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Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports
In the summer of 1998 two of baseball leading sluggers, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, embarked on a race to break Babe Ruth’s single season home run record. The nation was transfixed as Sosa went on to hit 66 home runs, and McGwire 70. Three years later, San Francisco Giants All-Star Barry Bonds surpassed McGwire by 3 home runs in the midst of what was perhaps the greatest offensive display in baseball history. Over the next three seasons, as Bonds regularly launched mammoth shots into the San Francisco Bay, baseball players across the country were hitting home runs at unprecedented rates. For years there had been rumors that perhaps some of these players owed their success to steroids. But crowd pleasing homers were big business, and sportswriters, fans, and officials alike simply turned a blind eye. Then, in December of 2004, after more than a year of investigation, San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams broke the story that in a federal investigation of a nutritional supplement company called BALCO, Yankees slugger Jason Giambi had admitted taking steroids. Barry Bonds was also implicated. Immediately the issue of steroids became front page news. The revelations led to Congressional hearings on baseball’s drug problems and continued to drive the effort to purge the U.S. Olympic movement of drug cheats. Now Fainaru-Wada and Williams expose for the first time the secrets of the BALCO investigation that has turned the sports world upside down. Game of Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroid Scandal That Rocked Professional by award-winning investigative journalists Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, is a riveting narrative about the biggest doping scandal in the history of sports, and how baseball’s home run king, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, came to use steroids. Drawing on more than two years of reporting, including interviews with hundreds of people, and exclusive access to secret grand jury testimony, confidential documents, audio recordings, and more, the authors provide, for the first time, a definitive account of the shocking steroids scandal that made headlines across the country.
The book traces the career of Victor Conte, founder of the BALCO laboratory, an egomaniacal former rock musician and self-proclaimed nutritionist, who set out to corrupt sports by providing athletes with “designer” steroids that would be undetectable on “state-of-the-art” doping tests. Conte gave the undetectable drugs to 28 of the world’s greatest athletes—Olympians, NFL players and baseball stars, Bonds chief among them.
A separate narrative thread details the steroids use of Bonds, an immensely talented, moody player who turned to performance-enhancing drugs after Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals set a new home run record in 1998. Through his personal trainer, Bonds gained access to BALCO drugs. All of the great athletes who visited BALCO benefited tremendously—Bonds broke McGwire’s record—but many had their careers disrupted after federal investigators raided BALCO and indicted Conte. The authors trace the course of the probe, and the baffling decision of federal prosecutors to protect the elite athletes who were involved.
Highlights of Game of Shadows Barry Bonds
A look at how Bonds was driven to use performance-enhancing drugs in part by jealousy over Mark McGwire’s record-breaking 1998 season. It was shortly thereafter that Bonds—who had never used anything more performance enhancing than a protein shake from the health food store—first began using steroids.
The book traces the career of Victor Conte, founder of the BALCO laboratory, an egomaniacal former rock musician and self-proclaimed nutritionist, who set out to corrupt sports by providing athletes with “designer” steroids that would be undetectable on “state-of-the-art” doping tests. Conte gave the undetectable drugs to 28 of the world’s greatest athletes—Olympians, NFL players and baseball stars, Bonds chief among them.
A separate narrative thread details the steroids use of Bonds, an immensely talented, moody player who turned to performance-enhancing drugs after Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals set a new home run record in 1998. Through his personal trainer, Bonds gained access to BALCO drugs. All of the great athletes who visited BALCO benefited tremendously—Bonds broke McGwire’s record—but many had their careers disrupted after federal investigators raided BALCO and indicted Conte. The authors trace the course of the probe, and the baffling decision of federal prosecutors to protect the elite athletes who were involved.
Highlights of Game of Shadows Barry Bonds
A look at how Bonds was driven to use performance-enhancing drugs in part by jealousy over Mark McGwire’s record-breaking 1998 season. It was shortly thereafter that Bonds—who had never used anything more performance enhancing than a protein shake from the health food store—first began using steroids.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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February 5, 2021
If Barry Bonds had retired at the end of the 1998 major league baseball season he would have been a first ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. Barry Bonds was the greatest outfielder of his generation. In the field his extraordinary arm was matched by his spectacular defensive range. At the plate he hit for both power and average. And on the base path he could steal and advance at will. As the authors note, Barry Bonds thought he was a better baseball player than every baseball player he ever met. And in most cases he was right.
At the end of the 1998 season Barry Bonds was 34 years old. He had won 3 National League MVP awards, was a career .290 hitter with 1,917 hits, 1,357 walks, 1,216 RBI and 411 Home Runs. And he wore size 10 1/2 shoes, size 42 jersey, size 7 1/4 hat (over a head full of hair), stood 6' 1" tall and weighed 190 lbs.
During the 1998 major league season Barry Bonds watched two of his fellow players -- Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa -- wage a season long home run derby in pursuit of Roger Maris' single season home run record. (In 1961 Roger Maris hit 61 home runs to break Babe Ruth's record 60 home runs during the 1927 season. Ruth's record had stood for 34 years. Maris' record would stand for 37 years.)
And as baseball fans feted McGwire and Sosa as genuine heroes -- and the national media proclaimed them the saviors of baseball -- the greatest outfielder of his generation seethed.
Barry Bonds knew he was a better baseball player than Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa combined. And with each home run McGwire and Sosa hit in 1998 (they'd both eclipse Maris -- McGwire hit 70 and Sosa hit 66) Bonds fury grew.
Barry Bonds was 34 years old. He'd never hit more than 46 home runs in a single season (five years earlier in 1993). And in his anger he decided he would do whatever it took to show the world he was the best home run hitter to ever play the game.
In his own words, Barry Bonds would "take the shit."
And like most athletes who chose to "take the shit" two things happened. First, there was phenomenal athletic success. Second, there was the discovery of the cheating and the resulting consequences.
Using a suite of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone Barry Bonds transformed himself -- literally and figuratively -- into the best home run hitter to ever play the game.
Over the next six seasons, from 1999 to 2004, Bonds would average an unprecedented 50 home runs per season. (In 2001 he'd hit 73 home runs to break McGwire's single season record that had stood for a mere three years.)
And over those six seasons -- all after age 35 -- Barry Bonds physically grew at an alarming rate. His shoe size went from 10 1/2 to 13, his jersey went from size 42 to size 54, where a size 7 1/4 hat once covered a head full of hair he now wore a 7 3/4 hat over a shaved head, he grew from 6' 1" tall to 6' 3" tall and he went from weighing 190 lbs. with some body fat to weighing 260 lbs. with no body fat.
What did Barry Bonds mean in 1998 when he said he would "take the shit"? And what, ultimately, were the consequences of his decision? That is answered in this detailed account written by Mark Fainaru-Wu and Lance Williams.
And the answers involve more than 'the cream,' 'the clear,' THG, EPO, human growth hormone and Barry Bonds' mission to claim every home run record in baseball history.
It's an intriguing story with colorful 'criminals' like Victor Conte, Greg Anderson and Remi Korchemny and the underground scientists who produce undetectable anabolic steroids. There are countless cheating athletes from the the Olympics, NFL and MLB. And their coaches and trainers. And their employers. There are straight arrow Boy Scout federal agents, scientists and anti-doping crusaders earnestly seeking to clean things up. There are politicians who talk out of both sides of their mouth, want it both ways and cause more harm than good. There are grieving parents who've lost their children to steroid abuse (children following the example set by their athletic role models). And it's all rounded out by an ensemble cast of journalists, attorneys and judges.
The story is not a pleasant one. It's dirty. And it's genuinely heartbreaking.
If Barry Bonds had retired at the end of the 1998 major league baseball season he would have been a first ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. But he didn't. Driven by a furious anger Barry Bonds decide to "take the shit" in order to hit as many home runs as possible. He succeeded. And in doing so the greatest outfielder of his generation guaranteed he will never be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
At the end of the 1998 season Barry Bonds was 34 years old. He had won 3 National League MVP awards, was a career .290 hitter with 1,917 hits, 1,357 walks, 1,216 RBI and 411 Home Runs. And he wore size 10 1/2 shoes, size 42 jersey, size 7 1/4 hat (over a head full of hair), stood 6' 1" tall and weighed 190 lbs.
During the 1998 major league season Barry Bonds watched two of his fellow players -- Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa -- wage a season long home run derby in pursuit of Roger Maris' single season home run record. (In 1961 Roger Maris hit 61 home runs to break Babe Ruth's record 60 home runs during the 1927 season. Ruth's record had stood for 34 years. Maris' record would stand for 37 years.)
And as baseball fans feted McGwire and Sosa as genuine heroes -- and the national media proclaimed them the saviors of baseball -- the greatest outfielder of his generation seethed.
Barry Bonds knew he was a better baseball player than Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa combined. And with each home run McGwire and Sosa hit in 1998 (they'd both eclipse Maris -- McGwire hit 70 and Sosa hit 66) Bonds fury grew.
Barry Bonds was 34 years old. He'd never hit more than 46 home runs in a single season (five years earlier in 1993). And in his anger he decided he would do whatever it took to show the world he was the best home run hitter to ever play the game.
In his own words, Barry Bonds would "take the shit."
And like most athletes who chose to "take the shit" two things happened. First, there was phenomenal athletic success. Second, there was the discovery of the cheating and the resulting consequences.
Using a suite of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone Barry Bonds transformed himself -- literally and figuratively -- into the best home run hitter to ever play the game.
Over the next six seasons, from 1999 to 2004, Bonds would average an unprecedented 50 home runs per season. (In 2001 he'd hit 73 home runs to break McGwire's single season record that had stood for a mere three years.)
