this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2024
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Showerthoughts

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Obviously this won’t work for all sports, but things like football, track, soccer, it would allow for de-gendered team, even allowing athletes with the skills but not the genetically-endowed physical attributes to have a place to play.

Note: I know very little about sports and being on a sports team, so please point out anything that doesn’t make sense.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 4 months ago (6 children)

Just make an "open class" where any identification, body mods, and performance enhancing drugs are unregulated. The best athletes that science can create.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Ah yes, the Enhanced Games brought to you be Peter Theil and a dozen of the worst tech bros you haven't heard of yet.

Part of the problem is that pro sports is already full of illicit doping. Another big part of the problem is that athletic exceptionalism is as much about winning the genetic lottery, getting lucky with no injuries at the peak of your career, and having the luxury of sponsorship/rich parents at an early age as it is doing lots of drugs.

The only real benefit you get out of an Enhanced Games exhibition is to sell dipshit frat bros the same promise Wheaties and Nike and GMC have been selling for decades - use our brand of steroid and you'll be a world champion, too. And frankly, that market is already kinda flooded.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I take your anti-corporate point. However, I believe pro-doping would totally work if it was a gladiatorial bloodbath decathalon within the olympics itself. And if you get caught doping in the non-doping sports, you're forced to compete in the decathalon with the juiced up killers. Jousting, Barenuckle boxing, Pride rules MMA, Hell in a Cell, no rules water polo, shit like that.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

if you get caught doping in the non-doping sports, you’re forced to compete in the decathalon with the juiced up killers

I'm listening...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

wait why not pump rich kids full of drugs? I don't see a loss here

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

aren't they already? isn't that one of the pros of being rich?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Everyone would die of heart attacks. I'm glad no one is trying this, the death rate would be through the roof.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You're wrong, they are trying it. Search for the Enhanced Games

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumo

sumo wrestlers life expectancy is 15 years shorter than an average japanese, they were already doing that

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

That's not due to performance enhancing drugs and body mods though, right? That's due to diet and associated lifestyle.

Although I think I still see your point; some sports not only encourage but require the top echelon of the sport to sacrifice their long-term health for the sake of a competitive edge. I'd use sumo as a cautionary tale as to why it's a bad idea, rather than proof that athletes are willing to make that sacrifice.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It sounds fun at first but imagine the amount of heart attacks and other horrible Mengele level fuckups.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

#mengeledidnothingwrong

wait, that's the right hashtag isn't it?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

put a \ in front of the # to 'escape' out the # so it isn't treated like a #heading font

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Well, on the other hand, medicine learned a lot... /s

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

It reminds me of that Onion episode with the shape shifters.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Finally, a sports I would watch

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

That has always been an excellent idea. Russia, China and the US&A - then maybe some weird shit comes out of India or Korea or somewhere, that would be nifty