APWith the Super Bowl less than a week away, the process of coming up with storylines — both good and bad — about the players and coaches participating in the big event is underway. Specifically, there’s a new angle for Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
Sports Illustrated published a feature Tuesday documenting Lewis’ possible use of banned substances, specifically an extract called IGF-1 from deer antlers, to recover from his triceps injury in October.
The company who reportedly sent Lewis the goods is called S.W.A.T.S., also known as “Sports with Alternatives to Steroids.” It’s about as shady as one would think: run by two men “out of the back of a gym near Birmingham.”
The college connection comes early on in the story when one of the S.W.A.T.S reps, Christopher Key, makes a pitch in a hotel room to a group of Alabama players right before the 2012 BCS championship game against LSU. The story specifically mentions defensive end Quinton Dial and linebacker Alex Watkins.
And then Key passed out his remedy for the frequencies: stickers, which he calls chips, bearing holograms of a pyramid. Key told the players that on game day they should place the chips on three acupuncture points — one on the inside of each wrist before they tape their arms (the chips also come embedded in bracelets), and one over the heart. “It’s going to help your heart have so much more energy,” he said. “Come the fourth quarter, you guys will not be gassed at all.”
Key also introduces the players to the antler spray and “negatively charged” water, among other products. The Tide’s coaching staff was apparently unaware this meeting took place. Key is also said to have given a treatment to an LSU player before the 2010 Senior Bowl.
If Alabama wasn’t already aware of the story — it’s not exactly a new topic — they are now. What action, if any, will be taken by either the school or the NCAA is unknown yet. There is mention of banned substances – IGF-1 is also considered one by the NCAA — being used by Watkins in the title game against the Tigers.
It’s not your traditional HGH or steroids, but it is an interesting feature on what could be considered a performance enhancer. Point being, don’t be surprised if universities pull out their NCAA binders to give players a refresher.
Because fat, drunk, stupid, and hopped up on deer antler spray is no way to go through life, son.
I say give it back and 3 year bowl ban!
The NCAA hasn’t been serious about testing for PEDs since Bosworth in the mid 80′s.
So deer antler spray is why Bama keeps pounding on everybody? Who knew… I actually really don’t care, I highly doubt stickers and antler spray would have changed the outcome of that game, hell, even LSU fans have said they blamed the coaching decisions.
I hope this isn’t true. And, I’m a LSU fan.
Queue all the Bama haters!!!!!!
Awe shucks. Now everybody knows BAMA’s secret!!
But I thought it was deer urine not their antlers. Go figure.
They should’ve tried that stuff when Utah wiped the floor with them
If they haven’t busted us by now with all of Saban’s cheating, why would the NCAA start now? We’re Teflon and you can’t do anything about it!
Of course they did, it’s the SEC.
Get tattoos at Ohio St? Suspended and fired. Parents get gifts at USC? Vacate wins and bowl ban. Daddy gets money for steering Cam to Auburn. No penalties.
It’s pretty easy to dominate college football when your conference governing body turns a blind eye to the rules.
Poor Bama
C’mon. If you’re a football fan you watched the game and saw who the best team was!
If this turns out to be true then penalties should be leveled but none of the jibberish some of you throw out here is the reason the SEC has dominated the BCS!!!!
Real fans like to watch games and have them decided “on the field!”
I hate the media
Oh deer, this could cost Bama a few “bucks”. I hope they have the doe to pay the fines. Haha
Slow day, Ben?
Does T-Town carry a matching suit for the bracelets?
I have bad knees,why in the hell hasnt a DR. fixed me up yet lol.
If it is true (and that is a BIG if), and these natural alternative’s are on the banned substance list…..we should vacate the title. Simple as that. However, the story says that Quinton Dial was pitched (we ALL know he is famous for decleating Aaron Murray in this years SEC CG), but doesn’t mention him actually using. That would be like prosecuting someone because their neighbor told them about cocaine, and offered to sell them some. And, I have never even heard of Alex Watkins! The chips sound like more of a mental edge…..which is no different than telling a man that he can’t be beat!
Either way, we need to start teaching these young men what personal responsibility is. In addition to fines by the school, these student athletes should have to pay their tuition back to the school. If they were financially responsible, they wouldn’t act like kids. I never agree with punishing the future student or student athlete.
@bamafan36 …
Are you crazy? That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard–beyond the banned substance obsession itself.