And over those six seasons -- all after age 35 -- Barry Bonds physically grew at an alarming rate. His shoe size went from 10 1/2 to 13, his jersey went from size 42 to size 54, where a size 7 1/4 hat once covered a head full of hair he now wore a 7 3/4 hat over a shaved head, he grew from 6' 1" tall to 6' 3" tall and he went from weighing 190 lbs. with some body fat to weighing 260 lbs. with no body fat.
What did Barry Bonds mean in 1998 when he said he would "take the shit"? And what, ultimately, were the consequences of his decision? That is answered in this detailed account written by Mark Fainaru-Wu and Lance Williams.
And the answers involve more than 'the cream,' 'the clear,' THG, EPO, human growth hormone and Barry Bonds' mission to claim every home run record in baseball history.
It's an intriguing story with colorful 'criminals' like Victor Conte, Greg Anderson and Remi Korchemny and the underground scientists who produce undetectable anabolic steroids. There are countless cheating athletes from the the Olympics, NFL and MLB. And their coaches and trainers. And their employers. There are straight arrow Boy Scout federal agents, scientists and anti-doping crusaders earnestly seeking to clean things up. There are politicians who talk out of both sides of their mouth, want it both ways and cause more harm than good. There are grieving parents who've lost their children to steroid abuse (children following the example set by their athletic role models). And it's all rounded out by an ensemble cast of journalists, attorneys and judges.
The story is not a pleasant one. It's dirty. And it's genuinely heartbreaking.
If Barry Bonds had retired at the end of the 1998 major league baseball season he would have been a first ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. But he didn't. Driven by a furious anger Barry Bonds decide to "take the shit" in order to hit as many home runs as possible. He succeeded. And in doing so the greatest outfielder of his generation guaranteed he will never be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
September 24, 2013
As far as the investigation goes the authors did a solid job, but there is a lot of exaggeration and a number of baseless assertions and counterfactual claims that harm the book. The authors repeatedly claim Bonds was the best hitter ever. By any objective statistical analysis this is not true. The authors claim synthol is a drug that expands the muscle. It is neither a drug nor does it expand the muscle. It's an injectable oil that sits on top of the muscle. Think saline implants. Look up Gregg Valentino to see how ridiculous it makes someone appear.
There are a number of parallels between Bonds and ARod - talented assholes hated by rivals and teammates alike, both of whom turned to a steroid dealer in a non-descript building to improve their performance through better chemistry. Bonds is worse by most accounts, in that he's a racist and possibly abusive toward women, though it's hard to feel any pity for his girlfriend Kimberly Bell, seeing as how she knew he was married and then basically sued him because he refused to buy her a house.
In any case, 3 takeaways - 1. It's hypocritical to condemn athletes like Bonds, Marion Jones & others for taking PEDs when anabolic steroids are advertised during the world news every single night in the form of treatment for "Low T"
2. The reasons society seems OK with football players and bodybuilders taking steroids and HGH is because almost everyone in the sport is on it. It's a level playing field and therefore fair. This was not the case in baseball, as Griffey on drugs would have likely hit 80 home runs and Ruth, had steroids existed in his day, would have more than 100. These numbers are based on the comparison of their drug-free home run totals compared to the league during their respective time frames. So for Bonds to be remembered as a better player than those he was statistically less than before he began doping harms the integrity of the sport.
3. Bonds never won a damn thing and even though he finally stopped choking at the plate in the playoffs in 2002 he still managed to boot a ball in crunch time as his team blew a 5-0 lead in the 7th inning on Game 6. After Bonds left the Giants won two World Series in five years with dominant pitching, a star offensive player who is as wholesome and upstanding as they come, as well as a large collection of hitters who had been cut from other teams. The team was simply better without Barry. Bonds deserves a spot in the HOF, but as the ~50th best player to ever play, not as a top 5 player. Because without an unlevel playing field, that's what he was.
There are a number of parallels between Bonds and ARod - talented assholes hated by rivals and teammates alike, both of whom turned to a steroid dealer in a non-descript building to improve their performance through better chemistry. Bonds is worse by most accounts, in that he's a racist and possibly abusive toward women, though it's hard to feel any pity for his girlfriend Kimberly Bell, seeing as how she knew he was married and then basically sued him because he refused to buy her a house.
In any case, 3 takeaways - 1. It's hypocritical to condemn athletes like Bonds, Marion Jones & others for taking PEDs when anabolic steroids are advertised during the world news every single night in the form of treatment for "Low T"
2. The reasons society seems OK with football players and bodybuilders taking steroids and HGH is because almost everyone in the sport is on it. It's a level playing field and therefore fair. This was not the case in baseball, as Griffey on drugs would have likely hit 80 home runs and Ruth, had steroids existed in his day, would have more than 100. These numbers are based on the comparison of their drug-free home run totals compared to the league during their respective time frames. So for Bonds to be remembered as a better player than those he was statistically less than before he began doping harms the integrity of the sport.
3. Bonds never won a damn thing and even though he finally stopped choking at the plate in the playoffs in 2002 he still managed to boot a ball in crunch time as his team blew a 5-0 lead in the 7th inning on Game 6. After Bonds left the Giants won two World Series in five years with dominant pitching, a star offensive player who is as wholesome and upstanding as they come, as well as a large collection of hitters who had been cut from other teams. The team was simply better without Barry. Bonds deserves a spot in the HOF, but as the ~50th best player to ever play, not as a top 5 player. Because without an unlevel playing field, that's what he was.
August 4, 2018
As a baseball fan, I was very interested in the information in this book. Among other things, it is the story of how Major League Baseball and the Players Union absolutely failed to address a pervasive problem in the sport. It also tells the amazing story of Barry Bonds--amazing because of just how incredibly egocentric, brusque, foolish and just mean-spirited he was (and is, I suspect).
The book tells two parallel stories--one concerning baseball and another about track and field. Track comes away looking much better because cheating athletes were actually given suspensions prior to the 2004 Olympics, whereas no baseball players were suspended or indicted at the time of these investigations.
The authors are reporters for the SF Chronicle and the book reads a little like a collection of articles. It is extremely well researched and while it is not poorly written, it does lack the flow and cohesiveness that a masterful writer would have given it.
The book tells two parallel stories--one concerning baseball and another about track and field. Track comes away looking much better because cheating athletes were actually given suspensions prior to the 2004 Olympics, whereas no baseball players were suspended or indicted at the time of these investigations.
The authors are reporters for the SF Chronicle and the book reads a little like a collection of articles. It is extremely well researched and while it is not poorly written, it does lack the flow and cohesiveness that a masterful writer would have given it.
May 30, 2017
It's an impressive piece of journalism from the reporters who got those notorious San Francisco Chronicle scoops during the Balco scandal, but, like many contemporary sports books, it doesn't say much for the integrity of professional sports in the US or abroad. The book works well in its meticulous research and detail about who was using illegal steroids and how, and reading this is certainly not going to renew one's faith in humanity although it does provide some effective moments of schadenfreude watching everyone involved, with the possible exception of Bonds, reap what they'd sown. Bonds, McGwire and the rest of the power hitters who shattered baseball records were cheaters as were Marion Jones and the US and international track and field athletes of the era who set world record after world record.
While this book certainly doesn't excuse what they did, it at least tries to humanize many of the cheaters involved in the scandal, and many of the minor players do come off slightly sympathetic. It doesn't work for Conte, who comes across as the narcissistic bottom feeder he most certainly is, or for Bonds, who never actually paid a price for being a drug cheat. Sometimes the book feels incomplete since it cuts off before Marion Jones's jail term and while much of the scandal was still unfolding, but it's a detailed and fairly definitive document on a low point in US sports history.
What's most interesting of all and what's only alluded to in this account, however, is the story of the writers themselves. They were the first to break many of the details in the scandal, including the involvement of Jones and then husband Tim Montgomery. They were also nearly jailed for six months for refusing to name their sources. Oddly the names of the cheating athletes were redacted from early releases by the department of justice. It's not clear whether this was the Bush White House protecting plutocrat sports owners from a potential loss of revenue or just that administration's typical first amendment abuses, but, if there'd been a little more focus on these behind the scenes aspects, this would be a five-star book.
While this book certainly doesn't excuse what they did, it at least tries to humanize many of the cheaters involved in the scandal, and many of the minor players do come off slightly sympathetic. It doesn't work for Conte, who comes across as the narcissistic bottom feeder he most certainly is, or for Bonds, who never actually paid a price for being a drug cheat. Sometimes the book feels incomplete since it cuts off before Marion Jones's jail term and while much of the scandal was still unfolding, but it's a detailed and fairly definitive document on a low point in US sports history.
What's most interesting of all and what's only alluded to in this account, however, is the story of the writers themselves. They were the first to break many of the details in the scandal, including the involvement of Jones and then husband Tim Montgomery. They were also nearly jailed for six months for refusing to name their sources. Oddly the names of the cheating athletes were redacted from early releases by the department of justice. It's not clear whether this was the Bush White House protecting plutocrat sports owners from a potential loss of revenue or just that administration's typical first amendment abuses, but, if there'd been a little more focus on these behind the scenes aspects, this would be a five-star book.
June 8, 2018
In a multi-layered investigation spanning years of evidence which covered the art of athletes deceiving drug testers and fans, alike, these two San Francisco Chronicle journalists have exposed the inner workings of the Steroid Era in tremendous detail with plenty of analysis and both far-reaching though quite appropriate conclusions in the book “Game of Shadows.”
