At 34, Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones is trying to rebuild her career in the sport that she first loved, basketball. After loosing almost everything she have, Jones is determined to prove that she can still play though not in the track and field anymore. During the BALCO investigation, Jones was charged for lying to a federal inquiry about her steroid use. She later admitted her use of performance enhancing substances, stripped off her 5 medals in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and spent 6 months prison term and doing community works as part of the sentence.

At first, Jones argued that what she took was the legal supplement flaxseed oil. She said that she did not know that “the clear” is the designer steroid THG. However, BALCO founder Victor Conte said that Jones took EPO and human growth hormone. This was also confirmed by investigators saying that Jones took not just THG but other steroids as well.

Her attempt to go back into the limelight was fulfilled when she was given a chance by the Tulsa Shocks. Although she did not played basketball for more than a decade, Jones was a star during her college years. She led North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA national championships in 1994. She was also drafted as the 3rd round pick of the Phoenix Mercury for the WNBA in 2003 but did not play in that season.

Her debut in the Shocks draws standing-room-only crowd with some international media outfit covering the game. She played for just more than 3 minutes on her first game but was not able to contribute any point for the team. They lost to Minnesota Lynx for 80-74.

WNBA president Donna Orender defended their decision to allow Jones to play for the Tulsa and WNBA. The head of the WNBA clarified that they are not using Jones as a publicity stunt. “Marion had to prove that she could play because we have rosters of 11 (players) and competition is so intense, I don’t think anyone has a position to give up for a gimmick,” Orender said. The attitude of Jones is one of the important things that they considered. “We think that’s an important value to stand behind,” said Orender.

Tulsa Shock coach Nolan Richardson is also hoping that Jones will be able to prove herself. “If Marion is as successful as I think she can be and will be, then it’s a plus-plus-plus for the WNBA and more than a triple plus for Tulsa and Oklahoma. Because Marion is global news,” he said. Coach Olaf Lange who also trained Jones was impressed with the skills of the former Olympian. “She still has tremendous athleticism, which is very helpful, and her basic skills — especially shooting and ballhandling — were still decent,” said Lange.

After a not so good episode in her life, Jones still wants to have an outlet for her competitive energy and the desire to be a living example to her children even if she will be scrutinized by the public again wrote Vicki Michaelis of the USA Today. “What we teach at home is that you make mistakes, you admit it, you accept the consequences, you move on, you make the wrong a right,” Jones said during an interview.

Michaelis also reported that Jones is doing speeches in schools since last fall to complete her 800 hours of community service. Jones has been delivering “Take a Break” speeches to school kids, in which she encourages them to pause before making impulsive and potentially harmful decisions like hers said Michaelis.

USADA Chief Travis Tygart is hoping that Jones will be able to impart good things to more people. “She just has a very, very important message that could be very powerful for millions of people, whether it’s youth or not, about the hows and whys of cheating and the consequence. The only way you can do that in an authentic fashion is to be completely open and transparent,” said Tygart.

Now the question is whether the public has already forgiven her. Her steroid use has tainted not just her reputation but the country’s track and field sport.

Making a public apology will not be the next move of Texan linebacker Brian Cushing. This is according to his lawyer who advised him not to apologize because they believed the league was not fair in dealing with his client’s case. Harvey Steinberg, who represented Cushing in its appeal for the steroid suspension is also a noted lawyer for other NFL players. “Why should he apologize when he did nothing wrong?” Steinberg said in a press conference.

The league denied their appeal for the failed steroid test which lead to his 4 game suspension. “There is clearly a cloud hanging over the process. If nothing else, there is clearly an appearance of impropriety,” Steinberg said. He argued that they were able to present evidences that questions the NFL findings. He said that the high level of HCG in Cushing’s system was due to a medical condition. Steinberg said that it is a personal matter and did not named the specific condition he was referring to.

Another proof that the league may have made a wrong decision is the argument of Steinberg that HCG is naturally produced by the body. “We had expert testimony that agreed that he did produce (hCG) naturally. And then after one of the NFL experts said it’s impossible for him to naturally produce it, there was a second NFL expert who said, “No, it is possible.” At that point, I felt as through we had prevailed,” he said.

The NFL was also criticized on how they handle Cushing’s case. Allowing Cushing to play even if they already have the positive result was not acceptable to some people. The media was also dragged into this controversy when Brian Cushing was voted again as the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Steinberg defended his client from criticisms saying that people would be more rationale if they understand the facts of the case. He said that it is very difficult to get a fair trial under the current system of the NFL. “The process is flawed. You have a situation where the commissioner determines the initial punishment and then you appeal to one of his subordinates,” he said. Although he still believed that the trial officer tried to do the right thing and be fair but the process is flawed.

The HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is not actually a steroid but it is commonly used after a steroid cycle. There are already many professional athletes caught using this drug and some of them admitted using steroids. So whatever alibi that Cushing will say to the public will not be easily acceptable. Manny Ramirez of MLB was suspended for 50 games because of HCG. Jose Canseco was charged for illegal possession of HCG when he tried to enter the US through the Mexican border. He used this drug to treat a very low level of testosterone.

