Silva's Defense: Tainted Blue Sex Magic - What does this mean for his legacy?

[SPX]

I'm sure by now we've all heard of Anderson Silva's defense for his positive PED test: a sexual performance drug that he claims he bought in Thailand and comes in the form of a blue vial of liquid. My first reaction to this was "bullshit!" Then I started thinking about it more and I realized it could be a "truth is stranger than fiction" situation. Obviously there's no way to no for sure, but gun to my head I really do assume he juiced and now he's trying to cover it up.

So let's assume he did juice. Did he just do it that one time in his career, to get over the injury, or has he in fact been doing it the whole time and he's just now getting caught?

And what does this mean for his legacy? After having such a long and illustrious career--no doubt the greatest middleweight of all time at this point--THIS is how things are coming to an end? Even though I've never been a big A. Silva fan, I have to say I think that's a shame.

[Luke]

I think he really damages his legacy. Anytime you get busted for roids, people start thinking you've been on them for years. FWIW, I think it was a lone occurnace, but to most it doesn't matter

[SPX]

Yeah. It definitely is a sad and unfortunate black mark on what was otherwise a sterling career. I mean, to have the kind of run he had and reach the heights he hit and this is how you go out? That sucks.

Can you imagine how GSP would react if this had happened to him, with the way he's always so concerned about his legacy? Suicide watch.

[poopoo333]

I think he's been doing it the whole time.

[SPX]

I think he's been doing it the whole time.

Is that the case for everyone who's ever been popped?

[Ludo]

I don't think he started taking the juice until he had to heal a leg that turned into a jai alai racket. But of course plenty of people go with the "once a cheater, always a cheater" mentality when it comes to this kind of thing.

[Luke]

Is that the case for everyone who's ever been popped?

Better question: who do you think has failed a drug test for roids where it was only a one time thing?

I pi think most people assume they've been doing it all along is because a lot of fighters fail a test more than once

[SPX]

Better question: who do you think has failed a drug test for roids where it was only a one time thing?

I pi think most people assume they've been doing it all along is because a lot of fighters fail a test more than once

Well don't get me wrong, I mean I DO assume that most are repeat offenders.

Here's what is perhaps a more interesting question: Have any of them been legit wrongfully accused?

[Luke]

Well don't get me wrong, I mean I DO assume that most are repeat offenders.

Here's what is perhaps a more interesting question: Have any of them been legit wrongfully accused?

Not it that I know of. I mean, some get off for technicalities, but that doesn't mean they didn't do it

[CriticalHit]

Anderson owning up to it would have went better for his legacy. This wild defense is just transparent and makes people question his past achievements more. If he had claimed(true or not) that he only did it for this fight because his confidence was shaken by the devastating injury and consecutive losses and felt he had to make sure he absolutely wouldn't lose to Diaz then he'd at least sway alot of people to only put the asterisk for this fight.

I wonder how well this has gone over in Brazilian media.

[SPX]

The funny thing is that Silva came back basically to close things out on a win and end on a triumphant note, when in hindsight it would've been better if he had simply retired. Yes, he'd have had to live with having people's final memories of him being viciously KOd while acting a fool and then breaking his leg in two against that same guy, but that's better than getting popped for PEDs after an entire career of being clean (at least according to all the tests he had taken).

[Ludo]

Well don't get me wrong, I mean I DO assume that most are repeat offenders.

Here's what is perhaps a more interesting question: Have any of them been legit wrongfully accused?

According to himself, Sean Sherk. To this day he denies ever taking any banned substance.

[poopoo333]

I don't think he started taking the juice until he had to heal a leg that turned into a jai alai racket. But of course plenty of people go with the "once a cheater, always a cheater" mentality when it comes to this kind of thing.

Based on my knowledge of that stuff...

The stuff Anderson popped for isn't really to heal up a bone... or heal up anything.

I'm surprised Anderson didn't pop for HGH (like Sonnen did last summer)

[SPX]

According to himself, Sean Sherk. To this day he denies ever taking any banned substance.

Sherk actually came to mind when I posted that. And I remember that the commission even admitted they fucked up on that one and that's why they cut his suspension in half.

[Ludo]

The funny thing is that Silva came back basically to close things out on a win and end on a triumphant note, when in hindsight it would've been better if he had simply retired. Yes, he'd have had to live with having people's final memories of him being viciously KOd while acting a fool and then breaking his leg in two against that same guy, but that's better than getting popped for PEDs after an entire career of being clean (at least according to all the tests he had taken).

Honestly, he was probably screwed either way. Once NSAC says you've been busted for PED's, everyone who ever disliked you is going to just run with that, and many of your former supporters will feel like they don't have a leg to stand on, and will abandon you as well.

[Ludo]

Sherk actually came to mind when I posted that. And I remember that the commission even admitted they fucked up on that one and that's why they cut his suspension in half.

What's really funny about that whole thing is Franca admitted to juicing and got a shorter suspension than Sherk did.

[SPX]

Honestly, he was probably screwed either way. Once NSAC says you've been busted for PED's, everyone who ever disliked you is going to just run with that, and many of your former supporters will feel like they don't have a leg to stand on, and will abandon you as well.

Well what I was saying is that, in hindsight at least, it would've been better if he had just not taken the Diaz fight. What sucks even more for him as well is that even if he hadn't gone the PED route, I have to think he would've beaten Diaz anyway. That is UNLESS PP is right and Silva's been doing the shit his whole career and is just now getting caught.

[Ludo]

Well what I was saying is that, in hindsight at least, it would've been better if he had just not taken the Diaz fight. What sucks even more for him as well is that even if he hadn't gone the PED route, I have to think he would've beaten Diaz anyway. That is UNLESS PP is right and Silva's been doing the shit his whole career and is just now getting caught.

I honestly don't think there's ever a time Nick Diaz beats Anderson in either of their careers. Silva is just all wrong for him style wise. Nick knew it, too, that's why he kept taunting instead of trying to engage for most of those rounds.

[Éire]

What a positive topic for my first post. What sold it for me is that when asked in the NSAC hearing, "Is this the first time you have ever been randomly tested?", he answered, "Yes."...

I think he's probably been using PEDs for his entire career.

[Ludo]

What a positive topic for my first post. What sold it for me is that when asked in the NSAC hearing, "Is this the first time you have ever been randomly tested?", he answered, "Yes."...

I think he's probably been using PEDs for his entire career.

I don't know that that's necessarily an admission that he'd been using all along, though. Nobody was doing random tests prior to that, and the fact that he snapped his leg in half in his last fight probably had more to do with it than anything else. I just don't see the guy using the whole time, and then only popping after a horrific injury at the age of like 38 following the only two losses in nearly a decade.