As I was coming of age during baseball’s Steroid Era and watched the falling of majestic hitting and home run records on an near-annual basis, I was a bit confused and naive to what ensued to many of my childhood heroes. The BALCO scandal, the congressional hearings involving MLB stars, and the new steroid testing policy in professional baseball in the mid-2000s - I didn’t truly know what any of this fuss was really all about. Even as recently as before I began reading this book, I wasn’t 100% sure if the Home Run King, Barry Bonds, had knowingly abused steroids, or for how long or which ones. Once I started reading this detail-ridden book on how BALCO operated and the calendars kept by its founder Victor Conte and Bonds’ trainer Greg Anderson, I became convinced about how both Bonds and numerous other athletes, including numerous Olympic champions, were steroid cheats who continuously beat the system through the use of undetectable performance enhancing drugs.
THIS book proves why it is so much better to read an in-depth book or thorough newspaper article on such an important topic rather than solely rely on television or newspaper journalism, as those mediums often only focus on a few of the dirty details which journalists and editors falsely believe are the only details the public wishes to hear about. THIS will answer most of the public’s questions regarding the exposure of a important part of baseball’s Steroid Era, and if another edition with an additional chapter highlighting the final developments over the last 12 years ever appears, this book truly will hold its weight in gold. As the iconic baseball film Moneyball put it, “Nobody reinvents this game.” Nobody… not even the greatest home run hitter who ever lived.
As I was coming of age during baseball’s Steroid Era and watched the falling of majestic hitting and home run records on an near-annual basis, I was a bit confused and naive to what ensued to many of my childhood heroes. The BALCO scandal, the congressional hearings involving MLB stars, and the new steroid testing policy in professional baseball in the mid-2000s - I didn’t truly know what any of this fuss was really all about. Even as recently as before I began reading this book, I wasn’t 100% sure if the Home Run King, Barry Bonds, had knowingly abused steroids, or for how long or which ones. Once I started reading this detail-ridden book on how BALCO operated and the calendars kept by its founder Victor Conte and Bonds’ trainer Greg Anderson, I became convinced about how both Bonds and numerous other athletes, including numerous Olympic champions, were steroid cheats who continuously beat the system through the use of undetectable performance enhancing drugs.
THIS book proves why it is so much better to read an in-depth book or thorough newspaper article on such an important topic rather than solely rely on television or newspaper journalism, as those mediums often only focus on a few of the dirty details which journalists and editors falsely believe are the only details the public wishes to hear about. THIS will answer most of the public’s questions regarding the exposure of a important part of baseball’s Steroid Era, and if another edition with an additional chapter highlighting the final developments over the last 12 years ever appears, this book truly will hold its weight in gold. As the iconic baseball film Moneyball put it, “Nobody reinvents this game.” Nobody… not even the greatest home run hitter who ever lived.
August 22, 2022
This book is a grim, cynical, and essential read for any sports fan.
As a huge fan of MLB, I knew the basic facts, but I was a kid when this scandal started to break. Reading the timeline of events laid out like this was shocking. For some reason, I conflated the year Barry Bonds broke the single-season home run record with the year he broke the all-time home run record and didn't realize he was a known PED user for years before he hit #756. As a diehard Giants fan, their blatant enabling of his cheating is inexcusable and arguably no team has had a faster, luckier PR turnaround after such a scandal.
One thing that bugged me about this book is the third-person approach of the authors. I'm sure it's noted somewhere on the cover of the actual physical book, but I listened to this as an audiobook and had no idea they were the journalists who covered this story. It's wild how passively they talk about the grand jury testimony being leaked—they were the ones who published it!
As a huge fan of MLB, I knew the basic facts, but I was a kid when this scandal started to break. Reading the timeline of events laid out like this was shocking. For some reason, I conflated the year Barry Bonds broke the single-season home run record with the year he broke the all-time home run record and didn't realize he was a known PED user for years before he hit #756. As a diehard Giants fan, their blatant enabling of his cheating is inexcusable and arguably no team has had a faster, luckier PR turnaround after such a scandal.
One thing that bugged me about this book is the third-person approach of the authors. I'm sure it's noted somewhere on the cover of the actual physical book, but I listened to this as an audiobook and had no idea they were the journalists who covered this story. It's wild how passively they talk about the grand jury testimony being leaked—they were the ones who published it!
February 18, 2021
My only regret is that I didn't read this book sooner. It made me rethink a lot of my opinions about not only the baseball players I grew up admiring, but athletes as a whole. While the scandal is many years removed, it still remains an insightful and relevant read for any baseball fan.
September 28, 2017
Way better than I thought it would be. I thought this would be a boring petty crime story, but turned out to be well written and in depth on the shady side of Bonds and other track athletes. It was shocking to hear how much trust they out in to Conte and took his 'supplements' without any real medical advice. And for these folks, their body is their entire source of income.
March 14, 2023
I found this book very boring. There were so many names thrown around. It felt like a new person so introduced every other paragraph only to be forgotten, then re-emerge 60 pages later.
July 18, 2022
Lots of good quotes and interesting discussions about the scandal - it wasn't groundbreaking exciting but great information.
February 14, 2019
I had wanted to read this book for a very long time, but never got around to it. I knew all about Barry Bonds and steroids in baseball from the media reports and endlessly ESPN conversations, so I suppose I never really felt the need to pick it up and read it.
Well I finally got around to it, and I have to say that I genuinely regret having gone this long without reading it.
First and foremost, this was some incredible reporting. After exhaustingly chasing down this information, countless interviews, and even acquiring sealed Grand Jury testimony, it really is amazing to see how some intrepid reporters can tell an incredibly detailed story of a major operation like this, as protected and closed off as it was to the outside world.
My biggest takeaway from the book was -- and I don't think I'm alone on this -- the impression it left with me of Barry Bonds.
I'm originally from the Bay area, and have kind of, sort of cheered for the Giants over the years. So I knew about Bonds and his reputation. He's an preening, egomaniacal jerk. That much has always been apparent just by watching him over the years.
But after reading this account of the BALCO scandal, I was left with the impression that he is one of the more contemptible human beings on the face of this planet.
Yes, I grant you, this is a "one-sided" story that focuses on his hypocrisy, his lying, his cheating, and portrays for you all of his most negative personality traits. His abusiveness. His unchecked paranoia. His degrading treatment of the women in his life. His inherent racism. His disgusting treatment of basically everyone. I get that. I realize I didn't just read any accounts of him giving a bat to a kid with cancer or read about his love of Shakespeare, or anything positive like that.
Still, the picture painted of him makes him out to be an incredibly pathetic, jealous, abrasive asshole obsessed with the glorification of his own massive ego.
That aside, even if he was a great guy, the account of the drug ring that he helped create and sustain was, in and of itself, enough to form a negative opinion of the man. Some of the things you read in here are just stunning.
In fact, I went into the book sort of, kind of thinking to myself that I would vote for him for the Hall of Fame, steroids and all, were I a baseball writer. After reading this, I actually don't think I would.
Of course, Bonds wasn't the only figure highlighted in this book. It is actually about the BALCO lab itself and its interactions with sports stars in many different athletic arenas. You get a lot of information about track and field, Marion Jones, and so on and so forth. Plenty of criticism to go around.
At the end of the day, though, this is really about the systematic process by which sports was corrupted by performance enhancing drugs in the 80s, 90s and 2000s. How it was done. Who did it. Why they did it. What they did.
Depressing, really, but so worth it to read.
Well I finally got around to it, and I have to say that I genuinely regret having gone this long without reading it.
First and foremost, this was some incredible reporting. After exhaustingly chasing down this information, countless interviews, and even acquiring sealed Grand Jury testimony, it really is amazing to see how some intrepid reporters can tell an incredibly detailed story of a major operation like this, as protected and closed off as it was to the outside world.
My biggest takeaway from the book was -- and I don't think I'm alone on this -- the impression it left with me of Barry Bonds.
I'm originally from the Bay area, and have kind of, sort of cheered for the Giants over the years. So I knew about Bonds and his reputation. He's an preening, egomaniacal jerk. That much has always been apparent just by watching him over the years.
But after reading this account of the BALCO scandal, I was left with the impression that he is one of the more contemptible human beings on the face of this planet.
Yes, I grant you, this is a "one-sided" story that focuses on his hypocrisy, his lying, his cheating, and portrays for you all of his most negative personality traits. His abusiveness. His unchecked paranoia. His degrading treatment of the women in his life. His inherent racism. His disgusting treatment of basically everyone. I get that. I realize I didn't just read any accounts of him giving a bat to a kid with cancer or read about his love of Shakespeare, or anything positive like that.
Still, the picture painted of him makes him out to be an incredibly pathetic, jealous, abrasive asshole obsessed with the glorification of his own massive ego.
That aside, even if he was a great guy, the account of the drug ring that he helped create and sustain was, in and of itself, enough to form a negative opinion of the man. Some of the things you read in here are just stunning.
In fact, I went into the book sort of, kind of thinking to myself that I would vote for him for the Hall of Fame, steroids and all, were I a baseball writer. After reading this, I actually don't think I would.
Of course, Bonds wasn't the only figure highlighted in this book. It is actually about the BALCO lab itself and its interactions with sports stars in many different athletic arenas. You get a lot of information about track and field, Marion Jones, and so on and so forth. Plenty of criticism to go around.
At the end of the day, though, this is really about the systematic process by which sports was corrupted by performance enhancing drugs in the 80s, 90s and 2000s. How it was done. Who did it. Why they did it. What they did.
Depressing, really, but so worth it to read.
