This year, two well-known professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters were tested positive for the banned drugs in sports; namely, Drostanolone and Nandrolone Metabolite. One of whom is the Brazilian MMA fighter Carina Damm and the other one is the American MMA fighter James Irvin.

During the second quarter of this year, the name of Damm was featured in almost every report of sports news such as ESPN. According to its report, Damm was the first female fighter to test positive for steroids in the history of U.S. MMA. As a sanction, Carina Damm received a year suspension apart from paying the fine that cost $2,500.

The steroid scandal faced by MMA was again highlighted by the involvement of James Irvin to steroids; almost one month after Damm got a positive result for these banned drugs. Irvin who is also known as “The Sandman” was seen with loaded steroids as well as narcotics in his urine after his Nevada fight. James Irvin also tested positive for a synthetic type of heroin, methadone. As a sanction, he also received a temporary suspension as well as a fine for the alleged infractions. He also received a threat on the cancellation of his license as a consequence to his violation.

These instances draw Dane Fletcher, a writer on ArticleBase.com, to speak about the steroid scandals that are being faced by MMA. He mentioned in one of his article that the combination of Anabolic Steroid with MMA is clearly giving people an idea about the manifestation of performance-enhancing to the fighters inside the MMA ring. 

Fletcher recalls the first time when MMA was introduced in the sport arena was in the 90’s. Unfortunately, the sport was banned during its early days because of the violence it displays: combining the styles of grappling and striking. But it started to gain more exposure after 10 years from the time it was banned. And to further provide more viewing pleasure, this sport created new standards for combating. These changes attract more sponsors, corporate interest, as well as Pay-Per-View television events.

Fletcher explained that there can only be two things that can happen into a sport that starts to gain large sum of money. First, more and more athletes tend to join the sport; hence, the level of performance required also increased. Second, drug use tends to play a part since the need for each fight is higher. Fletcher mentioned that each time MMA’s fighters entered into the ring, thousands of dollars are already on the line. This is why the idea of taking performance-enhancing drugs are welcomed by some players in this sport.

According to Fletcher, MMA fighters prefer to use Mibolerone and Halotesten. These drugs increase the feeling of strength and aggression without the experience of weight gain or water retention. Meanwhile, Fletcher said that strikers prefer to use Trenbolone and Winstrol. Human growth hormone and testosterone are also beginning to be more popular in MMA. All of these supplements are actually costly and in some instances, they are only made available to chosen professional athletes.

It is a personal decision of a fighter if he is going to take enhancers, said by Fletcher. However, he reminded that the use of steroids is naturally prohibited in the entire professional fighting organizations. So, anyone who decides to take these drugs must be ready to face the consequences of his actions, more specifically the sanctions. Finally, Fletcher concluded that as long as MMA or any other sports stay successful with millions of sponsorship money and worldwide coverage, the use of performance-enhancer drugs will always be tempting to the players. 
   

The featured story of Ross Rutherford in Bleacher Report last October 16 has voiced out the query of the wrestling community about the almost unending involvement of wrestling to steroid abuse. Rutherford formed an argument concerning the total suspension of steroids in the said sport by discussing their negative effects in the wrestling world as well as by mentioning the incessant issues that are formed by these. According to him, there are still continuous steroid scandals that are happening in wrestling world after all these years. Some wrestlers are still facing the same steroid issues which are also faced by the NFL and NBA. Out of these scenarios, Rutherford poses a question that seemingly sound to be the same concern of many people who have been watching wrestling all throughout this time: “Will wrestling ever recover from the steroid allegations and all of these WWE wellness suspensions?”

The fans of wrestling are certainly aware on the past steroid scandals that arise in this sport; namely, the performers who have been involved in steroid use. Just recently, one of the carriers of wrestling news and updates Wrestling-Online.com featured the name of the WWE superstars who have been tied to steroid case issues. The site’s report, which is also based on the report of Sports Illustrated, mentioned the name of Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerero, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton as some the of the popular wrestling personalities to be linked in steroid use. Eddie Guerero was claimed to order steroid stanozolol from Arizona doctor David Wilbirt in 2005. Wilbirt was also suspected to issue the same prescription with steroid nandrolone to Mysterio. These names were followed by Randy Orton who was also claimed to obtain the following drugs: stanozolol, anastrozole, oxandrolone, testosterone, nandrolone, and Clomiphene citrate. Both Mysterio and Orton though refused to comment about the issue when contacted by Sports Illustrated.

