Reason to jeer when they cheer
Performance-enhancing drugs have been in the news with baseball, football and track and field getting most of the headlines, but author Lisa Torgovnick says the drugs have popped up where least expected: in cheerleading.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, February 23, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 23 words Type of Material: Correction
Morning Briefing: An item in Thursday's Sports section identified the author of the book "Cheer!" as Lisa Torgovnick. The author is Kate Torgovnick.
Torgovnick has written a book titled "Cheer!" that chronicles three teams on the way to the annual National Cheerleaders Assn. finals. In it, she writes that male cheerleaders bulk up on steroids so they can heft more weight, according to the Wilmington (N.C.) Star-News.
And the substance abuse in cheerleading is not limited to males.
"Flyers, under pressure to stay light -- and maintain the usual unrealistic Barbie standards of beauty -- take a pharmacy of drugs including, occasionally, cocaine," the Star-News report said. "Except for the cocaine, though, almost all this abuse is perfectly legitimate, since the NCAA rates cheerleading as an activity rather than a sport."
Trivia time
On this date in 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi became the first American since 1976 to win an Olympic gold medal in women's figure skating. Who won the silver and bronze that year?
Father knows best
New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte may have acknowledged using HGH in 2002 and 2004, but third baseman Alex Rodriguez said he has respect for his teammate.
"Andy is one of the greatest human beings I've ever met," Rodriguez said. "I have two daughters -- well, I have one and one on the way . . . I would want 'em to marry Andy Pettitte."
Never mind that Pettitte is 35 and A-Rod's older daughter is 3.
"The age difference might be a little awkward, but in today's day and age anything is possible," Rodriguez said.
Mad about you
Michelle Wie, making her LPGA Tour debut today in Hawaii, has spent the last six months acclimating to life as a Stanford freshman.
One thing that Wie, an only child, had to get used to is having a roommate. She recalled the first day she met hers.
"She was like, 'Oh, I've heard of you before. I'm so glad you're not a crazy person,' " Wie said. "And I'm like, 'Thanks, I'm glad you're not a crazy person too.' "
Dancing around the subject
Wie said her course load at Stanford includes Japanese, a writing course, a humanities course and a hip-hop dance class that she called "really interesting," but wasn't ready to show off what she has learned.
"Don't ask me to show you anything," she said.
