Alex Rodriguez’ public confession on his steroid use probably influenced other baseball players to come out and talk about their career pumped up with steroids. The latest major league player to share his life on steroids is the former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Larri Bigbie.

Bigbie is a first round draft pick of the Orioles during the time where steroids are still rampant in the league. Bigbie shared many details of his steroid life during a phone interview by John MacKinnon of Edmonton Journal. “That was the era I came up in. Like coming up in the ’60s, you had your people that follow the Grateful Dead and did the drugs that they did,” Bigbie said. He also added that playing with the AL East and competing with the teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox puts more pressure on him as a player.

Bigbie choose to be one of those who were using performance enhancers to make his career survive in the major league. He was introduced to steroids by former team mate David Segui. He was brought together with another teammate Brian Roberts to baseball’s steroid distributor Kirk Radomski.

After that meeting, Bigbie started his steroid cocktails that make him a 220 pound of lean muscles. Segui thought him how to use steroids and even helped him inject the drugs. Bigbie said that he started with a legal substance creatine. He later used other types of steroids like deca-durabolin, testosterone, Sustanon and human growth hormone. To make it more effective, Bigbie followed steroid cycles for the various anabolic steroids he was taking that time.

Bigbie told the Edmonton Journal that he never touched steroid during his career at the minors or during college. “You work your whole life to get to (the majors) and once you do, you realize there’s a few things missing if you want to stay there,” he said. “You know what’s going on around you and even underneath you, trying to get that job. I wish I could have come up in a game that didn’t (force him into) the decisions I had to make. It would have been a lot easier on myself and my family,” Bigbie added. The former Orioles admitted that it was one of the wrong decisions he made.

Larri Bigbie also commented on how he was implicated by his steroid supplier Kirk Radomski. “I wasn’t making the right decisions, but I didn’t think I was going to be set up by someone who I thought was a friend. It was a little bit upsetting because I felt a little bit betrayed,” he said.

Right now Bigbie is playing for the Golden Baseball League. He was not expecting that he will be offered again a job in the majors. “But seriously, if a Triple A job came my way, I couldn’t say for sure I’d take it. I’m just content playing here and trying to help this team win. Content to kind of just enjoy the game,” he added.

At last, the Canadian Football League has shown interest in cleaning the sports of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Many sports analysts say that this is already long overdue. With so many criticisms and appeal to institute a comprehensive anti-doping program, the league announced recently that they have already drafted the policy on steroids.

However, this action of the league is just a first step in the process since this will still be presented to the players association. The CFL have not divulge the specific details of the anti-doping program but it is expected to be debated or ratified once they discuss it in the Collective Bargaining Agreement on June 1. Everybody is hoping that every stakeholder will give in to the steroid testing in the league to make the sport a good example to the young athletes and the fans as well.

The cost of the testing is one of the main reasons why the CFL have not instituted an anti-doping program. But with the popularity of anabolic steroids use in almost all sports particularly in football, it is already time for the league to adopt one. Besides, the CFL is only professional league that doesn’t have a comprehensive anti-doping program.

Christiane Ayotte of IOC Anti-Doping Laboratory in Quebec said to the VancouverSun about his concern about the current policy of the league. “Don’t tell me it will bankrupt the league. I will not believe it. Yes, this is something that appears expensive. Whatever it costs, it has to be in place. You have a responsibility toward not only (CFL) athletes but our young athletes developing in university and college. This is the main concern to me,” said Ayotte.

Since the league have not spoken about the particulars of the proposed steroid policy, there are some speculations that it may not be tough enough to catch cheating players. To clean the sport with players on steroids, the league should adopt unannounced in and out of competition tests at regular intervals. This is to ensure that all players who are into performance enhancing substances will be caught.

According to Marg McGregor, CEO of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, the CFL have taken the issue seriously and the CIS is optimistic that the new steroid policy will be an effective one. CIS is one of the organizations that really want a strict anti-doping policy since most of their athletes plays in the CFL after college. Although they have a similar problem with the professional league about the funding. The CIS has a good anti-doping program but the problem is they were only able to test some of the athletes because of lack of funding. “There are 10,000 CIS athletes. On average, about 300 are being tested each year. That’s a fairly small sample,” added McGregor.

Ayotte also share the same sentiment with McGregor. “In my humble opinion there should be an increase in university and college sport testing to become comparable with the NCAA,” said Ayotte. He believed that the number of tests should be dramatically increased to be more effective. The Waterloo incident is an eye-opener for most regulatory agencies like the CIS. Right now, the case of the Waterloo football player who was caught with several anabolic steroids at his home is being heard in court. On the other hand, the result of the steroid tests conducted on all the football players will be released next week.

