I got nothin'

Not much happening. No good pics to post. Any links or interesting stories I've missed?

Interesting

I hadn't seen these accusations regarding Odesnik possibly tanking a match (in straight sets) at Wimbledon last year (thanks anonymous). Yes, I do think that tennis has a gambling/fixing problem as well:

Tennis authorities have been put on alert over suspicious betting patterns surrounding Jurgen Melzer’s 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 first-round victory over Wayne Odesnik at Wimbledon.
...
When asked about the furore, Odesnik, from the United States, said: “I would never do anything to jeopardise my future.”

A Second Hand Excuse

Someone was discussing on Matt Cronin's Facebook page Daniel Nestor's missed test and provides an excuse for him, presumably for his missed test on July 15th of last year. I have my opinion, but I'll let the reader decide:

The nestor incident as i recall it: new baby had gas, was awake all night. wanted sleep, so unplugged phone but stayed in his hotel room. the tester went 2 the reception, and when there was no answer didn't bother coming up 2 the room and knocking. which is ridiculous, because had nestor answered he'd have gone up 2 the room anyway. my problem with testers: when a person's livelihood is on the line u should take that extra effort and take the elevator and maybe even walk down the hall!!!

I do take issue with his blaming it on the drug testers. Looking at a similar incident, we can see how players react when testers do exactly what this person was suggesting:

Murray later wrote on Twitter: "First day off in a while so you can imagine I was very pleased to get woken up by drug-testers at 7.15.
"Can't imagine a more relaxing way to start the day than having someone watching you go to the toilet."
...
Spain's Rafael Nadal has also had plenty to say on the subject.
He said: "I think it shows a lack of respect for privacy. I think it’s a disgrace. These are things that completely have to change, and there is a unanimous voice on that in the locker room. It is an intolerable hunt."

Update: I thought I would add this from Victor Conte (of BALCO fame) who talked about how to beat drug testing (this is not to indict Nestor, but to point out that innocuous explanations aren't always what they are cut out to be):

Many drug-tested athletes use what I call the "duck and dodge" technique. Several journalists in the UK have recently referred to it as the "duck and dive" technique. This is basically how it works.
First, the athlete repeatedly calls their own cell phone until the message capacity is full. This way the athlete can claim to the testers that they didn't get a message when they finally decide to make themselves available. Secondly, they provide incorrect information on their whereabouts form. They say they are going to one place and then go to another. Thereafter, they start using testosterone, growth hormone and other drugs for a short cycle of two to three weeks.
After the athlete discontinues using the drugs for a few days and they know that they will test clean, they become available and resume training at their regular facility. Most athletes are tested approximately two times each year on a random out-of -competition basis. If a tester shows up and the athlete is not where they are supposed to be, then the athlete will receive a "missed test". This is the equivalent to receiving "strike one" when up to bat in a baseball game. The current anti-doping rules allow an athlete to have two missed tests in any given eighteen-month period without a penalty or consequence. So, the disadvantage for an athlete having a missed test is that they have one strike against them. The advantage of that missed test is the athlete has now received the benefit of a cycle of steroids. Long story short, an athlete can continue to duck and dive until they have two missed tests, which basically means that they can continue to use drugs until that time.

Odesnik Now Agrees to "Voluntary" Suspension

Did he come to his senses or is he trying to cut a deal?

On Thursday, the ITF said it would review the rules that had prevented it from suspending Odesnik.
Under current rules, the governing body of tennis can only provisionally suspend players who are being investigated for a failed doping test. But players cannot be prevented from playing while they are investigated for other suspected doping violations, such as possessing a banned substance

That doesn't seem to be an accurate reflection of the rules, but in any case, it should be interesting to see how this case plays out. If he gets a particularly light sentence, I would suspect he made a deal.

