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In testimony during the whole BALCO trial proceedings, Jason Giambi has admitted to using steroids during the 2003 season and even earlier in his career. The steroids were supposedly undetectable and were given to him by Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds' trainer. This is getting to be quite large and could impact a number of players in the end. It just shows what a sad state sports are in today when all these athletes resort to illegal means to help the way they play. The only respect I have for Giambi is that he came out and admitted it, but it was before a grand jury and he was facing perjury charges if he didn't come clean, so even that wasn't a pure motive.

It makes me wonder how many more out there use artificial means to enhance their games. In this day and age, it really makes you cast a shadow of doubt over anything that anyone accomplishes. It's all in all a shame.

Here's the link to the article on ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=1936592

It's a sad state of affairs. Without naming names, just look at a picture of some of these guys a few years ago next to how they look today. There seems to be a never-ending supply of "undetectable" substances & as long as it gives them an edge the players are going to use them. No 2nd chance & lifetime bans are the only way to stop it. I'd say let 'em use whatever they want, it's their bodies, but now you have 13 & 14 year olds using this *.

So now does Giambi just crawl into a hole and never come out? And maybe a few other players will join him later? I herd that a spider hole opened up a couple of months ago in Iraq.

No, MLB will probably do nothing to him and he'll be back in the big leagues next year. He is also immune from prosecution by law because he got out of it by testifying that he used them, so there'll be no consequences there either.

So basically no one is going to ever look at him the same but Bonds is still in trouble.

Looks like the "consequences" of Giambi's steroid use are becoming more evident by his reported tumor and poor physical health. :nodsmiley

Pretty much. As far as I'm concerned he is a cheater and should be treated in the same way as all the other cheaters in baseball history, including Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe (debatable whether he was really involved in the Black Sox scandal though). Same with Bonds when he's found guilty of the same thing (notice I said "when," not "if," there's too much surrounding him now for him to not be caught up in it).

I still think Bonds will get off. I think he has the reasonable doubt on his side saying that they gave them to me but I never used them. I think to prove it that they need to present someone that say him use them. But I might just be unreasonable.

Yep, he was in pretty bad shape last year with the parasite (although not steroid-related) and the pituitary tumor that is common in steroid users.

IRT Allen, I don't think he'll get out of it in the end. If it comes down to facing perjury charges for lying to a grand jury or coming clean on steroid use, he'll tell. Besides, his reputation has been suspect his whole career, so it's not like he has a "nice guy" image or a bunch of endorsements to protect. He's a great baseball player, steroids or no, but I don't think he should be treated differently than the other guys who have been using them all these years.

I think this is by far the bigger story when compared to Giambi. He prpfessed to have thought it was an arthritis cream but if anyone believes that, I have a bridge to sell you. Bonds will forever have the stigma of being a cheater regardless of what he achieves. Not that he cares about his image anyway.

Has any body heard whats going on in Italian football. Doctors at the club Juventus have admitted to giving drugd to players in the mid nineties. Now Juventus could be stripped of several Italian national championships, one Champions league title and one european super cup. Its a global problem.

Although I agree with what everyone is saying about steriod use in sports, is no one concerned about the fact that we know about Giambi's testimony because someone leaked Grand Jury testimony?

Personally, I think the whole epidemic of leaks (i.e.: the outed CIA operative) is much more upsetting than some overpaid athelete chosing to risk his health and integrity by ingesting or injecting substances everyone knows have severe future reprecussions.

In the Balco case, the only "injury" done by the leaks is to the reputation of a few athletes but the casual acceptance that Grand Jury testimony is not protected could have an adverse effect in much more serious cases and can seriously endanger both the lives of those testifying and the ability to prosecute cases.

I don't think any of these guys deserve the type of punishment Pete Rose got. Pete Rose bet on his own team. These guys took steroids. It's wrong but I don't think it's "as bad" as betting on your own team. If they do go after Bonds and Giambi, they better go after every steroid user in major league baseball. I bet there's quite a bit of them. Then comes the issue of those who took steroids in the past?

I do think it's a shame that this comes up with Bonds in his current run. He could very well break the all-time homerun record real soon but his reputation is surely tarnished and the accomplishment will be celebrated, yet criticized intensely. His current run has been incredible. I just wish he didn't take any steroids.

I won't celebrate anything accomplished by a cheater. And as for Rose betting on his team, he never bet on them to lose so how is that worse than taking drugs that you know will enhance your performance? One is a stupid thing to do, although it is harmless (he wasn't fixing games). The other is illegal and knowingly cheating the rules.

Call me a purist, but I wish they'd kick all the steroid users out of baseball. I could care less if it indicted players on my Cards. Players in the past are no longer playing, so we have no way of knowing that they did use them. What would happen if, on the PGA Tour, it was found out that the players were cheating on their scores knowingly and with no concern for the game? They'd be kicked off tour and stigmatized for life.

While my PGA Tour example is not the same as using a drug, it falls under "performance/result enhancement," and any type of it when you're competing against other people and livelihoods are involved is reprehensible in my opinion.

Baseball needs a sound testing and enforcement process before they can really go after these guys. Right now what they have is toothless. As for Pete Rose, I think that you let him off too easily card. The temptation to manipulate the line-up for games Rose bet on would have been the same whether he bet on or against his team...such as leaving a hot reliever in too long at the expense of upcoming games. Also many knew Rose was betting on the Reds, what was inferred by those in-the-know when Rose didn't have a bet down on the Reds ? I see very little ethical difference between him betting on or against the Reds...and are we really certain that he never bet against them ? He should be in Cooperstown, but he should have no other role in baseball, ever IMO.