The Canadian Football League must set an example to the young athletes. Implementing a comprehensive anti-doping policy will make every game worthy to watch since you know that all players are playing fairly and squarely.

After being silent for many years, former Olympian Ben Johnson is now ready to talk about his controversial career. He was tested for stanozolol, a type of steroid in the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The positive test caused the forfeiture of his gold medals and led to a national inquiry in Canada for the alleged massive doping of their athletes. He was also suspended from the sports and in 1993 a lifetime ban was given to him for a second failed test for steroids.

During a symposium in New York, Ben Johnson told the media that its time for him to talk about his steroid suspension and come forward to tell everyone what really happened. “I kept a low profile for many years. But I’m getting older. It’s time for me to start to speak and come forward and tell the world exactly what [happened],” Johnson said. According to the report of CBC.ca, Johnson was invited to talk in a symposium about the future of Jamaican Track and Field.

The disgraced Olympian maintained his position that he should never tested positive for stanozolol because it was not part of his training regimen. Although he admitted that he was on steroids for many years. His coach, Charlie Francis also admitted in the Dubin inquiry that he administered steroids to his players to level the playing field. The coach, who died this month because of cancer, argued that many athletes were also doing the same.

This is also the sentiment of Johnson saying that most athletes were also taking something to improve their performance. His question is why is it that he was the only one that returned a positive test. There were rumors that some of the track and field athletes were also doping but never caught or suspended by the anti-doping authorities. Johnson also claimed that he should not have caught for steroids since he already stopped taking it 26 days before the competition. And having a positive test for a substance (stanozolol) that he was not taking is unacceptable to him. “I was wrongfully convicted and singled out,” said Johnson. He believed that someone spiked his drink which caused the positive test.

He told the reporters that he was sabotaged and he was able to get new information about the Seoul incident. His belief that he was a victim of conspiracy was strengthened when an individual approached and gave him specific details. Johnson did not mention names but he is ready to divulge all the information he got on his tell-all autobiography. It is titled “Seoul to Soul” which will be released in September.

This tell-all book will again get the public interest. Many will be eager to know who are those people behind the conspiracy as alleged by Ben Johnson. Could this be similar to the books published by other steroid users like Jose Canseco and other professional athletes? Johnson should be prepared to defend whatever facts he would put on his book to avoid a situation similar to Floyd Landis.

After 2 decades, Johnson still believes that the steroids did not help him run faster. Steroids allowed him to train harder, recover quicker and be in better shape. He has no plans of making a public apology for the controversy he created especially for Canadian sports. He again reiterated that he was not the only one using steroids.

The former personal trainer of Roger Clemens testified for almost 3 hours in the grand jury hearing the perjury case of the baseball legend. Many are expecting that the grand jury will be able to make a decision whether to indict Clemens for lying to a congressional inquiry in 2008. McNamee’s testimony plays an important role in the case since he has personal knowledge of the alleged doping of the 7-time CY Young Awardee.

Clemens is keeping his stand that he never took any steroids or human growth hormone. However, his former personal trainer has a different story which could affect the decision of the grand jury. Brian McNamee said that Clemens used steroids and HGH many times when he was still his personal trainer. He even presented to the court evidences that will prove his allegations like syringes used to inject Clemens with the drugs, vials, gauze pads and other evidences. But the defendant immediately denied these saying that those evidences were manufactured.

In the 2007 Mitchell report, Brian McNamee told the investigators that he injected Roger Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times in 1998, 2000 and 2001. The relationship of the two got worst which resulted to Clemens filing a defamation suit against his former trainer. The case was dismissed in the lower court but Clemens appealed the case.

Although the court already subpoenaed several players and other high ranking officials of the league, the testimony of Brian McNamee is the most awaited part in the case. Some says that he could be the final and major witness to be called by the court. Jose Canseco, Clemens former teammate, was also called to testify in the grand jury but was later scheduled on June 3. The steroid whistle blower who also wrote controversial steroid books is expected to defend his friend.

According to Canseco’s lawyer, Gary Holmes, the testimony of his client “will be fully consistent” with a 2008 affidavit submitted in connection with the Clemens investigation. “I have never seen Clemens use, possess, or ask for steroids or human growth hormone,” said Canseco during the investigation.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of McNamee refused to give specific information on what had happened during the hearing. “No comment. Everything is fine,” said Richard Emery, McNamee’s lawyer. “We obviously were not in the grand jury room, but by all appearances everything went smoothly. And we’re hoping the results of the grand jury will be out soon. Everything went as we hoped it would,” he added.

