Newcombe strongly supports Agassi

[Texastennis]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/ten...615112723.html

(Oh and it seems like he actually read the book before he commented...)

[CyBorg]

Important bit.

But Newcombe said he called the ATP in the wake of the drug revelations, and was told it was an independent agency that conducted the test and kept it secret.

The ATP had no knowledge of Agassi's violation, he said.

In its public statements in response to Agassi's confession, the ATP has confirmed it used an an independent panel, and that it did not have "the authority or ability to decide the outcome of an anti-doping matter".

[Warriorroger]

Great article, nice to see such nice comments made by Roddick. Federer and Nadal have dropped a few steps in my esteem. Easy to judge from behind your safe little world. Yes they are great players, but Agassi made the game interesting to watch. They might be great players, but boring one dimensional personalities IMO from now on. Not that they care

[borg number one]

Great stuff from "Newk". I agree with him entirely and find myself strongly supporting Andre. I definitely plan to get his book and the Sampras book in fact, maybe over the Holidays.

[chalkflewup]

Federer -- one dimensional? How many Slam Finals did Roger get to in 2009 with his one dimensional game after everyone wrote him off in 2008? Please.

[borg number one]

CHALKFLEWUP, I think WARRIORROGER was referring to personality, not their tennis games, but I could be wrong in that post.

[atatu]

I think it is interesting that this is such a polarizing issue, I was previously a big Navratilova and Safin fan, but their reactions to this have changed that.

[Warriorroger]

Originally Posted by borg number one

CHALKFLEWUP, I think WARRIORROGER was referring to personality, not their tennis games, but I could be wrong in that post.

You are right. It's so easy to jugde from your throne (Federer and Nadal).

[Datacipher]

Originally Posted by chalkflewup

Federer -- one dimensional? How many Slam Finals did Roger get to in 2009 with his one dimensional game after everyone wrote him off in 2008? Please.

What an absurd comment. First the poster wasn't referring to his game. Second, how making slam finals necessarily equates to NOT one dimensional is beyond me (it obviously doesn't equate to that in Roger's opinion!) Asinine.

[Datacipher]

I said that it was brave for Agassi to admit the meth (although, come clean on the fricken steroids Andre), I can't see why people bash him for admitting it. It's great he admitted it. HOWEVER, the ATP did show favoritism (didn't know...my buttocks....), and it WAS completely unfair to all other players and fans. There is no way, Joe Journeyman would have gotten away with a sad letter. He ripped off the other players from that era, and I can't blame them for being upset.

[pc1]

I'm glad Newcombe supported Agassi. Newcombe's always been an interesting personalities and frankly was up in the running for the greatest drinker among the old Aussies and that's really impressive. I understand that Newcombe was in the car when former US President George W Bush was stopped for DUI.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLI...1/02/bush.dui/

That stuff about taking away Agassi's titles and majors to me is ridiculous. It was not a performance enhancing drug that he took. He wasn't trying to get an edge.

I saw Agassi on several talk shows recently and he mentioned how his father wouldn't have him play tennis nowadays if he had to do it over again. It would be golf or baseball. Longer careers, more money. Maybe the golf rivalry would be Tiger Woods and Andre Agassi if his father picked golf for Andre. lol.

[rosenstar]

I whole-heartedly agree with Newcombe

I don't understand why the big fuss about the meth. It's his life, if he wants to throw it away that's his decision. I guess the only problem is that he lied to the ATP, but I don't understand why the ATP would would care if a player took crystal meth, unless it's a masking agent, because it's definitely not a performance enhancer.

[FiveO]

Originally Posted by rosenstar

I whole-heartedly agree with Newcombe

I don't understand why the big fuss about the meth. It's his life, if he wants to throw it away that's his decision. I guess the only problem is that he lied to the ATP, but I don't understand why the ATP would would care if a player took crystal meth, unless it's a masking agent, because it's definitely not a performance enhancer.

Monday, September 6
Drugs and Sports: Amphetamines

How are amphetamines used?

"Amphetamines are most often taken orally with blood levels peaking in one to two hours and effects appearing in 30 minutes and lasting in excess of three hours," says Wadler. Amphetamines can be injected intravenously or smoked. The smokeable form is a methamphetamine called "Ice," which is very potent, long-lasting and extremely addictive and illegal in most states.. All forms of amphetamines are banned by the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA.

What are the effects of using amphetamines on performance?

Amphetamines share many central nervous system effects with cocaine. However, unlike cocaine, amphetamines are not readily broken down by the body and are eliminated unchanged in the urine. Consequently, the stimulative effects of amphetamines last considerably longer than that of cocaine. The main psychic effects of the amphetamines include wakefulness, alertness, a decreased sense of fatigue, mood elevation, increased self confidence, and a decreased appetite. Amphetamines do not create extra physical and mental energy. Moreover, they are notable for distorting the user's perception of reality and impairing judgment, which may cause an athlete to participate while injured, possibly leading to worse injuries and putting others at risk. "Amphetamines have also been abused by athletes such as gymnasts, wrestlers and ballet dancers to decrease appetite so as to reduce body weight", says Wadler. "Regardless of the sport, the use of amphetamines to enhance athletic performance is illegal and contrary to the spirit of fair play."