Congratulations to Francesca Schiavone

This Just Occurred to Me

Several players were claiming that they knew or suspected Odesnik of using performance enhancing drugs, yet at the same time they were still complaining that drug testing was too restrictive and basically denying that there was a significant drug problem in tennis. If they were aware that players were using and thus threatening their livelihood (never mind that they are obligated under the rules to report their suspicions), then why wouldn't they want MORE stringent testing if they were drug free themselves? I think that the answer is obvious, but feel free to draw your own conclusions...

ITF Suddenly Wants to Change its Drug Testing Rules

From another Bonnie Ford story:

Under current rules, the governing body of tennis can only provisionally suspend players who are being investigated for a failed drug test. But players cannot be prevented from playing while they are investigated for other suspected doping violations, like possessing a banned substance.

The reason, I think, that Odesnik didn't bother to accept the "provisional suspension" was that he had already been outed by the court system. I think that players often get a provisional suspension without their suspension ever being made public, then they can fake an injury of some sort or "retire" for awhile, until the suspension ends, without anyone finding out that they violated. Anyway, that's my theory and I'm sticking to it.
By the way, let me point out that before Odesnik, tennis officials and sportswriters were calling the current drug testing over-the-top and "draconian." That was just a few weeks ago.

Update: A commenter notes that the story linked above is an AP story and not Bonnie Ford's. They had her on a sidebar along with the story at ESPN, so I assumed it was her story. THASP regrets the error...

Drug Cheat Wins in Houston

Odesnik lost, but congratulations to...
steroid user, Juan Ignacio Chela

Nice Article by Bonnie Ford on Odesnik Case

Good to see them making the effort:

Athletes governed by the WADA code are held to a strict standard in doping cases. It doesn't matter how a prohibited substance got into your body. If it's there, you have to take responsibility for it. That has resulted in harsh punishments for some relatively minor or inadvertent offenses. By the same standard, it shouldn't matter how HGH got into Odesnik's hands. He admitted in a court of law that it was there. That should have constituted due process, and he shouldn't have been playing last week.

Update: Another piece from Ford. Looks like she is going to run with this story (thanks Anonymous). Here's an interesting tidbit:

The ITF's anti-doping regulations were introduced as an exhibit in the case, and the two lawyers made opposing arguments about whether the prospect of sanctions from the ITF should be a factor in Odesnik's sentencing. Zeilinga urged the magistrate not to take that into account, calling the ITF's process completely independent. Godbolt asked for leniency, noting the financial impact of Odesnik's potential two-year suspension from tennis.

The guy asks for leniency because he is going to be punished by the ITF already, then fights the case against the ITF. Ah, sincerity...

For the Record

Someone suggested that I ask players directly about their "triple zero" entries on the ITF document. I attempted to contact 5 of the top players on that list. 4 out of 5 did not reply. One replied briefly with a "who are you?" kind of back and forth (and I think I need to work on my manners if I am going to get anyone to actually communicate with me).

Update: A commenter found it annoying that I did not name the names above. I'm not trying to be secretive, but I used different methods to contact them (one I even joined the fan club), so I can't be sure they got the e-mail. I didn't make it clear, but the one who replied was a representative for a player (who I was kind of surprised even replied at all). I feel like if I publicize every response I get, people will feel less inclined to respond. I didn't happen to mention this blog, though...

Drug Cheat Bowl

Odesnik to face Xavier Malisse, who is also dodging a suspension, in his case for violating the whereabouts rule. The winner might have a shot at playing Juan Ignacio Chela down the line , who served a 3 month suspension in 2001 for methyltestosterone (I grant you it’s a longshot that he would beat Hewitt – but a man can dream).

Update: The dream continues!

Odesnik Continues to get thrown under the bus

Mardy Fish takes a shot (thanks anonymous):

“I’m the kind of guy who’s been around for a long time,” Fish said. “This is my 11th year. I’ve seen a few guys come and go who have cheated and he seems to be no different. There’s no room for him. There is no gray area. He pleaded guilty. Any points and money he wins here are going to be gone anyway (if the ITF suspends him).
“It would be pretty awkward (for me) to play him here. He’s a pretty good clay court player. What you don’t know now is if any of that is real. It doesn’t seem to be. I’d have a serious beef if I were (Jerzy Janowicz, whom Odesnik defeated in the first round). And, if I were (Odesnik), I’d take myself out.”