January 12, 2015
“With few exceptions, the more than three dozen athletes who
appeared before the grand jury admitted taking steroids ... all to
run faster, jump higher, hit the ball farther, and, ultimately, make
more money. Some of the confessions were grudging and evasive. Others were extremely forthcoming. It came down to the same thing: Competitive sports, it turned out, was part mirage, a game of shadows. “ - Game of Shadows
In this engaging book, Fainaru-Wada and Williams pull back the curtain on America’s national pastime revealing the intriguing backstory of one of it’s most publicised steroid scandals .
Years earlier, Canseco’s book “Juiced” was released as a “tell all” confessional of the rampant doping that occurs within baseball’s ranks. Most dismissed his rantings as the fabricated last remonstrations from a former bitter player destined to fade into obscurity. However it proved to be poignant forewarning to the coming storm that was to rock baseball to its very foundations.
In 1998 Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were embroiled in a home-run chase set to eclipse the long standing record of 60’s slugger, Roger Maris. Rival and baseball’s bad-boy, Barry Bonds was perturbed by the attention McGwire (whom Bonds considered a lesser, second rate hitter) was receiving. Bonds knew McGwire was receiving a pharmaceutical edge and committed himself to levelling the playing field.
Enter Victor Conte; a shameless self promoter who reinvented himself from failed musician to supplement shill, turned drug dealer to the stars. Like a modern day mad scientist, Conte and his BALCO entourage were committed to creating a chemical Frankenstein possesed with the prowess of a sporting Superman. Thus began a relationship that was to transform not only Bond’s on field ability, but the image of baseball, forever.
Even if you know little about, or aren’t even a fan of baseball, this is an engrossing uncovering of the story behind the surreptitious dealings and congressional investigation into steroid use.. A high level of detail is committed to discussing the drugs used by various athletes on Conte’s star roster. Bonds was said to have run the gamut of pharmaceuticals in a cycle that would make any bodybuilder envious including Deca, Winstrol, Testosterone, HGH, insulin, Tren, Clomid and two BALCO specials - The Clear and The Cream - designed to mask detection of many of the above agents.
But it’s not to suggest that the “crime” rests solely on the athletes’ shoulders. Despite the tainted records and public and political outcry, Wada and Williams show evidence of the tacit conspiracy existing between team owners, trainers and the powers that be who themselves look the other way as long as the cash registers keep ringing up their own record-hitting revenues.
appeared before the grand jury admitted taking steroids ... all to
run faster, jump higher, hit the ball farther, and, ultimately, make
more money. Some of the confessions were grudging and evasive. Others were extremely forthcoming. It came down to the same thing: Competitive sports, it turned out, was part mirage, a game of shadows. “ - Game of Shadows
In this engaging book, Fainaru-Wada and Williams pull back the curtain on America’s national pastime revealing the intriguing backstory of one of it’s most publicised steroid scandals .
Years earlier, Canseco’s book “Juiced” was released as a “tell all” confessional of the rampant doping that occurs within baseball’s ranks. Most dismissed his rantings as the fabricated last remonstrations from a former bitter player destined to fade into obscurity. However it proved to be poignant forewarning to the coming storm that was to rock baseball to its very foundations.
In 1998 Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were embroiled in a home-run chase set to eclipse the long standing record of 60’s slugger, Roger Maris. Rival and baseball’s bad-boy, Barry Bonds was perturbed by the attention McGwire (whom Bonds considered a lesser, second rate hitter) was receiving. Bonds knew McGwire was receiving a pharmaceutical edge and committed himself to levelling the playing field.
Enter Victor Conte; a shameless self promoter who reinvented himself from failed musician to supplement shill, turned drug dealer to the stars. Like a modern day mad scientist, Conte and his BALCO entourage were committed to creating a chemical Frankenstein possesed with the prowess of a sporting Superman. Thus began a relationship that was to transform not only Bond’s on field ability, but the image of baseball, forever.
Even if you know little about, or aren’t even a fan of baseball, this is an engrossing uncovering of the story behind the surreptitious dealings and congressional investigation into steroid use.. A high level of detail is committed to discussing the drugs used by various athletes on Conte’s star roster. Bonds was said to have run the gamut of pharmaceuticals in a cycle that would make any bodybuilder envious including Deca, Winstrol, Testosterone, HGH, insulin, Tren, Clomid and two BALCO specials - The Clear and The Cream - designed to mask detection of many of the above agents.
But it’s not to suggest that the “crime” rests solely on the athletes’ shoulders. Despite the tainted records and public and political outcry, Wada and Williams show evidence of the tacit conspiracy existing between team owners, trainers and the powers that be who themselves look the other way as long as the cash registers keep ringing up their own record-hitting revenues.
March 12, 2021
If I had to choose one word to describe this book it would be "bitter." So much of this narrative is spun by bitter writers that clearly have a personal problem with Barry Bonds. Bonds isn't a person you can be very charitable about. He's made himself a public pariah in many different ways, but there is some clear resentment on the part of the writers. Even the verbiage of this book is bitter. The constant repetition of the term "drug cheat" is extremely telling. There is also a great deal of cherry picking with source material. Everything that potentially discounts the lean of the book is slyly dismissed and the writers try to discredit it. People with firsthand accounts of the investigation that are actually involved have their credibility called into question whereas someone like Jose Canseco is referenced as a credible source. The whole things just felt slimy and weird. From the strange vendettas of the writers, to the fact that they try to glorify their paper, the SF Chronicle, without acknowledging that it's their employer, there's no avoiding the human mistakes in this purportedly non-fiction document.
I would be remiss to not also discuss the entire point of the book. The steroid scandal, in general, is ridiculous. Punishing people for doing absolutely everything they can to excel for others' entertainment is ridiculous. I've never understood the desire to police steroids. Professional sports have always been fueled by drug abuse. Babe Ruth tried every sort of weird testosterone he could get his hands on, players have always taken stimulants, and currently, a professional athlete is preparing for, or playing a game where they are abusing some sort of a painkiller. To cherry pick what drugs players can use so that they can entertain us is foolish.
Also, I don't understand how this writers can discuss the involvement of the US government in 2004 and not once reflect on the myriad other things that these politicians should be focused on. George Bush, John McCain, etc., were signing away the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans so that they could die in a completely unjustified war at the exact moment they were trying to play police officer with the MLB. The hubris associated with the government involvement is out of this world. To threaten legal action against a private baseball league to distract the American public from the heinous and villainous things you're doing around the world is astounding. To be a so-called journalist and not once even acknowledge the waste of time and resources associated with this boondoggle is embarrassing.
I would be remiss to not also discuss the entire point of the book. The steroid scandal, in general, is ridiculous. Punishing people for doing absolutely everything they can to excel for others' entertainment is ridiculous. I've never understood the desire to police steroids. Professional sports have always been fueled by drug abuse. Babe Ruth tried every sort of weird testosterone he could get his hands on, players have always taken stimulants, and currently, a professional athlete is preparing for, or playing a game where they are abusing some sort of a painkiller. To cherry pick what drugs players can use so that they can entertain us is foolish.
Also, I don't understand how this writers can discuss the involvement of the US government in 2004 and not once reflect on the myriad other things that these politicians should be focused on. George Bush, John McCain, etc., were signing away the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans so that they could die in a completely unjustified war at the exact moment they were trying to play police officer with the MLB. The hubris associated with the government involvement is out of this world. To threaten legal action against a private baseball league to distract the American public from the heinous and villainous things you're doing around the world is astounding. To be a so-called journalist and not once even acknowledge the waste of time and resources associated with this boondoggle is embarrassing.
April 8, 2009
This is an incredible book...not just because of the story, but, for me, because of the incredible in-depth reporting done by the two authors. This is journalism at its best!
I have been aware of this book for sometime, but at the recent Tucson Festival of Books, both authors were there and gave a riveting account of this on-going story. So many similarities to Watergate and Woodward and Bernstein. I sat in utter fascination for an hour as they told how the story unfolded.
Even more interesting, they gave updated information that is not in the book as the story continues to escalate. Barry Bonds has not gone to trial yet and it may be a while before he does. But other big-name ball players are also now involved in the scandal.
Their reporting opened the huge Pandora's Box that is now the steroids and HGH scandal that has rocked all of sports. It is obvious that baseball wanted to sweep the steroid scandals under the carpet, but these two reporters made sure that could not happen. And they put their own lives in danger because they published secret federal grand jury testimony.
It is only mentioned in passing in the book, but these two were actually sentenced to 18 months in prison for not releasing the name of their source for the published transcripts. It was only when the person who gave them the documents came forward that they were saved from prison.
I hope there might be a followup book since so much has happened since the publication of this book.
Anyway, their writing and reporting is impeccable in this book. They have obviously checked all their sources quite carefully as they come right out and say that Bonds and other very famous athletes in baseball, football, and track took steroids. Names are named and it might shock you.
At the book festival, I asked the question: do they think that if and when Bonds goes to trial, in their opinion, will he be convicted. Their answer was probably, but they wished that if it were possible, they would want both Bonds and the government to lose. The prosecution of this case, according to them, has risen to new heights of persecution and overstepping of their mandate. According to them, Bonds and the prosecution are not good people.
By the way, if you are a Bonds fan, don't read this book, because in the end, you will hate this guy's arrogant guts.
Highly recommended.
I have been aware of this book for sometime, but at the recent Tucson Festival of Books, both authors were there and gave a riveting account of this on-going story. So many similarities to Watergate and Woodward and Bernstein. I sat in utter fascination for an hour as they told how the story unfolded.
