Tiger Doctor Charged....

[Canuck]

So how will Tiger's legacy be viewed if it turns out he was juicing. With the recent speculation and pressure on tiger, it would sure be a huge blow to the game if that came out.



http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours...f-galea-charge

Woods Doctor Charged
The Canadian doctor who has treated Tiger Woods was charged with smuggling and the unlawful distribution of human growth hormone
May 18, 2010
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- A Canadian doctor who has treated Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez and other high-profile athletes was charged Tuesday with smuggling, unlawful distribution of human growth hormone and conspiring to lie to federal agents.

Dr. Anthony Galea of Toronto was named in a federal criminal complaint following an eight-month investigation by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Food and Drug Administration.

A former doctor for the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, Galea is known for using a blood-spinning technique -- called platelet-rich plasma therapy -- designed to speed recovery from injuries.

But he is not authorized to work in the United States, U.S. Attorney William Hochul said, and is accused of repeatedly entering the country from 2007 to 2009 to treat professional athletes from Major League Baseball, the National Football League and Professional Golfers' Association.

During that time, he billed three football players about $200,000, Hochul said.

The criminal complaint also accuses him of introducing the unapproved drug, actovegin, a derivative of calf's blood used to speed healing, into interstate commerce and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

"Today's complaint reveals that those responsible for the flow of illegal drugs into our country can come from all walks of life," Hochul said.

No athletes are identified by name in the government's criminal complaint or supporting affidavit, which describes the 50-year-old Galea traveling to various U.S. cities to meet with athletes in hotel rooms and their homes.

The affidavit refers to three unidentified NFL players as witnesses, including one who allegedly received HGH from Galea after his playing days were over. The two other players said that while they were treated by the doctor, they carefully avoided receiving HGH or other perfomance-enhancing substances banned by the league.

Beside the blood-spinning treatments, Galea administered ultrasounds, intravenous drips and "injections of drug mixtures into the sites of muscle tears," the ICE agent's affidavit, based on a witness statement, said.

"Dr. Galea would at times inject a cocktail containing HGH into an athlete," the affidavit said.

Galea became the focus of authorities' attention last September when his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was stopped at the border in Buffalo with a small quantity of human growth hormone and vials of "foreign homeopathic drugs."

The doctor was arrested in Canada on Oct. 15 after a search warrant was executed at the Institute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre in Toronto and charged with selling actovegin, conspiracy to import an unapproved drug, conspiracy to export a drug and smuggling goods into Canada.

Calls to Galea's Buffalo lawyer, Mark Mahoney, and attorney Brian Greenspan in Canada were not immediately returned.

If convicted of the U.S. smuggling charge, Galea could face up to 20 years in prison. The other charges carry maximum sentences of three and five years.

Woods has said Galea treated him, while the doctor has said he prescribed anti-inflammatories to Rodriguez as the Yankee slugger recovered from hip surgery last year. Both superstar athletes deny receiving performance-enhancing drugs from Galea.



Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours...#ixzz0oK93vBH8

[jldavis73]

Ahhh, something the sports world almost forgot about. Hank Haney said "I never saw anything go into Tiger's body that didn't come out of it..." Why visit a Canadian doctor when you have access to the BEST medical care in the world right around you?

[rudygu]

Yeah, doesn't seem like this is going to go away for Tiger. I doubt there will be any evidence that he gave Tiger anything against the Tour's drug policy, but Tiger's reputation will take another pretty big hit. Personally, I'd be surprised if Tiger was "doping", but there will be plenty enough bad publicity to cast a pretty bad light on both him and the Tour.

[senorchipotle]

why would tiger have any reason to take HGH? the only reason why he even went to this guy was to heal his injuries, not juice up. golfers need more flexibility, not bigger muscles. and it's not like he's driving the ball any farther. he would gain nothing and lose everything by cheating, so with no motivation i don't see how or why anybody should suspect him of it.

[IcemanYVR]

Why visit a Canadian doctor when you have access to the BEST medical care in the world right around you?

so any particular reason why it's not possible for a Canadian doctor to be the BEST?

I'm by no means saying he's the best, but it's also very naive to think that the best doctors are only in the US.

[rudygu]

why would tiger have any reason to take HGH? the only reason why he even went to this guy was to heal his injuries, not juice up. golfers need more flexibility, not bigger muscles.

I don't know if Tiger took HGH or not and I don't really think it would help his game. BUT, look at all the muscle he has put on over the last few years. Whether he juiced to do it or not doesn't really matter - he clearly thinks that adding muscle is a good idea.

he would gain nothing and lose everything by cheating, so with no motivation i don't see how or why anybody should suspect him of it.

The same could have been said about a lot of the behavior that has led to his recent troubles. There is plenty of evidence out there to call his judgement into question. I don't think that argument is going to spare him any trouble

Like I said before, I'd be surprised if there is any evidence that he did anything illegal, but it's not going to stop the conjecture.

