“X-Ray Hotel 558, Rolling”

 

Vulcan Taking Off

 

Ok, so imagine 100,000 people all gathered for one thing and one thing only to witness the long return of a triangular piece of metal to the air. Not just any triangular piece but the mighty Avro Vulcan retired from service in 1993.

What drives these people to put up with torrential rain that pours not just vertically but horizontally, accompanied by strong winds that challenge even the strongest man made fibres to a duel of wits.

Fortunately the sun as if encouraged by the occasion played ball and shone its rays to accompany the majestic Leviathan. Imagine everybody chatting, children running around with excitement, the beer tent brigade enjoying their daily inebriation, every age, every walk of life. Then total silence, you could hear a pin drop, quite a wait as four Rolls Royce engines slowly wind up in harmony.

A loud roar leads to increased purposeful acceleration, moving further down the runway parting the surface water with steady precision, arching her back as the front wheel lifts and finally defeating gravity with pure grace. Climbing steeply unmistakably that familiar delta wing reflecting in pure white cumulus nimbus, turning on a sixpence and finally joining a 60 year old stablemate to perform in unison.

So why should these people come and watch, is it more than just an aeroplane? The British people love to champion the underdog, the team despite impossible odds and no funding have fought with bureaucracy, donations of thousands of pounds to pocket money, giving sweets a miss pennies, together they triumphed.

As if in the true style of a Hollywood film, flight permits were granted at the literal eleventh hour. Faith can now be restored in a world gone mad, people power can and does win!

XH558

Vulcan

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Should Golf Players be Random Drug Tested?

Tee to the Moon

 

South African player Gary Player announced that performance enhancing substances are a fact of life in professional golf. He asserts that at present at least ten players in the game are using human growth hormone, creatine or steroids.

He urged the Royal and Ancient (R&A) to introduce random testing at the earliest opportunity, ” The greatest thing that the R&A, United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) can do is to have tests at random. It’s absolutely essential that we do that, we are dreaming if we think it’s not going to come to golf.”

Taken from the Guardian

 

Golf sees no need for drug testing policy

Major League Baseball players began facing sanctions last year if they tested positive for illegal steroids. The National Footbal League (NFL) bans steroids and randomly tests its players. National Basketball Association (NBA) rookies are tested up to four times a year, while veterans are subject to one random test during training camp.

The PGA Tour has no policy on steroids. Nothing is in the works, because no one has found anything that would help a golfer’s performance.

In fact, the only substance abuse policy on the PGA Tour books is a two-page statement from former commissioner Deane Beman in January 1992 that deals with recreational drugs, and alcohol as it relates to players’ conduct.

“There is a lot of power involved in golf, but more so feel and touch,” U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen said. “I don’t know if somebody took steroids how that would affect the game. I don’t think golf is that much a power sport as it is in other sports, like athletics or things like that, where there is such a small margin between the athletes.”  The only thing golf has tested lately is hot drivers, and that lasted about a month.

From Golf Today

 

Ball

 

NORTON, Mass. (AP) — The PGA Tour is nearing completion on a comprehensive drug policy, and commissioner Tim Finchem said Thursday that testing could start as early as next year. Finchem spoke to the 16-man Player Advisory Council on Monday and updated them on the tour’s progress. We believe now that we’ll complete work on a policy this year, and the elements of the policy could very well be executed during ’08,” Finchem said at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He said drug testing would be only one part of the policy.

From Golf.com

I think that where sport is concerned you can’t have one rule for some and another rule for others. Olympic sports have randon drug testing. If the sport competitor can take a substance that increases his performance or stamia that in itself will give him an edge of the other competitors. This extra edge increases his chance of winning by false means and undermans the whole ‘Fair Play’ system.

The most difficult thing is to decide when a player is allowed certain substances for medical reasons that help him compete but do not enhance his performance. Take a wider view and consider where to draw the line, what sports are eligible, is every sport by its nature of competition eligible? Are there similar problems with mental contests such as Chess if they are judged on a world performance level?

References:

Drug taking is rife in golf says Player – Guardian July 19th 2007

Golf sees no need for drug testing – Golf Today

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