Even more interesting, they gave updated information that is not in the book as the story continues to escalate. Barry Bonds has not gone to trial yet and it may be a while before he does. But other big-name ball players are also now involved in the scandal.
Their reporting opened the huge Pandora's Box that is now the steroids and HGH scandal that has rocked all of sports. It is obvious that baseball wanted to sweep the steroid scandals under the carpet, but these two reporters made sure that could not happen. And they put their own lives in danger because they published secret federal grand jury testimony.
It is only mentioned in passing in the book, but these two were actually sentenced to 18 months in prison for not releasing the name of their source for the published transcripts. It was only when the person who gave them the documents came forward that they were saved from prison.
I hope there might be a followup book since so much has happened since the publication of this book.
Anyway, their writing and reporting is impeccable in this book. They have obviously checked all their sources quite carefully as they come right out and say that Bonds and other very famous athletes in baseball, football, and track took steroids. Names are named and it might shock you.
At the book festival, I asked the question: do they think that if and when Bonds goes to trial, in their opinion, will he be convicted. Their answer was probably, but they wished that if it were possible, they would want both Bonds and the government to lose. The prosecution of this case, according to them, has risen to new heights of persecution and overstepping of their mandate. According to them, Bonds and the prosecution are not good people.
By the way, if you are a Bonds fan, don't read this book, because in the end, you will hate this guy's arrogant guts.
Highly recommended.
February 10, 2013
Game Of Shadows is about BALCO and the impact that it had on the sporting world at large from Baseball (Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Benito Santiago, etc...) to Track and Field (Marion Jones) to Football (Bill Romanowski). But the main crux of this book focused squarely on Barry Bonds, detailing his steroid use starting in 1999.
If Hollywood ever decides to make a movie about BALCO, this is the book they will no doubt use as it's blue print. I for one would love to see it happen because this book was a gripping, fantastic read. I could not put this book down for one second and that's saying a lot since I knew pretty much the entire sordid story before even reading it.
With all the knowledge of what's been happening in real life concerning BALCO, the more I read the book, the more I devoured what was happening in the pages here. Knowing how it all ends, it was fascinating watching, er...reading about this group of people and associates that comprised BALCO as they were building their house of cards. A very shaky house of cards at that. It amazes me that the house didn't collapse sooner than it did with Victor Conte at the helm. He is nothing more than a spoiled little child, crying out for attention. He never amounted to anything in life so the only way he could feel like "someone" was to hang on to celebrities.
I can recommend this if you want an excellent read that will have you flipping page after page, even if it is "incomplete" in that Barry Bonds was never convicted in a court of law or that the book came out before his assault on Hank Aaron's all-time Home Run record which is not documented within'.
Highly recommend this book. Check it out.
You can find more of my Book, DVD, TV and Movie reviews at my Forum (Penny Can) at...
http://pennycan.createaforum.com
Feel free to stop by and contribute your 2 cents.
If Hollywood ever decides to make a movie about BALCO, this is the book they will no doubt use as it's blue print. I for one would love to see it happen because this book was a gripping, fantastic read. I could not put this book down for one second and that's saying a lot since I knew pretty much the entire sordid story before even reading it.
With all the knowledge of what's been happening in real life concerning BALCO, the more I read the book, the more I devoured what was happening in the pages here. Knowing how it all ends, it was fascinating watching, er...reading about this group of people and associates that comprised BALCO as they were building their house of cards. A very shaky house of cards at that. It amazes me that the house didn't collapse sooner than it did with Victor Conte at the helm. He is nothing more than a spoiled little child, crying out for attention. He never amounted to anything in life so the only way he could feel like "someone" was to hang on to celebrities.
I can recommend this if you want an excellent read that will have you flipping page after page, even if it is "incomplete" in that Barry Bonds was never convicted in a court of law or that the book came out before his assault on Hank Aaron's all-time Home Run record which is not documented within'.
Highly recommend this book. Check it out.
You can find more of my Book, DVD, TV and Movie reviews at my Forum (Penny Can) at...
http://pennycan.createaforum.com
Feel free to stop by and contribute your 2 cents.
March 12, 2010
A fantastic job of investigative reporting and writing. A enjoyable read full of juicy tid-bits, but you just end up feeling bad about the state of baseball and the state of PED in all sports. The real question is who is to blame? I feel like it is an easy answer to just say, “the person taking the PED is to blame” Of course they bear a large part of the responsibility but I don’t think it is that simple. There are so many variable in play; owners want production, they want fans in the seats, the sponsors are throwing around money to the guys who can produce and everyone (including fans & the media) were just turning a blind eye to what was obviously happening. Then all hell breaks loose when the “truth” comes out…yeah right, anyone with common sense knew what was going on and where were all these investigative reports when it was actually happening? The story of Bonds makes him the poster child of the steroids, but Game of Shadows just starches the surface of the bigger problem.
August 28, 2013
This book did not much scratch my baseball itch. It talked as much about chemistry and about track as it did about baseball. What the book did accomplish is to move my general dislike of Barry Bonds into absolute disgust. His decision to "juice" did not so moved me. I can understand that he had a lot of athletes who wanted to be the best baseball player possible used a chemical advantage to do so under the pressure that they did not want to fall behind. But reading about the way Bonds treated the people around him was discussing. For instance, he told one girlfriend casually that he was going to marry someone else but that their "arrangement" would not change. He was only marrying this other girl so that he could get custody of his kids from his ex-wife. This same unfortunate girlfriend who was berated and manipulated by Bonds also took him at his word that he would buy her a house and quit a respectable job to move as he "requested". Of course Bonds didn't follow through to support her in the course of action he insisted upon, and she fell deeper and deeper in debt.
January 29, 2024
3.6 ★ Growing up in the Bay Area in the early 2000’s, I intuited that Barry Bonds’ use of performance-enhancing substances cast a long shadow. But it wasn’t until picking up this book that I could grasp the true dimensions of the controversy. Game of Shadows is extensively researched and reads like the investigative works of other longtime journalists. In the beginning, I found the pacing slow and meandering, and I struggled to keep all of the names straight — but it was worth sticking with for the dramatic conclusion.
November 30, 2011
I picked up this book thinking it would be more about baseball and sports in general, but it turned out to be focusing on steroids involved with BALCO, not just baseball. It covered many athletes in several sporting events, focusing on many Olympic runners. I found it hard to finish this book, but glad that I did. It was very dry at times and took time to read. If you are into steroids, this is the inside scoop for you.
April 6, 2024
Mit der zunehmenden Digitalisierung hat sich der Cyberspace zu einer Nische für alles Mögliche entwickelt, darunter leistungssteigernde Giftstoffe und Steroide. Für diejenigen, die den Kauf vieler dieser Pillen im Internet in Betracht steroide-kaufen.com ziehen, stellt dies eine wichtige und interessante Idee dar, die Ihnen hilft, Ihre eigene Wunschfigur und lässige Kraft zu verwirklichen. Andererseits ist die ganze Welt im Bereich der Online-Steroideinnahmen ohne Zweifel voller Gefahren, Stürze und sogar realer Risiken, die Aufmerksamkeit erregen.
Pressemitteilungen Steroid-Werbung: Eine wichtige zweischneidige Klinge
Der Reiz des Online-Kaufs von Steroiden ist zweifellos unbestreitbar. Durch ein paar Locken können diese Menschen eine ganze Reihe von Programmen erhalten, die für eine schnelle Muskelentwicklung, eine beschleunigte Potenz und sogar eine Verbesserung ihrer Fähigkeiten geeignet sind. Diese Anonymität und die Vorteile, die Online-Shops bieten, stellen sicher, dass es sich um eine besondere Präferenz für alle handelt, die herkömmliche Zahlungssignale umgehen möchten, darunter Dermatologen und stationäre Apotheken.
Allerdings lauert hinter diesem Schleier aus Vorteilsfälschungen ein wichtiges, düsteres Universum voller Gefahren. Webbasierte Steroid-Handelsmärkte erfüllen ihre Aufgabe durch sehr geringe rechtliche Anforderungen, so dass es für Benutzer schwierig ist, ehrliche Programme und sogar gefälschte und gefälschte Giftstoffe zu erkennen. Die Gefahr, betrügerische und giftige Steroide zu kaufen, ist groß, was zweifellos erhebliche Probleme für Ihre Krankenversicherung und Ihr Wohlbefinden mit sich bringt.
Dieser echte Sumpf
Abgesehen von medizinischen Risiken ist die Online-Bestellung von Steroiden in vielen Ländern von entscheidender Bedeutung. Dass man Steroide kaufen, kaufen und kaufen kann, ohne ein gültiges Medikament zu bekommen, kann in vielen Staaten illegal verbreitet werden. Die Anwaltskanzleien überprüfen sehr genau Online-Netzwerke, die auf illegale Steroideinnahmen ausgerichtet sind, und wenn die Durchführung solcher spaßbasierten Aktivitäten erwischt wird, drohen Hautstrafen, Gefängnisstrafen und andere erhebliche Bankgebühren.
Das Navigieren in diesem echten Garten mit Online-Steroiden nach Hause erfordert in der Regel Überlegungen zu den Verfahren in unserem eigenen Rechtssystem und sogar Verständnis in Bezug auf die möglichen Probleme. Mangelnde Aufklärung in Bezug auf die Vorschriften ist einfach kein wichtiger Schutzfaktor, und selbst diejenigen, die sich für die Online-Bestellung von Steroiden entscheiden, müssen bereit sein, sich mit den echten Risiken ihrer eigenen Routinen zufrieden zu geben.