http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/amphet.html

Amphetamines "mother's little helper" were big in baseball and football in the 60's and 70's and were actually handed out by team "doctors" exactly as P.E.D.s. Ask any high level athlete in those sports from that era. Beyond that, in an article recounting the impact of former MLB pitcher Jim Bouton's book "Ball Four":

Thursday, June 15

'Ball Four' changed sports and books

Bouton wrote about Mickey Mantle playing while hung over, guys popping "greenies" for a little extra energy, teammates criticizing their manager or sleeping around while on road trips. Much of it seems tame by today's standards, but it wasn't in 1970.

http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/ballfour/neyer.html

"Greenies" are slang for a commonly used amphetamine pill which was often green (this usage is often in the context of Major League Baseball)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenies

Peter Gent, a former Dallas Cowboy, wrote of similar abuses of amphetamines in the NFL in his semi-autobiographical "North Dallas Forty".

They, amphetamines were P.E.D.s before the term "P.E.D." was coined. Methamphetamine is a stronger, longer lasting version of amphetamine.

5

[rosenstar]

Originally Posted by FiveO

http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/amphet.html

Amphetamines "mother's little helper" were big in baseball and football in the 60's and 70's and were actually handed out by team "doctors" exactly as P.E.D.s. Ask any high level athlete in those sports from that era, in an article recounting the impact of former MLB pitcher Jim Bouton's book "Ball Four":



http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/ballfour/neyer.html

"Greenies" are slang for a commonly used amphetamine pill which was often green (this usage is often in the context of Major League Baseball)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenies

Peter Gent, a former Dallas Cowboy, wrote of similar abuses of amphetamines in the NFL in his semi-autobiographical "North Dallas Forty".

They were P.E.D.s before the term "P.E.D." was coined.

5

I guess I am wrong.

[Texastennis]

No you're not. Agassi did crystal meth - quite different to the "speed" versions described above. A terrible decision for sure but definitely not a ped. You can't find one person alive who performd better after crystal meth but you could find lots of people who said they did after speed.

Endless circulation of misinformation on these threads...

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by Texastennis

No you're not. Agassi did crystal meth - quite different to the "speed" versions described above. A terrible decision for sure but definitely not a ped. You can't find one person alive who performd better after crystal meth but you could find lots of people who said they did after speed.

You ONLY have Agassi's word for what he took and that's all you'll have until the authorities come out and say for certain what he tested positive for. You also have only his word for why he took it.

Honestly, if Agassi has taught you nothing else it's that you can't believe anything he says. Only the truly gullible would believe that he's being honest about what he took, why he took it, how long he took it for and that he didn't take anything else.

[Texastennis]

I don't think that's true. First he'd be an idiot if he told lies now. And he might be many unsavory things but he's not an idiot as the vast fortune he's accrued etc indicates. Second testing ramped up continually from 97 until he retired in 2006 - especially the introduction of lots of random out of competition testing. It is impossible and irrational to think he kept doing drugs because he would have been caught repeatedly and while obviously these tribunals that review the cases are far from perfect (look at how they took the Gasquet explanation just this year), no reasonable person can maintain that he could have fialed tests repeatedly without consequence.

And I know plenty of people who've made one big mistake in their life and lied about it - and it didn't make them life long liers. If you can tell me another very prominent person who's come out and been as candid about their mistakes - lies and otherwise - as in this book, I'd like to know about it. (In fact I've noticed one common reaction on this kinds of threads - and even Safin - was why didn't he just keep on with the lie - which is totally baffling to me. Better not to know the truth some people apparently think. Bizarre.)

[FiveO]

Originally Posted by Texastennis

No you're not. Agassi did crystal meth - quite different to the "speed" versions described above. A terrible decision for sure but definitely not a ped. You can't find one person alive who performd better after crystal meth but you could find lots of people who said they did after speed.

Endless circulation of misinformation on these threads...

I agree with the last part. The first paragraph is the misinformation and seems to be equating methamphetamine addiction with the immediate use of the drug. It's effects are it's effects in the short term, though more intense and longer lasting than traditionally controlled, dispensed yet still abused pharmacuetical amphetamines.

It's inherently more dangerous due to the contaminants most usually introduced to distill the active ingredients in the final product from over the counter drugs most often employed and much more highly addictive. Beyond it's addictive properties it's long term abuse is physically destructive but that's not the topic.

Street produced methamphetamine, aka: crank, ice, crystal, crystal meth, meth, glass, speed, whatever you call it is distilled from the same precursor i.e., ephedrine present in OTC allergy and cold rememdies, in the same way it was first created in a true laboratory environment and used starting in the late 1800's.

However the immediate effect and the neuroreceptors it acts on, absolutely parallel pharma-produced amphetamine and methamphetamine which is why the NCAA banned its use.

5

[jackcrawford]

Originally Posted by Texastennis

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/ten...615112723.html

(Oh and it seems like he actually read the book before he commented...)

Newcombe was blown off the court by Connors in their 1975 Las Vegas challenge match, he never got over the humiliation. He's just showing Andre some love for the negative comments about Jimmy in the book. Safin is right, Newk is wrong. Andre doesn't need the money, the mentally fragile egomaniac needs the attention.