Steroids beyond pro wrestling

Dean820

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=654817&category=NATIONAL&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=1/13/2008

PATCHOGUE -- The names of R&B music star Mary J. Blige, along with rap artists 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean, and award-winning author and producer Tyler Perry, have emerged in an Albany-based investigation of steroids trafficking that has already rocked the professional sports world, according to confidential sources.


Information has surfaced recently showing those stars are among tens of thousands of people who may have used or received prescribed shipments of steroids and injectable human growth hormone in recent years. Law enforcement officials have said they have no evidence in their sprawling multistate probe that customers, including Blige or other entertainers, violated any laws. Instead, they are targeting anti-aging clinics, doctors and pharmacists who prescribed the drugs.

Still, medical experts say that use of steroids and human growth hormone -- an estimated $10 billion-a-year operation worldwide -- reaching into the entertainment industry illustrates how pervasive steroids use in the United States has become. It is not unique to athletics, where performance-enhancing drug use has marred many sports. For many celebrities, the lure of hormonal drugs is their supposed, unproven anti-aging effects.

While Congress is preparing to focus on baseball players alleged to have taken the drugs, medical experts are warning that steroids and human growth hormone are being illegally prescribed nationwide at an alarming rate under the misconception they will aid healing, enhance looks, strength and speed, or slow aging.

Records shared with the Times Union and information from several cooperating witnesses on Long Island indicate Blige and other stars were shipped prescribed human growth hormone or steroids -- sometimes under fictitious names -- at hotels, production studios, private residences, an upscale Manhattan fitness club and through the Long Island office of Michael Diamond, a chiropractor affiliated with the celebrities, sources said.

Diamond, who has not been identified as a target in the case or accused of breaking any laws, helps run an anti-aging program at Clay Gym in Manhattan, according to the company's Web site.

The Albany investigation became a nationwide spectacle last February when authorities raided a Palm Beach County wellness center and the offices of Signature Compounding Pharmacy in downtown Orlando. The wellness center's owners and the pharmacy's operators are awaiting trial in Albany on charges related to the sale of millions of dollars worth of prescription drugs, mostly steroids, through a suspected criminal enterprise involving allegedly corrupt physicians and a series of anti-aging "clinics" that advertised predominantly through the Internet.

In the past year the case has netted 10 guilty pleas, including felony convictions of three physicians and several operators of anti-aging clinics in Texas, Florida and New York.

Along the way it has exposed allegations of steroid use by Major League Baseball players, pro wrestlers, NFL figures, police officers, prison guards, top-ranked body builders, people with ties to high school and college wrestling programs, and now, celebrities.

Fozzy

Ah yes. I was sure that something like this would happen. When will regulation of the music industry start?

fatal

Fozzy wrote: »

Ah yes. I was sure that something like this would happen. When will regulation of the music industry start?

From the original post,it seems that almost every industry has a steroid problem-from prison guards to bodybuilding and everything in between.Somehow I dont see fingers being pointed at 99.9% of those.Blame every bodybuilding and pro wrestling death on steroids and refer to every other steroid related death in any other industry to "a tragedy":rolleyes:

EdK

The heat is off in WWE apparently , look out for the big bodies back in the build up to Wrestlemania

Terry

Fozzy wrote: »

Ah yes. I was sure that something like this would happen. When will regulation of the music industry start?

The entire entertainment industry.

Have you ever seen those late teen/early 20 year olds in those teen drama type shows?
They're all fúcking huge.
I'm sure some of them work out properly, but some are ridiculously big for their age. There is no way it's natural.

Hmm. GIS I think.

Dean820

Ah yes. I was sure that something like this would happen. When will regulation of the music industry start?

Answer: When music stars start dying like the rate of WWE/F's past & current superstars, pal.

Bubs101

Music stars tend not to take the sick bumps that wrestlers do and some of them are damn near invincible, hell, "Fiddy" got shot 9 times and he still terrorises us with his music

Gerard.C

EdK wrote: »

The heat is off in WWE apparently , look out for the big bodies back in the build up to Wrestlemania

And for Benoits name to slowly start re-appearing....

Cactus Col

Dean820 wrote: »

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=654817&category=NATIONAL&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=1/13/2008

PATCHOGUE -- The names of R&B music star Mary J. Blige, along with rap artists 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean, and award-winning author and producer Tyler Perry, have emerged in an Albany-based investigation of steroids trafficking that has already rocked the professional sports world, according to confidential sources.

So ... black people and pro wrestlers ...

Vince135792003

Gerard.C wrote: »

And for Benoits name to slowly start re-appearing....

I doubt it. It might pop up now and again in very small things but your never gonna see his face on tv again. There would be no upside to it.

KrazeeEyezKilla

Vince135792003 wrote: »

I doubt it. It might pop up now and again in very small things but your never gonna see his face on tv again. There would be no upside to it.

That's what will happen. It's not the steroids that's the problem with Benoit. It's not like Timbaland or anyone else murdered two people.

RebelRockChick

Benoit's name has been mentioned in some songs lately. I know that a picture of him flashes up in Ice Cubes music video and the murder-suicide is mentioned in a Joe Budden song (who I've heard is a wrestling fan anyway).

Wouldn't really surprise me if steroids are in the music industry when looks are a factor, it's probably involved in so many other industries that people wouldn't think of.

Not accusing him of steroid use, but have you seen Dr Dre lately.....

KrazeeEyezKilla

LL Cool J as well. He looks bigger than most wrestlers.

fatal

Its only really been in the last 5 or so years that "stars" who were once skinny or fat have come back a year later to reveal a transformed figure.It was only a couple of years ago that a story about 50 cent using steroids came to light.I wasn't surprised.
I personally find it hard to believe that every musician actor etc who has made this sudden transformation has done it the old fashioned way-in the gym.The likes of LL cool j have made alot of money by transforming their figures and have later gone on to releasing fitness DVDs.With every celebrity these days releasing fitness DVDs,it seems that the urge to take steroids is greater than ever in the showbiz industry.In a way using steroids to obtain a different figure = more $$$ in the form of fitness DVD sales.
Wherelse it was thought that steroid use was rampant in sport only,it has now moved on to every other walk of life.However,ignorance seems to prevail and people tend to choose what they want to point fingers at while turning a blind eye to other things

Terry

Ok. Let's take a look at the rap industry.
There is a lot of violence attached to it.

Where does this anger come from?

Is it because they are black and black people are inherently violent?

I think not.

The finger could be pointed at recreational drugs, but I'm really starting to think that 'roid rage may be behind a lot of this gang banging crap.

Then we go back to the point I made earleir about the rest of the entertainment industry.

Arnie: Quite obvious. He also recently went through some heart troubles.
Stallone: He was caught with some human growth hormone a while back.

Look at the 18 to 20 year olds in American teen dramas . Some of them are ripped to bits.
I have family who are boxers and they are nowhere near the size of some of these guys.
Christ, one of my cousins won the Irish title in whatever weight catergory he is in and all he does is exercise and lift weights. Granted, his father is a former Irish champion boxer (as is the father's twin brother), both are chefs and they know the proper foods to eat and how to exercise properly. These guys are in their late 40's and could out-run some of the fittest people who post here.

The point is, these people must be taking some sort of powerful supplement. I refuse to believe that their bodies are that way as a result of just proper exercise and eating.