Dwain Chambers - WHY?????

[Hazell B]

Perhaps I'm missing the point here, but isn't Dwain Chambers a bit thick?

He knew as an athlete that if he was caught cheating there would be a life ban for Olympic competition. They all know it. Yet even today he's saying he will aim for the 2012 Games :confused:

He also said in an ITN interview that his own honestly has been his downfall. His own WHAT?

I'm against all of those caught taking serious, hidden drugs facing a life ban, even if they didn't know they were on drugs. Those who've clearly taken a cough mixture by accident are another case, easily identified on the whole as not serious cheats.

Anyone think Chambers should have been allowed to run?

[Drew]

I have no opinion on him, but the man's gotta give it a go, hasn't he?

[inimitablestoo]

Personally I think there ought to be one second chance - but just one - given to somebody who's served a ban, but perhaps the ban should be extended. After all, going from what I've heard about such things on Radio 5 Live, some of these drugs can still have an effect some two years after they were last taken.

And as that same radio station pointed out, Dwain was on a hiding to nothing when he challenged the ban on restraint of trade - since you don't actually win any money at the Olympics. In that respect at least, he was definitely a bit thick...

[Mark]

Either you give them a lifetime ban from competing in everything or you give them a time limited ban and then they can go back to competing. The problem at the moment is that it's a short ban for some things and a lifetime ban for other things. MAKE YOUR MIND UP.

My personal opinion is that once you've served your ban you should be allowed to compete in whatever competition you want.

[MrJan]

My personal opinion is that once you've served your ban you should be allowed to compete in whatever competition you want.


Yup :up: I hate drugs cheats (they've made a mockery of the Tour De France in recent years) but if you are given a ban then you should be allowed back once it is over, not have to go through these moving goalpost situations.

Not that there's much point in him coming back because he won't be on a level playing field seeing as all the other athletes will be doped up. Athletics is a shocking sport for drug cheats and they don't seem to be that interested in trying to kick it out, at least cycling is desperately trying to clear it's name, even if it means creating a bad taste for a bit.

[Bezza]

They should be banned for life. If they need drugs to compete then they are nto good enough in the first place and should let somebody who isn't on drugs take their place.

In my opinion there are a lot of athletes who have won in the past who used drugs, but slipped under the radar.

I always reckoned Marion Jones was a drugs cheat, and eventually this was proven to be true. Why bother? What satisfaction can you get from cheating?

[Mark]

They should be banned for life. If they need drugs to compete then they are nto good enough in the first place and should let somebody who isn't on drugs take their place.

In my opinion there are a lot of athletes who have won in the past who used drugs, but slipped under the radar.

I always reckoned Marion Jones was a drugs cheat, and eventually this was proven to be true. Why bother? What satisfaction can you get from cheating?

Do you also believe that anyone who commits an offense should be punished for the rest of their lives?

[Hazell B]

Do you also believe that anyone who commits an offense should be punished for the rest of their lives?

Depends on what they already knew the sentence was. Would you say somebody who rapes a ten year old boy should be allowed to work with ten year old boys at a later date? Of course not!

Just reread my original post, and there's a mistake in it - I meant to say I'm against anyone who's cheated being allowed to race for his or her country again. It came out as if I think they should be back to races after a ban period, which isn't right!

Anyway, Chambers knew for before the drug use that a life ban for the Games was absolute for cheats. He's said he knew that before taking drugs. So, he knew he'd be punished forever, didn't he?

It's not like 'anyone' commiting an offense at all. It's like an athlete commiting an offense, as he well knew. No excuses.

[Garry Walker]

Reality check - all top athletes cheat. Just that some never get caught.

[AndyRAC]

Yup :up: I hate drugs cheats (they've made a mockery of the Tour De France in recent years) but if you are given a ban then you should be allowed back once it is over, not have to go through these moving goalpost situations.

Not that there's much point in him coming back because he won't be on a level playing field seeing as all the other athletes will be doped up. Athletics is a shocking sport for drug cheats and they don't seem to be that interested in trying to kick it out, at least cycling is desperately trying to clear it's name, even if it means creating a bad taste for a bit.

While I can’t confess to being the biggest cycling fan, they are at least trying to do something about the ‘drug problem’. In my view there are double standards though – some sports I feel ride roughshod and par lip service, while others do everything to combat the problem.

