Since the authors of Game of Shadows are coming to class on Monday, this week's assignment is to pose questions for the writer's. Do make sure you read what others have asked and try not to repeat. It'll pay to post early. You can ask Lance & Mark anything about the book, the process, their lives as writers.
Please post 3 questions about the text and 1-2 questions about anything else.
1) What do you think is the key drive behind the different athletes partaking in steroid use?
ReplyDelete2) What was the hardest part about researching and reporting on this topic, especially dealing with such a taboo topic. What is the process like converting the research into an actual book?
3) Victor Conte obviously plays a huge role in the story, how do you think his mindset regarding his business contributed to the different athletes stories?
4) What are your favorite and least favorite parts about being writers?
- Chloë
1) What inspired you to write this book especially given the history of obstacles other journalists faced after speaking out about athletes’ steroid use?
ReplyDelete2) What sources did you use to compile information for this book?
3) What prompted you to include the sections in the book about steroids in the Olympics, and in the sport of track and field?
4) What investigation, or article, has been the most challenging to research and report on?
Ally
1) I originally believed that this book was solely about Bonds and his story regarding steroid use, however, Bonds is not even mentioned until well into the story. How come you decided to include the stories about the other athletes who used steroids at the beginning of the book?
ReplyDelete2) Did you ever develop sympathy for any of the athletes as you heard their stories?
3) What was the most interesting thing you learned during the process of creating (both interviewing and writing) this book?
4) If/How do you believe the atmosphere surrounding steroids has changed over the years?
Samantha
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. In what way do you think the use of steroids in sports impacts the audience?
ReplyDelete2. What would be the impact of allowing or even encouraging the use of steroids in sports?
3. Throughout the process did you ever feel sympathy or at least understand and empathize with Conte's story and understand why he did what he did?
4. Do you feel that, for the players in your book that were caught using steroids and banned for a few years to life, that the impact that the steroids made (on their bodies, on their image and on their career) was worth the positives of the drugs on their career?
5. Should players who use steroids be viewed as disgraceful as they're usually portrayed?
6. In what way are power dynamics at play in sports steroid use? Do you feel like there's a direct pressure from some athletes to others to use steroids?
1) Were either of you fans of Bonds' before you wrote the book? If so, what was it like writing a book about his downfall?
ReplyDelete2) What role do you think race played in Bonds' career?
3) What role did the media have in how Bonds' was portrayed? Do you think some of it was unfair?
4) How did coauthoring work? What was the writing process like?
Joe
ReplyDelete1) What was the process like to gather all the info needed to reveal and document this major scandal?
2) Did the amount of cheating shock you as you guys uncovered all the stars who were abusing?
3) What has the general feedback been from professional athletes not accused in the book?
Other questions:
Assuming you guys are/were baseball fans, who is your all-time favorite player(s)?
1) Was there a shortage of source material/primary sources in any sections and how did you address it? Were some sections shortened or omitted?
ReplyDelete2) Did you know any of the people in the book personally and did that affect how you wrote about them? If not, was there anyone you really wanted to meet after doing research and writing the book?
3) Why do you speak on Kevin Ryan (In my opinion) so little when he seemed to be such an important person to the BALCO case? Do you think the decisions regarding the BALCO case actually did come from Washington?
4) Do you think there is any sport or activity in which all steroids should be legal?
5) What do you think of people (like dancers) who while not necessarily competing for a prize or on a team, but for a position in a show or to keep their job, use steroids to recover from injuries quicker or get those few extra hours of practice?
- Bria(n)
Delete?) If someone's statistics were already Hall of Fame caliber before they started using steroids should they still get into the Hall of Fame?
Delete1) What was the process of writing about a very controversial subject like? Did you ever encounter someone who was bothered by your investigation?
Delete2) How have your views of baseball and the surrounding athletic community changed through writing this book?
3) Do you ever see steroids penetrating high school and college sports as they did professionally?
4) Were you ever a Barry Bonds fan and what do you think of him now?
