HGH use for recovering from a severe injury

[BWareofDWare]

There is no comparison between using something to get back to your natural abillity vs. using something to go beyond it.

He was attempting to get back to his natural ability by using an un-natural, illegal method. A lot of NFL veterans would like to play like they are 25 again from a physical standpoint, while still a veteran mentally. Not all of them cheat to do so. That is wrong, not a good thing.

 

[borg]

There is no comparison between using something to get back to your natural abillity vs. using something to go beyond it.

Give me a break. HGH affects the entire body, not just the broken parts. While the knee healing process is being accelerated by HGH, all the muscles in his body are being artificially enhanced due to this drug use. HGH is so popular because it takes the entire body well beyond its "natural ability".

 

[BelichickFan]

He was attempting to get back to his natural ability by using an un-natural, illegal method. A lot of NFL veterans would like to play like they are 25 again from a physical standpoint, while still a veteran mentally. Not all of them cheat to do so. That is wrong, not a good thing.

Well there's many colors of gray you're entering into now. Again, he broke the rules and got caught. Shame on him for getting caught. But there's a lot of "unatural" things in all sports which bring players back quicker and that's a good thing. Rodney got caught - too bad - it's a 4 week high ankle sprain to me.

 

[PonyExpress]

He admitted to receiving HGH and anabolic steroids as a coach of the Bears. I am sure that there are players on The Cowboys and every other team in the NFL finding ways to beat the system and use illegal performance enhancers.

The difference is, and correct me if I'm wrong, but there has been nobody on The Cowboys crying for years about not being respected, while at the same time cheating, and therefore disrespecting the game that provides for them a living in the first place.

You know BWare, in the short time I've been reading your posts, you've become of my favorite fans from outside the Patriot Bubble. Generally your POV is thoughtful and I respect it. In this you are straying beyond the bounds of decorum. Are you really coming on to a Pats Board and lecturing about Rodney breaking the drug policy rules? Your favorite team is commonly referred to as South America's Team and leaves a trail of Colombian Gold Dust everywhere they go, kind of like snail scum.

 

[Pats726]

Well there's many colors of gray you're entering into now. Again, he broke the rules and got caught. Shame on him for getting caught. But there's a lot of "unatural" things in all sports which bring players back quicker and that's a good thing. Rodney got caught - too bad - it's a 4 week high ankle sprain to me.

I tend to agree looking at this more...there are many shades of gray not only in what was done..but also in how one reacted to it and acted.

 

[BelichickFan]

Give me a break. HGH affects the entire body, not just the broken parts. While the knee healing process is being accelerated by HGH, all the muscles in his body are being artificially enhanced due to this drug use. HGH is so popular because it takes the entire body well beyond its "natural ability".

That may be true but the reason he did it, almost certainly, was to get back on the field with him running out on an aging career.

Should MLB pitchers who have TJ surgery and gain 2-3 MPH on their fastballs be banned ? Because most of them are better on the other end of it.

 

[TOzgood]

No matter how you slice this, whether its HGH or steroids or if its not for a competitive edge but to rather heal injuries, is very very disappointing. Rodney is my favorite player with the patriots and he was the LAST person I'd ever see associated with this stuff. Especially with pro sports being tarnished with steroids (Bonds, Merriam, etc), I would think Rodney would of had a little more common sense. Malicious or not, its is extremely disheartening...

 

[BWareofDWare]

You know BWare, in the short time I've been reading your posts, you've become of my favorite fans from outside the Patriot Bubble. Generally your POV is thoughtful and I respect it. In this you are straying beyond the bounds of decorum. Are you really coming on to a Pats Board and lecturing about Rodney breaking the drug policy rules? Your favorite team is commonly referred to as South America's Team and leaves a trail of Colombian Gold Dust everywhere they go, kind of like snail scum.

I specifically said I wasn't lecturing him for breaking the rules, and think that every team has players that do so. I just find it disingenuous that with all the complaining about a lack of respect that Rodney be one of them. Also, while I think Parcells' coaching style may be outdated for today's NFL, I do thank him for cleaning up the mess of character that Jimmy Johnson left here. It's been nice to finally have a team where there are more players with charity's than arrest warrants.

 

[borg]

That may be true but the reason he did it, almost certainly, was to get back on the field with him running out on an aging career.

Should MLB pitchers who have TJ surgery and gain 2-3 MPH on their fastballs be banned ? Because most of them are better on the other end of it.

I'm sure every illegal drug user has a reason to justify breaking the law or league rules. So what.
As for your Tommy John surgery example, I guess healthy pitchers should just go in for a ligament upgrade because of the superhuman powers they gain. You've been watching too many Disney sports movies.

 

[BelichickFan]

I'm sure every illegal drug user has a reason to justify breaking the law or league rules. So what.
As for your Tommy John surgery example, I guess healthy pitchers should just go in for a ligament upgrade because of the superhuman powers they gain. You've been watching too many Disney sports movies.

The fact of the matter is most pitchers are better after TJ surgery. Some high school pitchers treat it as elective surgery for that reason. That doesn't make what Rodney did any better but there's shades of gray here. After he tore 3 ligaments in his knee he may have had the choice of retiring or helping the healing process along. If those were his two choices it's difficult to say he made the wrong one.

 

[patsfan13]

He wouldn't have been paid.

He gets paid for game days, not being on the roster in the off season.

If he retired he could have been out part of a signing bonus, and/or he would have needed a new contract.

While HGH has very legitimate uses to aid in recovering from a serious injury (under doctors supervision, the problem is from the 'competitive advantage' POV is that the HGH is also improving the performance of the whole body, not just healing the injuried area,

It is interesting that he could have retired, taken the HGH legally during the healing process and then signed a new contract and not break the rules.

He did the wrong thing and has to face the punishment he deserves.

 

[DaBruinz]

So would getting stronger and faster (as Merriman did) by using steroids be a good thing as well?

They are two entirely different situations and to lump them together shows that lack of understanding.

The only competitive edge it gives is a slight one to the Patriots and I could see your stance if the Patriots were the ones giving it to him. They weren't, though. Rodney getting back on the field before he was ready didn't help the Pats or him.

Using steroids to get bigger and faster (and saving the world from having to worry about you reproducing) is significantly different. You have a major direct impact immediately. And that wasn't the case with Rodney.

 

[DaBruinz]

My point is that

Steroids, HGH etc are not banned or determined to be illegal because of their Healing effects - but because of there percieved long term harm to the body. (ie do we want our youth taking them???)
And I say that if you are looking for which people take them - look at those who can't stay on the field (ie TO, Randy etc) vs those who do (ie Brady, Vrabel etc)

There are kids who are given steroids by doctors for health reasons. There are kids who are given HGH for health reasons. In either case, they are not given it over a long period of time.

I am not sure if it was Rodney's own doctor who prescribed the HGH or one of the doctors who wrote prescriptions without actually seeing the patient. If it was the former, then, I'm sorry, there should be an exception to the rule, just like there is for pseudoephedrine.

 

[DaBruinz]

He was attempting to get back to his natural ability by using an un-natural, illegal method. A lot of NFL veterans would like to play like they are 25 again from a physical standpoint, while still a veteran mentally. Not all of them cheat to do so. That is wrong, not a good thing.

Except that HGH is a natural product of the human body. How is it unnatural to use it? Also, its only illegal if you don't have a prescription. Which Rodney DID.