[simple simon]

that's right, Genetically Enhanced Players

i have been debating for a couple weeks whether or not to start this thread for fear of ridicule ........... but my overwhelming feeling of not caring what people think of me won out (as it usually does)

a couple weeks or so i was watching a show on the Discovery Channel i believe it was, either that or the History Channel ........ the show was about the Spider Man movies

i know, i know ........ many of you are wondering what the hell Spider Man has to do with baseball or any sport

well on the show they discussed if, with current technology there could ever be a Spider Man ....... this show had scientists from well respected schools like Cal-Tech and MIT ........ according to them it is actually possible to manipulate the DNA of a man and introduce new DNA in such a way that most all of Spider Mans skills would be possible to really have

most of you may be thinking im nuts or on crack ........ i assure you im not

so if you saw the show yourself, or you just take my word for it, when does this impact sports ?

maybe a sprinter gets the genetics of a Cheetah ........ or anyone involved in lifting gets the strength of an ant

personally i believe if it is even only slightly possible it will someday be tried ..... someone somewhere will try and combine a human with bird DNA to see if they cn grow wings ............ i believe it is human nature

im not here to get into the ethics of such a thing ....... just if you think it will ever come into play in sports

[Lefty Noob]

Undoubtedly. Since we're not getting into ethics, I'll just say this - as soon as it become possible (if it isn't already), people will find ways to utilize the know-how and profit from it. Sports will be one of the obvious markets. How much will people pay to find ways to become or have their kids become super athletes, stronger and faster than anyone else their age? No question that if and when this becomes possible, it will become big business and find its way into the sports world.

[azrael492]

Could you imagine a boxer with the strength of a gorilla and the reflexes of a fly.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Since we're not getting into ethics

well we could discuss the ethics of it, i just feel it would be a never-ending story

i suppose the next question is what comes first ......... the genetically altered player or the rule against it ?

and how would the fans react to it ?

do you want to see basketball players as tall as giraffes or would many scream it ruined the game ?

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by simple simon

do you want to see basketball players as tall as giraffes or would many scream it ruined the game ?

I would hate it. If people could be chemically bred to do wonderous feats, it would suck all the enjoyment away. What's one of the greatest thing about sports? Watching true, God-given talent use their gifts and perform feats that most of us could only dream of. If any one of us could go out and get a few shots or whatever and run as fast as Carl Lewis and dunk a ball like Dr. J, the true beauty of sport would be lost.

[simple simon]

reminds me of an episode of Futurama when they talk about the records before steroids shots were mandatory

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by azrael492

Could you imagine a boxer with the strength of a gorilla and the reflexes of a fly.

He will have no effect on the boxer with the face of a turtle shell and the neck structure of a rhino...

[EmpireWF]

If it does ever happen, it will be many lifetimes down the road IMO.

[legend]

You give today's science too much credit. We have no cure for the common cold, never mind all the many diseases that take millions of lives. Science doesn't even know what causes canker sores for God's sake. By the time something like this is plausible, I doubt that sports as we know it will even exist.

[EmpireWF]

Just an off topic question (perhaps?)....does all this have anything to do with the scientific work regarding the human genome?

I don't know much about the topic but it's definitely interesting.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by legend

You give today's science too much credit. We have no cure for the common cold, never mind all the many diseases that take millions of lives. Science doesn't even know what causes canker sores for God's sake. By the time something like this is plausible, I doubt that sports as we know it will even exist.

The common cold mutates...good luck finding a fit all cure...

...and while we may be at a loss for sore, we are able to clone complex animals etc...it would not be out of the realm of possibilites to think we could someday soon splice up DNA?...we might be dealing with the reprocussion and errors of it for a while...but why couldn't it be done?

[legend]

Because we do not know what causes so many diseases even now, and the drugs that do "cure" or "control" what is out there now come with horrific side effects. Those repercussions and errors may cause more harm than good, and I'd like to think that we would have the ethical and moral sense not to mess around with what we are supposed to be.

[MJHMarc]

This is possible, due to genetic engineering.

All they have to do is make recombinant DNA invitro, and then inject it into humans and they multiply asexually. Luckily, the Human Genome Project finished up in 2003 after a decade of intense studies.

I don't think it will make a big difference genetically in the strength of the players. It could also cause a handful of nasty mutations.

It's not worth it.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

I don't think it will make a big difference genetically in the strength of the players. It could also cause a handful of nasty mutations.

It's not worth it.

so you know better then the Phd's at Cal-Tech and MIT ...... because they said it could be done with gene splicing and what not

as for the ethics, i think youre kidding yourself if you think no one will try it

[LSC9901]

I'm considering enhancing myself this evening with some Molson cured hops and barley. I'm hoping that it doesn't change my genes.