In 2008, CBS aired the first live MMA fights on network television, with three successful events earning time period-winning ratings in all key young adult and young men demographics.  CBS’s most recent broadcast in October 2008 ranked as the night’s highest-rated program on both broadcast and cable in adults 18-34 and men 18-34, topping all other sports programming in those demographics, including the Major League Baseball playoffs and college football.

On Nov. 7, the world’s Number One-ranked MMA heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko of Russia, will face undefeated American Brett Rogers of Minnesota in the marquee match up. The fight marks the first bout for the highly coveted Emelianenko since his promotional company M-1 Global signed an agreement with STRIKEFORCE to co-promote major events.

“There’s no question this is a sport that is fast becoming a force in popularity and as a business,” said Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, Prime Time, CBS Television.  “We’re excited to be the platform that will enable millions more to see the athlete regarded as the very best in his sport.  The Number One heavyweight on the most-watched network has a very nice ring to it.”

Simply referred to as “Fedor” by fans around the world, the 6-foot, 235-pound Russian is one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.  He is a master of the Russian military combat system Sambo and boasts a record of 30 wins, one loss, no draws with 16 wins by submission, seven knockouts and seven decisions.  The 28-year-old Rogers (10-0) is a massive physical specimen standing 6-feet, 5-inches tall and weighing 265 pounds.  He possesses two of the heaviest hands in the sport of MMA, an attribute that has helped him knock out all 10 of his professional opponents.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring the STRIKEFORCE brand to CBS,” said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of STRIKEFORCE.  “We are looking forward to bringing MMA back to the network and to having the world’s No. 1 heavyweight-Fedor-compete for the first time on live network television against one of America’s most promising young, undefeated stars-Brett Rogers.”

STRIKEFORCE has experienced significant growth since it launched its first MMA promotion on March 10, 2006.  After signing a landmark deal to air live events on SHOWTIME® earlier this year, STRIKEFORCE earned the premium network its highest MMA rating ever on August 15 with Carano vs. Cyborg.  Shortly before the live telecast, the main event principals-Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos-were the most searched terms on Yahoo! and Google, while the fight was the most discussed subject on Twitter.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <https://mail.svse.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

About M-1 Global

M-1 Global (www.m-1global.com) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995.  Billed as the “World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts,” the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 90 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge’s international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as STRIKEFORCE.

Mark McGwire may have been the first to feel the wrath of the Baseball Writers Association of America the past few years but he certainly will not be the last. The group that votes in the candidates annually met in St. Louis during the All-Star break and turned down a proposal that would have established guidelines on player evaluation during the steroid era.

Rick Telander, a Chicago Sun-Times columnist, first brought up the topic at a local BBWAA gathering and then made a formal proposal in St.Louis at a national meeting, which was voted down 30-25. The rules in place now state that voters must consider a player’s “record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

That can be interpreted in many different ways and it would not be the worst idea to amend that rule slightly with the recent addition of performance-enhancing drugs into the equation. But there are two ways to look at this and it would not be a stretch to say that neither include the obvious.

Initially, would these journalists, who for the most part do not have any independent knowledge of the use and effects of PEDs besides what has come out post-McGwire, actually take the time to speak to people who are more knowledgeable in the subject before coming to a conclusion on this new set of criteria?

Secondly, if things remain the same, are these writers going to be consistent in their vote for all of the players that have been proven to or suspected of using PEDs that would have otherwise deserved to get into Cooperstown? This also brings the consultation into the equation with personnel from the medical profession or another qualified field.

Judging by the low percentage of votes McGwire has received in his first three years of eligibility, the BBWAA may be against the so-called “cheaters.” Big Mac was never a sure thing to make the Hall anyway, so it will be very interesting when the likes of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are on the ballot. The unofficial ‘automatic’ entry statistics such as 500 home runs and 300 wins may go by the wayside if some of these numbers may be viewed as being tainted.

Ken Davidoff, a columnist for New York Newsday and BBWAA member, voted against the proposal. He explained in today’s edition, “Why would we as a group discuss guidelines for PED use – rather than have every voter make that value judgement on his or her own – when we don’t discuss guidelines for closers, or designated hitter, or the merits of on-base percentage versus RBI?”

While Davidoff  does make a valid point, the main objective here is if the members of the BBWAA can make a value judgement on their own without the full knowledge necessary.  Will they hold a certain degree of prejudice against someone who may have used such a limited amount of steroids that it did not even make any difference in his performance?

When anyone – especially an athlete – begins using a PED, it takes more than just one needle in the ass to change warning track power. An entire regimen that includes a proper diet, sleep and intense training must accompany a cycle of steroids for it to have any effect on the user. Most people who take these substances without knowing what they are doing end up just retaining water and getting fat – certainly not a performance enhancer in those situations.

