Some well taken points, Beast, but your hearsay is even weaker than mine.
At least mine came from the horses mouth. And given your points, geez it
pretty much suggests that everyone was a liar and (nearly) everyone took
drugs. And you know, just by common sense, that neither of those points
could possible be true. Mankind never goes with the flow 100%. Personally,
I first learned about steroids, D-bol & Anavar (that's was it!) in 1964-5. One
of my best gym buddies got on it when I was in Marine boot camp (back in
Minnesota). In just six months the guy transformed his body, literally. Did I
want to get out of the Corps and rush to the nearest druggest? Afterall, I had
been a regular weighthead and now my buddy was a muscle monster! No, it
actually had the opposite effect on me. Hey, that's just cheating, I thought.
To take something so artifical and foreign into one's body to grow couldn't be
right...and healthy. And I knew it was synthetic. And that's ALL anyone knew
back then on those limited substances--which were not illegal!
To take this broad sweeping brush and swipe it across humanity and suggest
all or most or even a majority took steroids is simply not intelligent. It gives
practically no credit to trainees and competitors regarding choice and personal
integrity. And, in a way, those which did TRY steroids, especially at those
small dosages, should be understood and excused somewhat because the
times were so radically different. They knew so little. They knew virtually
nothing of possible side effects or negative ramifications. And that included
most doctors and medical practitioners. And this of course also includes
competitive bodybuilders, on all levels. Some of these guys also took or tried
them classifying their use in the nutritional vein. They just saw "muscle" and
forged ahead. Some of course back then didn't care about any possible side
effects or anything else. They just wanted more muscle or more strength,
at any price. But that basically went against the times as physical culture was
still a fairly big part of the iron game. In otherwords, that was a minority. In a
way, those that did take advantage (for lack of a better term) of steroids, did
so in a manner similair to a trainee/competitor nowadays looking for the next
great nutritional muscle enhancer, whether it be creatine or an NO-protein
product. At the most, they viewed steroids as "extra" test; certainly that
couldn't hurt...a little additional body boost, could it! In virtually no way, can
you compare present day steroid use and abuse (& knowledge) with the "old"
days. It's like comparing apples to...raisens.
Personally, I think it to be unfortunate for anyone, Reg Park included, to "lie"
about past steroid use (or experimentation), but that's a personal choice and
one that a person has to internalize his own way. But to use speculation and
(negative) hearsay against his goodwill and personal integrity is plain ass
wrong. This would apply to Steve Reeves, John Grimek or John Doe down at
24-hour fitness. If someone insists they didn't use, and lifestyle, friends and
associates support their contentions, then certainly their integrity should be
given the benefit of the doubt and their word honored.
Again, A, B, & C doesn't necessarily equal D. Basic philosophy will prove most
allegations wrong, or at least, inaccurate all day long, from Plato to Pitt. It is
also what modern day law is based upon; the reasonable man theory. For the
overwhelming most part, it is effective.
And to me, and many, many others (practically all who know...), nothing has
ever been proven that Steve Reeves ever took--or even tried--steroids or
drugs. To the contrary. The facts overwhelmingly point to innocence. And even if some past (oldtimer) bodybuilding icon/star did try or use some steroids, whatever, it probably wouldn't have been enough to make a horse snoot twice. It would have been like a knat on an elephant's behind. Or,
trying to look up and find a bird on top of the Empire State Building.
And just out of curiosity, what in the WORLD does trying to prove that Reeves
or anyone else from the bygone eras took drugs have to do with present day steroid/drug abuse?? What??
It seems it's like an excuse to use, abuse or otherwise cop-out to the fact
that certain people can't get 18-inch arms or bench 400-pounds without their
own outside assistance, so they must say--to excuse themselves--that
everybody must have this or that to succeed. Gee, I busted my hump as hard as Donald Trump and I ain't got a pot to piss in. Therefore, Trump must be a crook, dishonest and a liar cause he's got it...and I ain't.
Again, back to basic philosophy.
Throw that Trump card out of your deck, cause it don't work in this blame game.