Bigger, Stronger, Faster

I had a chance to see a documentary film -- "Bigger, Stronger, Faster -- the Side Effects of Being American" earlier this week; and, I urge you to see it if for no other reason it makes you think.

The Houston Chronicle's Jerome Solomon wrote a commentary about the documentary; and, Solomon discusses a few points in his commentary which are interesting:

Why does the Air Force openly give amphetamines to fighter pilots to help them stay alert, while Major League Baseball suspends players for use of same?

How can Tiger Woods have Lasik surgery to give him better than perfect vision and be celebrated, while the NFL suspends Patriots safety Rodney Harrison for taking human growth hormone to aid his recovery from career-threatening surgery?

Why is disgraced Tour de France winner Floyd Landis labeled a cheater for having unusually high testosterone levels, yet his sleeping in an altitude chamber to produce a high count of red blood cells is not considered cheating?

The movie begins in a unique way; and, honestly, at the time, I had no idea which direction the movie was heading to discuss steroids.

In the movie, director Chris Bell, shows how steroids impact his two brothers; their wives and kids; as well as their parents. Bell shows how American society uses different types of medications; supplements; vitamins; etc. to make them feel better; perform better on tests; however, those same people will vilify anyone for using steroids for similar reasons.

Before I saw "Bigger, Stronger, Faster", I was one of the people who thought steroids were bad because they are termed "illegal performance enhancements"; however, a basic question the movie made me ask is "what makes one thing legal and okay to use and another thing illegal to use"?

See "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" and form your own conclusions.

The 2008 ESPYs

Nominees for The 2008 ESPYs hosted by Justin Timberlake were announced today … and voting has begun.

Voting runs through 10:59 p.m. CDT on July 12, and The 2008 ESPYs will be televised Sunday, July 20 at 8 p.m. CDT on ESPN and ESPN HD.

For the fifth consecutive year, fans will determine the winners in 37 categories (excluding special awards) by voting online at www.espys.tv and, for the first time, via mobile phone at www.espn.mobi. Last year, more than 12.5 million votes were tabulated.

The ESPYs gather top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances.

The ESPYs are committed to the advancement of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, established by ESPN with the late Jim Valvano and announced at the inaugural ESPYs in 1993.

For the first time in several years, a limited amount of $100 ESPYs tickets are available for public purchase through www.ticketmaster.com.

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award will be given to 1968 U.S. Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

Two special ESPYs will also be presented this year: the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, honoring Kevin Everett, the former Buffalo Bills tight end who is again able to walk after suffering what was deemed a paralyzing spinal cord injury during an NFL game; and Best Comeback, being given to Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers who, after several years battling addiction issues, has posted Triple Crown-contending numbers this season.