I was recently booted from a track & field message board. I know what you are thinking:

1. Why did you even join a track & field message board to begin with?

I ran the 100m and threw the shot put  in high school and up until last year I coached track & field on the middle and high school levels as well.

2. So what got you booted?

Believe or not I was asked to leave for discussing the one thing at the very center of the sport – performance enhancing drugs (or PEDs as they are called on the forum).  According to the forum rules members are not allowed to post “objectional” materal including “accusations/suggestions that athletes are involved in illegal drugs.” So members are basically told that they cannot discuss PEDs or other drugs for that matter. And sure enough after browsing through 5 pages of topics and their posts I realized that PEDs were not discussed. How could this be? A sport seemingly dominated by athletes on illegal drugs and the topic was no where to be found. Denial is not just a river in Africa…..

So of course I decided to test the water. I offered as a response to a question that the only way an athlete found to be taking PEDs while at the top of their sport can return to the top is if they resume taking PEDs. Members immediately told me to edit my post because I had broken forum rules and discussed performance enhancers. Since this is America and all, I mentioned that free speech (and common sense) should be allowed and as such my post would remain the same. But within minutes the forum moderator warned me to refrain from talking about drugs; and when I refused I was asked to leave.

I guess some track & field fans feel that the drug problem that plagues the sport might go away if it isn’t discussed. I’m glad we don’t have this problem in the NFL……..