Other experts also said that HCG is used by steroid users. According to Dr. Lewis Maharam of American College of Sports Medicine, the drug is used to stimulate production of endogenous testosterone and to prevent testicular atrophy. In an interview with New York Daily News, Dr. Maraham said that the testicles shrinks after excessive steroid use. “HCG helps re-start testosterone production and testicular hormonal production. That’s why Viagra is also a popular drug among steroid users,” he added.

After 18 months of legal battle, the NFL was able to get a favorable decision from the Hennepin court. District Judge Gary Larson of Hennepin County ruled last week that the NFL’s failure to inform the two players of their positive drug test violates the Minnesota state law. But the Judge added that the violation of the NFL does not prevent them from suspending the Minnesota Vikings players.

Judge Larson has not decided yet whether to extend the injunction blocking the 4-game suspension of the players because of a pending appeal. A decision is expected next week. The case was remanded to the state court by federal Judge Paul Magnuson saying that state laws may have been violated by the league’s drug testing and anti-doping policies thus it should be heard by a state court.

The decision of the lower court was not a total victory for the league. To avoid a similar Starcaps case in the future, the NFL asks the Supreme Court to make a ruling in favor of their drug policies. They are hoping that the high court will recognize the internal policy of the league as well as other sports organizations despite differing state laws and guidelines. The current ruling will give erring players a chance to use state laws in contesting suspension related to steroid use. This will become a big problem for the league.

In filing the case in the Supreme Court, the NFL said that the Eighth Circuit’s decision destroys the orderly and predictable negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements. “The Eighth Circuit’s erroneous pre-emption decision thus has turned federal labor law from a uniform and stable framework for labor-management relations into a legal Catch-22 in which employers are literally liable if they do comply with the collective bargaining agreement, and liable if they do not,” said the league in its court filing.

Peter Ginsberg, lawyer of the players, was not worried about the action of the National Football League. “We are confident that the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals thoroughly and correctly analyzed the pre-emption issues,” he said to the AP. “We are also confident that the decision upholding the principle that the NFL is obligated to abide by the law of states where it does business — as are all other multistate entities — is consistent with the jurisprudence and important pillars of our system of justice,” Ginsberg added.

Other major sports league also supports the NFL in its bid to get a favorable decision from the Supreme Court. The Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League have the same stand with the NFL. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) also filed a separate similar motion.

The lawyers of the league argued that enforcing uniform drug policies will ensure fair treatment of the players. “For national sports leagues, enforcing uniform standards of player conduct is indispensable to ensuring a level competitive playing field. The piece-meal rewriting, state by state, of a national collective bargaining agreement eviscerates the uniformity and even-handedness in player qualifications that are essential to national sports leagues,” they said.

The case of the Minnesota Vikings players started when the league suspended them for a diuretic found on their system. The bumetanide, which is one of the ingredients of Starcaps supplement, can mask the use of steroids. The players contend that they were not informed that the supplement contains a banned substance. Two Saints players also faces the same sanction.

While others are concerned on the possible side effects of steroids to the body, there is a new research that also make this substance a promising aid in preventing diseases especially heart related problems. In the previous months, there were studies saying that the long term use of steroids can lead to kidney problems and become harmful to the heart when used for longer periods. This may be true since abuse of any drug can really be detrimental to one’s health.

However, this new finding could give some hope to people who are suffering from heart diseases or could be a better alternative in preventing heart diseases. According to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK, a natural defense mechanism against heart disease could be triggered by steroids sold as health supplements.

Biologists from the University have identified a previously-unknown ion channel in human blood vessels that can limit the production of inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines are proteins that contribute to the early onset of heart disease. But the study was only referring to a particular type of steroid. Steroids which are called “fountain of youth” are said to improve one’s energy, memory and vision.

DHEA and pregnenolone sulphate were identified to help people prevent heart disease. Some pharmaceutical companies market these steroids as “fountain of youth” supplements because of the benefit it gives to the user. These steroids were also banned in most sporting organization especially in sports which requires physical ability and concentration.

Experts said that these steroids are made naturally in the body. However, as one gets older, its production in the body declines. Thus health supplements containing these compounds become popular.

In a collaborative study by Leeds General infirmary surgeons, the finding also shows that the defense mechanism can be switched on in diseased blood vessels as well as in healthy vessels. According to Professor David Beech who led the study, the effect that they have seen is really quite exciting and unexpected. “However, we are absolutely not endorsing any claims made by manufacturers of any health supplements. Evidence from human trials is needed first,” Beech said.

Researchers also discovered that these steroids were not effective if cholesterol was also present based on their chemical profiling. They suggest that administration of cholesterol-lowering drugs together with DHEA or pregnenolone will improve the protective effects of these steroids. Healthy lifestyle such as proper diet and regular exercise were also recommended.

Professor Beech noted that these steroids are relatively cheap to make and some of these are already commercially available. “So if we can show that this effect works in people as well as in lab-based studies, then it could be a cost-effective approach to addressing cardiovascular health problems that are becoming epidemic in our society and world-wide,” Beech added.

