Drug Screening Could Pose Problems to Users

A Virginia research company may become the thorn in the side of athletes that have been using human growth hormone and getting away with it. Due to the heavy drug testing for performance-enhancing drugs, anabolic steroids have become virtually impossible to use. Many have turned to HGH, which was only detectable through a blood test.

The scientists “developed particles that can trap microscopic elements in fluid,” according to a report in the International Herald Tribune. It may take six months or more for baseline testing to be conducted until the test could be used.

The heads of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all agreed during congressional hearings in February that they preferred urinalysis over the more invasive blood tests for HGH, which can only detect the substance over a 24 to 48-hour period. The urine test in question will be able to detect after a much longer period of time. Continue Reading »

Inconsistency Plagues Pitcher as Yanks Need Ace

At the start of the 2008 baseball season, Andy Pettitte seemed to be pitching with his mind elsewhere. Although his numbers weren’t all bad, the inconsistency that was rarely a part of his game seemed to be the only thing consistent during April and May and the beginning of June. One could hardly blame him, with the volatile offseason filled with the George Mitchell investigation and testimony for the congressional hearings starring Roger Clemens.

That all seemed to be past him as Pettitte won four straight decisions to improve to 9-5. Then word leaked out that he may have to testify in the federal defamation lawsuit that Clemens filed against both hurlers’ former trainer Brian McNamee. The following day, Pettitte got pounded by the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Continue Reading »

Hearings on Capitol Hill Should Hasten Rule Across the Board by 2009

By next year, horse racing will become just another sport with a ban on anabolic steroids. During the Congressional hearings on Thursday, a common theme was that everyone was in agreement that the ban should take place.

According to Jockey Club President Alan Marzelli, the organization’s safety panel called for the ban on all steroids, and they are confident that 2008 will be the last year to allow the use of such drugs.

Jack Van Berg, a Hall of Fame trainer, testified that thoroughbred racing has become “chemical warfare.”

“The present rules permitting the use of steroids and other drugs have compromised the integrity of horse racing and has been a major factor in attendance and for interest falling to an all-time low,” said Van Berg.

Taking nothing away from a man with his credentials, it is hard to believe that fans of the sport, and mainly gamblers, would not want to attend because one or more of the horses are juiced up. Quite the contrary, that would probably make the interest wider, making someone think that their horse that ‘had their Wheaties’ will be a sure thing. Continue Reading »

More Reasons To Show Clemens Used PEDs and Lied About It

Sergeant Joe Friday would implore “All we want are the facts, ma’am,” in what seemed to be nearly every episode of “Dragnet.” That is precisely what we all want in the Roger Clemens steroids scandal. While there may never be that proverbial ‘smoking gun’ type of evidence, it is quite clear that The Rocket is not being totally forthcoming when his staunch denials of using performance-enhancing drugs are questioned.

From his soapbox statements on “60 Minutes,” to his press conference in Houston and the Congressional Hearings from the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Clemens has made it a point to at least be consistent in attempting to distance himself from any PEDs.

The man who clearly stated that he doesn’t “give a rat’s a**” about being elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame could not seem more like a liar, with that statement and his endless others.

Continue Reading »