Giambi admits use of illegal substances

Giambi admits use of steroids, report says.

Not that I am a New York Yankee fan, but if this report is accurate, one of the suspected steroid abusers from the BALCO case has stepped up.  And I can not stress stepped up enough.  Jason "the incredible shrinking" Giambi has reportedly testified to using banned substances during four seasons, one of which includes the injection of human growth hormone for at least one of these seasons.  Giambi should be commended for his admital, and perhaps will sway other other baseball stars who are involved in the BALCO case.  I know Gary Sheffield took a hit with his admonishment of using cream that he "didn't know was steroids" (give me a freaking break, what a lop), but Giambi has brought full fledged steroid abuse to the table.

Not that this testimony will make any other players feel the desire to come clean (I love puns), but it is about time this issue is addressed.  Especially in regards to national role models.  As an avid gym goer, I have seen many younger people start to dabble in performance enhancing drugs.  Due to their age as well as maturity level, many pass the buck off to professional athletes and feel that if it is acceptable for the MLB, it's perfectly fine for them.  I've seen this in both LA Fitness as well as 24 Hour Fitness, and especially in the muscle gym I currently call home.  Major League players are role models, and they have to act like it.  Lying on the stand and touting the effects of steroids is improprietely wrong.  Yes, steroids can give you one hell of a great looking body, but I can't begin to describe what they take away.

Comments

[Derek]

I give him credit for admiting it...I guess. He still took, he still knew it was wrong, and I think that Federal Juries have the knack for making people tell the truth. I'm sure he'd be juiceing more then the veggie-o-matic if there was no heat on this issue.

Now it's only a matter of time unitl the fraud that is Barry Bonds gets exposed. One can hope at least.

[Tim]

AS a Yankee Fan, I will tell you that nobody is surprised. His tumor, while medically cannot be proven to be from steroid use, definitely came (or became enhanced) because of them in my mind.

The only reason this came out today is because 20/20 is naming names of Athletes who were given steroids on Friday and I'm SURE he's one of them listed. It's better to get this out now I guess.

Either way, this is a big problem and needs to be dealt with. The Yankees need to void his contract if they legally can, and every player from now on found using steroids needs to be banned from the game. This is bullshit that these players (ie. Bonds) are breaking and setting records left and right using unfair tools. Bonds home run record is a fucking joke and will forever be marked with an asterisk.