NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and players union chief DeMaurice Smith are heading back to Capitol Hill next week.
This week Goodell and Smith testified about brain injuries before the House Judiciary Committee, and next week, the Associated Press reports, both are scheduled to testify before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee about the aborted suspensions of Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams.
Williams and Williams got four-game suspensions for taking the supplement StarCaps, which included the banned substance Bumetanide. But they got those suspensions thrown out after suing the league in state court on the grounds that the NFL’s testing violated Minnesota workplace laws. The NFL also held off on suspending Saints defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith, who also took StarCaps, until the case with Williams and Williams is resolved.
None of the players are accused of taking anabolic steroids, but the suspensions were issued under the league’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances — a policy that in the past has been lauded by members of Congress as a policy that Major League Baseball should emulate.
The hearing is titled, “The NFL StarCaps Case: Are Sports’ Anti-Doping Programs At A Legal Crossroads?” Committee Chairman Henry Waxman has said he is concerned that the StarCaps case will result in professional sports leagues adopting less stringent policies regarding performance-enhancing drug use.
Representatives of Major League Baseball, the baseball players’ union and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency will also testify.
I was just reading this exact same article on ESPN…Does this site simply take what ESPN posts, then re-post it here? I’m confused…Sure there are some stories that are here that aren’t on ESPN, but it seems odd that a lot of the stories seem to be cut and pasted from the self proclaimed WWL in sports.
aaaaaaaaagh no politics in sports plz.
Undersupported troops in Afghanistan, economy is in a shambles, talking about bailing out GM (GMAC) again, spending is through the roof as is unemployment, the whole healthcare thing —and Congress has time for this.
Unreal (IMHO)
# footballrulz says: October 30, 2009 3:48 PM
Undersupported troops in Afghanistan, economy is in a shambles, talking about bailing out GM (GMAC) again, spending is through the roof as is unemployment, the whole healthcare thing —and Congress has time for this.
Unreal (IMHO)
——————————————————
You must have lost your complimentary armband. Please report for mandatory re-education on how you can volunteer for planned parenthood (i mean recycle).
ALL HAIL THE OVERLORD!
Hopefully Goodell won’t be stupid enough to utter this comment again in Washington (or Cleveland, or Oakland).
“Nothing brings a team and a community
together better than the NFL.”
footballrulz says: October 30, 2009 3:48 PM
Undersupported troops in Afghanistan, economy is in a shambles, talking about bailing out GM (GMAC) again, spending is through the roof as is unemployment, the whole healthcare thing —and Congress has time for this.
Unreal(IMHO)
Thank you, Reverund. Your self righteousness is admired and applauded.
But you see Howie Long – pitchman – as the answer,right?
They are going to get grilled for not taking any action against those substance abusing cheaters and the team they are still on.
Taking a steroid masking agent is illegal in almost all big time sports except the vikings.
The public is outraged and letting Congress hear about it.
The Comissioner has to explain why cheaters are allowed to continue to play in the NFL after testing positive for substances that disguise steroid use.
It is a great evil that must be purged from the NFL.
Great evil? Try telling the states they can’t pass state laws. I’ll take to the streets to stop that. It’s guaranteed by the Ten Amendment.
Congress does not have the power to take away the powers granted to the states by the Constitution. You cannot fix a problem by violating the supreme law of the land.
Just because their is a problem does not mean trying to do something in an unconstitutional manner is the proper way to fix it.
The Constitution grants the states the power to pass state laws except in areas defined by the constitution.
Let’s not create a bigger problem than already exists.
Just because something is made more difficult by laws does not justify tearing them up. It’s not easy to pay taxes or avoid speeding when you are late, but that is what the law reguired. It is not impossible to write a drug policy that is legal in all the states. It’s just that sports leagues are too damn lazy to do it.