Rusty Hardin, Clemens lawyer, also avoided to make a comment on the status of the case. “They’ve been very deliberate about it. And we don’t have any idea where it stands. We’re just waiting like everybody else. They have been at it a long time, but that’s not for me to comment on. We’ll be really glad when there’s a decision one way or the other,” Hardin said.

The clamor for the need to conduct blood testing for HGH is increasing in the NFL. This is also heightened by the reports that several NFL players were treated with HGH by Dr. Anthony Galea, the Canadian doctor charged for illegal possession of HGH and Actovegin. HGH is not illegal if prescribed legally. However, most sports organizations ban its use because of claims that it can improve performance.

If all stakeholders in the league agree for this kind of testing, the accusations that they are not really sincere in cleaning the sports will stop. Football players who may be subject to HGH testing will reach 1,600. A big number that will require huge budget from the league. According to some experts, blood test for HGH will only be effective if it will be conducted randomly and anytime of the year.

Implementation for HGH testing should be similar to the current steroid testing by the league. The only difference is the sample taken from the players. The steroid testing requires the players to provide urine samples while for HGH, the sample required is by giving blood. Other players of the league have some apprehension on this procedure since there are still some flaws in the HGH blood testing. They said that it could lead to a false positive. Thus the reliability of the test is one of the main concerns that should be tackled by the league.

The NFL Players Association is using this issue. Although they are in favor of catching those players who cheat in the game, the reliability of the blood test for HGH is still their primary concern. This will definitely cause a debate in the collective bargaining.

In an interview of the Daily News to retired football player, testing for human growth hormone is okay with most players as long as the league can guarantee that the results will be accurate. “The urine test is more debasing and humiliating than the blood test and the needle. Drop your drawers below your knees and take your shirt off. Having another grown man staring at you doing your business - the technical term is producing a specimen,” the player added.

Another problem that could hinder the implementation of HGH testing in the NFL is the cooperation of all teams. Currently the league does not know the actual number of players using HGH. Although they have an existing steroid policy, there are still some players who can circumvent their tests. This is one of the views of a retired football player. “Early in my career, I figured the drug testing policy was stringent enough that if they passed the test, they must be clean. Towards the end of my career, I had some questions. My eyes were a little more open to the fact that sometimes the guys who are cheating were able to stay one step ahead of the testing.”

In an effort to catch up with the cheaters, the NFL invested a lot on research about these banned substances. They have a big share in the Partnership for Clean Competition which is estimated at $3 million. A $500,000 was also donated to Don Catlin of the UCLA lab for research. All of these are intended to develop a reliable test for HGH.

Trial for some of the pharmacies allegedly involved in the illegal distribution of performance enhancing drugs to professional athletes still continues as new evidences are presented in court. The case of Signature Pharmacies in Florida which was touted as one of the biggest compounding pharmacy in Florida supplying professional athletes with steroids and other PED’s is being revive by federal authorities.

The raid on the two branches of the Signature Pharmacy in 2007 at Central Florida led to the arrest of its owners and caused the indictments of several doctors and clinic operators across the country. The investigation which was called as “Operation Which Doctor” was able to gather evidences that the pharmacy was used as a cental hub for a steroid network. However, this allegation was long argued by lawyers of the Signature Pharmacy.

In 2008, the defendants were able to get favorable decision from the New York court which dropped the charges and barred the federal prosecutors in filing additional charges to the accused. But right now, the federal prosecutors in Orlando are asking for a review of the evidences seized in the 2007 raid at Signature Compounding Pharmacies. Based on the court documents filed at Orlando Federal court, the prosecutors argued that the the evidences are related to the “pending grand jury investigation.”

Meanwhile, the doctor who was also charged for his involvement in the illegal prescription of steroids to clients and connivance with Lowen’s Pharmacy in Bay Ridge, NY walked as a free man when his lawyer was able to get a no-jail deal with the court.

Staten Island doctor Richard Lucente previously pleaded guilty for getting kickbacks from Lowens Pharmacy by prescribing steroids to his patients, including a controversial bodybuilder patient who later died because of steroid complications. The patient underwent a heart transplant but was still treated with anabolic steroids based on court records.

Lucente got 5 years probation and 200 hours of community service. The doctor also promised to give up practicing medicine for two years. “I want to apologize to my friends, my family and my patients,” Lucente said to the media. His lawyer, John Meringolo, on the other hand boasted to the media how he was able to win the case for his client. “They wanted 30 years. They didn’t get 30 minutes,” the lawyer said.

The respondents to the highly publicised case did not get any jail term. The charges to the Lowens Pharmacy were later dropped and its owner committed suicide.