Angus
1) How long did it take to collect all the necessary evidence and personal accounts for the book?
ReplyDelete2) Who was the most difficult to gather information on, and why?
3) Do you believe the blame should fall more heavily on the athletes or the suppliers, or is the blame equal?
4) Do you believe Bonds should still be inducted into the HOF?
5) In your opinion, do you believe steroids will ever be fully eradicated from sports, or will athletes continue to find a way around whatever rules are put in place?
Griff
1. Did you have any prior expectations or ideas about how the storyline would turn out?
ReplyDelete2. Did these ideas change as you began to find more and more evidence about the players and BALCO?
3. How did your preconceived ideas about the players and the organization change throughout your research and investigation?
4. How did your general view of baseball change throughout the process of writing Game of Shadows?
1. Why did you choose to talk so much about track & field, when the story is one primarily about baseball? Why did you want to widen the scope rather than zeroing in on baseball?
ReplyDelete2. How long did it take from start to finish - idea, interview, editing, and finally publishing?
3. What did you hope to accomplish in including tidbits of race, as a key part of Bonds' identity as a professional ball player?
4. Do you guys believe that entirely PED-free professional sports are a possibility? Even as time goes on and these reports are released, people continue to juice. What do you see as a possible solution?
1. Why did you choose to include so many extraneous characters outside of Bond's case? What were you trying to convey by including them?
ReplyDelete2. Did you ever feel pity or bad for Bonds and the way you portrayed him?
3. Did you feel bad or strange about writing on matters or including details that may not have been heard before?
1. How do you feel personally about the Bonds case?
1. What was the biggest obstacle you faced writing this book?
ReplyDelete2. What was your research process like? Were people generally resistant to give interviews/talk to you?
3. How did your views and opinions on the use of PEDs change while writing this book?
4. What were some of the most extreme reactions people had to the book (positive or negative)?
5. What were people’s initial reactions when you would tell them you were writing a book on Bonds and steroid usage in the MLB being Bay Area residents?
1.) Was there any material you were forced to omit from the book that you would have liked to include?
ReplyDelete2.) You mention the media frenzy surrounding the BALCO story at several points, and how everyone was racing to get the scoop. How was the Chronicle able to beat everybody else to the punch?
3.) Was there any point during the writing process where you considered backing off due to the potential impact and personal consequences your reporting could bring about?
4.) Do you feel like you might write about the BALCO case again sometime in the future? If so, in what context (an update, retrospective, etc.)?
- Sam R.
Delete1. Do you think there is a direct correlation between athletes contracts and their decision to use steroids?
ReplyDelete2. When you guys were writing this book, did you ever find it hard to believe what you were finding through your research and did that ever destroy your perception of any of these athletes?
3. What made you guys so interested into diving into the BALCO story and did you ever have your doubts before starting your research and writing?
4. If you guys played a professional sport, and your career has peaked (meaning high paying contracts) and your skills started to decline, would you you use steroids to get your game back?
-Cooper Reinhart
1. After doing a high level of research for your book, has your view on the legality of PEDs changed at all?
ReplyDelete2. A large portion of baseball relies on hand eye coordination. As far as we know steroids have no impact on that. Could you speak on your thoughts on that?
3. Clearly steroids work. They enhance the player's skills as well as make the game more exciting to watch. Why then, do you believe, it should be outlawed?
Other Questions:
1. Who is your favorite current player?
1b. How would you feel if it came out that he had been taking steroids?
-Connor Roach
Please post 3 questions about the text and 1-2 questions about anything else.
ReplyDeleteThought the process of doing research for the book, were there any moments when you began to question what honor was left in the sport?
I did not know about the widespread use of PED's in professional sports and I was wondering if you had any second thoughts about publishing this book, due to how it reveals the bad side of the players that fans do not typically want to see.
Was there anything that you discovered during you research that you thought was too compromising to the players that you purposely left out?
Have either of you ever thought about writing another book on this subject focusing on a sport like lacrosse or figure skating?