Sharapova retiring?

[bksballer89]

How long you guys think she get suspended for? I'm going to say 6-9 months. It seems like an honest mistake. I expect her back by the 2017 Aussie Open

 

[Smart]

This is a pretty terrible mistake by her crew and her, but yeah, it wasn't malicious. I'd be surprised if she was suspended beyond the 2016 season. I'm expecting a six month suspension retroactive to her last match, which would put her out through Wimbledon.

 

[redseat]

why do every athlete need a major "stage" to announce their retirement?

 

[cezero]

she didn't retire. lol.

 

[Carnzo]

Wood

 

[cezero]

How long you guys think she get suspended for? I'm going to say 6-9 months. It seems like an honest mistake. I expect her back by the 2017 Aussie Open

I hope it's as short as possible.

Even though I don't have a lot of sympathy for athletes who don't take the never-ending warnings of WADA seriously, this wasn't a case of her trying to get a competitive edge. There has to be some punishment, or it sets a dangerous precedent. But it should be minimal.

99% of the tennis athletes on tour are making a good living, but not millionaires, and they damn sure check that anything they put into their bodies is allowed under the latest WADA list of banned substances. It's a pretty minimal responsibility on their part.

 

[ElTexan]

It was a simple mistake on a drug that has been legal for 10+ years and only illegal since January. This should be extremely minimally punished.

 

[Liberal Icon]

Damn. That's to bad. One less hot chick in the sport of tennis. There is always the Williams sisters, although they resemble linebackers in the NFL.

That is unfortunate. I thought this is about Maria Sharapova? What has the Williams sisters got to do with this? I shudder to think what people like you will say had it been the WS.
Have you ever watched Venus Williams play? Does she look like a line backer? Her sister has her other siblings feature and to assert that Serena Williams looks like a line backer is sexist and outrageous.

 

[Liberal Icon]

yeah, how someone can stay skinny and be busted for drugs but someone that looks like James Harrison in a skirt passes roid tests.

Amazing. How you can make such a comment when Armstrong and other cyclists who are very slim fail doping tests. I expect a higher level of opinion from you Fordman. Especially when the Williams sisters have played for the good ole USA and without them American tennis especially on the women's side would have collapsed.

 

[Old Lion]

Maria will be back for the US Open maybe even Wimbledon. I say 4 months from late January which would put her back right after the French. Missing the Fench is no big deal. Not many care to watch that one anyway. 6 months the most which would get her back for the US Open series events.

 

[bksballer89]

This is not good news for Maria considering she's been using this since 2006

Company: Sharapova drug only needed 4-6 weeks

 

[huskers1217]

3 sponsors have cut ties with her including Nike

 

[Old Lion]

This is not good news for Maria considering she's been using this since 2006

Company: Sharapova drug only needed 4-6 weeks

Wow. This makes a big difference. It does not look like an honest mistake anymore. She could be out for quite a while based on that.

Maybe they should just not have any banned substances and just let everyone do everything? At least it would level to a degree assuming that all players can afford it. Face it, like most other sports half the players are doing stuff and not getting caught. Having a banned list just gives an advantage to those that can hide it best.

 

[Center Ice]

Seems like everyone is expecting a retirement announcement. I don't see why a major news conference is needed to announce you're going to be out for several months or the rest of the season. That is just a press release.

I was not the biggest fan of her but seeing someone retire at the young age of 28 would be disappointing. I typically expect tennis players to retire between the ages of 32 and 34.

Since she is facing a 4 year ban that's pretty much it for the ol' career.

 

[ElTexan]

Wow. This makes a big difference. It does not look like an honest mistake anymore. She could be out for quite a while based on that.

t.

It wasn't a mistake. She took it purposefully.

The salient issue is that it was a c0ompletely legal substance that wasn't banned until January.

If you drank red bulls before matches and suddenly they banned taurine or caffeine, and you kept drinking them because you didn't read the new guidelines, it isn't all of a sudden a scandal.

Shit, ppl. Don't be dense.

 

[cezero]

Unless they're taking 10 meds a day for major health problems, it's not that much to ask for millionaire athletes to check and see if prescriptions they're taking are banned on the ever-changing WADA list.

Sharapova is taking full responsibility, and has made a compelling case that it wasn't for a competitive edge. Whatever the minimum punishment is for somebody who tests positive is what Sharapova should get.

Next, please.

 

[cezero]

The salient issue is that it was a c0ompletely legal substance that wasn't banned until January.

Not quite.

The salient issue is that it's the athlete's responsibility to check and see if what they're putting into their bodies is banned before entering any tournament. And it's not that big of a thing to ask of them.

Masha is making a compelling case that she didn't violate the PED rule on purpose, but that doesn't mean she wasn't wrong and deserves the minimum punishment.

If the ITF and WTA haven't established a minimum, then this will be a case that shows that they really need to address it in contract language.

 

[cezero]

Since she is facing a 4 year ban that's pretty much it for the ol' career.

That's way too much.

If she's banned for any more than a few months, the WTA needs to get some specific contract language in place for this issue regarding mandatory minimums and gradations of punishment for violations.

 

[Liberal Icon]

99% of the tennis athletes on tour are making a good living, but not millionaires, and they damn sure check that anything they put into their bodies is allowed under the latest WADA list of banned substances. It's a pretty minimal responsibility on their part.

Exactly as echoed by Wozniacki.

"Any time we take any medication, we double, triple and quadruple check, because sometimes even things like cough drops or nasal sprays can be on the list," Wozniacki said. "I think as athletes we always make sure to really make sure there's nothing in it."

This is the reason it is a bit puzzling that a very famous athlete like Maria with the recent accusations of top athletes doping in tennis will not pay attention to what she ingest into her body giving the cost-benefit effect of being caught and the effect on legacy and future earnings.

It is equally amazing the support Maria Sharapova has gotten and the twisted grief Serena is getting in certain areas and blogs as if she were the one that was outed for doping. It would have been bedlam had it been Serena Williams who was accused of doping. And this is the kind of thing that makes you go "hmmmmm" especially when Serena has also been bedeviled by injuries over her career and also nearly died with heart problem.

 

[Liberal Icon]

Even as the media goaded her to say something negative about Maria, Serena stayed classy:

"As Maria said, she's ready to take full responsibility," Williams said. "She showed a lot of courage and a lot of heart. I think she's always shown courage and heart in everything she's done, and this is no different."

And why should she? Whether Maria doped or not, Serena has consistently beaten Maria over the years therefore why should she rub it in? The media should back off.