Wrestling-Online.com stated that it is because of such steroids scandal why WWE introduced a Wellness Program, which aims to take action against those people who abuse the prohibited drugs. However, Rutherford mentioned in his story that although this program is good, pro wrestling lost its integrity because of steroid scandals. It also affect the business as a whole. Thus, Rutherford answered his self-imposed question by saying that Wrestling will forever stay that way—bearing the stain caused by the stories of steroid abuse of its performers.

Rutherford further explained his point by citing the small changes that happened in the wrestling world after facing the tragic story of Chris Benoit who murdered himself after killing his own wife and son a year ago. According to him, the story of Benoit who is claimed to have abused the use of steroid certainly made an impact to wrestling. Unfortunately the impact only lasted for awhile. After some time, a new scandal arises marking the involvement of Jeff Hardy to steroids—resulting to his suspension. Undeniably, this incident formed a noise to the mind of many wrestling spectators. Rutherford said that the suspension of Hardy has stirred up the doubt of the public about the cleanliness of wrestling when it comes to steroids abuse.

This time, Rutherford affirmed that the point is clear. The scandal issue about steroid abuse can be presumed to taint wrestling for the coming days—and maybe forever. In fact, Rutherford claimed that the issues of steroid suspension became more prevalent few months after Benoit’s story occurred.

The conclusion actually depends to people—how they perceive the influence of steroids to wrestling and how long they think it would last. Anyhow, it is not yet too late to hope for the wrestlers to be more responsible by keeping themselves clean from steroids.

“Now you see it, now you don’t,” this was the line uttered by Lovie Smith, head coach of Chicago Bears, upon knowing the four games suspension of Terrance Metcalf after a diuretic was found out in his urine during a casual drug test in preseason. Thirty-year-old Metcalf serves as the starting guard of Chicago Bears and was immediately sanctioned by the NFL with a suspension without pay after violating the steroid policy according to the report released by the Star Tribune.

The report explained that a diuretic is known to work in increasing the production of urine; this is why it is usually used by those athletes who use steroids—to purposely dilute the urine. Simply, diuretic works to hide the use of steroid. Hence, this drug is one of the banned substances for athletes in the NFL. Because of this, Metcalf was still sanctioned for violating the steroid policy of the league even though he did not really get a positive result in steroid test.

However, the report of the Chicagoist featured the defense of Metcalf concerning the issue he is facing. He bluntly stated that he was never involved in steroid use and that he is never sure as to how a diuretic came in to his system.

On the other hand, the Chicagoist report also qouted the statement of Smith about the violation that was committed by Metcalf. “When you make a mistake like that, there are consequences that go with it,“ he said. “It’s something that happens. Besides, he is not the first guy in the league to get suspended for this reason and that’s about as much time as we can spend on it. The league says he is suspended for four games. So, that’s what we will go with,” he added. Smith simply reiterated the consequences that must be faced by Terrance Metcalf by involving himself to what is prohibited. So for now, Bears will be playing without Metcalf for the coming four games.

So far, Metcalf appeared in almost every game this season. And even though he lost his preliminary job in training camp, he was still able to witness and join the excitement of the action that occurred throughout the six games played by Bears in this season. It was only a year ago when Metcalf started to play as left guard for five games although he was usually benched during such time when his hand was endured. Meantime, Chris Williams will temporarily take over his place on the team while he is unable to play.
Anyhow, Bears disclaimed the statement of Ken Green, English footballer, who said that the suspension of Metcalf indicates a loss for the Bears. According to the report released by the Chicagoist, the team confirmed that their offensive line is not weak; in fact, the team played a lot better compared to others so far this season.

For now, Metcalf is presently signed in non-guaranteed contracts that will last until 2011. And when Smith was asked whether they would still accept Metcalf after the first violation he committed, he directly stated that “I don’t see why he would not be accepted. It is a four game suspension, and that’s how we are looking at it. Hopefully, we can get it back.” On the other hand, the agent of Metcalf, Jeffrey Nalley did not make a return call immediately when he was also asked to comment on the same question.

