Union tells players test is coming for HGH

[Warhorse]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000229608/article/union-memo-tells-nfl-players-hgh-testing-is-closer

 

 

To me, this is so...."pssst......better stop using now".

[OffensivelyPC]

Over/under - 115 players busted in the first 4 weeks.

[BOTT]

They have been saying "it's coming" forever.....I will believe it when it actually happens. Players are probably prepared for it anyway....just be sure to keep your testosterone levels under 10x of what's normal.

[dgambill]

Over/under - 115 players busted in the first 4 weeks.

They can only test 5 players on 8 teams a week....so that would ONLY be 160 tests....that is probably a little high....and it is supposedly random....*yeah right*. Trust me they won't catch that many. There will be a few sacrificial lambs that they know are cheating and try to scare the rest straight. I imagine it will be closer to 20.

 

I am just excited they are actually going to make an effort to clean up the game. This is the first sign that they are actually committed to player health...which I know mostly it is for show. Considering how bad the issue is in MLB...there is no doubt in my mind the NFL is basically a bunch of lab rats with what most guys are using. You can't have the explosion in size and speed and have injuries and concussions going through the roof and it not have any correlation. There are going to be a lot of unhappy fans around the league I imagine when some of their favorite stars have to sit....including us...I imagine however the media will cover it differently though....taking the players side as that the playing career is so short...and the NFL pressures them...and so on as to blaming these guys for doing it....just waiting for it.

[dgambill]

They have been saying "it's coming" forever.....I will believe it when it actually happens. Players are probably prepared for it anyway....just be sure to keep your testosterone levels under 10x of what's normal.

It was a part of the collective bargaining agreement....it was a detail they said would be worked out later.....over 2 years later now lol....how convienent!!!  I think it is coming...but I'm not sure if either side is going to really make it an issue or utilize it how it should be.

[21isSuperman]

I don't see why anyone would be against this.  Can someone shed light as to why it is taking so long to implement?

[PrincetonTiger]

I saw that on the NFL site

[JoKeR]

Over/under - 115 players busted in the first 4 weeks.

Under, 115 seems extremely high. I'm going with around 15-35

[Hans Moleman]

This is a joke. And I'm not just talking about the ridiculously short testing window the testing provides, either. (one can use for dinner, test negative by breakfast).

 

Here's what you need to know: The NFL isn't suspending anyone for HGH this year. The testing being done is a population study being performed in order to determine "normal" baseline levels in the future. 

 

Why do I use the quotation marks? Because players know that by using HGH right before the study, they can skew the baseline numbers to be artificially high so that none of them will test positive in the future. With no risk whatsoever of being suspended for HGH during this study, there's even less motivation for players not to use than ever.

[ColtsBlueFL]

I thought this at first too, until I read the full agreement.  I found this-

 

{click on each to enlarge}

 

 

And also saw this-

 

 

Finally this-

 

 

So I think it does include real punitive measure this year.  We shall see.

[OffensivelyPC]

They can only test 5 players on 8 teams a week....so that would ONLY be 160 tests....that is probably a little high....and it is supposedly random....*yeah right*. Trust me they won't catch that many. There will be a few sacrificial lambs that they know are cheating and try to scare the rest straight. I imagine it will be closer to 20.

 

I am just excited they are actually going to make an effort to clean up the game. This is the first sign that they are actually committed to player health...which I know mostly it is for show. Considering how bad the issue is in MLB...there is no doubt in my mind the NFL is basically a bunch of lab rats with what most guys are using. You can't have the explosion in size and speed and have injuries and concussions going through the roof and it not have any correlation. There are going to be a lot of unhappy fans around the league I imagine when some of their favorite stars have to sit....including us...I imagine however the media will cover it differently though....taking the players side as that the playing career is so short...and the NFL pressures them...and so on as to blaming these guys for doing it....just waiting for it.

I'm with you.  I honestly don't know how many people will get busted and I thought the same thing you did regarding the "random" part of the testing.  But it's not like I want people to go down in flames over this HGH testing.  It'll happen to some, sure.  Hope its not any of our guys!

[Hans Moleman]

I thought this at first too, until I read the full agreement.  I found this-

 

{click on each to enlarge}

 

 

And also saw this-

 

 

Finally this-

 

 

So I think it does include real punitive measure this year.  We shall see.

 

The most important line is "After the decision limit is established". There is a lot of leeway in how that limit is determined for the NFL, as they decided that WADA's  method was unreliable. In essence, they can make the decision limit whatever they want. And I don't trust for a second that, if the limit they determine indicates widespread HGH use, the owners won't simply raise it in order to come in under that 5% threshold (meaning that 144 players or less can test positive with no names being linked to samples). They're not going to harm their business by admitting to a flood of PED use- they're too good at PR for that.

 

And, finally, check out the way it's worded. Nobody's getting suspended for anything that comes from the population study. The only way they can get suspended is if they test positive during random testing, which is nearly impossible to catch HGH use from anyways.

 

I've got my issues with Foxnews, but here's an article they get right about the perception of the move: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2013/07/24/extra-points-hgh-testing-is-red-herring/

[rittdk01]

I don't see why anyone would be against this.  Can someone shed light as to why it is taking so long to implement?

Ask DeMaurice smith.  In all honesty a good percentage of every teams defense is OBVIOUSLY on HGH. I don't know why the head players rep is against an even playing field.  He's also against pads in the pants so I honestly think he likes fighting with Goodell rather than getting anything accomplished. 

 

Starting to feel like MLB all over again.   

[Kyle]

 

 

 

 

i know it was a bet or whatever.... but it is very hard to take anything you post serious with a shirtless Beiber as your avatar ;)

[OffensivelyPC]

Under, 115 seems extremely high. I'm going with around 15-35

Maybe it is, to me it just seems like 40 test a week, if it were truly random, would get a lot of positives.  I mean, no one knows the true number of players who use HGH, but I'd be willing to bet it is well over 50%

[shakedownstreet]

i wonder where i can get some hgh?  :cool:

[Hans Moleman]

i know it was a bet or whatever.... but it is very hard to take anything you post serious with a shirtless Beiber as your avatar ;)

 

Trust me, I know lol

[BOTT]

i wonder where i can get some hgh?  :cool:

Just go to one of those health/youth/wellness clinics. I'm sure they will find a reason to give you a script.

[Narcosys]

And the funny thing is.  It is not proven that any HGH supplement even works.

 

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=7479

 

Heres just one article, theres many more.

[Thewholefnshow28]

Outside of the influence PED use in professional sports has on the younger generations I really could not care less about PEDs in professional sports.  

 

To me unless they make the first failed test an automatic year long suspension and the second failed test a life time ban there is no real point to it because players will continue to do it.  You have to make the punishment so severe that it will outweigh the potential gain for taking it.  Players are not taking it because it is fun.  They are taking it to get a leg up on the competition to get more money.  Unless you make them think well if test positive I'm done for the season/life time ban they will continue to do it because the reward will outweigh the risk.

 

I also do not want to hear fans start whining about players taking longer to recover from injury as well.

[shakedownstreet]

Just go to one of those health/youth/wellness clinics. I'm sure they will find a reason to give you a script.

 

thanks! that worked!