Amid news that a British rugby player has become the first athlete to test positive for HGH, the league has reiterated its position that it favors the same blood test that caught the guy whose fish and chips were spiked with something other than vinegar.
“Our position is that HGH blood testing has advanced to the point where we are taking steps to incorporate it into our program,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
The union, however, continues to resist such an invasive protocol — echoing the position of the late Gene Upshaw, former Executive Director of the NFLPA.
“At this point, there’s no reason to believe that blood-testing for NFL players will or should be implemented,” NFLPA assistant executive director for external affairs George Atallah told Maske. “We should instead focus on preserve the drug-testing policy that we have in place.”
(To which Aiello surely would reply, “You mean the drug-testing policy the union sued in the StarCaps case?”)
Buccaneers fullback Earnest Graham estimated last year that 30 percent of all NFL players use HGH. As a reader opined in response, “Graham is only 70 percent off.”
So if the league and the union are serious about eradicating cheating, they should be committed to negotiating effective measures without regard to leverage or any other niceties of collective bargaining. Both sides need to implement proper measures — and the union should not resist merely in the hopes of securing a concession from the league in some other area.
Few issues can be distilled to black and white clarity. This is one of them. Either the union is serious about catching cheaters, or the union isn’t. There’s no middle ground.
Of course the union isn’t interested in catching cheaters.
They care about the union over ethics.
You know, like most modern unions.
I hope the owners lock out these HGH frauds and sign replacement players. On the other hand, Goodell let a convicted dog killer back in the league. The NFL is becoming a cartoon…
Nonsense about the union not using this as a negotiating point — it would be horribly foolish to give a concession on blood testing without receiving anything in return.
Umm, if they are serious about head injuries isn’t this a no-brainer (sorry, couldn’t resist)? If guys are artificially stronger and hit harder wouldn’t the first step to reducing head injuries be to make sure they are just “men” and not artificially “super” men? Again, maybe it makes too much sense for a union to agree to. But seems pretty obvious to me…
If the NFL starts testing for HGH, you can be sure that Brett Favre will retire.
Few fans truly realize the extent of hgh use. Personally, I like to think that I have studied the issue and have begun to notice telltale signs that could be indicators of hgh use.
One of the biggest signs is loss of body fat. Even with steroids people its difficult to get in under 7-8 percents and almost impossible to get under 5, yet you see alll these people with ripped washboard abs, especially ove the age of 30. This is not possible without hgh.
If you want to know what hgh does to the body, look up some recent photos of Sly Stallone.
just because a guy’s 6’5″ weighing in at a svelte 265 and running a 40 time under 4.5 doesn’t mean he’s cheating……….
What percentage of players are using HGH? I bet it is very high. Probably higher than the percentage of baseball players that were juicing during the peak of the “roid era”. There is no way the union allows this testing.
Blue moutain state for national champs !
Yawn. This is all window dressing. The NFL is not serious about stopping doping. If they where, they would know (like Olympic sports does) you have to test certain blood markers. Testing for specific drugs is a waste of time.
If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’.
well if all players do it than by defenition it can’t be cheating.
I agree with you, Mike. But I also gotta say, a blood test IS more invasive than a piss test. It would tick me off if I had to get pricked randomly for an HGH test if I never used the stuff.
“Either the union is serious about catching cheaters, or the union isn’t. ”
If the players are cheaters, and the union represents the players, then of course they don’t want to catch cheaters
No Fun League
Has anyone consulted with Brett Farve regarding this……..Florio, have you?
I have no problem with players using HGH, based on what I’ve read about its effects. However, by 2015, all NFL players will look like Richard Kiel, except without the steel teeth.
HGH should be legal in the NFL. It’s legal with a prescription for society in general; has no known side effects when used properly; and has no proven effect on athletic performance other than aiding in injury recovery, which it makes it no different than dozens of other treatment regimens injured players use. In fact, it is safer than many drugs and injections teams legally use to “aid” injured players, or should I say mask their pain so they will play through injuries, risking further problems.
This information may surprise you if you consider listening to sports talk radio and reading blogs to be research. Spend a little quality time with Google and you’ll find plenty of evidence to back up the points I make above.
there won’t be enough left to field 10 teams
One of the biggest signs is loss of body fat. Even with steroids people its difficult to get in under 7-8 percents and almost impossible to get under 5, yet you see alll these people with ripped washboard abs, especially ove the age of 30. This is not possible without hgh.
If you want to know what hgh does to the body, look up some recent photos of Sly Stallone.
======================
HGH does not burn body fat. It does not increase metabolism or endurance in people under 40. For Christ’s sake, do a little research.
Stallone is the perfect example of a person who would get the most results from HGH use. He’s 60.