The Chicagoist report confirmed that Metcalf is expected to return on November 17, a day after the game of Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers.

        The NJSIAA is determined to achieve its goal to keep the high school sports drug-free in its state despite of the high cost it requires. As an advance step into this goal, New Jersey interscholastic athletic association set out its 2008-09 contract with The National Association for Drug Free Sport, Inc last season as reported by Scott Chappelear of Today’s Sunbeam Sports. The contract is viewed to be a part of Executive Committee Meeting this October.

Meanwhile, Drug Free Sport is contracted once more to perform full 500 anabolic steroids panels along with a random sampling of high school athletes competing in the championship tournaments and events in NJSIAA. The cost for the testing was outlined in the contract that includes the specimen collection, study, equipment, delivery, and results. Each sample will cost $190 making a total of 95,000 for the entire year’s testing.

NJSIAA associate director Bob Baly said that they are after to anything that makes the young athletes healthier. Currently, they are hearing from physicians and kids that this testing serves as prevention for kids to take any form of performance-enhancing drugs.

“Most athletes are not going to go on to be professional athletes, or even college athletes, but they take some of these substances that will have an (adverse) effect 30 years from now. Obviously nothing is perfect, and we are hoping to do some things to make things better,” Baly explained.
However, the expenses are presumed to go over the total cost to achieve a better result because of the additional cost for extra testing. Example of this is the EPO testing, which will cost $250 each sample; and lab documentation packets, which will cost $300 each packet. Although, Baly confirmed that these are no problem since these instances are only seldom.

So far, last year’s result only detected one student-athlete to be positive for using performance-enhancing drugs out of the 501 that was tested. This kid was required to sit out for a year and undergo counseling as well. For the meantime, there are still no supporting studies to support the claim that this steroid testing serves as a restriction for the kids to take performance-enhancing drugs; however, last month’s report for steroid from Baly gives hope to the team along with the Department of Education of the state to survey this issue on the student-athletes.

NJISAA is also aiming to gather additional financial support from outside sources to extend testing even to non-championship sporting events as noted in the report of Baly. He said, “We want every kid, whether they think they are going to be a state champion or no, to be a little fearful they could be tested.”

Of course, to serve as a motivation for the public, NJSIAA support annual awards for people in different sports and endeavors. This year, one of the people who was nominated and approved to one of these awards is the high school director of Washington Township High School Kevin Murphy. Murphy belongs in the service category.

Murphy said,” I was humbled by it; I don’t know who nominated me. I even joked with my wife that I don’t feel like I have done anything to get recognized by the NJSIAA, but I am certainly appreciative of it. It is a tribute to the community and the kids.”

According to the report of Chappelear, Murphy has drawn so much interest in North Jersey because apart from serving the state boys’ soccer committee, Murphy is also a former member of the original conference realignment committee. Currently, Murphy is already serving for two years as a president of the Olympic Conference. 

The 25-year-old Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco who won two stages at Tour de France this year received two years suspension for doping. Ricco honestly admitted his doping offences during Tour de France after he was tested positive last July for Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA), the higher version of the blood-boosting substance EPO. Experts said that this one of the hardest substances to detect.

According to Ricco, he admitted taking the banned drug with the hope that this will reduce the duration of his suspension. But to his dismay, he received a more severe sanction from the Italian Olympic Committee than to what he actually expected. Ricco’s advisor has presumed for a 20-month sentence subsequent to the cyclist’s admission of guilt as what was also suggested by the anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri of Italian Olympic body. Unfortunately, the Italian Olympic body as a whole sentenced him with two years suspension.

According to the report given by Ansa news agency, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) really reduced the length of Ricco’s doping suspension by six months from the utmost two years however CONI added it with six months upon discovering the meeting of Ricco went to Carlo Santuccione, a physician who had been banned for life from working with any athletes because of acting the major role in a doping affair that is known to be “oil for drugs.”
“I’m very disappointed and bitter. I expected better understanding. But I made a mistake and it is fair that I pay,” Ricco said after learning of his ban.