Deer antler spray? Who cares if two players out of 22 spray some deer antler concoction on a sticker and plant it over their hearts before a game? Who cares if 22 players do it? You’re going to tell me any sane person thinks that spraying themselves with deer antler syrup or squirrel piss improves their game the way ingesting anabolic steroids does? Come on! Where is the data on this stuff? Oh … that’s right … there isn’t any.
The NCAA and the NFL are just banning everything from cough syrups to Adderall to stuff you buy over the counter at GNC … along with
deer anter spray and frog poop. Show me some real performance-enhancing drugs, and I’ll get concerned. Until then … who cares?
Quick, damage control, get ESPN… I saw two Ohio State players walk into a tattoo parlor
Cheaters!!!!!!!!!!! S-E-C!!!!!
Shame Bama had to cheat to win, how many of the wins they have are tainted???? All bama fans should be ashamed they all felt inferior before and they felt winning would cure that, they are no better than A-ROD and lance Armstrong CHEATERS!!!!!!!!!!
wonder how many other SEC schools are involved in this scandal!!
Roll Dam Cheaters!!!!
Jeff Foxworthy; if you use deer spray to win national titles … You might be a bama player. Haha
I’m gonna go out on a limb & say the deer antler spray or whatever the f***actually exists.
Unlike Rudy girlfriends.
Roll dam tide.
I’ve used it. It’s expensive. But it works. I would have no pain after weight training.
If you think deer urine and antler dust is the reason Bama wins…I have some ocean front Arizona property to sell you.
As a Florida fan, I’m supposed to hate all things Alabama. I think it’s actually in the state constitution somewhere. Anyway, I’m calling this what it is… bullsh!t. With all due respect to #noring4, no way this stuff improves performance. Might it help in recovery after-the-fact? Maybe. Does it make your fast-twitch muscles move faster to increase your speed, or make you temporarily stronger? No freaking way. Why do people start these stupid stories to diminish a great accomplishment? Is jealousy that rampant among SEC haters? Good gosh, man, get over it. Seven national titles in a row. Freaking deal with it.
So Jason maybe Lance armstrong taking PED’s didnt help him. or A-Rod or anyone who cheats.
Cheating is cheating, Play the game with honor. All i hear from Bama is this is Big Boy Football.
I guess big boys cheat.
For all you guys that cant get it up try alittle antler spray and make that woman happy,lmao.
I’m sorry but every d-1 player takes some sort of PED, whether its hgh or an anabolic steroid. They have to in order to keep up. The NCAA has put drug testing on the back burner and given that responsibility to the university. With that in mind I would be very pissed if they tried to take away a n.c if I were a Bama fan.
It’s called the placebo effect stupid.
A fool and his money are soon parted, and this is indeed a load of bogus quackery.
Everything is [O]Bama’s fault.
well i should harp on Bama like most of its fans harped on Te’o..instead ill act like their Qb did with Manti, and give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. I have to say though, if its true then this years game should be forfeited as most of the ’12 players (Dial for one) did play in this years game.
I’d just like to say I -sincerely- hope that some of the above commenters actually think Bama wins games because of magic stickers and snake oil. Nothing would entertain me more then hearing about “AntlerGate” for the rest of the off season.
This is a stupid story… WTH? Deer Antler spray….haha!
Maybe this was how that one BCS formula still had Notre Dame ranked #1. It was from all the deer urine. Haha!
In more serious news, Teo is now claiming his fake girlfriend died from an overdose of deer spray. Who knew? Haha!
Mega Sigh!
I can’t wait to hear what Nick has to say about this. It will be interesting to see which reporter will ask him about it, lol. That reporter better has his facts straight before he asks
If a team wins, there must be a reason why. I have seen all these bracelets and necklaces for sell at sporting stores. Placebo is the correct word. Some guy from some gym talked to a couple players, there are no holes in that story. Steroids are not something you take on game day, they are used to increase workout output. The last two title games where won on the field, convincingly.
@Tony,
My gosh you are right…I forgot we live in a society where you are guilty till proven innocent…wait did I get that right??? Roll Tide
@Ironman has to laugh at his own jokes because no one else will. You’re not funny. Just stop. Also, this story is stupid. Had I not read past the headline, I might have actually thought Alabama cheated.
@rolltide510,
You know we will, wait till ESPN has countless hours to debate and discuss this after the Super Bowl : )
Isn’t Deer urine considered cologne in Alabama?
