Congress On NBA drug Testing Policy

[WizardOfAz]

From Rep. Harry Waxman:

"The NBA policy on steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs is inadequate. Indeed of all the (US sport) policies we've seen it appears to be the weakest," Waxman said. "We also have to ask what's the impact of this weakness.

"The NBA's remarkably weak steroid program makes it impossible to know if there is a problem. Loopholes make it impossible to analyze the problem. We really don't know what's going on until they pass a real testing policy."

and from Rep. Stephen Lynch:

"It almost invites steroid use because there's no tests going on," said representative Stephen Lynch. "We know players are clean for two weeks. For the other 50 weeks of the year, players could be using steroids."

Lynch called testing "pathetic" and said Indiana Pacers players who brawled with spectators at a game in Detroit last November should have triggered the reasonable cause provisions of drug testing for possible "'Roid Rage."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050519/pl_afp/basketnbadoping_050519161138

 

[NickelBack]

Congress is going to bully Stern into something that the players won't like.

 

[Dan H]

I don't think steroids is a problem in the NBA simply because basketball is not the sort of game where you get a huge benefit from large masses of muscle.

 

[Joe Mama]

I don't think steroids is a problem in the NBA simply because basketball is not the sort of game where you get a huge benefit from large masses of muscle.

The "Steroids" that these people are talking about include many more drugs than just the kind that make you bulk up. Besides there are plenty of players in the NBA that would probably benefit (short-term) from doing just a cycle of steroids to get them a little bigger.

I honestly don't understand why people who aren't using steroids/drugs are so resistant to these tests. How hard is it to take a leak in a cup? If they are clean there is no problem. I think the players are worried that all that pot they are smoking is going to show up.

Joe Mama

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I watched the hearing and let me tell you this:

The congressional commitee has no clue what they are doing. At all.

They were beating up on Hunter and Stern over their drug policy that current calls for everyone to get tested in training camp, and for Rookies to be randomly tested up to 4 times during the season. Vets are not tested during the season unless there is probable cause.

Stern just kept saying that the current rules were put in place during the 1999 negotiations and that they were on the cutting edge at the time. He then said that both policies have already agreed to a more stringent testing process than congress' bill would require.

For some reason, the commitee wouldn't let the old policy go and accept that it is being changed in a month.

They also touched on the WNBA and asked why their policy is better than the NBA's. Again, Stern had to point out a different cycle for the CBA and that they were up to date at the time.


Also, Billy Hunter should never speak in these hearings. You could see Stern cringe when he opened his mouth. I used to think that Hunter was an on the ball type of guy who just seemed like a prick in order to protect the players. After watching this hearing Hunter looked more like someone trying to pick a fight with unintelligeable facts than a distinguished player rep.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

The "Steroids" that these people are talking about include many more drugs than just the kind that make you bulk up. Besides there are plenty of players in the NBA that would probably benefit (short-term) from doing just a cycle of steroids to get them a little bigger.

I honestly don't understand why people who aren't using steroids/drugs are so resistant to these tests. How hard is it to take a leak in a cup? If they are clean there is no problem. I think the players are worried that all that pot they are smoking is going to show up.

Joe Mama

I don't think that any player that plays significant time would benefit from any type of steriod use. I guess some bruiser trying to get in the league might, but I am not so sure about that.

Either way, I think you are on the right track as to why there is hesitation to accept the policy. If players implement a very tough drug testing policy, they will open the door to the entire drug program being redone.

Also, there is always a case every season or so where a player takes something for an injury without doing research and gets burned. I think Somalie Samake was the last player for it to happen to. If players use their independant doctors, they can easily get a legal drug prescribed that happens to include a banned substance. If there is a policy that gives a half season ban for a first offense (just a random number I threw out), then a player looses half of their income for not reading the label.

Just like the owners need protection from themselves with overspending, players need protection from themselves for other issues.

In reality, players should be forced to check with the team doctor before taking anything -- regardless is another doc prescribes it. Right now they aren't forced into that however.

 

[NickelBack]

I watched the hearing and let me tell you this:

The congressional commitee has no clue what they are doing. At all.

I agree with your comments about congress. And given that Stern's "Congressman, we are going to make you proud!" comment made me want to choke.

 

[frdbtr]

I watched the hearing and let me tell you this:

The congressional commitee has no clue what they are doing. At all

Actually I think that congress knows exactly what it is doing.....grandstanding. Even though some of the things that come out of this are going to be good (baseball) for the most part this is a good way for senators to get thier faces on TV so that thier constituants can see them being "tough" on what could be a winning issue, since on one likes to see cheaters get away with it.

 

[scotsman13]

heck what would happen if the nba had a strong anti drug program? can you say good bye to melo, damon stoudamire, zack randoph, rasheed wallace.

heck i remember about 10 years ago a player like brad droughty need to take some drug that was opiate based, he couldnt take it based on the nba drug policy. where is the real crime, in the player who takes drugs to get away or the player who is stopped from taking the best drugs to help them deal with an injury?

it all comes down to creating a drug policy that will do the best for the player and the fans of the game. and some how the idea that congress can come up with something like this and isnt something about them feeding their ego is hard to believe.

 

[haverford]

Heh, you'd think they'd have more important problems to pay attention to--you know, like war, health insurance, jobs. Jackasses.

 

[WizardOfAz]

Rep. Stephen Lynch:

"It almost invites steroid use because there's no tests going on," said representative Stephen Lynch. "We know players are clean for two weeks. For the other 50 weeks of the year, players could be using steroids."

Lynch called testing "pathetic" and said Indiana Pacers players who brawled with spectators at a game in Detroit last November should have triggered the reasonable cause provisions of drug testing for possible "'Roid Rage."

This is a joke....and this guy is helping make the laws of the land!

 

[NickelBack]

Nice.

'Roid rage'.

They should have tested him right away, sure that'd work.