Gesundheitsrisiken: Die trostlose Hälfte in der Steroid-Implementierung
Diese Anziehungskraft bei Steroiden basiert auf der eigenen Fähigkeit, schnelle und sogar sensationelle Zuwächse zu erzielen, obwohl viele dieser Fortschritte normalerweise in einem hohen Tempo stattfinden. Längerer und unverhältnismäßiger Konsum von Steroiden kann zu Chaos im Körper und zu vielen gesundheitlichen Problemen führen. Aufgrund fehlender Leberprobleme und sogar Cardio-Trainingsschwierigkeiten, hormoneller Instabilität und sogar psychiatrischer Probleme ist diese Liste möglicher unbeabsichtigter Nebenwirkungen zweifellos umfassend und sogar herausfordernd.
Darüber hinaus führt die Suche nach der richtigen Figur und den passenden Fähigkeiten oft dazu, dass diese Menschen einen ernsthaften Weg in Gewohnheit und sogar Besessenheit einschlagen. Diese emotionalen Kosten bei der Steroidausbeutung werden fast genauso schrecklich sein, wenn man bedenkt, dass die äußeren Probleme, durch Besitzer, die unter Stimmungsschwankungen, mangelnder Kontrolle und anderen Verhaltensunterschieden leiden, die eigenen Familienbeziehungen überlasten und sogar das eigene allgemeine Wohlbefinden gefährden .
Besuchen Sie weniger riskante Optionen
Machen Sie sich nichts aus den gelegentlichen Gefahren bei der Online-Bestellung von Steroiden, es gibt weniger riskante und sogar echte Optionen für diejenigen, die ihre eigenen äußeren Fähigkeiten und sogar ihr visuelles Erscheinungsbild entwickeln möchten. Nahrungsergänzungsmittel, eine korrekte Nahrungsaufnahme und sogar regelmäßige Trainingsroutinen können mit der Notwendigkeit, gefälschte Pillen einzunehmen, spektakuläre Fortschritte erzielen.
Um eine nachhaltige Lösung für die Gesundheit und sogar die Leistungssteigerung zu finden, ist es außerdem wichtig, Ratschläge von professionellen Ärzten und kompetenten Personal Trainern für Wellness und Fitness einzuholen. Viele dieser Branchenexperten bieten maßgeschneiderte Hilfe und Anleitungen an, die so strukturiert sind, dass sie den Menschen helfen können, die sie benötigen, und ihnen dabei zu helfen, ihre eigenen Ziele sicher und gewissenhaft zu verfolgen.
Urteil: Gehen Sie voran durch Voraussicht
Der Cyberspace verfügt möglicherweise über eine geeignete Methode zur Auswahl von Steroiden, doch die Risiken überwiegen die möglichen gesundheitlichen Vorteile bei weitem. Aufgrund gefälschter Programme und sogar echter Konsequenzen, die Ihnen erhebliche gesundheitliche Probleme bereiten, können die Herausforderungen beim Online-Kauf von Steroiden nicht überbewertet werden. Als Ersatz für die Nutzung der App
Pressemitteilungen Steroid-Werbung: Eine wichtige zweischneidige Klinge
Der Reiz des Online-Kaufs von Steroiden ist zweifellos unbestreitbar. Durch ein paar Locken können diese Menschen eine ganze Reihe von Programmen erhalten, die für eine schnelle Muskelentwicklung, eine beschleunigte Potenz und sogar eine Verbesserung ihrer Fähigkeiten geeignet sind. Diese Anonymität und die Vorteile, die Online-Shops bieten, stellen sicher, dass es sich um eine besondere Präferenz für alle handelt, die herkömmliche Zahlungssignale umgehen möchten, darunter Dermatologen und stationäre Apotheken.
Allerdings lauert hinter diesem Schleier aus Vorteilsfälschungen ein wichtiges, düsteres Universum voller Gefahren. Webbasierte Steroid-Handelsmärkte erfüllen ihre Aufgabe durch sehr geringe rechtliche Anforderungen, so dass es für Benutzer schwierig ist, ehrliche Programme und sogar gefälschte und gefälschte Giftstoffe zu erkennen. Die Gefahr, betrügerische und giftige Steroide zu kaufen, ist groß, was zweifellos erhebliche Probleme für Ihre Krankenversicherung und Ihr Wohlbefinden mit sich bringt.
Dieser echte Sumpf
Abgesehen von medizinischen Risiken ist die Online-Bestellung von Steroiden in vielen Ländern von entscheidender Bedeutung. Dass man Steroide kaufen, kaufen und kaufen kann, ohne ein gültiges Medikament zu bekommen, kann in vielen Staaten illegal verbreitet werden. Die Anwaltskanzleien überprüfen sehr genau Online-Netzwerke, die auf illegale Steroideinnahmen ausgerichtet sind, und wenn die Durchführung solcher spaßbasierten Aktivitäten erwischt wird, drohen Hautstrafen, Gefängnisstrafen und andere erhebliche Bankgebühren.
Das Navigieren in diesem echten Garten mit Online-Steroiden nach Hause erfordert in der Regel Überlegungen zu den Verfahren in unserem eigenen Rechtssystem und sogar Verständnis in Bezug auf die möglichen Probleme. Mangelnde Aufklärung in Bezug auf die Vorschriften ist einfach kein wichtiger Schutzfaktor, und selbst diejenigen, die sich für die Online-Bestellung von Steroiden entscheiden, müssen bereit sein, sich mit den echten Risiken ihrer eigenen Routinen zufrieden zu geben.
Gesundheitsrisiken: Die trostlose Hälfte in der Steroid-Implementierung
Diese Anziehungskraft bei Steroiden basiert auf der eigenen Fähigkeit, schnelle und sogar sensationelle Zuwächse zu erzielen, obwohl viele dieser Fortschritte normalerweise in einem hohen Tempo stattfinden. Längerer und unverhältnismäßiger Konsum von Steroiden kann zu Chaos im Körper und zu vielen gesundheitlichen Problemen führen. Aufgrund fehlender Leberprobleme und sogar Cardio-Trainingsschwierigkeiten, hormoneller Instabilität und sogar psychiatrischer Probleme ist diese Liste möglicher unbeabsichtigter Nebenwirkungen zweifellos umfassend und sogar herausfordernd.
Darüber hinaus führt die Suche nach der richtigen Figur und den passenden Fähigkeiten oft dazu, dass diese Menschen einen ernsthaften Weg in Gewohnheit und sogar Besessenheit einschlagen. Diese emotionalen Kosten bei der Steroidausbeutung werden fast genauso schrecklich sein, wenn man bedenkt, dass die äußeren Probleme, durch Besitzer, die unter Stimmungsschwankungen, mangelnder Kontrolle und anderen Verhaltensunterschieden leiden, die eigenen Familienbeziehungen überlasten und sogar das eigene allgemeine Wohlbefinden gefährden .
Besuchen Sie weniger riskante Optionen
Machen Sie sich nichts aus den gelegentlichen Gefahren bei der Online-Bestellung von Steroiden, es gibt weniger riskante und sogar echte Optionen für diejenigen, die ihre eigenen äußeren Fähigkeiten und sogar ihr visuelles Erscheinungsbild entwickeln möchten. Nahrungsergänzungsmittel, eine korrekte Nahrungsaufnahme und sogar regelmäßige Trainingsroutinen können mit der Notwendigkeit, gefälschte Pillen einzunehmen, spektakuläre Fortschritte erzielen.
Um eine nachhaltige Lösung für die Gesundheit und sogar die Leistungssteigerung zu finden, ist es außerdem wichtig, Ratschläge von professionellen Ärzten und kompetenten Personal Trainern für Wellness und Fitness einzuholen. Viele dieser Branchenexperten bieten maßgeschneiderte Hilfe und Anleitungen an, die so strukturiert sind, dass sie den Menschen helfen können, die sie benötigen, und ihnen dabei zu helfen, ihre eigenen Ziele sicher und gewissenhaft zu verfolgen.
Urteil: Gehen Sie voran durch Voraussicht
Der Cyberspace verfügt möglicherweise über eine geeignete Methode zur Auswahl von Steroiden, doch die Risiken überwiegen die möglichen gesundheitlichen Vorteile bei weitem. Aufgrund gefälschter Programme und sogar echter Konsequenzen, die Ihnen erhebliche gesundheitliche Probleme bereiten, können die Herausforderungen beim Online-Kauf von Steroiden nicht überbewertet werden. Als Ersatz für die Nutzung der App
December 29, 2022
Journalism's Finest.
June 18, 2023
Tippek a felelős futballfogadáshoz
Számos tippet osztunk meg, amelyek segítségével felelősen és hatékonyan fogadhat a futballra. Ha pedig többet szeretne tudni a bukméker kiválasztásáról, látogasson el ide, és tekintse meg útmutatónkat.
A szerencsejáték jogi formájában - távolról és online is - államilag elismert, állami szerv által szabályozott tevékenység (lásd itt). a teljes kapcsolódó iparágra, amely magában foglalja az ágazatban dolgozókat és a működő vállalatok valamennyi alkalmazottját, valamint a fizikai kiskereskedőket.
Csak a legális online fogadás 980 millió eurós bevételt termelt 2022 februárjában, amihez hozzá kell adni a hagyományos ügynökségek adatait. 2017-ben 1,7 millió aktív felhasználó volt, ami 26%-os növekedést jelent 2016-hoz képest, és 2019-től folyamatosan exponenciálisan nőtt. A fogadók teljes száma gondosan megoszlik a kezdő és a normál játékosok között.
