The use of steroids and hormones are popular in sports but sometimes these substances are being used in livestock to make them bigger and stronger. In fact, there are some anabolic steroids which are primarily used in race horses and were later found out that it could also benefit bodybuilders and sports enthusiasts. Just like in sports, the use of anabolic steroids in horse racing is already banned in most countries like the US. But what is alarming is the use of steroids and hormones by some livestock growers.

Although the use of these substances is already banned in most countries, speculations that the practice still exist wouldn’t vanish. The Australian government for example, bans the use of steroids and hormones on livestock including chickens for several decades already. Producers are also committed to follow safety standards and assure the public that their products are free of any performance or quality enhancing substances.

However, a recent research conducted by one of the biggest producer of chicken in the country revealed that many Australians still believe that their favorite chicken meat are still injected with hormones and steroids. According to Steggles, more than 75% of Australians are claiming that the locally produced chickens contain hormones and steroids. Steggles group Managing Director, John Camilleri told the AusFoodNews.com.au that they assure all Australians that there are absolutely no hormones or steroids added to any of their chickens. “This is a fundamental commitment to our consumers,” he said.

Another misconception of consumers is the use of cages in chicken meat farming industry. “Cages are not used in our chicken meat farming operations across Australia. Steggles chickens are free to roam in custom-built, well-ventilated barns with constant access to food and water. Technical staffs are also engaged to specifically monitor and audit the welfare of our chickens,” the director said.

They have launched a public education campaign including TV ads to counter these perceptions. While it is a fact that the size of chicken produced in the country have become bigger as compared to previous years, the manufacturer argued that the changes was through the improvements in poultry breeding and farming practices. They have employed systematic and monitored feeding with the help of expert nutritionists. “It is important consumers are fully aware of the facts about chicken farming and that Australian families can take great comfort in knowing that chickens in Australia are produced in accordance with the regulations and standards set by the statutory authorities and the industry,” Camilleri said.

The chicken farming industry in Australia knows that proper education of consumers will help the industry flourish. The Australian Chicken Meat Federation said that there is a dramatic increase in chicken consumption for the past 20 years. 1 in 3 Australians eat chicken at least three times a week surpassing the consumption of beef.

It is good that these manufacturers are concerned on the welfare of their consumers. The use of steroids and hormones to bulk up the weight of their livestock to gain more profit should not be allowed by any government. If professional athletes are sanctioned for taking steroids and growth hormones, sanctions should also be given to unscrupulous businessmen who still inject their products with these weight and muscle enhancing substances.

The national anti-doping agency of the UK announced this week that one of their track and field athletes was given a 2-year suspension due to an unexplained positive test for steroid clenbuterol. They initially imposed a provisional suspension last February but during the investigation, the hurdler can’t explain why and how he got the banned substance in his system. Several possible reasons were given to the anti-doping agency but none of them could justify that the athlete should not be held accountable for the positive result.

Hurdler Callum Priestley, who just won the 60 meters hurdles at the world indoor trails in February, was handed 2-year suspension from the sport and could face a lifetime ban from the Olympics based on the rules of the British Olympic Association. The sanction has a retro-active effect and will end on February 2012.

Preistley was tested while he was in South Africa earlier this year. The steroid test was part of the comprehensive anti-doping policy of the UK anti-doping agency. “One of the important aspects of the Callum Priestley case is that he was tested off season, out-of-competition, and indeed outside of the UK,” UK Anti-Doping chief executive Andy Parkinson told the Sky Sports.

Parkinson stressed that athletes will be tested wherever they are and regardless whether they are competing or not. “This is in keeping with UK Anti-Doping’s focus on targeted, out-of-competition testing across all sports in their off season,” he said. The Anti-Doping Chief also said that the case of Priestley should act as a warning to other athletes. “There is no hiding place from their responsibilities, no matter where they are, or whether they are competing,” he added.

