Federberg
The GOAT
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2013
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Call me a conspiracy theorist if you want, but this could be a tip of the iceberg issue.
For me it's clear that she knew what she was doing was wrong (I simply don't believe the excuse that she didn't read the email, it stretches credulity). She got in front of the crisis, or at least attempted to with the press conference when she realised her goose was cooked. The idea that she has been taking this drug for a decade for health reasons has been discredited by the pharmaceutical company that manufactures this drug so I'm not even going to go there. As they have stated this is only supposed to be taken over a period of 4 - 6 weeks, so health reasons is out of the window and we are in PED territory.
The reason I mention conspiracy theories is that you have to ask the question... why when she knew it was wrong did she feel able to still continue taking it? For me there is one logical answer. She is aware of other rainmakers in tennis getting caught and being able to walk away unscathed. She took what she considered to be a rational step and disregarded the warnings. But the regime has changed. Whether it's the PED crisis sweeping all sport, or the terrible press the ATP/WTA have received in recent times about match fixing. Whatever it is, these institutions clearly feel an existential threat to their brands and are cleaning shop. So her seemingly rational tactic was done at the worst possible time. I can only imagine the frantic discussions over the last few months since the AO between her team and the WTA. Clearly she felt forced to make the announcement when all other resources had been expended. What I want to know, is who amongst the rainmakers (i.e., big WTA/ ATP stars) has been getting away with cheating, that would make Maria feel confident that she would be able to get away with it? Of course it could have been her who had been getting away with it in the past, but a new era had dawned. We'll never know of course. But this seems an eminently plausible scenario to me.
For me it's clear that she knew what she was doing was wrong (I simply don't believe the excuse that she didn't read the email, it stretches credulity). She got in front of the crisis, or at least attempted to with the press conference when she realised her goose was cooked. The idea that she has been taking this drug for a decade for health reasons has been discredited by the pharmaceutical company that manufactures this drug so I'm not even going to go there. As they have stated this is only supposed to be taken over a period of 4 - 6 weeks, so health reasons is out of the window and we are in PED territory.
The reason I mention conspiracy theories is that you have to ask the question... why when she knew it was wrong did she feel able to still continue taking it? For me there is one logical answer. She is aware of other rainmakers in tennis getting caught and being able to walk away unscathed. She took what she considered to be a rational step and disregarded the warnings. But the regime has changed. Whether it's the PED crisis sweeping all sport, or the terrible press the ATP/WTA have received in recent times about match fixing. Whatever it is, these institutions clearly feel an existential threat to their brands and are cleaning shop. So her seemingly rational tactic was done at the worst possible time. I can only imagine the frantic discussions over the last few months since the AO between her team and the WTA. Clearly she felt forced to make the announcement when all other resources had been expended. What I want to know, is who amongst the rainmakers (i.e., big WTA/ ATP stars) has been getting away with cheating, that would make Maria feel confident that she would be able to get away with it? Of course it could have been her who had been getting away with it in the past, but a new era had dawned. We'll never know of course. But this seems an eminently plausible scenario to me.
