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[Flare]

Could the same be said of genetic modification and cybernetics once those are available?  When does the dedication and sacrifice no longer impress us?

I think it will always impress us.

They'd've replaced his whole body if it would've improved performance. If that's how you judge a man -- by performance -- then eventually it's not about people but upgrades, versions, functionality...

[/quote]

I'm afraid my stupid is showing because I don't see it. Athletic excellence does have a side that prizes results, but the side I'm talking about is the one about sacrifice, even if a person doesn't have the physical fortitude to endure a marathon race, this person's simple dedication and sacrifice of time and pain to this aim is still admirable. I guess when you put the two together, you somehow end up with the winning hand.
I think ideally, the best athlete is the one that sacrifices the most, not just there because he/she has the physical disposition for competing.

Why should the whole leading rank of athletes slow down and limit themselves just for this individual?

Huh sorry, I couldn't hear you over the money I am spending for my athlete to win. What was that? You don't have enough money to pay for the modifications? well I guess you can just be destitute or something.

You are aware that quite a lot of the best athletes have the best coaches, training equipment and areas, and especially the means to represent themselves right? It's true that this sort of thing will increase if drugs became the norm, but it seems a little hypocritical to see the money side of doping and turn a blind eye to the performance money can buy elsewhere.

[Neonivek]

You are aware that quite a lot of the best athletes have the best coaches, training equipment and areas, and especially the means to represent themselves right?

Ohhh I am aware that for some sports they essentially have created these camps overseas to filter through foreign talent (it can be quite a problem on those who don't make it)

Sports is a big buisness.

[Flare]

Well on one hand we'd be fueling something we don't quite recognize as sport, but on the other we would be funneling some of that money that would have went to sport CEOs into the pockets of medical research...

[Earthquake Damage]

Well on one hand we'd be fueling something we don't quite recognize as sport, but on the other we would be funneling some of that money that would have went to sport CEOs into the pockets of medical research...

Two problems:

1.  Herp derp clearly a huge fraction of any given company's revenue goes to its CEO. 

2.  Medical research is never conducted by firms.  Any hypothetical firms wouldn't have CEOs anyway.   

I could probably extend that list easily, but I don't feel like it.

[Eagleon]

In any case, the CEOs are smart enough to keep their paychecks intact. It's the athletes that would foot the bill, because after all, if you're not willing to pay for your training you don't really want it enough and Joe Quarterback is willing to shoot himself up with dino DNA to get the edge and we've got him on hold to sign right now if you don't want this thing.

If anything, I think we'd see this marketed at a rate slightly higher than Viagra, higher if it's permanent. That way you hit the X-Games type crowd at the same time as the major leagues, with "free" consultation and follow-up care to the ones that pay for the better package that won't kill you probably.

[Leafsnail]

I think the crucial point is "Most atheletes are in favour of keeping drugs in competitions banned so they don't have to kill themselves in order to do their job".

[Dutchling]

What Leafsnail said

I do not believe that you can compare destroying your body with destroying you social life regarding sacrificing things for sports.
So I am against doping for the sake of the athletes although I really do not care about sports other than the World Championship and European Championship Football. (And with football I mean real football, not pansy handball people play in the US but insist on calling football. )

[Urist is dead tome]

What Leafsnail said

I do not believe that you can compare destroying your body with destroying you social life regarding sacrificing things for sports.
So I am against doping for the sake of the athletes although I really do not care about sports other than the World Championship and European Championship Football. (And with football I mean real football, not pansy handball people play in the US but insist on calling football. )

Sorry, any sport in which this many people fake injuries to get others kicked out is a pansy sport:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOdxpKj1BgY

[Earthquake Damage]

And with football I mean real football, not pansy handball people play in the US but insist on calling football.

This can't be anything but a joke.  The one that demands physical contact is somehow a "pansy" sport, but the one where players feign grievous injuries at the slightest nudge is somehow more rugged?

If you were talking about rugby, I wouldn't argue.  That's the manliest sport I know.  If anyone can call gridiron football players pansies, it's a rugby player, male or female.

[Urist is dead tome]

And with football I mean real football, not pansy handball people play in the US but insist on calling football.

This can't be anything but a joke.  The one that demands physical contact is somehow a "pansy" sport, but the one where players feign grievous injuries at the slightest nudge is somehow more rugged?

If you were talking about rugby, I wouldn't argue.  That's the manliest sport I know.  If anyone can call gridiron football players pansies, it's a rugby player, male or female.

The manliest sport there is is Chess Boxing, of course. It is a sport of combinations of intelligence, strength and speed.

But I think we can agree that soccer isn't rough

[DJ]

"Anything that competitors agree to" is a quick road to "anything that gets the highest rating". And that would obviously be gladiatorial combat to the death, because your average viewer is a sick bastard that wants to watch people die. So, should we just skip the in-between steps and rope in a bunch of hobos and tell them that the last man alive gets a lifetime supply of booze?

[Leafsnail]

"Anything that competitors agree to" is a quick road to "anything that gets the highest rating". And that would obviously be gladiatorial combat to the death, because your average viewer is a sick bastard that wants to watch people die. So, should we just skip the in-between steps and rope in a bunch of hobos and tell them that the last man alive gets a lifetime supply of booze?

Well, I'm pretty sure the competitors collectively would elect for that not to happen.  In the same way they currently collectively elect to not allow drug use.

[DJ]

Yeah, and then they'd lose all their sponsors to the gladiators.

[Neonivek]

I think the crucial point is "Most atheletes are in favour of keeping drugs in competitions banned so they don't have to kill themselves in order to do their job".

Yes but what do we do when Doping becomes sophisticated enough to not cause health problems, or at least no more significant health problems then playing the sport.

Which is a very real possibility and we really are right on the cusp of these kind of break throughs. Mind you they arn't as sophisticated as a super athlete but they are things like increasing oxygen absorbsion of muscles.

[Levi]

The manliest sport there is is Chess Boxing, of course. It is a sport of combinations of intelligence, strength and speed.

I'll have you know I just looked that up and am now extremely happy that its a real thing.  My co-worker next to me seems to think its the dumbest thing ever though.