HGH should be sanctioned by the NFL. In the medically safe dosage it is not dangerous, helps in injury recovery and has only marginal performance enhancement characteristics – again, IN THE MEDICALLY SAFE AND RECOMMENDED DOSAGE (i.e. sufficient to bring levels back to those of a 20 y.o.). This means injured star players could be back on the field faster, meaning a better product for the NFL, thus mo money. Get off the high horse and just do it.
For those who want to challenge this – do some real reading (in the medical journals), not just some stupid google search. I used and abused so many performance enhancing drugs in my 20s and 30s and researched them to death so that I could use the right combinations with the least ill effects to be on a competitive (bodybuilding) level. HGH is nothing compared to Anadrol-50, for instance, in terms of performance enhancement and negative effects.
This stuff is, in proper dosages, an effing miracle. As soon as I can afford the $800/month my local anti-aging clinic is charging, my old flabby ass is on it. Thank god for muscle memory – it’s the damnable over-40 flab I need help with. Not to mention healing times from injuries and a stronger immune system.
It is kind of laughable to hear him state that we don’t need HGH but need to continue or improve the current system.
Wouldn’t adding HGH be improving it?
Instead of lying, just come out and say it…you don’t want it added because you KNOW that many players would get screwed by it.
CBA bargaining chip.
yawn.
I’d rather just test then going into college then into the nfl. However some guys you can tell quit, like Merriman, you can see his before and after shots he shrank in mass. He was most definetly taking something.
It’s not cheating if they don’t enforce a punishment for it.
“Yawn. This is all window dressing. The NFL is not serious about stopping doping. If they where, they would know (like Olympic sports does) you have to test certain blood markers. Testing for specific drugs is a waste of time.”
Those blood markers are what the drugs metabolize into. That’s what we’re talking about here.
But I do agree that this is just theater – there’s no chance the players agree to this. This is part of the PR war. In fact I’d wager this is in response to the union’s threat of collusion earlier today.
Basically, we have a bunch of PR dorks engaging in a slapfight. Worth an eye-roll, nothing more.
This is a step forward. Now, what about the Crip testing? MS13. Surenos, Nortenos, Aryan Brotherhood, shall I go on………
Latin Kings and all the others you can find on the History channel. I love that channel.
I’ll believe this when I see it, but if they actually implemented REAL testing for growth, this would be as big of a milestone as the Steroid crackdown of the 80′s.
However, until the sports world stops targeting football and wrestling, and realizes that baseball, golf, the NBA, tennis, and every other sport is USING growth, and actual steroids, then nothing will stop.
The problem is ignorance of the general public in thinking that steroids makes you 300 pounds of hulking muscle, and that unless you are a bodybuilder, you have no use for any enhancement. This ignorance is what protects athletes and creates this illusion that they are superhuman. It’s not just football and wreslting folks, I can hit a golf drive or tennis serve a lot better if I’m on the juice.
poiuyt says:
February 23, 2010 9:50 PM
If the NFL starts testing for HGH, you can be sure that Brett Favre will retire.
—————–
why would he retire? Wha…..oooooooooh see I get it. You’re trying to insinuate that Brett…that Brett is on HGH. You’re an idiot and you’re not even funny. Please don’t reply to this post ok.
If anyone knows about HGH and steroids, it’s definitely Lex Luger.
Players will miss a lot more games when HGH is banned. I believe it is used readily to aide in recovery times from injuries. More star players will miss games, the NFL will conclude the game is too violent and legislate even more hitting from the league. In a few decades after a few concussion lawsuits and all of the recovery drugs are banned, this league will resemble flag football. That is, if it is not literally flag football.
NFL = National Flag football League
You wanna protect QB’s and curb concussions a little bit? Well this is the way to do it. Human beings should not be 6’4″ 325 and run a 4.4 40…I think the opininig reader that said Graham is 70% off is almost correct.
First in line should be Favre.
I’m sure only vikings do this. right jimmy smith? i’m sure vikings are the reason for the toyota recall, also.
For all the people who said “do a little research”, might I suggest you do the same. Because the medical community is divided on the efficacy of HGH and possible side effects.
Now, I thought the NFL could just add drugs as they see fit? They only had to give notice to the union, which then is supposed to notify it’s constituates. That’s what baseball has, which brings me to the guy throwing stones at MLB. Maybe you should pay more attention to what’s going on in other leagues. Baseball has already instituted HGH testing in the Minor League system. If it tests accurately, it will be implemented at the major league level.
“Those blood markers are what the drugs metabolize into. That’s what we’re talking about here.”
Well, it’s not what I’m talking about. You see in Olympic sports, like weightlifting and cycling and so on, They establish (though constant testing) a baseline for each athlete, this sets ‘markers’ for various homones and they compare current tests with tests from the past, any spikes, bang! Youv’e been busted for doping!
That’s how you stop dopers, and also why it will NEVER happen in the NFL