Alabama did cheat!!! It is a shame they had to resort to that. I thought they were the best. Like A-Rod and Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, and the other cheaters.
Winning means nothing if you have to cheat.
The bigger question is not if they cheated it is HOW LONG they have been cheating to win. Shame this is now part of their history, a long and controversial history, the bear and his choice of players etc.
The hypocrisy of it is that if any other team did this bama fans would be all over them. Sad but true.
Roll Dam CHEATERS!!!!
did anyone read the actual article? or are they listening to this dude, and this collection of crazies in the comment section? they would read that some lsu players also used it before their 9-6 win over Bama. goodness gracious, at least spread around your hatred, where applicable.
Lordy Mercy y’all …….. who truly believes antler dust and urine from a deer gives you super powers?
Tony I knew you’d be going crazy. Every other post is yours. I can see you running around in your Momma’s basement clapping your hands in glee.
Florida727, I couldn’t of said it better!!
WingT, me either. I pity the fool that’s the first to ask
HarveyUpdyke, good one!
SEC SEC SEC SEC and ROLL TIDE ROLL
The article states only that some players were given a sales pitch. Several unis, including Alabama, have sent cease letters to these two men. Big time college athletes have people trying to hook them all the time
From what I can tell after reading the Wikipedia page for this substance (the full name of which is insulin-like growth factor 1) this stuff has nothing to do with creating a short-term stamina boost, and the article does not indicate a topical application for taking it. It is also naturally produced by the body as part of the growth process and younger people generally have it in much higher levels than post-pubescent adults, so even if it did enter the body the way the salesman said it does, it would have little or no effect even over the long haul for 18-21-year-olds. It would appear to me that it is just another in a long line of snake oil concoctions to part foolish people from their money.
As it is, other schools have been linked to this stuff over the years; Auburn, for example, had a similar article written about it–and with the same company, no less–in 2011. Why was nothing done? Because until someone tests positive, then allegations are just that: allegations. Given that this is something naturally present in the human body already, there may not be any way to test for it.
This just strikes me as a “nothing else to talk about” article at best, and a “Ahah! Here’s why ‘Bama ran rings around Notre Dame!” attempt at worst.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IGF-1
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201104/tpg-exclusive-auburn-tied-controversial-supplement-company
@tony34343434 –
You’re on to something. As you suspect, Deer Antlers have been part of a tradition of cheating at Alabama dating back to the 60′s. Bear Bryant was a legendary antler peddler.
He actually wrestled a deer, and it was mispronounced “bear”. And the legend was born.
So let me get this straight, the tide sprayed one another’s antlers before the game? Here’s a news bulletin for you. Tide football players don’t have antlers! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
If your name is jgater… You might be a redneck!
Okay – so one is to assume that Holy Water and the Eucharist are cleared by the NCAA?
Apparently neither contains deer antler, as ND can attest.
what i was talking about with the bear, is that he was one of the biggest racists in the history of college athletics so that is what i meant. So racists and cheaters great history.
Roll Dam Cheaters!!!!
Tony go to bed. It’s past your bedtime.
Collectivly 3 + I find this funny. And all 3 have been known to be deer hunters havin been raised in North Alabama. It’s no secret that when they all got to play at Bama they rarely talked about their huntin days. It was strictly bout football. Now I wish it’d been known they were hunters cause they could’ve supplied the infamous substance for many years to come while they were there,hahaha. Geesh Louise, back when the oldest of the 3 was playin there were several from South Alabama that were playin that could’ve contributed some,hahaha. What will be the next fad be? Stay tuned, Folks for the next segment of ‘What’s Next to Have Bama Questioned for Their Part in a Scandal’,hahaha.
Everyone in the world knows this is a non issue. As long as Saban is at Alabama there will be no violations and Alabama will dominate everyone outside of the SEC. God the Alabama second team could beat anyone outside of the SEC.
When I read an article like this I can’t help but think of the Voodoo ballplayer in the movie “Major League”. I’m inclined to think its the “placebo” effect of superstitious belief more than anything. That’s discounting that some minor real effect combined with the fervent wish and belief in a superstition can be a powerful performance enhancer. Unfortunately superstition can’t be reliably bottled.