The National Anti-Doping Panel decided to give Preistley the 2-year suspension because of his failure to justify the presence of Clenbuterol in his body. Clenbuterol is included in the banned list of substances of most sports organization because of its performance enhancing effects. It is known to increase aerobic capacity of athletes and increase oxygen transportation. Most bodybuilders use Clenbuterol or Clen to achieve better muscle mass and this substance also help burn fats in the body.

Preistley suggested that it may be due to a supplement that he was taking. Tests showed that there was no trace of Clenbuterol on the supplement which he claimed contaminated with the substance. The anti-doping panel also reported that the hurdler argued that it could be due to the meat he ate while he was in South Africa.

“The athlete now believes that the most likely source was meat from animals or poultry which had been treated with steroids, but again it has not proved possible to produce any scientific or other evidence to substantiate the theory that any meat which he ate in South Africa was so contaminated,” the panel said.

Though Preistley can still appeal the decision, it will be more likely that the suspension will prevail.

The promotional tour of the Pacquiao-Margarito fight is doing fine but another disgruntled boxer who claimed that he is one of the best fighters in the world of boxing wants to take the limelight. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was seen in a video criticizing his rival Manny Pacquiao. This video which was uploaded in a social media site became a hot topic in almost all boxing websites. Many are still dumbfounded on the contents of the video which boxing authorities said was already hitting below the belt.

Everybody knows that Floyd Mayweather talks a lot but this time he rants on the personal life of Pacquiao. Spreadit.org has this to say on the former pound for pound king, “Floyd Mayweather may be little in size but his mouth is very big. The fighter was caught on camera using all kinds of curse words and racist terms to blast, insult and belittle boxer Manny Pacquiao.” The obscene video describes Floyd’s personality. He wants to be in the limelight again. He wants to get people talk about him.

Floyd Mayweather Going in on Manny Pacquiao
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RingsideReport writer Geno McGahee said in his article that Floyd knows that his name is fading again while watching Pacquiao dominate the boxing scene. It is too much for him to handle. McGahee believes that this will not be the last and Mayweather will attack again to keep his name alive in the papers and reassure himself that he is the best.

The 4 minute video talks about Pacquiao’s alleged steroid use and other racial comments. Mayweather said that if Pacquiao is scared of needles why is it that he gets tattoos for each fight. “This mother f**ker’s name is Emmanuel. He got a fake name, taking power pellets,” said Floyd.

Mayweather boasted about his achievements in the ring and he is not worried fighting any boxer including Pacquiao. Many boxing analysts including fans are speculating that Pacquiao will beat Mayweather once they fight in the ring. “Pacquiao has three losses, two draws and been knocked out twice. Once I beat him, I’ll continue to the next and onto the next,” he said. “They ain’t got to worry about me fighting the midget. Once I kick the midget’s a**, I’ll make that mother f**ker make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice,” said Mayweather. And Floyd is not contented, “we’re going to cook him with some cats and dogs.”

His tirade includes how Pacquiao handles his contracts. “He can’t speak no English. He never seen a contract he didn’t like,” said Floyd. He also called the boxer of the decade stupid in signing with two companies. He compared his earnings with Pacquiao saying that his range is between 50 to 100 million while Pacquaio can only get 5 to 10 million. “He go to Nike and only got 70 G’s. Reebok gave me a million dollars for three weeks. I wore Reebok for a week for a million dollars.” Mayweather added.

The media asked Pacquiao on the steroids issues and other allegations in the video. He said that he heard about it and told AP that it is an uneducated message. He later issued a statement through Sternberg that the video speaks for itself, referring to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The Connecticut Senate hopeful Linda McMahon can’t shun her critics especially those who questioned how the WWE handles internal matters such as steroid issues. When the WWE Hall of Famer Ted Dibiase admitted that he also took steroids proves that the WWE is not clean of steroids as the McMahons claim. The death of Lance Cade which was ignored by the WWE prompted another former WWE employee to air his sentiments against the World Wrestling Entertainment.

