University Park, Pa. — College sports fans often have two questions on their minds when they consider the performance of the best young athletes: How can they possibly be so good, and how can we get them on our team? New "Expert Opinion with Graham Spanier" episodes scheduled for September on the Big Ten Network will probe two highly volatile topics especially directed toward elite student-athletes: drug use and recruiting practices.
The use of and tests for performance-enhancing drugs have been among the most heated topics in the field of sports, tempting ambitious competitors from youth through the professional level. The "Drugs and Drug Testing in Sports" edition of "Expert Opinion" will examine how steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs work in the body, what possible side effects they may cause in the long term, and whether those substances have hurt the reputations of athletes and sports.
Penn State President Graham Spanier, the show’s host, will welcome panelists Wayne Sebastianelli, David Joyner and Margot Putukian to the show, which premieres at noon Eastern time on Monday, Sept. 6.
Sebastianelli is the Kalenak Professor of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at Penn State and director of athletic medicine at Penn State Athletics. He has worked extensively with injured student-athletes in every sport since becoming the first director of Penn State’s Center for Sports Medicine in 1992. Joyner, head physician of Team USA at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games, is a former member of the Pan American Games Medical Commission, which oversees anti-doping efforts at the Pan American Games. He also is past chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s sports medicine committee and former vice chair of the USOC’s anti-doping committee. Putukian is the director of athletic medicine and head team physician at Princeton University. She served as Past President of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, chair for the U.S. Lacrosse Sports Science and Safety committee, and is a fellow member in the American College of Sports Medicine.
Panelists on the second "Expert Opinion" show in September will discuss practice, progress and policies on "Recruiting Top College Athletes." The show will explore the techniques and resources coaches use to identify top talent; the challenges and limitations of regulations; and the kinds of pressures recruiters face from bosses, agents and fans.
Joining Spanier on the Sept. 20 show are experts Mike McQueary, Russ Rose and Frank Busch. McQueary is recruiting coordinator for Penn State football. His efforts as recruiting coordinator yielded six of the fastest and most athletic classes in Penn State history. He also was a quarterback for Penn State from 1994 to 1997. Rose is Penn State’s head coach for women’s volleyball. He has accumulated more than 1,000 wins and four national championships, and is an 11-time Big Ten Coach of the Year. In addition to coaching volleyball, he teaches sports ethics at Penn State. Busch is head coach for men’s and women’s swimming at the University of Arizona. In 2008, both his men’s and women’s teams captured national championships. He has been named NCAA Coach of the Year six times, and Pac-10 Coach of the Year 11 times. He has served on the USA Olympics coaching staff for both the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"Recruiting Top College Athletes" airs at noon on Monday, Sept. 20, on the Big Ten Network.
Show times are listed for Eastern time; check local listings. Go to http://expertopinion.psu.edu for more information about the shows and to watch previously aired episodes.