A játékosok számára a játékhoz való hozzáállásuktól függően a fogadás hobbinak vagy rendszeres gyakorlatnak tekinthető, különösen, ha szenvedéllyel és szakértelemmel párosul egy adott sportágban. A szerencsejáték azonban nem olyan tevékenység, amelyet nem szabad félvállról venni, mert ha a helyzet kicsúszik az irányítás alól, kockázatot jelenthet a zsebére, és ennek eredményeként a társasági életére.
Íme néhány hasznos tipp a felelős futballfogadáshoz:
Legális és biztonságos bukméker kiválasztása
A szerencsejáték felelősségteljes megközelítése az első fő lépésen megy keresztül: az egyik legjobb fogadóirodát választva. Főleg, ha távolról játszol, a kínálat nagyon széles, és nem szokatlan, hogy illegális vagy nem engedélyezett platformokat találsz Spanyolországban.
Nem könnyű megtalálni a legjobb futballfogadási oldalt, de megtanulhatja, hogyan találhat és ismerhet fel egy legitim szolgáltatót. Íme egy lista azokról a dolgokról, amelyeket értékelni kell, hogy megbizonyosodjon arról, hogy olyan fogadási platformon játszik, amely megfelel a törvénynek:
Az ügynökség hivatalos logójával azonosítható engedély megléte.
.es végződésű webhelydomain
A cég székhelye és elérhetőségei (cím, e-mail cím, telefonszám stb.)
Titkosított kapcsolat megléte, amely a címsorban található lakat ikonról ismerhető fel, amely SSL tanúsítvány és HTTPS protokoll használatát jelzi.
Ügyfélszolgálat elérhetősége (e-mail, chat, telefon).
Az elfogadott fizetési módok és a kapcsolódó fizetési és visszavonási költségek feltüntetése. A játékosok biztonságának és magánéletének védelmére a leggyakrabban használt módszerek az újratölthető kártyák és az elektronikus pénztárcák, például a PayPal és a Skrill.
Az ajánlat feltételeinek átláthatósága. A játékajánlathoz csatolni kell az összes vonatkozó specifikációt, beleértve az üdvözlő bónuszokat és a befizetés nélküli bónuszokat.
Az engedélyezett üzemeltető előnyei
Mint már említettük, a bukméker kiválasztása kulcsfontosságú ahhoz, hogy helyesen és felelősségteljesen kezdjen fogadni a futballra. Milyen előnyei vannak a hivatalos bukmékernek?
Platformbiztonság és a személyes és érzékeny adatok védelme a játék és a tranzakció szakaszában.
Regisztrációs lap rendelkezésre állása a szükséges személyazonosító okmányok bemutatásával: így a kiskorúak kizárásra kerülnek a játékból, ahogy azt a spanyol törvény kifejezetten előírja.
Képes kapcsolatba lépni az ügyfélszolgálattal a platformon végzett játéktevékenységekkel kapcsolatos kérdések vagy problémák esetén.
A főbb nemzetközi rendszerekhez tartozó elismert fizetőeszközök elérhetősége.
Az ajánlat jogszerűségének és megfelelőségének ellenőrzése az illetékes szerencsejáték-hatóság által.
A nyereményeket a forrásnál adóztatják, így nem kell bejelenteni az adóhatóságnak: ez az illegális szerencsejáték elleni küzdelem rendszere.
A felelős szerencsejátékkal, valamint a speciális védelmi és önértékelési eszközökkel kapcsolatos információk a törvényes kereskedők weboldalain találhatók.
Számos tippet osztunk meg, amelyek segítségével felelősen és hatékonyan fogadhat a futballra. Ha pedig többet szeretne tudni a bukméker kiválasztásáról, látogasson el ide, és tekintse meg útmutatónkat.
A szerencsejáték jogi formájában - távolról és online is - államilag elismert, állami szerv által szabályozott tevékenység (lásd itt). a teljes kapcsolódó iparágra, amely magában foglalja az ágazatban dolgozókat és a működő vállalatok valamennyi alkalmazottját, valamint a fizikai kiskereskedőket.
Csak a legális online fogadás 980 millió eurós bevételt termelt 2022 februárjában, amihez hozzá kell adni a hagyományos ügynökségek adatait. 2017-ben 1,7 millió aktív felhasználó volt, ami 26%-os növekedést jelent 2016-hoz képest, és 2019-től folyamatosan exponenciálisan nőtt. A fogadók teljes száma gondosan megoszlik a kezdő és a normál játékosok között.
A játékosok számára a játékhoz való hozzáállásuktól függően a fogadás hobbinak vagy rendszeres gyakorlatnak tekinthető, különösen, ha szenvedéllyel és szakértelemmel párosul egy adott sportágban. A szerencsejáték azonban nem olyan tevékenység, amelyet nem szabad félvállról venni, mert ha a helyzet kicsúszik az irányítás alól, kockázatot jelenthet a zsebére, és ennek eredményeként a társasági életére.
Íme néhány hasznos tipp a felelős futballfogadáshoz:
Legális és biztonságos bukméker kiválasztása
A szerencsejáték felelősségteljes megközelítése az első fő lépésen megy keresztül: az egyik legjobb fogadóirodát választva. Főleg, ha távolról játszol, a kínálat nagyon széles, és nem szokatlan, hogy illegális vagy nem engedélyezett platformokat találsz Spanyolországban.
Nem könnyű megtalálni a legjobb futballfogadási oldalt, de megtanulhatja, hogyan találhat és ismerhet fel egy legitim szolgáltatót. Íme egy lista azokról a dolgokról, amelyeket értékelni kell, hogy megbizonyosodjon arról, hogy olyan fogadási platformon játszik, amely megfelel a törvénynek:
Az ügynökség hivatalos logójával azonosítható engedély megléte.
.es végződésű webhelydomain
A cég székhelye és elérhetőségei (cím, e-mail cím, telefonszám stb.)
Titkosított kapcsolat megléte, amely a címsorban található lakat ikonról ismerhető fel, amely SSL tanúsítvány és HTTPS protokoll használatát jelzi.
Ügyfélszolgálat elérhetősége (e-mail, chat, telefon).
Az elfogadott fizetési módok és a kapcsolódó fizetési és visszavonási költségek feltüntetése. A játékosok biztonságának és magánéletének védelmére a leggyakrabban használt módszerek az újratölthető kártyák és az elektronikus pénztárcák, például a PayPal és a Skrill.
Az ajánlat feltételeinek átláthatósága. A játékajánlathoz csatolni kell az összes vonatkozó specifikációt, beleértve az üdvözlő bónuszokat és a befizetés nélküli bónuszokat.
Az engedélyezett üzemeltető előnyei
Mint már említettük, a bukméker kiválasztása kulcsfontosságú ahhoz, hogy helyesen és felelősségteljesen kezdjen fogadni a futballra. Milyen előnyei vannak a hivatalos bukmékernek?
Platformbiztonság és a személyes és érzékeny adatok védelme a játék és a tranzakció szakaszában.
Regisztrációs lap rendelkezésre állása a szükséges személyazonosító okmányok bemutatásával: így a kiskorúak kizárásra kerülnek a játékból, ahogy azt a spanyol törvény kifejezetten előírja.
Képes kapcsolatba lépni az ügyfélszolgálattal a platformon végzett játéktevékenységekkel kapcsolatos kérdések vagy problémák esetén.
A főbb nemzetközi rendszerekhez tartozó elismert fizetőeszközök elérhetősége.
Az ajánlat jogszerűségének és megfelelőségének ellenőrzése az illetékes szerencsejáték-hatóság által.
A nyereményeket a forrásnál adóztatják, így nem kell bejelenteni az adóhatóságnak: ez az illegális szerencsejáték elleni küzdelem rendszere.
A felelős szerencsejátékkal, valamint a speciális védelmi és önértékelési eszközökkel kapcsolatos információk a törvényes kereskedők weboldalain találhatók.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2022
Part of my issues with this book stems from the fact that I wanted more than it was offering. First, reading it 15+ years after it was first published leaves a lot of recent steroid history uncovered and, second, it focused only on one provider of steroids. What I really want, I discovered after reading this book, is a comprehensive history of the role of drugs in baseball. Not sure if such a things exists. Anyway, back to this book and what it did offer. Kudos for the vast amount of research that was done into the Balco investigation. There was a lot of information, and supporting documentation, from a variety of sources that was relayed in a user-friendly manner for those of us who are not overly familiar with the science and application of performance enhancing drugs. So I learned a lot on that front. But I was disappointed that there was an obviously strong bias, bordering on hatred, against Barry Bonds. The attacks of Bonds by the authors were vicious and personal, far more so than any of the other athletes covered in the book that were caught up in the scandal. And Barry was not even in half of the book. It was clear that Balco was far more involved with track and field athletes for a far longer time than it was with any baseball players. So it just really bothered me that the authors were holding him up, like other sports media has done, as the poster child villain of the steroids scandal. He is far from innocent but also far from the evil steroid trailblazer that they portray him to be. I have to remind myself that a book is not the same as journalism so I should not have the same expectations of impartiality but the vitriol against Bonds just really turned me off.
September 16, 2023
A great account of the BALCO sports scandal, with a specific focus on Barry Bonds, MLB and track and field. There are few heroes in this story, even though there is much space given to the unraveling of the scandal and those who “caught” the dopers.
