Perhaps another angle to consider, if anyone is looking for a reason to care about the issue of steroids in our culture, is this: someone juicing might well end up blowing out their liver, or another body organ. So how does this affect me, you ask? While anecdotal evidence is about all we really have as to the long-term effects of steroid use, such evidence points to the effects being adverse. This can only increase health care costs borne by everyone (not just the user of steroids). Furthermore, for every liver blown out by steroids, there is a steroid user looking to get on a transplant list, a list we all would like to keep as short as possible.

Am I over-reaching with my argument? Only the myopians and the vain would care to make that assertion, I submit.

I don't give a rat's as if they are or not. It's just a tv show. What are they gonna do when all of their gladiators test positive?

This all seems like a publicity stunt.

If these guys aren't roided up, I'm gonna stop watching. How else am I going to get my fix of 'roided up pseudo sports?? Until the baseball season begins again, that is.

I think if you look at most of these 'gladiators', you'll find that for the most part they've competed their entire lives in events that test heavily for steroid use. Titan, former Mr. Universe, is a huge proponent of natural bodybuilding and he has written at least one book on how to build a body like his without using drugs of any kind, even the legal ones.

Having said that, how much does this drug testing have to do with the recent uproar over 'roid use in the WWE and professional baseball?

Chris

My first thought was that the gladiators were juiced. Titan is freakishly huge. It can't have come from lifting weights alone.

It never dawned on me either that they would be on 'roids.

steroids are illegal to purchase, possess, and consume. any of those three acts constitutes a separate violation of the law.

the issue is not integrity of a "sport" but the fact that these people violated the law in pretty much the same fashion as rush limbaugh.

oh, wait. limbaugh is simply a junkie and these actors broke the law. big difference.

yes, the actors on american gladiators appear juiced.

But have they checked the women to make sure they are, indeed, women?

"When I watched the season premiere, it didn't occur to me that these guys could be on steroids. I think they look pretty fit but not ridiculously huge or "juiced"."


Hmm... Some of these guys are on steroids was my first thought.

Yes, because they must preserve the dignity and honesty of such a fine sport.

Yeah, right.