Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Guilt By Association
The grand jury that is looking into sports nutrition supplement specialist BALCO apparently believe that the Burlingame-based company accepted cash payments from athletes for a new undetectable steriod, THG, so there would be no paper trail from the athlete to BALCO and its owner Victor Conte.
This probably is the worst nightmare ever for track and field athletes. U.S. Sprinter Kelli White, who won two gold medals in this summer's World Championships, tested positive for steroids that have been traced back to BALCO.
But baseball players could well get caught up in the dirty laundry. Jason Giambi has been subpeonaed by the grand jury, as has Barry Bonds. A search of BALCO employee Greg Anderson's house (one of Barry Bonds's personal trainers) turned up anabolic steriods, human growth hormone and testosterone. Bonds was a client of BALCO and bragged about how the company was able to figure out what trace minerals he was deficient in and custom designed supplements to improve those.
Apparently, Conte would test the athlete's blood before and after taking the supplements he sold to them to prove that they were clean. So, it appears like Conte boasted to his clients that he could beat any test, then proved it to them. This clearly could become a huge story and anyone associated with BALCO could well end up with the tar of scandal smeared over their reputation.
And if an inside source (like Anderson) turns government witness and starts naming names, look out.
The grand jury that is looking into sports nutrition supplement specialist BALCO apparently believe that the Burlingame-based company accepted cash payments from athletes for a new undetectable steriod, THG, so there would be no paper trail from the athlete to BALCO and its owner Victor Conte.
This probably is the worst nightmare ever for track and field athletes. U.S. Sprinter Kelli White, who won two gold medals in this summer's World Championships, tested positive for steroids that have been traced back to BALCO.
But baseball players could well get caught up in the dirty laundry. Jason Giambi has been subpeonaed by the grand jury, as has Barry Bonds. A search of BALCO employee Greg Anderson's house (one of Barry Bonds's personal trainers) turned up anabolic steriods, human growth hormone and testosterone. Bonds was a client of BALCO and bragged about how the company was able to figure out what trace minerals he was deficient in and custom designed supplements to improve those.
Apparently, Conte would test the athlete's blood before and after taking the supplements he sold to them to prove that they were clean. So, it appears like Conte boasted to his clients that he could beat any test, then proved it to them. This clearly could become a huge story and anyone associated with BALCO could well end up with the tar of scandal smeared over their reputation.
And if an inside source (like Anderson) turns government witness and starts naming names, look out.