Whether you like it or not, Brian Cushing retained his award as the 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year. The AP was forced to do a re-vote for the title because of the initiative of some NFL players and teams to forfeit his title. This is due to Cushing’s 4-game suspension as a result of a failed steroid test. Many were expecting that the award will be given to Buffalo Jairus Byrd. But expect the unexpected, Cushing won the voting again.

Some media members who voted for Cushing received not so good comments from fellow media members. Others questioned them why despite the use of performance enhancing drug, they still voted for the Texan linebacker. Austin Murphy of Sports Illustrated is one of those who were not happy about the results of the re-vote. “Memo to the 18 AP voters who let Brian Cushing keep his award, despite clear PED use: You should be drug-tested yourselves,” said Murphy on his twitter account. Peter King, who is also covering the NFL did not like what happened. “Woke up with a sick feeling about Cushing re-winning. Won’t go away,” he said.

One sports analyst said that the result could be a sign that many of the stakeholders in the league are now acknowledging the prevalent use of performance enhancers and its use does not concern any moral issues anymore.

The head of the NFLPA DeMaurice Smith issued a statement a few days ago condemning the use of steroids and other PED’s in the sport. “Sport is at its best when fans can witness great achievements under the rules of fair play. Players who break those rules cheat the game, cheat the fans and cheat themselves. The players want a clean game as well as a clean process for enforcing those rules. We intend to address both in the collective bargaining process to make the system better,” Smith said.

However, allowing Brian Cushing to play in the entire season has drawn criticism from some experts. Dr. Gary Wadler of the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and an associate professor of medicine at New York university told the New York Daily News that allowing Cushing to still play even he was tested positive for steroids demeaned the anti-doping policies of the sport. “It is so far beyond the pale that it negates the intent of the policy,” he said. “[Cushing] gets tested in September and plays the whole season? He played so well he was named defensive rookie of the year? Then it is announced that he was taking a performance-enhancing drug? That doesn’t make sense… It makes a mockery of the anti-doping process,” Wadler added.

Although this was explained by the league saying that due process was followed in Cushing’s case. In a statement released by the league, “It’s not unusual for some cases to take a lengthy amount of time from specimen collection through the appeals process and the announcement.” They also added that all of the time periods and protocols in place are designed to ensure that the result is accurate and the player has every appropriate due process protection.

Another issue is the leakage of the result to the media. It was reported that the substance found on Cushing’s system was hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a fertility drug used to elevate testosterone level after a steroid cycle.

Sprinter Ben Johnson was the fastest man in the 1988 Seoul Olympics but this was for a very short period of time because he was stripped off his medal due to a positive test for steroids. Johnson recorded 9.79 seconds beating Carl Lewis. A few days later, sports authorities invalidate his impressive 100 meter record because of steroid stanozolol.

Due to international humiliation , Canada’s sports authorities conducted an inquiry on the matter. It was later admitted by his trainer and coach Charlie Francis that he was responsible in giving the steroids to Ben Johnson. During the inquiry, Francis said that the steroids helped his athletes to perform faster and better. He said that the level of performance of his athletes during competition was due to the steroids he had given them. Because of this incident, he was prohibited to work with the national team and received a lifetime ban from coaching in Canada.

However, Francis’ career did not end after his ban. He still worked with many Olympic athletes like American sprinters Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones. The training regimen of Francis always includes something that would help improve the performance of his athletes. Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones were both implicated in steroid use and were also given sanctions including the forfeiture of their gold medals.

Athletics Canada head coach Alex Gardiner said that Francis may have learned from the East German doping program. “The tale goes that he convinced some of the East German coaches to give up their stories in exchange for Levi’s and American dollars. Whether it’s true or not, it wouldn’t surprise me,” he said during a phone interview with the Montreal Gazette. “He obviously learned some secrets of the drug world from them, too, but most importantly he learned how to design programs,” Gardiner added.

Although Charlie Francis has brought controversies to the Canadian sports, he also contributed good things. According to Gardiner, some of the training method is still in use by Canadian coaches. He described the training methods of Francis as built on speed and the mastery of the technical elements of sprinting. “He changed our thinking to as it should be. First of all, pay attention to the technical model, you have to be perfect because you have very little time to make a mistake. Secondly, develop speed first, then develop speed endurance next,” he said.

Due to the involvement of Francis to steroids, the Canadian sports was able to implement stricter policies on doping. They were able to clean the sport from performance enhancing drugs. It also led to the creation of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. The positive steroid test of Ben Johnson and the role of Charlie Francis as a coach dependent on steroids were considered as the turning point in Canadian sports. “It needed to happen. I think it took us as a nation of track and field coaches and nation of track and field fans and athletes to a much better place,” said Gardiner.

Francis was also a national athlete but due to an injury he decided to work as a coach. Athletes trained under Francis have a high regard for the coach. Olympian Angela Issajenko said that his coach was brilliant and she loved him. She believed everything he said to her. “Charlie was the most amazing person in the world to me. I want to hold onto the amazing memories and cherish them,” Issajenko added.

Charlie Francis, 61, died at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto after battling cancer for 5 years.