How many other sports can say the same? The drug investigation in Spain named not only cyclists but footballers and tennis players, but only the cyclists suffered. I can't believe that every footballer in the UK is clean, but because of the popularity and its power - nothing is done. Imagine the uproar if a well known footballer was found to have taken EPO or something illegal.

[Hazell B]

Reality check - all top athletes cheat. Just that some never get caught.


And you have proof of that?

I doubt you do. Of course all top athletes might take something they shouldn't, but as there is no proof at all we just have to hope they don't.

AndyRAC's right - many sports simply hope the problem won't break in the media. Anyone remember Frankie Dettorri testing positive for coke, then finding himself offered a job riding for the Queen Mother within a few weeks? No, because The Jockey Club and media didn't make enough fuss. The internation and national showjumping bodies are as bad - one rider competed absolutely pie-eyed daily, yet they didn't even ban him after he fell off on live TV and broke his neck. He's ridden for the national team since then :mark:

[tony_yeboah]

The guy should be allowed to compete. they gave him a ban, he served his time and now should be allowed to move on.

If they wanted to give him a lifetime ban, they have done so at the time.

Imagine if you were put in prison for 2 years, then got released, and then the authorities decided that you should go back to prison because it wasn't long enough before. it cant happen, and doesnt happen. so why do they think they can do it in athletics?

[Bezza]

Do you also believe that anyone who commits an offense should be punished for the rest of their lives?

You've completely generalised there. Chambers is in a sport which you can earn millions - and he has abused his position. He will easily be able to get a "normal" job doing something else, regardless of whats gone on in his athletics career. He is not being punished for the rest of his life because his athletics career would only last until his mid thirties at best.

[Bezza]

I am also interested in what people think of the Joey Barton situation. Personally, I can't believe he's not been sacked by Newcastle. Regardless of whether the guy has "reformed" (I doubt he has) - he's had enough chances - he should be sacked for gross misconduct off the field. In any other job, you would lose your job - so why should football be any different? If I smacked someone outside a nightclub and went to jail as a result, I would not have my job to come back to for sure.

[GridGirl]

I happened to be at a football club a couple of years ago when one of their players got sent to jail. The phone call came though and the directors got his contract out and tore it up there. Then they set about making their official announcement.

I guess Newcastle feel they have too much money invested in Joey Barton to let him go. Especially when some club somewhere will be willing to risk a chance on him. Personally I think him and his brother are a complete waste of space.

[inimitablestoo]

As an odd little aside, the "Ads by Google" this thread has created for me include "Women Athletes", "Naked Athletes" and "Wife Adultery" :eek: I didn't even know you could buy any of those things...

[Hazell B]

If they wanted to give him a lifetime ban, they have done so at the time.

Imagine if you were put in prison for 2 years, then got released, and then the authorities decided that you should go back to prison because it wasn't long enough before.

They DID give him a lifetime ban as far as representing this country - haven't you read the story or any of the posts? Clearly not :mark:

Drug cheats in UK athletics are given a ban from competition of varying length plus an automatic lifetime ban from Internationals representing the UK. That's why Chambers went to court, although he knew about the ban rules before even taking any drugs.

[AndyRAC]

Not only is it cheating, but in some countries in Europe it is a criminal offence. Hence why when some cyclists fail dope tests the police are there to arrest them.

[Mark]

Not only is it cheating, but in some countries in Europe it is a criminal offence. Hence why when some cyclists fail dope tests the police are there to arrest them.

Yes, in France it is a criminal offence.

[Steve Boyd]

I am also interested in what people think of the Joey Barton situation. Personally, I can't believe he's not been sacked by Newcastle. Regardless of whether the guy has "reformed" (I doubt he has) - he's had enough chances - he should be sacked for gross misconduct off the field. In any other job, you would lose your job - so why should football be any different? If I smacked someone outside a nightclub and went to jail as a result, I would not have my job to come back to for sure.
How can Newcastle United sack him when they bought him from Man City after he'd broken another City player's nose in a training ground brawl? He got a suspended sentence for that one, as he was already inside for the street fight.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4248546.ece

[Hazell B]

Yes, in France it is a criminal offence.

I'd wondered why it isn't a police matter here, and guessed it was an EU human rights type reason - but obviously it isn't if France arrests drug cheats.

How come they can't simply be done for fraud (as that's all cheating is) or something like that, if drug laws here are too loose for any other charges? I'd like to see that.