The standoff between the NFL and the player’s union is unlikely to be solved soon. The continued resistance of the NFL Player’s Association, as seen by critics, is just a way to get out of the previous agreement on HGH testing. The player’s union will only concede to HGh testing if the league can promise a reliable testing for human growth hormone.

Right now, the stalled implementation of the HGH testing in the NFL reached the attention of the Senate. Senator John McCain recently wrote a letter to his colleagues in the Senate to conduct a hearing on this issue. The core of his letter was focused on the continued refusal of the player’s union to submit their players on HGH tests.

HGH Testing Methods Reliable

The Senator doesn’t believe that after years of implementation of the test in other professional sports, the methods are still unreliable. McCain said that the WADA already used the methods for years and there are already a dozen of scientists who proved the efficiency of the growth hormone test. It can also send a wrong impression that the use of human growth hormone is not detrimental to the health of the players.

McCain noted that the questions of the NFL player’s union come from lawyers and not from scientists. With this concern, the senator wants to invite the World Anti-Doping Agency in a hearing to shed light on the matter. “The scientific community, both inside and outside of WADA, does not question the reliability of the hGH test. WADA cannot tell you what is really motivating the NFLPA’s reluctance to accept the hGH test, but it is certainly not science. Our interaction with the NFLPA has not involved dialog with informed scientists, but rather lawyers,” he said. McCain even described in his letter the frivolous arguments of NFLPA lawyers.

The Senator also lambasted the player’s union for not responding to the appeal of more than 2 dozen lawmakers to finally accept the previously agreed HGH testing program. “It now appears that the NFLPA may indefinitely delay testing, resulting in another season completed without fans having the confidence that the game is clean. Public doubt about the NFLPA’s commitment to ensuring that the game is played cleanly undermines consumer confidence in the entertainment product they sell.”

Questioning WADA and USADA May Affect their Credibility

Sen. McCain was also concerned on the argument of the player’s union that the methods being used by the WADA and the USADA are not reliable. Challenging these prominent and independent organizations will inflict harm to the credibility of these anti-doping agencies that have been in the forefront for clean sports. “Further, the Players Association dismissed the standing of international scientific experts who testified in an open letter to the validity and accuracy of the hGH test.”

If the public will not rely on WADA’s methods, then there is no one left to ensure clean competition and the integrity of sport said MCCain.

Congressional Inquiry Will Put the Players on a Difficult Situation

In his closing statement, Senator McCain said that there was a significant progress in the methods of testing for HGH. “By publicly challenging the scientific validity of the widely-accepted WADA test, the NFLPA may reduce public confidence that our professional sports are being played cleanly. I hope you will strongly consider convening a hearing to examine this important matter of public interest,” said the Arizona Senator.

The letter was addressed to Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), the panel’s Ranking Member. If the committee acts on this request, the NFLPA will have to face another Congressional inquiry that may just lead to a more difficult situation for the players. Though HGH is not a steroid, it is now becoming popular for its performance enhancing benefits.

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