Care to name any names, Mardy? Why does only Odesnik get this treatment?

In contrast, no players went after Gasquet:

Gascquet warmly praised Rafael Nadal for his support during the period of his ban: "Rafa supported me more than anyone in the last few months and if he ever needs me to help him, I will do what I can. I'll never forget what he's done for me. Now I just want to get out and play."

Do players have it in for Odesnik? Is he not in the "club"?

Update (Thanks Rikyu): If Mardy Fish thinks that someone is using PED's, he should report it:

"I.2 In the event a Participant knows or suspects that any other Participant has committed an anti-doping rule violation, it shall be the Participant’s obligation to report such knowledge or suspicion to the ITF Anti-Doping Manager as soon as possible.

Odesnik Strategizing...

Looks like he's really going to put up a defense. Apparently he is going to say that he never took HGH:

“The player is entitled to put forward a defense and this can take some time and he has elected not to take a provisional suspension. Whether or not we feel this is good for the image of tennis, he has that right and the ITF and ATP have an obligation to honor it.

It didn't say how long it will be, but hopefully he'll continue to play several more tournaments...
The most interesting part of this story for me is the fact that he refused to take a "provisional suspension." This goes back to my earlier post about that little apparent loophole in the rules for keeping infractions quiet. Odesnik had no choice, because his HGH trial was public record, but If he had instead been caught by drug testers in his hotel room with HGH vials and accepted a "provisional suspension" and pretended that he was taking time off for an injury, then put up a lame defense, something like "those vials were my grandfather's", I'm guessing he could have been reinstated (let's face it, that's better than Gasquet's defense) and it would never have been made public. I'm wondering how many times that has happened.

Leave your outrage at the door...

To date, I'm seeing no journalistic outrage that Odesnik is playing in Houston this week. Tennis Talk is reporting his appearance without even mentioning his HGH bust (Thanks TexasTennis). The problem is obvious. Sports journalism is dying. Most "journalists" these days are basically promoters for the sport. That is why tennis has gotten to this point with performance enhancing drugs. Looking the other way at every problem, because you are told not to ruffle any feathers and just build up the events, is eventually going to rot things to the core. I'm pulling for Odesnik, because the farther he goes, the more embarrassing it will be.

Update: Congratulations to Wayne Odesnik for his first round straight set victory! I didn't see it, but I'm sure it was a "powerful" performance.

Update II: Anyone wondering if Odesnik has the ITF by the cojones? I'm not sure what their procedure should be in this situation, but I find it hard to believe that they would just sit there and do nothing (even though they are being helped along by the apathy of sports journalists). Maybe they are worried about what else Odesnik might have to say? Or maybe they are just inept bureaucrats...

Quiet Suspensions

The rumor that players have been suspended in the past without that fact being made public, was brought up again in the Tauziat post below. I understood that player suspensions had to be made public, so I thought this was unlikely until the Agassi revelation. So I decided to see if I could find a loophole in the ITF rules regarding suspensions. I am no lawyer, so perhaps I'm misreading it, but it appears that this could happen if a player receives a "Provisional Suspension" after a violation (feel free to read the document and tell me if I'm misreading it). In other words, the player has some sort of drug violation and is given a Provisional Suspension before a final decision is made. Then the player would go before a tribunal and if the tribunal decides that there is a violation, the suspension would be made public. Here's where I see the loophole:

K.3.5 Where the Chairman grants the Player’s application and rules that no Provisional Suspension should be imposed on the Player, or that a Provisional Suspension previously imposed on the Player should be vacated, then (subject only to the possibility of reconsideration in light of new evidence) that decision will be final and binding on the parties, and the ITF shall have no right of appeal against it.

