Photo from Google Images
When talking about professional sports, “Deer Antler Spray” sounds like a game plan to defeat the Texas Rangers’ “claw and antler” marketing phenomenon.
Deer antler spray is actually the latest performance-enhancing substance containing IGF-1 and one of its proteins that is increased in human growth hormone (HGH) which aids in a faster recovery.
I just don’t believe the hype of steroids in professional sports. Sure, they can make you look like a gorilla juice head and you increase your chances of hooking up with Snookie and JWOW on the Jersey Shore, but steroids can not make you a better athlete.
What about the integrity of the game? The integrity of the game was distorted in 1994 when baseball canceled the playoffs and World Series because the owners were solely focused on money. They never discussed the Drug and Steroid Memorandum topic during the negotiations.
This new “spray” is actually made from the soft-coating found deer antlers. After it is freeze-dried, its ground into a powder that can be taken as a pill, mixed into a liquid or as a mouth spray. The spray is featured S.W.A.T.S. (Sports With Alternatives To Steroids) website where professional athletes have endorsed the product. IGF-1 is banned by MLB and all professional sports- I guess “Alternatives” really means “catch me if you can”. This clear substance can only be traced in a blood test and MLB only uses urine testing.
Today it’s “Deer Antler Spray”; next month it will be shark’s fins. Soon, Flintstone vitamins will be added to the list of banned substances. The truth is that there is no magic spray for athleticism and God given talent to play ball. And if this “spray” means that Stephen Strasburg would get off the DL faster and back in my fantasy lineup then I’ll send him a bottle of deer antler spray myself.
Last week, the NFL became the first major US sport allowed to use blood testing for HGH. Goodell hopes the testing will begin by opening day. But the game plan for who will be tested and when both remain unknown. Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Ray Lewis was listed as an endorser on the S.W.A.T.S site until the blood testing news broke. I haven’t been able to find punishment for being caught with a positive HGH blood test, but if Ray Lewis isn’t allowed to run through the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium the fans are ones who will be punished.