For this Hall of Fame steroid proposal to work, there are many more questions that need to be answered. Some of them will be next to impossible to attain, such as exactly what was administered and what else was done during these cycles. But for this to have any merit, there needs to be an attempt to ascertain those answers.

Sure, it’s easy to broad brush it and say steroids were against the rules and anyone who even tried them once should be sent to the brig. But it is more complicated than that and the idea of certain criteria concerning the Hall of Fame and PEDs is a noble one that can be honed to actually have some validity to it. Before we scoff at the notion, more information, such as what exactly was proposed in St. Louis, is needed to come to a conclusion.

We have contacted both Telander and Davidoff and would welcome their input on what we are proposing.

Photo by Jim Leary

MuscleSport Mag has reached out to RotoInfo and is awaiting a response. The main question on everyone’s mind is who was the original source. None of the names will shock you and many of them appeared in the Mitchell Report.

There does not appear to be any significance in the order of the names, either. It is not listed alphabetically or by position, so it appears to be a general list. The accuracy of it remains to be seen. While it seems inevitable that this list will become publicized at some time, we will not know for sure until then if the one on RotoInfo was truthful or not.

David Ortiz, who has come under scrutiny during his prolonged slump to start the season, was on this list, as was Manny Ramirez, his former teammate who is currently serving a 50-game suspension for a banned substance.

Roger Clemens, Raphael Palmiero and Sammy Sosa appear, and they may have to answer perjury charges for their subsequent denials under oath if this is in fact true. Alex Rodriguez’s name appears, which had already been reported.

The list actually contains only 103 names and does not include Jason Grimsley, who tested positive that same year according to court records. That may account for the difference of one and something that we will look to clarify if a response to our request is received.

Here are the names as reported by RotoInfo:

Source: http://rotoinfo.com/read_article.php?articleId=318

Photo by Bill Menzel

Although the Phils are in first place in their division, it is mostly by default. Lidge came crashing back down to earth with an 0-3, 7.86 ERA with 13 saves in 29 games before going on the disabled list. Ryan Madson stepped into the stopper’s role and had nearly as many blown saves (three) as saves (four). With Lidge making his first appearance in nearly three weeks, the fans at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark can only hope that the 2008 version is the one coming back.

Philadelphia leads the Mets – another team decimated by injuries –  by one full game in the National League East with a very paltry 38-34 mark, by far the weakest division leader in Major League Baseball. Considering that we are not even at the half way point in the season yet, it may come down to who can keep the most warm bodies on the field.

Photo by Bill Menzel

According to a report in Friday’s New York Daily News, trainer Angel Presinal, described as an “unsavory character,” has been associated with Rodriguez since 2001 and as late as 2007, when he won the American League MVP Award. The anonymous source in the article stated that Presinal accompanied Rodriguez for that entire season, even on the road, where the trainer would stay at the same hotel as A-Rod but share a room with Yuri Sucrat, who has been identified as the mysterious cousin that Rodriguez threw under the bus during his press conference on Tuesday.

Presinal’s name has been associated with sluggers suspected of steroid use in the past, and he even was mentioned in the Mitchell Report. In 2001, the trainer was involved in an incident at a Toronto airport when he was carrying a bag containing five amps of steroids, and an unidentified amount of clenbuterol and hypodermic needles. Presinal told the Canadian Border Service Agency that the bag belonged to Juan Gonzalez, who played for the Cleveland Indians at the time.

According to the source, Presinal was not around Rodriguez last season, but Sucrat, described as Rodriguez’s driver, and is with him “everyday.”

Major League Baseball warned it’s players to stay away from Presinal following the Toronto incident and the league began monitoring the trainer’s relationship with players since then. By Rodriguez using Sucrat essentially as a middleman, he was able to avoid any scrutiny. ESPN reported that Rodriguez might face discipline from the league if his contact with Presinal can be proven.

Presinal runs a gym in Santo Domingo named Palacio del los Deportes (The Sports Palace).

Another revelation came out today when Dr. Pia Veras, who oversees the agency that regulates pharmaceutical drugs in the Dominican Republic, told ESPNdeportes.com that Primobolan is not and has not been legal for sale, over-the-counter or even with a prescription. Testosterone, on the other hand, can be had with ease.

What does that all mean? Absolutely nothing, because you can get Primo through any underground source and the entire cousin scenario seems to have blown up in A-Rod’s face, anyway. Presinal was his source and will no doubt be squeezed by federal investigators if he is stupid enough to come back to America. Sucrat, on the other hand, better get a good lawyer.

Photo by Bill Menzel

According to a report on the Sports Illustrated website, “four sources have independently told” SI that “Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s ’03 survey testing.”