Since Alabama really doesn’t have much more than college football going on in its state, this could be devastating. I seem to recall a coach there a while back get away with sexual harrassment as long as they won 11 games. South Eastern Cheaters!! Go figure. Maybe the football players can actually go to class and get an education; but that would actually require being able to read.
Are you crazy? That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard–beyond the banned substance obsession itself.
Deer antler spray? Who cares if two players out of 22 spray some deer antler concoction on a sticker and plant it over their hearts before a game? Who cares if 22 players do it? You’re going to tell me any sane person thinks that spraying themselves with deer antler syrup or squirrel piss improves their game the way ingesting anabolic steroids does? Come on! Where is the data on this stuff? Oh … that’s right … there isn’t any.
The NCAA and the NFL are just banning everything from cough syrups to Adderall to stuff you buy over the counter at GNC … along with deer anter spray and frog poop. Show me some real performance-enhancing drugs, and I’ll get concerned. Until then … who cares?
================================
Deb, you really have no clue about physiology, do you? Ever hear of hormones? Did you know that most pharmaceuticals/meds are concentrated forms of natrually occurring substances?
There they are……gosh I was wondering when the high and mighty Big 10 folks would chime in..
I hope its not true but as I’ve said before, Nick Saban could mow down and entire elementary school with an assault weapon and Alabama fans would tell us he was right for doing so. Im reasonably sure some of these people have a dark corner of their home setup as a Saban shrine with candles lit.
Can you imagine how big of a story this would be if you replaced Notre Dame with Alabama?
deny, deny, deny
jason1214 says:Jan 30, 2013 8:56 AM
There they are……gosh I was wondering when the high and mighty Big 10 folks would chime in..
=================================
Hey, cheating and winning* is great as long as you don’t get caught eh?
Cheaters? Really? From what I have read the only way to test for this is a blood test. Check out links below.
Auburn players used this in 2010
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201101/tpg-exclusive-nfl-orders-raiders-head-coach-hue-jackson-end-ties-company-linked-bann
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201104/tpg-exclusive-auburn-tied-controversial-supplement-company
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-ray-lewis-denies-using-banned-substance-during-rehab-from-injury-20130129,0,7725655.story
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=282710061
Alabama was winning 31-0 at halftime BUT Georgia came back Final Score Ala 41 Ga 30
Unless Bama played players in games that failed tests…you are grasping packer/badger…so far the only people saying Bama cheated are the anti SEC crowd. If you think deer antler spray is why Bama wins you are nuts.
All I want to know is, what sort of deer did the antlers come from… Is it white tail, Black, Couse (sp?), Mule? Which animal is the root of this EVIL, we should wipe them out!
“Slow day Ben?”
Yea, this isn’t a story.
Oh, wait a minute. More of you have commented on this than any other college football news story.
Where is Manti’s love life when you need it?
If you think this is cheating you seriously maybe an idiot; the same type of person that looks for any reason to hate any SEC team. It’s sad, borderline pathetic, and you need therapy.
Who cares if two guys were OFFERD deer antlers to use during a game, there’s no evidence that they USED them, is there? Two guys on a team of 80+ didn’t determine the outcome of that game. Sorry, find something else to get your panties in a bunch about. Deer Antlers, Ben-gay, vitamins, milk, push-ups, and water can all give you a competitive advantage. You SEC haters are laughable and gullible as hell.
For those joking about this being “bullshit” and tantamount to drinking squirrel piss … do you know what “steroids” are?… Ironically the first steroids were synthesized from large quantities of piss.
News flash… there are hormones in animals. What we call “steroids” are generally hormones with anabolic or androgenic effects.
IGF-1 is a natural, anabolic hormone that stimulates muscle growth.
Vijay Singh is being investigated for using the same substance.
Nothing may come of this but it sounds like deer antler spray has a lot in common with anabolic steroid use. If it does not offer an advantage why are all these athletes using it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin-like_growth_factor_1
“IGF-1 is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin. It plays an important role in childhood growth and continues to have anabolic effects in adults.”
Does that sound so different from anabolic steroids or HGH?
And just for the record… obviously Bama would have clobbered Notre Dame with or without the deer spray… but that is irrelevant.
Actually the sad part is, the media just says someone MAY have used ped’s and that’s automatic guilt. I promise you, every program has players that ped’s have been pitched to. Probably every athlete out there.