Former WWE employee Chris Nowinski told the media that the WWE should be held responsible for the death of Lance Cade. The company’s way of handling employees like the tight work schedules pushes the wrestlers to the limit. These resulted to relying too much to drugs such as anabolic steroids and painkillers. This was also revealed by Lance Cade during an interview before he died of heart failure. Cade admitted that for him to become a star in the WWE, he has to use steroids and claimed that top WWE officials tolerates and even encourage this practice.

And Nowinski also bolster that claim saying that WWE encourages the use of steroids by professional wrestlers. He said that the use of anabolic steroids in WWE is inherent. He told the Hill that those performers who do get the top billing are those who are willing to take everything. “The point I was making was that they reward people who take steroids,” Nowinski said.

Nowinski A Stranger Said WWE

The World Wrestling Entertainment lashed out Nowinski’s claim. “It is very dubious that [Nowinski] ever had a conversation with Lance Cade, much less Lance Cade confiding to a total stranger that he used painkillers and steroids,” they said in a statement. Nowinski on his part knows that he has no proof that Cade really used steroids. “I can never prove I had that conversation with Lance because Lance died when he was 29 years old. They want to call me a liar — the person who can confirm it is dead after he worked for them for [almost a decade],” Nowinski said.

The claim of Nowinski that wrestlers perform 200 times a year is not factual. “In 2009, the average active roster talent performed 135 days,” said in the WWE press release. The company said that while Nowinski believes that it was unsafe to perform in the ring he still performed for the company.

Nowinski Worked With Cade

Nowinski told The Hill during an interview that he was surprised on WWE’s statements questioning his relationship with Cade. “They don’t think I’ve ever met my 2003 tag-team partner in the WWE developmental system, who I worked with in Cincinnati and Louisville in 2002-2003 almost daily and saw regularly while working with WWE until 2007?” he said. He also lambasted McMahon for spending $24 million on a campaign but can’t even hire a decent PR person.

Nowinski, who now works as a concussions expert, believes that he must speak now because of Linda McMahon. “When someone would disrespect a deceased former employee, when she’s seeking [a Senate seat], as a patriot you have to say something. You want to make sure good people are in those jobs,” Nowinski added.

The main event on November 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium will feature the 7-division world boxing champion and one of the world’s best welterweight fighters. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is expecting at least 70,000 audiences for this match-up and a pay per view surpassing the previous records of both fighters. Though this is not the fight that most boxing fans want, Arum was still able to make an interesting match-up. Manny Pacquiao is being haunted by steroid issues coming from his rivals while Antonio Margarito was suspended for illegal hand wraps when he fought Shane Mosley in 2009.

Pacquiao was accused of using steroids by the Mayweather camp last year. They insisted that Pacquiao should undergo an Olympic style blood testing before a fight can happen. The first negotiation was unsuccessful but in the previous months Arum initiated talks with both camps and Pacquiao already agreed to the steroid testing. Unfortunately, Mayweather did not respond to the proposal instead he preferred to take a hiatus from boxing. Most boxing experts were dismayed on the decision of Mayweather and most of them think that the former pound for pound king is afraid of losing to Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao also wonder if the steroid issue is really the main reason why Mayweather don’t want to fight him. “We agree with, you know, his demands. I wanted to know if that’s his real reason,” Pacquiao told the media during the promotion of his upcoming fight. “Whatever he wanted to do, we were accepting it. Whatever he wanted. I want to fight. I’ll agree to anything. I thought the fight was a shoo-in,” the boxing legend added.

Coach Freddie Roach also told the AP that Pacquiao-Mayweather fight must happen.”All people want to know, ‘When’s he fighting Mayweather?’ Wherever I go, that’s what I’m asked. People will get pissed off if that fight didn’t happen,” he said.

The Pacquiao-Margarito fight on November 13 is not about steroid issues anymore but on Margarito’s comeback after his 1 year suspension. The California State Athletic Commission suspended him for illegal hand wraps which could make his hand a lethal weapon. He was also barred to fight in other states but Texas gave him a chance when he was given a license. Margarito still insist that he has no knowledge that his trainer put something illegal on his hands. According to experts, the illegal substance used on his hand wraps causes it to harden and adding a lot of power to his punches. Mosley is lucky that it was discovered before the bout. Mosley won the fight.

Pacquiao is not worried fighting the former cheater. “Give him one more chance. He is human, he made a mistake,” he told the media. But he believes that Margarito knows what his trainer was doing. “It’s his hands and he watches the taping,” said Pacquiao. He said that Margarito is just looking for a way out so his reputation won’t be damaged among his fans. “I hope he learned his lesson and will not repeat the same mistake,” added Pacquiao.

Antonio Margarito is optimistic that he will dominate the fight. “It’s time to show everyone that I’m still very good and nobody will want to miss this fight. It’ll be a great fight,” he said. He also urge boxing fans to forget the past.

The World Boxing Council super welterweight title is at stake on the Pacquiao-Margarito fight to be held on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium. If Manny Pacquiao wins, it will be his 8 division title.

The investigators handling the alleged systematic doping of Lance Armstrong are now getting more evidences that strengthen their case against the 7-time Tour de France Champion. The investigations headed by Jeff Novitsky have already issued subpoenas to different entities including former cyclists and team sponsors. Some of the names called to provide information or testimonies are 3-time Tour de France Champion Greg Lemond, former team mate Tyler Hamilton, and company sponsors Nike and Trek.

Of course, the statements of Floyd Landis about the use of EPO and blood transfusions by Lance Armstrong in several Tour de France competitions prompted the FDA to conduct an investigation. This investigation is not only focused on the alleged doping but will also look into the possible involvement of Armstrong to illegal contracts and purchase of illegal substances like anabolic steroids.

The new witness, Betsy Andreu, told the Times that she already provided government investigators significant evidences related to the use of performance enhancing substances of Armstrong. Betsy is the wife of professional cyclist Frankie Andreu. The couple already testified in the previous case that involved Armstrong. The civil case was already settled in 2006.

According to Betsy, there were evidences that will show that Armstrong really admitted to using drugs. She said that voice mail recordings from a message machine would show that Stephanie McIlvain, a representative of Oakley Inc. and a longtime sponsor of Armstrong, was lying when she testified that she did not heard Armstrong admit to the use of drugs like EPO. This is in connection with the alleged admission of Armstrong of his doping in a hospital where several people were present including doctors, McIlvain and the Andreu couple.

Betsy Andreu did not give specific details on the contents of the recordings but she said that McIlvain apologized to them for lying about the hospital-room testimony. She also said that other important documents were turned over to the investigators. McIlvains lawyer was surprised on the voice mails about McIlvain and told the media that his client will cooperate fully if investigated.

Mark Fabiani, a veteran lawyer and communications strategist called the entire Indiana hospital story as preposterous. “Lance’s doctors said it didn’t happen. The records show it didn’t happen. The other six to seven people in that hospital room either say it didn’t happen or have no recollection of any such conversation. The Andreus are the only persons who say it happened,” said Fabiani.

The veteran laywer also told the media that Armstrong underwent medications for steroids and EPO for his cancer treatment but clarified that it does not mean that his client used the drugs during competitions. “Lance was required to undergo an active steroid and EPO regimen as part of his post-operative treatment. He added that it is logical that EPO or steroids may have been discussed during his visit to the hospital. “Having nothing to do with any suggestion of use before he was a cancer patient,” he said.

Fabiani recently joined the legal team of Armstrong which is composed of former federal prosecutor Bryan Daly and Tim Herman, a long time personal lawyer of Armstrong. The inclusion of Fabiani will make it hard for the government investigators to pin down Armstrong on the several charges that may be filed against him. Fabiani handled high profile cases with clients like former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Vice President Al Gore, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Last month, Fabiani told the ESPN how they would handle the allegations against Lance Armstrong. “We’re prepared to deal forthrightly with the improper and misleading leaks that so far have unfortunately characterized this unfair, Floyd Landis-inspired inquiry,” he said.