[Canuck]

I agree with the fact about taking something not legal to heal from his injuries but as I recall didn't he put a majo under his belt while healing from a major injury? I would t be surprised with any tiger does anymore. Hope it is not true though.

[IcemanYVR]

I don't know if he did or didn't take drugs... I hope he didn't but regardless of what he says, He doesn't have any credibility anymore, and that's something that winning wont bring back.

[senorchipotle]

I don't know if he did or didn't take drugs... I hope he didn't but regardless of what he says, He doesn't have any credibility anymore, and that's something that winning wont bring back.

how does he no longer have any credibility? he cheated on his wife. how does that have any bearing on whether or not he would be honest about taking steroids?

[golfrnut]

Someone correct me if I am incorrect here....

I thought I remember reading somewhere that Tiger chose him because of the whole blood spinning for rehab deal, and something about him wanting to take the most natural process to healing as quickly as possible without taking all kinds of meds. Anyone else remember something like this?

On note with his muscle mass. I have seen some folks pack on quite a bit of muscle weight by just hitting the gym and changing their diet around. Being in the military, our urinalysis tests also cover a host of things that you'd never get busted for otherwise. There's a lot of stuff that is blacklisted for our folks, that you can still get out in the civilian world. I have also seen a few guys come off of lifting heavy and drop 20-30 pounds in muscle mass and returned to their normal body size. You can tell it makes a difference, they don't even look nearly the same. Mind you, I could never deal with eating that much tuna and chicken every day....and spending 2 hours in the gym daily.....but some people can. I think so many people see so much into it because he's also a big cardio freak which trims alot of fat off and show it a little better. There are probably a few folks on tour that are physically stronger than him, there BMI is just a lot higher as well. You have to remember how small he really was back when he turned pro. He obvously looks to have a very high metabolism anyway, so his only weight gain would be in muscle mass. Not saying one way or the other as to the fact of wheather he did or didn't, but, the whole convoluted theory that people cannot change that much without it is totally unjustified and pure hogwash.

[IcemanYVR]

how does he no longer have any credibility? he cheated on his wife. how does that have any bearing on whether or not he would be honest about taking steroids?

It goes to character although that wasn't what I was specifically referring to. In this world of paparazzi and tell-all-tales, he was able to hide at least 15 affairs, no one suspected him of that.

As for the credibility, he lied and said he was feeling 100% then 2 or 3 weeks later tells us he's been playing with a sore neck, and earlier with his Achillies tendon. My point is he is known to lie and operate in a web of deceit. It doesn't mean he took drugs, it just doesn't help his cause. That's all.

[uttexas]

Someone correct me if I am incorrect here....

Yes, but there are plenty of doctors in the US that utilize PRP in their practice. Why go up to Canada? I can think of several explanations.

[DavidFehertysBike]

If tiger did take any illegal drug i would assume it would be HGH. The muscle he has added in recent years is most likley natural. He has only gained around 30 pds since he was a teenager and his father was a big man as well. The HGH could have been helping him with injuries. If comes to light that he took HGH, i honestly wouldnt care. Its not anabolic. If you can take something that helps you heal better, then why not use it?

[Elsfan]

how does he no longer have any credibility? he cheated on his wife. how does that have any bearing on whether or not he would be honest about taking steroids?

Well he cheated on the most important thing in his life, why not the second most important? Truth is we look at baseball players and say look at the pure size these athletes have gained. Tiger fits that profile to a T. I think more information will come out and where there is smoke there is usually fire. However, this is the new age of athletics and with the dollars that can be made many professionals are trying to get a leg up.

[frobenius]

It goes to character although that wasn't what I was specifically referring to. In this world of paparazzi and tell-all-tales, he was able to hide at least 15 affairs, no one suspected him of that.

I'm pretty sure he said that his knee felt 100% when asked about his knee.

[Shindig]

Eh, even if the doctor is convicted, it doesn't mean that everyone associated with him also had drugs. Back in high school, I knew plenty of people who sold and used illegal drugs; doesn't mean that I did.

Well he cheated on the most important thing in his life

He cheated at golf?

[Three Putt]

Tiger didn't give a "F" about anything the past 4 or 5 years of his life, a narcissist (sp?)

I wouldn't doubt for a minute he was on roids a few years back, he was so damn full of himself it was funny. And he was pretty yoked up at the 07 or 06 US Open if I can remember.

Lets see.....Bang porn stars and perkins waitresses, next door neighbors, etc....... But he wouldn't take anything that would be "illegal" and give him an unfair advantage in golf....Child Please....

[mtsalmela80]

HGH will make me hit it pure everytime and sink more 30+ footers? Sign me up!

Seriously though, IMO golf is a game of skill and I dont believe any player getting stronger through any means, even illlegal anabolic steriods, will automatically mean better scores. I give Tiger a total pass on this one.