The Chairman has the right to end any drug investigation before it would go to the tribunal, while still imposing a "quiet" suspension (if I'm reading this correctly). It would seem by this apparent loophole that players could effectively be suspended for drug violations without it being made public and resume playing once the suspension is served with no one the wiser.

By the way, does anyone know if during a Provisional Suspension, an exhibition tournament would be allowable based on this below?:

A Player may not, during the period of any Provisional Suspension, play, coach or otherwise participate in any capacity in (a) a Covered Event, any other Event or Competition, or any other kind of function, event or activity (other than authorised anti-doping education or rehabilitation programmes) authorised, organised or sanctioned by the ITF, the ATP, the WTA, or any National Association or member of a
National Association; or (b) any Event or Competition authorised or organised by any professional league or any other international or national-level Event organisation...

Bandage Strategies

This is the height of cynicism, but in light of the number of phantom injuries leading to missed smaller tournaments, I think it's worth expressing my cynicism. Wrapping a genuine injury can, of course, be beneficial for a player. However, wearing a bandage during a tournament when you are not seriously injured could also provide some fringe benefits. If you lose, even if you say nothing, you have the "I was playing injured" excuse. If you win, you look like you've overcome adversity. More importantly, though, you have an out for the next couple of tournaments. If anyone doubts that you are really injured, people will say, "(S)He was wearing a bandage - of course there was a real injury." I have been guilty of the the same logic by doubting players who don't wear a bandage and claim an injury.
So doing this will give a player an out until a GS. Even if you think that the player just doesn't want to play smaller tournaments, this would be a good strategy. Some mainstream sports journalists have taken it this far. Taking it a step further, if a player hypothetically wants to take some time off to avoid in-competition drug testing, this would be a perfect strategy...

Houston, We Have a Problem

A couple of commenters have pointed out that Odesnik is actually going to play this week in Houston. Wow, that is ballsy. He did well there last year, so I hope he makes a good run this year, too. I wonder if he is still actually juiced? The major sports media outlets don't seem to be running with the story as yet, but this certainly has the makings of an entertaining media circus. Perhaps Odesnik will have some tales to tell, but I'm guessing he is just going to refuse to comment and say that the HGH was for medical reasons, etc.

Bonus Fluff Piece from Last Year Regarding Odesnik:

I hope everyone else can now see why I think so highly of this young man. You will be hearing a lot more from him in the coming years.

A Flashback

Here's another story by Mike McIntyre about Odesnik that also discusses a book by former professional tennis player, Nathalie Tauziat from way back in 2001. Due to my typical American lack of international street cred, I was not aware that she had made drug accusations in the book (No English translation is availalble - thanks anonymous posters for bringing it to my attention). Here's a quote from her before the 2001 Wimbledon:

"I won't name individuals," she said, "but it's clear that doping exists in tennis and needs to be stopped. I have no hard evidence, but all I will say is that you don't have to have a degree in medicine to see that some of the players have transformed themselves almost overnight. It's time people stopped taking us for a bunch of fools. I don't care how much training or gym work you do, there is no way anyone can suddenly become stronger and faster in the space of a couple of months. How is it that some girls disappear for a few weeks, and then return looking totally different?"

A commenter adds:

Tauziat's book was only published in French. She had a whole chapter on drugs, and said pretty much what that poster said - that some players were changing too quickly and dramatically in appearance. She also asked why they looked so muscular compared to her, when she had been working hard on her physique for years. She also said: she thought drugs were an American problems, she was disturbed that under the regulations the tour could quietly suspend a player without telling anyone, and she thought that *any* long injury break should be regarded as suspicious. (In 2000, Venus Williams missed about the first six months of the year.)

I'd point out that I certainly don't think that drugs are still just an American problem (I can guess who she is referring to). On the contrary, I'd say that the Americans, with a few notable exceptions, have been lagging behind based on my subjective observations. Again, though, it's interesting to hear talk of player suspensions that are kept quiet. One would think that some of the players publicly suspended would sue.