@packerbadger …
Yes, dear, as I posted years ago–long before this story broke–I write books for medical research organizations. So I’m familiar with these issues and the origins of hormones and the science behind them … as well as the voodoo science on some of these Frankensteinian projects. If you have any data on deer antler patches, I’d love to see it. That’s the operative word in my work: data.
@tonystarks, I thought it was a redneck thing to make “you might be a redneck if…” jokes. I’m also no fan of the SEC, and especially not ‘Bama, but this story is silly. “Haha!”
Hey jgater. Lets see 94 👍, 54👍 for me and you got 8 with 6👎. Nobody cares who you like and that proves it. And I put haha after them so guys like you could figure out its a joke. Sports and jokes are not your thing. You should try something “silly” (who even says silly anymore?) like your article.
@ mehtoolazy I read the article and it mentions nothing about LSU players using this in their 9-6 win over Alabama during 2011.
@deb
No, ma’am. I am not crazy. But, if this stuff is banned by the NCAA, then it is, what it is! Wrong is wrong. I have never been a proponent of differing levels of wrong. I am not buying that deer antler felt had any medicinal purposes, or anabolic properties. In fact, I tend to agree with others, that this is a placebo effect…..at best!
@tony
Bear Bryant was the FIRST SEC Coach to have a black man on the team. He was not a racist. Just ask Sylvester Croom. To this day, he admires, respects, and loves the Bear. So, you can go somewhere else with that ish!
I am not surprised that anyone would not come out of the woodwork to diminish the efforts on the field, when it comes to Bama. The only way we can win, is to seek an unfair on-field advantage. That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Apparently, the Pro Teams that draft these kids (as well as the drug testing department in the NFL) are unaware of their unfair advantage! As for the idiot that says that there is nothing else in Alabama but Football……I say to you, that when you have Alabama Football, you don’t NEED anything else!!!!
Roll Tide
I seriously feel like many of you are so naive…
Do you really think players don’t get under the table money, or gifts, or preferential treatment when they are enrolled in big time programs…
I can almost gaurantee it happens at almost every major program.
And players are ALWAYS going to look for an edge. The dopers will always be ahead of the testers.. Look at Lance… The most tested athlete on the planet and he MAY have failed 1 drug test… MAYBE… and he had one of the most extensive doping programs in history.
With millions of dollars on the line with NFL contracts, players are going to do EVERYTHING possible to seperate themselves from the pack.
My point is, like with Lance, just because Bama may have cheated to win, doesn’t mean ND wasn’t cheating just the same.
I heard Mark Emmert, NCAA President is considering an unprecedented $60 Million fine and 5 years banished from post season bowl competition for Alabama. Emmert decided not to wait for the results of any investigation to be deemed conclusive or accurate in any way. Emmert was heard to say… hearsay and false accusations are fine by me.
Done deal!!
lrg51:
Actually, he did listen to an investigation: the one by the reporter. And all he needed was the the guy selling the stuff telling his story; I mean, surely a guy who has ignored two cease-and-desist orders from Alabama to stay away from its athletes and sells his product out of the back of a gym instead of the more mundane “in stores” method wouldn’t lie, would he?
What about Auburn? What about LSU?
Auburn players used this in 2010
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201101/tpg-exclusive-nfl-orders-raiders-head-coach-hue-jackson-end-ties-company-linked-bann
http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201104/tpg-exclusive-auburn-tied-controversial-supplement-company
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-ray-lewis-denies-using-banned-substance-during-rehab-from-injury-20130129,0,7725655.story
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=282710061
Alabama was winning 31-0 at halftime BUT Georgia came back Final Score Ala 41 Ga 30
Snake Oil salesmen….Where is the proof? Where are the blood tests? Are we to take their word for it? Free publicity and advertising. Check out the Auburn link. Auburn players were alledgedly using these products the year they won the championship. This is ludicrous. SI needs to pull the plug on this story. Check out the John Hopkins University link.
These guys are schisters. need to run them out of town. Close them down. I see a law suit coming.
It sounds a lot like a marketing ploy, to me. How much “free” advertising have SWATS received from this? I would be interested to see their P&L statements for the last 36 months. I bet you they have TRIPLED their quarterly sales, in the last three weeks.
Reblogged this on daniellegaines72 and commented:
this is crazy!!! WDE!!!
If this substance is illegal the suppliers are the ones that need to be fined and / or prosecuted. At some point the determination needs to be made whether its a supplement or a drug requiring federal regulation.