Thursday, August 24, 2006

Going Gonzo at Ohio State

How far will a player go for an edge? Ohio State junior receiver Anthony Gonzalez might be taking it to an extreme by sleeping and studying in an altitude tent, a 6-by-6-by-8-foot plastic chamber that is placed over his bed. An attached device then draws air from the tent, removes a percentage of oxygen and pumps rarefied air back into the tent. This creates an atmosphere that is similar to living at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The idea is to increase Gonzalez's number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the body, and improve his endurance. Gonzalez spent $5,000 on the system last summer. Now is this cheating? The World-Anti Doping Agency is considering adding the tents to its 2007 prohibited list. That could result in the NCAA also banning the tents. Thanks to Buckeye Commentary.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The World-Anti Doping Agency is considering adding the tents to its 2007 prohibited list. That could result in the NCAA also banning the tents.

You gotta be freaking kidding me. Banning high-altitude tents? The World-Anti Doping Agency and NCAA don't have anything better to regulate?

My favorite part of the story:

Since deciding he wanted to attend a top law school, Gonzalez has dedicated himself to an academic plan that led to 4.0 grade-point averages in four of the last five academic quarters. He is in bed by 9 p.m. and up by 6 a.m.

Hats off to Gonzalez for aspiring to be the next Whizzer White or Alan Page instead of the next Maurice Clarett. Hard to not root for a kid like this, even if he plays for The Ohio State and is an aspiring attorney. [grin]