Romanowski admits using steroids from BALCO

[arthurracoon]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-romanowski-balco&prov=ap&type=lgns

NEW YORK (AP) -- Bill Romanowski used steroids and human growth hormone supplied by Victor Conte, the former NFL linebacker tells CBS' ``60 Minutes'' in an interview to be broadcast Sunday.

Romanowski said he took illegal steroids for a two-year period starting in 2001 and got them from Conte, the former head of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, which has been at the center of a steroids controversy in several sports.

``I took (human growth hormone) for a brief period and ... I definitely didn't receive what I got out of THG,'' Romanowski said, referring to another drug he got from Conte.

In November 2003, the NFL notified Romanowski that he tested positive for the steroid THG.

Romanowski played linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders in a 16-year career that ended in 2003.

Last May, he agreed to pay former Raiders teammate Marcus Williams $415,000 in damages for a hit to the face during a practice drill in 2003. Williams' career ended after his eye socket was broken.

Romanowski played for the Raiders during their 2002 Super Bowl season.

He writes about his NFL career in a soon-to-be-released book, ``Romo, My Life on the Edge.''

 

[DeAnna]

Gee, what a surprise.

 

[blindseyed]

Gee, what a surprise.

An NFL player using steroids? Say it isn't true!!!

 

[Russ Smith]

He was one of the NFL players that tested positive for THG, they were all either current or ex Raiders.

He has a book coming out Tuesday so that's why this is all coming out now, PR.

 

[vince56]

He writes about his NFL career in a soon-to-be-released book, ``Romo, My Life on the Edge.''

It'll either be a cartoon or picture book.

 

[Russ Smith]

It'll either be a cartoon or picture book.

The guy is really hard to stomach. He was interviewed in the local papers here because he played much of his career in the bay area. he said he never did clean out his locker in Oakland after retiring, said he just couldn't bear to go back and do it he was still wanting to play but he just couldn't because all of the concussions cut his career short. It's like he doesn't even consider that maybe all the drugs he took to play the game might be connected to all the concussions?

He had a similar reaction over the whole JJ Stokes controversy, told people do you have any idea how much stress I get because of that, how much hate mail etc. Hello you spit in a guys face and called him the N word on national tv do you expect "way to go" letters for that?

Here's a guy who TWICE nearly got his wife arrested, once indicted, because he had her getting drugs in her name for him and she got caught.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I said it before and I'll say it again. I HATE THAT FREAKING GUY.

That is all.

 

[blindseyed]

It'll either be a cartoon or picture book.

Or a pop-up book...

 

[football karma]

I had a long message board debate with Bronco fans on Romo a few years back when he played in Denver--

my basic premise was that:

1. Romo's wife gets arrested for buying an absurd amount of "diet" pills
2. The diet pill in question was basically a pre-cursor to crystal meth, with similiar effect
3. Romo's whole claim to fame was the "super intense" maniac on the field
4. Romo had a few "lose control" moments on the field -- ala -- spitting in JJ Stokes face
5. Romo spent the first half of his career as a non-descript journeyman linebacker before suddenly morphing into this all pro

therefore-- doesnt it at least seem plausible that Romo is on some kind of drug when he plays?

Unanimous answer from Bronco fans:

Absolutely no. His wife's arrest is just some county attorney looking for publicity. "I talked to Romo before a game, and he was nice." Blah, blah, blah.

Not a single Bronco fan would even so much as agree that it was possible.

Interesting insight into the delusional mind of fans.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I said it before and I'll say it again. I HATE THAT FREAKING GUY.

That is all.

Ditto!

 

[Russ Smith]

Romo was the guy that introduced the entire Bronco team to creatine, remember the story in SI about creatine being a huge role in the first Bronco Superbowl win? Romo was always on the cutting edge of training and fitness, his problem was he had no ethics at all and crossed over any lines without hesitation.

FYI I have pointed it out before but Shannon Sharpe was associated with Balco too, no idea if he was using THG but he was one of the guys paying them to do those hightech body evaluations they were doing where they did a ton of tests and then recommended a supplement program. Sharpe retired 6 months after Romo tested positive for THG and before camp opened but I have no idea if he ever used any of the illegal stuff, Balco actually did have lots of legal supplements, they even designed an oxygen chamber for a fairly famous US Cyclist.

 

[vince56]

Or a pop-up book...

You take hard drugs for that long, I hear it's sometimes hard to get anything to "pop-up"

 

[blindseyed]

You take hard drugs for that long, I hear it's sometimes hard to get anything to "pop-up"

 

[azdad1978]

You take hard drugs for that long, I hear it's sometimes hard to get anything to "pop-up"

 

[gamebird98]

But.....can we finally get him to admit he is an A**HOLE?

 

[nurnay]

But.....can we finally get him to admit he is an A**HOLE?

no sh&@. this guy represents almost every bad thing about bad athletes (i am one who feels it's guys like romo that ruin it for the majority). as an earlier poster mentioned, he was nothing before supplements and roids. cutting edge of fitness? no, he cheated.

he became a dirty player, on and off the field. he deserved every single piece of hate mail, and it's too bad he got out of the league before he cold have been more severely punished. spitting in a player's face, beating a teammate? this ***** got away with too much.

now he uses roids as a vehicle for selling his book. sad part is, it will probably sell pretty well. i won't be buying it.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

""Last May, he agreed to pay former Raiders teammate Marcus Williams $415,000 in damages for a hit to the face during a practice drill in 2003. Williams' career ended after his eye socket was broken. ""


Man, that guy must have had a horrible lawyer.. I would have got more than that if he ended my career as a newspaper delivery boy.

 

[Compa]

""Last May, he agreed to pay former Raiders teammate Marcus Williams $415,000 in damages for a hit to the face during a practice drill in 2003. Williams' career ended after his eye socket was broken. ""

Not only did Williams's career end, but I believe he has ongoing headaches or some other kind of ongoing physical problem because of Romo. I can't remember the exact problem, but it's pretty sad when a teammate can do something like this.

 

[Russ Smith]

""Last May, he agreed to pay former Raiders teammate Marcus Williams $415,000 in damages for a hit to the face during a practice drill in 2003. Williams' career ended after his eye socket was broken. ""


Man, that guy must have had a horrible lawyer.. I would have got more than that if he ended my career as a newspaper delivery boy.

I've never quite understood that one either, considering Williams' potential income as an NFL TE it's remarkable that he essentially got just a bit more than one years salary.

What ticked me off was they glossed over that last night showed a picture of Williams, said it was a "fight" and then let Romo cry to show us all how badly he feels about his actions in his career. It wasn't a fight, teammates who saw the whole thing were demanding the Raiders get rid of Romo. They were in a drill in practice and Williams was blocking Romo, Williams apparently pushed Romo after Romo felt the play was over. So Romo responded by rippnig his helmet off and sucker punching him before Williams had a clue what was going on. Teammates reported having to hold Romo back they were afraid he was going to use the helmet to attack Williams.

Considering we now know that Romo was on steroids when that incident occurred its just amazing that Williams got so little money.