Players And Gentlemen’s Agreements: Gary Player’s Open Book And Carlos Tevez
“I KNOW for a fact – that there are golfers, whether it’s HGH (human growth hormone), creatine or steroids, that are doing it,” says 71-year-old golfer Gary Player.
“And the greatest thing that the R&A (Royal and Ancient Club), the USGA (United States Golf Association) and the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) can do is have tests at random. It’s absolutely essential that we do that. We’re dreaming if we think it’s not going to come into golf.”
One look at England’s Justin Rose does not suggest a man on steroids, more a concoction of tea and scones, perhaps.
If any drug in being taken by the players on the eve of The Open at Carnoustie it is a tincture of Scotch whisky and water. And then only by the more sociable European players; the American players are a sober bunch of loners. Of course, that could be the side-effects of taking human growth hormone. Drugs change people.
But Player is adamant. In “DRUGS CHEATS RUINING GOLF” (Express’) Player tells us: “The players have told me that they are taking human growth hormone. One guy told me what he did and I could see a massive change in him. I won’t tell you who because I took an oath prior to him telling me.”
If Player really thinks drugs will destroy golf he should put his oath to one side and tell all he knows. It is only in naming names and shaming wrongdoers that anything will come of this.
And it is wrong. As Lynne Truss writes in the Times: Players “forget Henry Longhurst’s excellent advice that if you call on God to improve the result of a shot while the ball is in motion, you are using ‘an outside agency’ and are therefore subject to appropriate penalties under the rules.” You cannot use God. You cannot use drugs. All outside agencies out banned.
Cheating is cheating. Unless it’s a gentleman’s agreement in football, in which case it is grey area.
In “TWO-FACED”, Mirror readers see Carlos Tevez and hear his “representative” Kia Joorabchian say: “West Ham have consistently provided private assurances while at the same time making contradictory statements.”
Joorabchian wants his man to make the big money move to Manchester United. But West Ham are in the way. Joorabchian owns what the Sun calls Tevez’s “economic rights”. West Ham say the striker is registered with them.
“We see no alternative but to bring the true circumstances to the attention of a higher authority to aid a rapid conclusion to this issue,” says Joorabchian.
“True circumstances”. What are they? In the blur of rule breaking, loan deals and “gentleman’s agreements” that sounds like the threat of truth.
And in sport, who dares speak that?
Posted: 19th, July 2007 | In: Back pages Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
