After easing out the conflicts between the players, the team and the league, the CBA is expected to be signed on Thursday. But another issue that must be tackled is the inclusion of human growth hormone testing. Insiders told the media that both the league and the players association are determined to implement the anti-doping measure once the season starts.

New HGH Testing Expected on September

Anti-doping officers will be extracting blood samples from the NFL players next month according to the source privy to the on-going negotiations. Commissioner Roger Goodell has been pushing for this measure and he was able to get an ally from the players association’s chief DeMaurice Smith. It is definite that HGH testing will be part of the anti-doping policy of the football league. Officials are discussing the specifics on how to implement the new anti-doping program.

Both Parties are Committed

According to chief legal counsel of the league, Jeff Pash, both sides showed commitment in having the best possible anti-doping program. “They recognize that having testing for growth hormone is part of having the best program,” Pash told the NY Times. On the other hand, the player’s union is still silent on the development of the proposal. The union spokesman George Atallah said this week that the players have not agreed to any comprehensive drug testing program.

The players are not so excited about the inclusion of HGH testing to the current steroid testing program of the football league. One of their apprehensions is the reliability of the test. This contention has already been debunked by anti-doping experts from the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) saying the testing methods have already improved. HGH can’t be detected in the urine sample of athletes that is why blood testing is recommended.

NFL Players May Ask Conditions Before Accepting the Proposal

According to the NY times, there are so many possible issues that the players would challenge before accepting HGH testing. Players may ask the league to let third parties handle their appeal if they failed the growth hormone test. Under the current policy, the complaints of players are being heard and decided by the commissioner’s office.

The players union could also ask the league to allow them take a bigger role in administering the anti-doping program. The frequency of the test has yet to be determined by both parties. The league and the player’s union will still agree on the number of players to be tested every season. How many of these players will be tested out of competition and during the season. Both parties will surely agree on random testing of players and not for a comprehensive coverage of the entire roster in each team.

They could also suggest that the player’s hotline must be managed by the union to avoid problems similar to the Starcaps case. The league failed to inform players that the dietary supplement Starcaps contains a diuretic, a banned substance.

If there will be no more hindrances on this HGH testing, the NFL will be the first pro league in North America to adopt human growth hormone testing.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS