Steroid use will always be a part of baseball. Even if they implement comprehensive anti-doping policies and stiff penalties for violators, the number of offenders is not declining. The list continues to grow both in the majors and the minor league. On Wednesday, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that they issued suspensions to 5 minor leaguers for testing positive for steroids. They were using a substance known to improve performance, a clear violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Based on the press release, the suspension will be effective immediately. The players will miss 50-games for this offense. Four of the players were pitchers and a catcher was also caught using another type of steroid. These players are part of the Dominican Summer League teams.

Right handed pitcher Joel Matos, a prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is on top of the list. The test results showed that he has the metabolites of Stanozolol. This kind of steroid is more popular as Winstrol. Other pitchers were also using the same steroid. They are Kansas City Royals Minor League pitcher Freddy Rodriguez and New York Yankees Minor League pitchers Daury Aquino and Alexander de los Santos. Catcher Jhancarlos Infante, a prospect of the Tampa Bay Rays, also received a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a metabolite of Boldenone.

The good financial reward in the major league is one of the reasons why these young baseball players are tempted to use performance enhancing drugs. They are taking chances but the risks are too high. Aside from loosing the opportunity to play in the majors, they are also putting their life into health risks. Joel Matos, for example, is only 17-years old. Based on some studies, taking steroids at a very young age will affect the user’s physical growth and may affect his mental development. This is aside from the possible effects on his emotional stability.

Most of these players came from the Dominican Republic where the MLB is sourcing most of its international players. Many of these young baseball players were able to prove themselves by becoming one of the great players in the Major League Baseball. However, the use of steroids will always be associated with Dominican players. Just recently, 20 out of 40 prospects who are eligible to sign in the MLB’s international recruitment program failed the steroid tests. One of them is outfielder Edwin Moreno who was also caught using Stanozolol.

Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez, who previously admitted to taking anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, will be attending a fundraising event on Aug. 19 at the Yankee Stadium. The fundraising event is organized by the Taylor Hooton Foundation to support its anti-steroid education program across the country. The foundation was established for Taylor Hooton, a 17-year old baseball player who committed suicide in 2003 because of depression caused by steroids.

Other players will also attend the event including Andy Pettite who was also involved in the use of performance enhancing drugs. Rodriguez started working with Don Hooton after his steroid confession. “Don Hooton is just a guy who has tremendous passion for what he’s done. There’s no secret we’ve been working together, hopefully quietly, for a while now. I’d rather not talk about it too much,” Rodriguez told the media.

National athletes involved in the use of anabolic steroids are not new in Bulgaria. They have been into controversies since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After 11 of its weightlifting athletes tested positive for a banned substance, the Balkan country decided to pull out its entire team from the Olympics. The Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation decided to withdraw from the competition three women and eight men who were tested positive for steroids. They were Ivailo Filev, Demir Demirev, Mehmed Fikretov, Ivan Stoitsov, Georgi Markov, Ivan Markov, Alan Tsagaev, Velichko Cholakov, Milka Maneva, Donka Mincheva and Gergana Kirilova. Although there was no admission on the part of the weightlifters, they did not ask for confirmatory tests. They alleged that it could be due to the supplement that they were taking that time.

The athletes who are into the weightlifting sports are not learning this lesson. If you cheat, you will be putting your career at risk. Even before the Beijing Olympics, 3 Bulgarian weightlifters were banned prior to the Athens Olympics in 2004. Just recently, another weightlifter from Bulgaria tested positive for a banned substance. Weightlifter Boyan Polejanov returned a positive test for anabolic steroid methandienone during an out-of-competition test.

The 25-year-old weightlifter finished seventh in the +105 kg category at the European Championships in Minsk last April. He denied that he is doping. In an interview with Bulgarian media, Polejanov would not be seeking for a confirmatory test for his B sample. He will also retire from the sport after the incident. “The whole situation is very confusing as no one can still explain where it came from. Anyway, I’ll not continue with weightlifting, that’s for sure,” said Polejanov.

What makes methandienone a banned substance? It is an anabolic steroid taken orally which helps in the development of muscles. This is a popular steroid among bodybuilders and weightlifters because it provides them with a dramatic increase in protein synthesis, glycogenolysis, and muscle strength over a short period of time. Taking methandienone will surely give competitive advantage to an athlete.

Most sports organizations prohibit its use. However, there are still some countries where it can be purchased without a prescription. And it is not surprising that Bulgaria is one of those countries where athletes have an easy access to this kind of anabolic steroid. This could be one of the reasons why many of their athletes are tempted to use steroids.

Methandienone or Methandrostenolone is commonly sold under different names. Bodybuilders buy this steroid as Averbol, Dianabol, Danabol, or DBOL. It is also stacked with other steroids particularly testosterone propionate, enanthate, cypionate or combined with trenbolone acetate to achieve maximum benefits.

Reuters also reported that Bulgaria’s sports ministry sanctioned its domestic weightlifting federation in December by revoking its license.

People selling and distributing controlled substances have always been thinking of new ways on how to avoid being caught by the authorities. As we cover steroid related news, there were already cases where some people or individuals tried to hide their illegal operations by adopting unconventional strategies. Two months ago an individual was caught manufacturing anabolic steroids at a hotel room. He rented the room for the sole purpose of manufacturing and packaging the steroids to be distributed in the area. In some instances, a legal business is used to cover up the illegal manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs.

In New Jersey, police uncovered a new technique in selling prescription drugs and other drugs classified as a substance of abuse. They dubbed it as a pharmacy on wheels. Albina Sportelli of NorthJersey.com reported that the Jersey police were able to apprehend two women allegedly peddling various prescription drugs including anabolic steroids. The two women were inside a 2009 BMW at a parking lot. When the officers asked for their identification, a bottle of injectable steroid was spotted when one of the women opened her purse to show the officers her identification.

Detective Capt. Robert Rowan identified them as Jennifer Nicer, 31, of Astoria and Layla Nazari, 23, of Montclair, Queens, N.Y. The two women were arrested and charge with possession and distribution of controlled dangerous substances (CDS). A further search on their car revealed two suitcases full of different drugs. This is aside from the plastic bags the officers said were full of various pills which were later identified as crystal meth, Xanax, and ecstasy.

After obtaining a search warrant, Passaic County Sheriff’s Department helped in the search by using a sniffer dog. The two suitcases found on the car contain several pills, syringes, steroids, glass pipes and other prescription drugs without prescriptions. “There are also lots of other pills that have not been identified yet,” said Rowan. He commended the apprehending officers for a great job in getting these drugs off the street.

Authorities suspect that the two women were targeting students from a nearby school. Several charges were filed against Nazari and Nicer. They were charged with possession and distribution of controlled dangerous substances, distribution of CDS in a school zone, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of hypodermic syringes.

On the other hand, a group used a student to sell their steroids to high school students in Fla. It’s good that the authorities were able to stop this illegal steroid operation. The romenews-tribune reported that the steroid dealer suspected of supplying students of Calhoun High School was already arrested. Justin Wood Pitcock, 21, of 103 Vernon Road, Armuchee, was arrested together with two other men in Gordon County after a two month investigation. Authorities said that they were able to confiscate $10,000 worth of anabolic steroids.

The other suspects were Corey Biggers, 22, of 460 Rosedale Road, Floyd County and Bradley Barto, 25 of 561 W. Cypress Ave., Springs, Fla. They were charged with possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute anabolic steroids. Based on court records, Biggers is the supplier of a student caught selling anabolic steroids in the Calhoun High School while Pitcock supplied Biggers with the stuff.

A recent study showed that most Indian teenagers living in South Africa depend on anabolic steroids to enhance their image and body physique. The culture and emotional problems are the main factors that influenced these young boys to try these drugs. It was also found out that Bollywood movies have a strong impact on the way these teenagers build their body. They idolize Bollywood actors who have masculine body which are being portrayed in movies as Adonises who can easily get and loved by women.

Jarred Martin of the University of KwaZulu-Natal studied 500 Indian schoolboys aged 13 to 19. He investigated the relationship between traditional masculine beliefs, body-image discrepancy and socio-cultural influences on appearance of Indian teenagers. This was a follow up on a previous study which showed that there was high level of anxiety about the appearance among young Indians as compared to their black or white counterparts. Moreover, it was also noted that other races perceived these teenagers as having a “softer” masculinity. The reason could be due to the close family ties among Indian families thus there were perceptions that they were “mommies boys.”

Martin’s findings were significant because it helps explain why these teenagers, who are not involved in sports, used anabolic steroids. Of the 500 respondents, 57 percent said that Bollywood films put too much pressure for them to look muscular. Most of them believe that having a muscular body will improve their self-worth. 79.3% of the respondents have this perception.

The study also revealed that 25% of these teenagers used supplements and other drugs to develop muscles and better body physique. There are students who admitted that they took illegal supplements or steroids to achieve this goal. Although they were only composed of 5.5%, this could still become a major concern for the authorities. Taking steroids at a very young age could pose many health risks to the users.

This was explained by Professor Yoga Coo-poo of the University of the Witwatersrand’s Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. He told the Times Live that the use of steroids can cause a number of ill-effects on young users which may include muscle tears and reduced HDL - the high-density cholesterol that helps reduce heart disease. Coopoo said that the Indian community generally has lower HDL levels, and a further decrease in it with the use of steroids creates greater risk of heart disease as they grow older.

It was also noted that these steroids were available in most local gyms and pharmacies. Some doctors and veterinary nurses and assistants were also involved in the sale and distribution of some anabolic steroids used for animals like the equipoise which is mainly used as a horse steroid. Other anabolic steroids commonly used by these teenagers were deca durabolin and dianabol.

“The way in which these cinematic heroes are portrayed is that they always get the girl. They get respect, adoration and envy from other men,” Martin told the Times Live. “It may be that Bollywood cinema, in its portrayal of its action heroes and leading men as muscular Adonises, simply capitalizes on the anxieties of young boys about their masculinity and body image,” he added.

According to Rakhi Beekrum, a Counselling psychologist, the six-pack is portrayed as being favourable and desirable among Bollywood stars. “This can be seen in the shift from Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor to Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham and even Shahrukh Khan,” Beekrum said. A respondent said that these Bollywood stars are so popular with girls and he wouldn’t mind looking like his idol. Another respondent said that the only way they can look like these stars is by using steroids.

Sherona Rawat, a Clinical psychologist, said that the findings on these young Indians were not surprising. They being perceived as “soft” was a “contributing factor” in the young Indian male’s decision to use a substance that has been clinically proven to be dangerous and damaging to the body said Rawat. “The pull on South African males of Indian descent to prove themselves masculine in relation to their South African counterparts of other cultures and communities is understandable in this light,” Rawat added.

After admitting that he regrets the use of steroids during his career in baseball, Jose Canseco is again trying to get the attention of his fans. The fame that he enjoyed while he was active in the field. Right now, he wants to prove that he can still excel in sport, though not in baseball but in boxing. Canseco has already ventured into this sport aside from mixed martial arts when he was kicked out from the major league.

But what makes it interesting is the type of matches he is competing into. Reid Cherner and Tom Weir of USA Today reported that Jose Canseco is scheduled to fight on July 9 at Arkansas Travelers minor league game. What catches my attention is the title of the article, “Jose Canseco to fight 60-year-old.” Does it mean the former baseball slugger lost his skills and strength after years of steroid use? Or it may be the other way around. Maybe people are afraid to fight a steroid user and they only found a 60 year old willing to be beaten inside the ring.

Whatever reasons Canseco may have is beyond our comprehension. But one thing is clear in this match-up. It is a good publicity stunt. People will surely watch this event to see if Canseco still has the power and those people who hate him would definitely expect that he will be beaten by a 60-year old boxer. This event will definitely draw a huge crowd.

His opponent is not an ordinary guy from the sidelines. A retired baseball coach, Gary Hogan formerly worked with the University of Arkansas as assistant athletic director of Little Rock. He was also its head baseball coach. Hogan told a news agency that boxing is not new to him. He sparred at gyms for many years and even boxed with former heavyweight champ John Tate. “I’m coming out of retirement, because 60 is the new 30. This isn’t going to be Mayweather-Pacquiao or Ali-Foreman, it’s going to be two guys with 16-ounce gloves going out there just to see what happens,” Hogan said.

Hogan is confident about this match-up and shows no fear even if his opponent is a guy who used anabolic steroids to improve performance and strength. “I’ve never been one to conform to too much, because you only get to go around the block one time,” Hogan told MLB.com. “I plan on enjoying every inch of the block before I’m cremated,” he added. The match-up is set for 4 rounds of boxing.

Canseco will be turning 46 this month. In his previous interviews, his involvement in the use of steroids and being the source of information in the Mitchell report were the major setbacks in his life. The financial reward that he enjoys that time vanished. Now that he is trying to revive a career, Canseco will do everything to get back into the life that he enjoys. However, Cherner and Weir believes that this match up is a lose-lose situation for Canseco. “If he wins, it just means he beat up a 60-year-old guy. If he loses, he’s a laughingstock.”

The fight everybody is dreaming of is now becoming a reality. According to boxing promoter Bob Arum, the negotiations between Mayweather’s team and the Pacquiao team were already finalized. The squabble on the sharing of the fight purse was already ironed out including the issue on the Olympic style blood testing. According to some online sources, the Mayweather camp already agreed on the 50-50 percent sharing. “That’s all been resolved. I am not going to talk about the specifics of the negotiations,” said Arum. Arum, who initiated the talks between the two camps, said that the proposal was already sent to Floyd Mayweather Jr. for his final approval. If Floyd will not make new demands, then the fight of the century will happen before the end of this year.

The Top Rank chief also disclosed that the initial date for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will be on November 13 this year. This will be held in Las Vegas Nevada. However, previous interviews with Floyd shows that he want to take a break from boxing after his win against Shane Mosley. If Floyd doesn’t want to fight on November, boxing fans should not lose hope because there is another suggestion in the proposal that the fight could be postponed next year if Floyd Mayweather refused to fight in November. Arum said that the fight will depend on Floyd. “The question is whether Mayweather is willing to go into the ring this year. It’s up to him. His people would love him to do it. He may not want to do it. If Mayweather wants to fight in November, I believe the fight will be made,” Arum told the media.

The boxing promoter assured the public that there are no more problems with the negotiations. “There are no real issues that I can see, except whether he wants to fight now or later or not at all,” said Arum during an interview. The Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who represented Mayweather in the negotiation, declined to give comment on the pronouncement of Arum. But his silence means a positive thing for most boxing fans. There has been a long debate on who is more powerful between these two great fighters. The question of who is the real user of steroids becomes a word war in most online discussions. But whether they are pro-Mayweather or pro-Pacquaio, the only thing that they want is to see these boxers fight in the ring.

Coach Freddie Roach said in an interview that he is optimistic that the fight will proceed as planned. “We obviously want Mayweather. He has a big mouth and we’re going to shut him up,” Roach said. The Pacquaio camp gave Floyd Mayweather Jr. a two-week deadline to accept the deal. Manny Pacquiao can have a rematch with Miguel Cotto or fight Antonio Margarito if Floyd declines the proposal.

Meanwhile, Evander Holyfield the holder of the most world title in the heavyweight division, shares his predictions for the Mayweather-Pacquaio fight. First, he believes that the fight will materialize because of the possible earnings that both fighters will get. “With the kind of payday, it’s impossible for this fight not to happen,” Holyfield told Brad Cooney of 8CountsNews. “After you become great in boxing, what is the next point? There is no other purpose after you become great in boxing other than to make money,” Holyfield added.

He admired both fighters for the great skills they have developed in their boxing career. However, Holyfield noted that the man who will win in this fight is the one who has the heart. “Pacquiao has skills, and he has heart. On paper, you always give it to Mayweather, but on personal ability and in a guy that fights through and through, you would say Pacquiao,” he said.

Holyfield opined that the Mayweathers should stop their steroids allegations against Pacquaio which are unfounded. “Either you’re going to fight him or not. Why bring that steroid thing up? Either sit on the pot, or get off of the pot,” he said. The steroid testing should be handled by the commission (like the NSAC) and should not be a concern of the athlete. “If Manny is on something, they will catch him, but Mayweather should not make up the rules. Either fight the guy, or don’t,” Holyfield added.

During the first round of negotiations, the pressure was on Pacquaio whether he will subject himself to the Olympic style blood testing asked by Floyd. Now that Manny agreed on the terms, the mega fight is now in the hands of Floyd. This time, Floyd will have two options. Prove that he is a real boxer or a coward who don’t want to lose.