneducated opinion) as fact on this mailing
list.

For those of you who are actually interested in REAL information on
steroids, Human Growth Hormone, and all those other wonderful 'performance
enhancers', I would like to recommend Sabernomic's Steroids
category<http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernomics/index.php/category/steroids/>.
While it's baseball related, he posts a lot of real studies from medical
journals and the like showing that many of these 'performance enhancing
drugs' aren't actually proven to show performance enhancing capabilities,
and that the media gets it wrong a lot.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the media is misinforming Mr. Kahn
who in turn is trying to misinform us about something he knows woefully
little about.

Let's stop the steroid nonsense unless someone has personally injected
anabolic steroids into Miyabiyama's (or anyone else sumo-related -- even
yobidashi and gyoji) sizeable derriere. In the meantime, I'll rest easy
knowing that people who spend their free time getting in shape (as athletes
have been known to do from time to time) tend to get big regardless of
whether or not they're using steroids.

Shocking, I know, but perhaps we've all learned something today.

Unfortunately, I doubt it.
- Josh