Bonds is arguably the main figure here and he does not look well under the lights. He claims righteousness and inveighs against a media he sees as out to get a black guy, but much of the anger is self-generated. He works incredibly hard, but that drive is not turned off around other people and manifests itself in emotional abuse towards his girlfriend. And, of course, he juiced and he lied about it. If you wanted a fuller story of how steroids insidiously entered MLB and track, you won’t get it here, but you’ll get the broad strokes. The Bonds Show, however, is what people wanted in 2006, and it’s what they/you got.
BALCO’s inter-workings parallel the Bonds story, with the key figure given center stage. It’s exactly what Victor Conte wanted: a shameless showman, he never really tried to develop any sort of veneer to mask the true goal of dealing roids. It’s quite surprising it didn’t unravel sooner, given Conte’s braggadocio and semi-public fights with track and field trainers. Not even being caught could stop Conte’s inveterate need to flap his gums.
The second half turns to the investigation by the feds and USADA. This is Game of Shadows at its most page-turny. Dumpster diving, mailed syringes, a rush to create a testing system that can better detect drugs… it’s all fascinating. Congress even rears its ugly head by the end. Unfortunately you can’t help but feel the story is incomplete, even with the afterword, since the Mitchell Report did not release until 2007. But the book is worth its salt. Mostly enlightening, somewhat insider gossip, just not willing to wait a bit longer because of the very explosive findings they had on Bonds.
Bonds is arguably the main figure here and he does not look well under the lights. He claims righteousness and inveighs against a media he sees as out to get a black guy, but much of the anger is self-generated. He works incredibly hard, but that drive is not turned off around other people and manifests itself in emotional abuse towards his girlfriend. And, of course, he juiced and he lied about it. If you wanted a fuller story of how steroids insidiously entered MLB and track, you won’t get it here, but you’ll get the broad strokes. The Bonds Show, however, is what people wanted in 2006, and it’s what they/you got.
BALCO’s inter-workings parallel the Bonds story, with the key figure given center stage. It’s exactly what Victor Conte wanted: a shameless showman, he never really tried to develop any sort of veneer to mask the true goal of dealing roids. It’s quite surprising it didn’t unravel sooner, given Conte’s braggadocio and semi-public fights with track and field trainers. Not even being caught could stop Conte’s inveterate need to flap his gums.
The second half turns to the investigation by the feds and USADA. This is Game of Shadows at its most page-turny. Dumpster diving, mailed syringes, a rush to create a testing system that can better detect drugs… it’s all fascinating. Congress even rears its ugly head by the end. Unfortunately you can’t help but feel the story is incomplete, even with the afterword, since the Mitchell Report did not release until 2007. But the book is worth its salt. Mostly enlightening, somewhat insider gossip, just not willing to wait a bit longer because of the very explosive findings they had on Bonds.
August 17, 2018
Much like League of Denial, which Fainaru-Wada wrote with his brother, this is a very interesting read. I found League of Denial to be a bit more engaging than Game of Shadows, but otherwise both are quite good. Also like League of Denial, don't read this book if you don't want your love of sports to be shaken.
For me, what sets this book apart from League of Denial is that most of the events in this book fall within my personal memory. I'm not as big a football fan as I am a baseball fan, and several of the football players detailed in League of Denial predated me. But I have my own memories of nearly everything that happens in Game of Shadows. I remember watching Marian Jones run in the Olympics. I remember her press conferences with CJ Hunter, who seemed to dwarf her. I remember watching Barry Bonds physical transformation. I remember the seasons where he drew tons of walks because everybody knew that if the pitch was in the strike zone he would hit it out. I remember the Congressional hearings, with Sosa's bumbling English, MacGwyer's repeated "I'm not here to talk about the past," and as an Orioles fan I particularly remember watching Palmeiro point his finger and deny using steroids only to later be proven a liar. All of those memories came rushing back and made this book seem more personal than League of Denial, even though I think the writing isn't quite as good.
For me, what sets this book apart from League of Denial is that most of the events in this book fall within my personal memory. I'm not as big a football fan as I am a baseball fan, and several of the football players detailed in League of Denial predated me. But I have my own memories of nearly everything that happens in Game of Shadows. I remember watching Marian Jones run in the Olympics. I remember her press conferences with CJ Hunter, who seemed to dwarf her. I remember watching Barry Bonds physical transformation. I remember the seasons where he drew tons of walks because everybody knew that if the pitch was in the strike zone he would hit it out. I remember the Congressional hearings, with Sosa's bumbling English, MacGwyer's repeated "I'm not here to talk about the past," and as an Orioles fan I particularly remember watching Palmeiro point his finger and deny using steroids only to later be proven a liar. All of those memories came rushing back and made this book seem more personal than League of Denial, even though I think the writing isn't quite as good.
February 16, 2022
Late to the game in reading this one but with MLB locked out might as well start catching up.
Authors break down the emergence of the use of performance enhancing drugs in the major professional sports and Olympic/Track and Field Circuit from the mid-90’s to 2007. Focus is on Balco Industries, Victor Conte, Marion Jones, Barry Bonds and a whole host of creeps.
Excellent work details the rise and fall of Balco and the investigation of those connected to the steroid industry. Interesting timeline of how Bonds’ massive ego went into overdrive as he watched juicers McGwire and Sosa steal the headlines in their 1998 Home Run battle. Bonds was already known to be an egotistical jerk but his entrance into the steroid world took his narcissism to a whole new level.
Who would have ever guessed, in the early 2000’s, that Jose Canesco would emerge as the only athlete telling the truth about the steroid era.
Authors break down the emergence of the use of performance enhancing drugs in the major professional sports and Olympic/Track and Field Circuit from the mid-90’s to 2007. Focus is on Balco Industries, Victor Conte, Marion Jones, Barry Bonds and a whole host of creeps.
Excellent work details the rise and fall of Balco and the investigation of those connected to the steroid industry. Interesting timeline of how Bonds’ massive ego went into overdrive as he watched juicers McGwire and Sosa steal the headlines in their 1998 Home Run battle. Bonds was already known to be an egotistical jerk but his entrance into the steroid world took his narcissism to a whole new level.
Who would have ever guessed, in the early 2000’s, that Jose Canesco would emerge as the only athlete telling the truth about the steroid era.
January 23, 2020
This book offers an in-depth view of the steroid scandal and explores it's consequences for the people involved and to sports as a whole. It covers many personal tragedies that resulted from the steroids and shows how harmful the drugs can have on people and those around them. The corruption of sports, particularly baseball, is also a major focus. It forces us to question if professional sports are really the achievement they're made out to be or the result of cocktails of drugs.
We really get to know the main players of the incident, and what their motives were. The main reason why they did it seems to come down to the notion that 'everyone else is doing it'. At its heart, it's a case of peer pressure writ large.
Anyone who cares about the integrity of athletics, or who enjoys stories of white-collar crime, would find this book a worthwhile experience.
We really get to know the main players of the incident, and what their motives were. The main reason why they did it seems to come down to the notion that 'everyone else is doing it'. At its heart, it's a case of peer pressure writ large.
Anyone who cares about the integrity of athletics, or who enjoys stories of white-collar crime, would find this book a worthwhile experience.
April 3, 2025
Fantastic read and an excellent piece of investigative journalism on Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, and others ensnared in a steroid scandal involving a shady supplement company named BALCO. We learn about contemporary designer steroids like “The Cream” and “The Clear,” along with other classic steroids and human growth hormone. The authors broke many of the BALCO stories for the San Francisco Chronicle, and the culmination of that work is this nonstop page-turner.
It’s a fair criticism that the authors clearly detested Bonds after years of difficult interactions with the press. But they have the goods on him here, drawing from numerous sources, including leaked grand jury testimony. That leak sparked a major legal battle for the authors, who refused to name their source.
This book remains relevant and timely even today, as the 2025 MLB season kicks off.
It’s a fair criticism that the authors clearly detested Bonds after years of difficult interactions with the press. But they have the goods on him here, drawing from numerous sources, including leaked grand jury testimony. That leak sparked a major legal battle for the authors, who refused to name their source.
This book remains relevant and timely even today, as the 2025 MLB season kicks off.
April 23, 2025
The book is an easy read and fascinating. MLB & fans want home runs. Steroids provide this. It's too bad if America's pastime has to have a few asterisks in the statistic books. A journalist wrote the book. It is eminently readable.
Three points. But, beware, I'm going to "name-drop," here. This is local for me.
1. My neighbor, who is mentioned in the book, loaned me his book to read. He had the FBI searching his garbage, early in the mornings, each week on collection day.
2. My friend, since junior high, was probably photographing, for the Associated Press, these "heavy hitters" as they entered the federal building in San Francisco.
3. My video production office in Burlingame, CA. was 3 blocks away from BALCO's office.
Three points. But, beware, I'm going to "name-drop," here. This is local for me.
1. My neighbor, who is mentioned in the book, loaned me his book to read. He had the FBI searching his garbage, early in the mornings, each week on collection day.
2. My friend, since junior high, was probably photographing, for the Associated Press, these "heavy hitters" as they entered the federal building in San Francisco.
3. My video production office in Burlingame, CA. was 3 blocks away from BALCO's office.
June 18, 2025
One of the most important pieces of sports journalism ever written. “Game of Shadows” pulls back the curtain on the ugly underbelly of sports with a focus on performance enhancing drugs. The rise of Victor Conte and BALCO would aid in the rise and eventual fall of high profile athletes Tim Montgomery, Marian Jones and of course, Barry Bonds. This publication is probably the reason that Bonds is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame today. The reporting goes beyond just the nuts and bolts of the eventual indictments but also the rationale for Bonds to take steroids in the first place. Bonds is not painted as a nice person at all, which is probably pretty accurate. A fast read and a must read for all true baseball fans.
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