Can't imagine you could be a professional athlete and have a cocaine problem.
Need to imagine harder.
Quote:
A growing body of research indicates that high-achieving sports heroes are more likely to be struck by mental illness and addiction than us garden-variety couch potatoes. The bizarre Thorpe incident sheds light on the struggles faced by many elite athletes adjusting to life after sports. Recent research shows that endurance exercise activates the endocannabinoid system, producing what we know as “runner’s high”, in a similar way to THC. Those joggers you see running past your dark stinky garage while you're sucking on a bong are as high as you are.
A 2012 study of 234 elite Australian athletes found that 34 per cent met the criteria for exercise dependence (the medical term for exercise addiction). The athlete’s brain, just like that of any other addict, becomes “wired up” for the release of euphoria-causing endorphins during exercise. But when the treadmill stops and they have to go back to being normal, exercise addicts suffer from the same withdrawal symptoms as any other addict (depression, irritability, anxiety). They are literally gym junkies.
Over time addicts’ brains develop a tolerance to their drug, which means eventually the high stops coming altogether. A former manager revealed that instead of elation after his Olympic wins, Thorpe, “was incapable of enjoying his success…He just never ever gave himself the chance to enjoy it.” For most of us, an Olympic gold medal would be a pretty cool reminder of a life-defining achievement, and probably something you'd want to show off. But rather than displaying his medals in a trophy cabinet at home, Thorpe sent them away to a bank vault, where they sat unseen for ten years.
Since they're no longer getting their fix from sports, it’s no surprise that when they retire, many athletes turn to drugs and alcohol to get their elusive fix. Former West Coast Eagles AFL star Ben Cousins continues his battle with addiction, and was arrested last month once again for possession of meth. The Brownlow medal winner’s career was cut short by drugs, and despite multiple stints in rehab he still struggles to maintain sobriety. His case is a stark reminder that once the addict is an addict, breaking the cycle becomes an all-consuming and sometimes impossible task. Recovery from addiction appears to be more elusive than a Grand Final victory.
Ticket to ride, white line highway
Tell all your friends, they can go my way
Pay your toll, sell your soul
Pound for pound costs more than gold
The longer you stay, the more you pay
My white lines go a long way
Either up your nose or through your vein
With nothin to gain except killin' your brain
If an NHL player can suit up & play well after binge drinking & snorting coke all night then they should get some kind of achievement award. The hangovers those guys would have would be crippling... I'm skeptical that there are that many players partaking in that stuff midseason. Teams wouldn't put up with guys turning up stinking of booze & not giving their all in practice. Maybe it's more prevalent amongst shoddy franchises with no compete level & primadonna multimillionaires. This isn't the '80s anymore; franchises expect these players to be in peak physical condition & coke is jog conducive to that at all.
As a fan I don't care what they get up to in the offseason. The moral debate about drugs is pointless & no one is in any place to judge other peoples' habits. Midseason I care because we essentially pay these guys' salaries by supporting the team so they owe it to the fans to be on top form. I suspect the owners have a similar perspective on it.
If an NHL player can suit up & play well after binge drinking & snorting coke all night then they should get some kind of achievement award. The hangovers those guys would have would be crippling... I'm skeptical that there are that many players partaking in that stuff midseason.
I was going to say that it isn't so much the coke itself that would be harmful, but rather the stuff that goes on around the periphery as you alluded to. Not too many people do coke without also doing the partying, and all nighters would eventually get the best of them. Plus, it seems like coke and alcohol are a tandem to many people.
Having said that, when I see a formerly productive young player fall off drastically, the first thing I think of is that it probably relates to negative lifestyle choices (maybe not always fair).
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
I was going to say that it isn't so much the coke itself that would be harmful, but rather the stuff that goes on around the periphery as you alluded to. Not too many people do coke without also doing the partying, and all nighters would eventually get the best of them. Plus, it seems like coke and alcohol are a tandem to many people.
Having said that, when I see a formerly productive young player fall off drastically, the first thing I think of is that it probably relates to negative lifestyle choices (maybe not always fair).
I do have my suspicions about some players for sure, just based on their career trajectories & attitudes. So tempting to discuss names here but I'll play by the rules to avoid the mods' wrath!!
Luckily for us the current Flames management seems to be obsessively collecting the most professional, intelligent & well-mannered group of young players in the league. I heard an anecdote when I was in town about Johnny & Mony going to a cocktail bar my friend works at – they were incredibly respectful & gentlemanly despite the fact someone asked Johnny for ID to prove he was over 18! I really think that strategy is going to pay off in the long run.
Sure after they retire I could see that. Gram of cocaine a day addiction while playing at an elite level. Highly unlikely.
I don't know about "gram a day addiction"* but there are plenty of players in every sport (including one Flames great) who have openly admitted to cocaine addiction/abuse during their playing days.
The greatest defensive player in NFL history was a cokehead when he played, and failed numerous drug tests. He was probably hanging out with a few guys on the Mets who were also pretty good at their jobs.
*I'm not worldly enough to know if a gram a day is a lot or a little, but it sounds like a lot
[I reckon that name's okay, what with Playing With Fire and all]
No doubt in my mind a lot of players use blow. They're young, lots of cash, lots of opportunity and social pressure in party situations.
And as bad as cocaine is for you, it's not crack. There's lots of very functional people rolling around using powder. That said, chronic cocaine users are doing themselves a world of harm and are, frankly, completely intolerable people. But that could be said for most addicts I suppose.
I'd expect there to be minimum usage of cocaine during the season. But when playoff hockey comes around and your team is in it, I'd expect sales to rise through the roof. It would be no shock to me to find out that players bump a few lines here and there in a playoff game. They have to keep up with the speed of the game!
You know, Calgarypuck turned into TMZ so gradually, I didn't even notice.
That's a little overdramatic. TMZ style would be discussing specific players and gossiping over who might be doing it, which the mods have sternly stated won't be allowed to happen. This is about a specific article of one player stating that cocaine is rampant, which is very relevant to NHL discussion, imo.
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I'd expect there to be minimum usage of cocaine during the season. But when playoff hockey comes around and your team is in it, I'd expect sales to rise through the roof. It would be no shock to me to find out that players bump a few lines here and there in a playoff game. They have to keep up with the speed of the game!
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