Irvin Swallows His Pride
Jake Rossen Mar 18, 2010
Taking responsibility for shaky behavior is an admirable thing.
Unfortunately, very few athletes tagged with infractions ranging
from fouls to substance use ever find value in copping to it.
Hermes
Franca’s candid “I did it because I felt I had to” confession
after being popped for steroids in 2007 was met with sympathy and
no appreciable loss of respect; fighters who deny even looking at
cough syrup are fooling only the very naïve.
This is why James Irvin’s comments to TSN.ca this week are so remarkable. After being fingered for painkiller use in a summer 2008 fight with Anderson Silva, Irvin took his suspension, dropped off the radar, and resurfaced only after his nagging injuries had healed. Rather than shovel mounds of excuses, he admits to making a mistake.
"It wasn't until a time that I just stopped taking them [painkillers] that I realized I needed them just to keep on functioning," he said. "At that time I had become an addict and I was hooked on them…If I have an injury bad enough where I have to take a narcotic, then I don't compete, then I have to sit out a fight. I'll never put any of those things in my body the rest of my life, again.”
In terms of orthopedic torture, MMA athletes have more in common with pro wrestlers than boxers. Grapplers, real or fictional, experience day after day of grinding, muscle and joint-torquing practice. Painkiller abuse is going to be a marked problem for any athlete who gradually sees connective tissue erode over time.
The day is coming closer when we will meet a number of mixed-style prizefighters in their 60s and beyond. And when we do, we may not like what we see.
This is why James Irvin’s comments to TSN.ca this week are so remarkable. After being fingered for painkiller use in a summer 2008 fight with Anderson Silva, Irvin took his suspension, dropped off the radar, and resurfaced only after his nagging injuries had healed. Rather than shovel mounds of excuses, he admits to making a mistake.
"It wasn't until a time that I just stopped taking them [painkillers] that I realized I needed them just to keep on functioning," he said. "At that time I had become an addict and I was hooked on them…If I have an injury bad enough where I have to take a narcotic, then I don't compete, then I have to sit out a fight. I'll never put any of those things in my body the rest of my life, again.”
In terms of orthopedic torture, MMA athletes have more in common with pro wrestlers than boxers. Grapplers, real or fictional, experience day after day of grinding, muscle and joint-torquing practice. Painkiller abuse is going to be a marked problem for any athlete who gradually sees connective tissue erode over time.
The day is coming closer when we will meet a number of mixed-style prizefighters in their 60s and beyond. And when we do, we may not like what we see.
