.
This is a Post from Latif Thomas of Athletes Acceleration
I enjoyed it...
"Yes, Marion Jones took steroids.
I’ve heard terms like ’shocking’, ‘betrayal’, andother typical brow beating clichés.
In fact here is the headline from CNN.com:
“Dope cheat Marion Jones quits track”
Really?
At this point are we still so cartoonishly surprised that a professional athlete denied taking performance enhancing drugs only to get caught later?
Track isn’t football. There’s no signing bonus or guaranteed money.
I mean, Shawne Merriman ‘roided up, got suspended 4 games (4 games!) then they let him play in the Pro Bowl. He was essentially welcomed back with open arms.
Rodney Harrison (I grew up 15 minutes from Gillette Stadium by the way) gets suspended for the same offense and people in New England can’t wait for him to come back.
If you want to be outraged, be outraged at that."
.
###
.
I penned this next post several years ago when the first baseball scandal came out; the message is even more relevant today with ONE exception...
The CrossFit Nation has arrived and is making an impact!
The Fabric of Our Society
Ok, it's now been confirmed in the news. Our heroes in Major League baseball are taking steroids. As we're now unable to avoid the fact that our favorite American past time is a drug sport, what does it say about us and our society? How do we compete in our everyday lives when our elite athletes think they need to take illegal substances to improve their daily performance?
Today's culture encourages us to seek end products that are “fantasy” ideals. With an emphasis on a look or a number, the path taken to obtain these often illusive goals is irrelevant and only becomes the focus when brought to light in a newsworthy scandal. We can ask each other if the bar is set too high for our professional athletes, but a better question might be if the fitness image set for you and me is even more unrealistic.
A main villain in perpetuating these much sought after images is the health and fitness industry. Everyone is led to believe there is an easy way to get fit. With 64% of Americans overweight, and the rest wanting more energy, strength, stamina, longevity, and so on, the quick fixes just aren't working. The problem is that no one's asking what it really means to be healthy and fit. The focus is on how to get the six-pack abs and the tight buns. Why isn't anyone asking me what they need to do to be able to play ball with their child without throwing out their shoulder, or how do they get to the point where they are able to climb stairs to get to their office without getting out of breath. Seems to me the health of our Nation is at an all time low with no means in sight to reverse this epidemic. Isn't it interesting though that the weight loss, food, health, and fitness industry is making its' billions peddling their magic pills, products, and yes, even mystery cream. So, is it news that baseball players are looking for the ultimate quick fix, or is it more shocking that we are?
There is no single external force greater than the resolve that we all internally possess. When the paradigm in fitness changes its present focus of the image in the mirror to building character and inner strength, we will see our Nation on the road to true health once again.
Strength and Honor,
Jerry
The CrossFit Nation has arrived and is making an impact!
The Fabric of Our Society
Ok, it's now been confirmed in the news. Our heroes in Major League baseball are taking steroids. As we're now unable to avoid the fact that our favorite American past time is a drug sport, what does it say about us and our society? How do we compete in our everyday lives when our elite athletes think they need to take illegal substances to improve their daily performance?
Today's culture encourages us to seek end products that are “fantasy” ideals. With an emphasis on a look or a number, the path taken to obtain these often illusive goals is irrelevant and only becomes the focus when brought to light in a newsworthy scandal. We can ask each other if the bar is set too high for our professional athletes, but a better question might be if the fitness image set for you and me is even more unrealistic.
A main villain in perpetuating these much sought after images is the health and fitness industry. Everyone is led to believe there is an easy way to get fit. With 64% of Americans overweight, and the rest wanting more energy, strength, stamina, longevity, and so on, the quick fixes just aren't working. The problem is that no one's asking what it really means to be healthy and fit. The focus is on how to get the six-pack abs and the tight buns. Why isn't anyone asking me what they need to do to be able to play ball with their child without throwing out their shoulder, or how do they get to the point where they are able to climb stairs to get to their office without getting out of breath. Seems to me the health of our Nation is at an all time low with no means in sight to reverse this epidemic. Isn't it interesting though that the weight loss, food, health, and fitness industry is making its' billions peddling their magic pills, products, and yes, even mystery cream. So, is it news that baseball players are looking for the ultimate quick fix, or is it more shocking that we are?
There is no single external force greater than the resolve that we all internally possess. When the paradigm in fitness changes its present focus of the image in the mirror to building character and inner strength, we will see our Nation on the road to true health once again.
Strength and Honor,
Jerry
No comments:
Post a Comment