However, the lawyer of RIcco, Alessandro Sivelli, is persistent to defend his case by indicating that they would appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. He said, “Something is not working in sports justice, because if Ricco had not collaborated he would have received the same ban, which is two years.” “If he had stayed quiet, Santuccione’s name would never have come out,” he added defensively.

Currently, Ricco was already disqualified to this year’s Tour de France and was also fired by the Saunier-Duval team because of his doping offense. His suspension will be ineffective on July 30, 2010. Meantime, he is prevented from racing in the coming two editions of the Tour as well as Giro d’Italia.

Ricco is one of the competitive cyclists of Italy, winning the sixth and ninth stages of the Tour in superb fashion. He also took the second place in this year’s Giro, following Alberto Contador. He was also the cyclist to bag the Japan Cup in 2006.

A glory consumed by shame, that’s what happened to one of the Italy’s prided cyclist Ricco the night he was held by French police after testing positive for the banned drug.

Anyhow, it seems that the Italian cyclists are being too much involved to doping. Just recently, the Spanish media reported that one of Ricco’s teammate Leonardo Piepoli also admitted that he also used EPO. However, unlike Ricco, Piepoli failed to be detected by any form of drug test. But he was still fired by Saunier-Duval team for violating the team’s ethical code. For now, Piepoli is already under the investigation of CONI.

Student-athletes are also subject to steroid testing to ensure their safety from the abuse of these illegal substances to gain a competitive edge on their particular sports. And just recently, the authorities who manage the largest steroids testing program in the nation have conducted the testing at Lake Travis High, searching for student-athletes who are guilty of using any form of performance-enhancing drugs as stated by American-Statesman staff Rick Cantu in his featured story for the Monday Morning Quarterback.

Sixty-five Cavaliers were randomly chosen to be tested out of 620 student-athletes to compete in school athletics. The same test was conducted throughout Texas by an independent contractor chosen and approved by the University Interscholastic League last year, which is The National Center for Drug Free Sport. Last year’s test found out only two out of 10,000 student-athletes to be positive for steroids.

Just recently, Drug Free Sport also went to Bowie High to conduct steroid testing to 95 student-athletes who were randomly tested. But athletic coordinator and football coach Jeff Ables confirmed that no one was tested positive for the illegal drugs.

Basing on the achieved results, many have claimed that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is not really a big problem in the public schools of Texas. Because of this claim, there is also a budding issue wherein the idea of drug testing to student-athletes are being opposed to, claiming that it is only a waste of time and money. The fact that each steroid test for one student costs $120, some people argue that there are better ways to spend such expensive cost.

This issue was addressed by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst by saying that the two years $6 million program was approved by lawmakers a year ago to serve as a “deterrent” for student-athletes in taking the illegal substance.

However, the featured story released by Cantu expresses his view concerning the drug testing program. According to him this program is somewhat vain. He said that the steroid testing last September 26 in Lake Travis is a good example to support the flaw of the program.

Some football players along with other players in tennis, basketball, cross country, golf, swimming, and volleyball teams were particularly gathered to be tested for steroid. Cantu mentioned in ridicule that both girls and boys were tested for steroids; one girl who belongs in the varsity volleyball team was tested like a 250-pound offensive lineman in the football team. He also added that there were also some basketball players whose built were comparable to string beans were also included in the test as though they were tested like a cleanup hitter in baseball team.

The featured story of Cantu raises the issue of the missing point in steroid testing. He explained that the demand of many coaches to equalize the delivery of steroid testing for the student-athletes from all sports ignores the fact that steroids are more rampant in other circles of athletics. Of course, football is on top of the list said by Cantu. He also uttered that athletes who weigh somewhere 260 pounds and above are the ones who are more appropriate to be tested for steroid use. Cantu claimed that steroid testing is better to be reserved to sports that need great vigor to play.

Nevertheless, Texas is determined to implement the steroid testing for the student-athletes. This time, more than 40,000 student-athletes are expected to undergo steroid test in the state for the present academic year. So far, no other state conducts a drug-testing that is as broad as the scope of Texas. Because of this, Cantu said as his final words that since this program is somehow flawed, the public can just hope for the deterrence it serves.