The previously stated anonymous testing was conducted after MLB and the Player’s Association agreed to it as a reference source if random drug testing would be necessary the following year.

The report further stated that Rodriguez told an SI reporter on Thursday that he was not saying anything about it and that the scribe would “have to talk to the union.” Subsequent attempts to receive a statement from Donald Fehr, the union executive director, were met with negative results.

When the test was given, Rodriguez was a member of the Texas Rangers and won both the American League Most Valuable Player Award and the home run title (47) that summer. During that offseason, he was dealt to the Yankees. Rodriguez tested positive for two types of steroids – testosterone and Primobolan, which is also known as methenolone.  

The list of player’s names that tested positive has been exposed as a result of a seizure by federal agents at a Long Beach, California lab that was one of two that performed the testing. They were investigating 10 player’s links to BALCO.

Due to more than five percent of players testing positive during the anonymous period, MLB instituted a mandatory testing program with penalties in 2004.

Photo by Joe Perricone

Just when you thought that we had heard everything the government had on Bonds, new evidence has popped up that shows the former Giants slugger used different steroids than the ‘clear’ and the ‘cream,’ which he already testified to using. An alleged urinalysis taken during Bonds’ BALCO days is what the feds are dangling and hope to prove that he lied to the grand jury that he wasn’t aware he take steroids and used more than he claimed.

Using multiple government agencies to get their man, the IRS executed a search warrant in the home of Greg Anderson’s mother-in-law. Bond’s former trainer has kept quiet about his knowledge of steroid use by baseball’s excommunicated home run king. Anderson may in fact get called to testify again, which his lawyer said he would never do, even at the expense of being incarcerated again.

Still not enough? The feds are also getting the immortal back-up cater Bobby Estellala to take the stand and say that he had knowledge of Bonds using steroids while they were Giant teammates.

By Bonds remaining a free man and holding the single season and all-time home run records, the federal government and Major League Baseball are both red in the face. Their persistence in going after Bonds, who goes on trial for perjury on March 2 in San Francisco, has gone beyond an obsession.

Makes one nostalgic for the good old days of McCarthyism.

While working as a clubhouse attendant for the New York Mets (1986-95), he supplied not one, but two urine samples for cokehead pitcher Dwight Gooden. Looked at as a sure future Hall of Famer earlier in his career, ‘Doc’ took the wrong road and failed three drug tests between 1987 and 1994, which subsequently resulted in him being suspended for the 1995 season.

Radomski spoke of the Gooden instances during an interview on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” on Sunday. He also has a tell-all book coming out on Tuesday entitled “Bases Loaded.”

The ESPN report further stated that Gooden would not comment further than text messaging “LOL” after he became aware of Radomski’s account.

Since he has become a public figure, Radomski has stayed away from the media until now. He pled guilty two years ago to distributing steroids and money laundering. For his cooperation, he pled out to a sentence of five years probation and a $18,575 fine. These days, Radomski is the co-owner of an auto shop in St. James on Long Island.

This was an obvious witch-hunt against Arnold that was fostered by MLB and the pull they have in the federal government. Congressional hearings, federal grand juries, pulling supplements off the shelves and making them illegal – these are all indications that baseball has a fair amount of interest in Washington.

This raid was a twin killing for the establishment. They not only bowed down to the Commissioner, but also took down someone who was involved when all of Selig’s trouble began.

Reports stated that the case originated from the Boston offices of the DEA, but the agents from the Chicago office executed the search warrants. Ergopharm’s offices are located in Champaign, Illinois.

Photo by Jim Leary

Getting around the rules has become all the rage in the paranoid world of Major League Baseball. The players are looking for an excuse to fall back on as the administration keeps making the banned substance list longer. The latest way around it? According to an Associated Press report, 106 major leaguers have claimed to have ADHD, thus allowing them to take something on the aforementioned list.

That number comes out to 7.86 percent of the players and according to someone who is ‘in the know,’ that is a preposterous amount when compared to the general population. A red flag has definitely been raised, according to the Gary Wadler, the chairman of the committee determining what is on the banned substance list for the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“This is incredible,” said Wadler in the AP report. “This is quite spectacular. There seems to be an epidemic of ADD in major league baseball. I’ve been in private practice for a lot of years. I can count on one hand the number of individuals that have ADD.

“To say that [7.86 percent] of major league baseball players have attention deficit disorder is crying out for an explanation,” continued Wadler. “It is to me as an internist so off the map of my own experience.”

Another stat given in the report that would seem to back up Wadler’s claim is that the National Institute of Mental Health estimates three to five percent of children have ADD.

The report did not state what substance was being allowed by the players claiming to have ADD.