The NFL receives too much criticism on its existing anti-doping policy but they still want to prove that the policy on performance enhancing drugs is implemented effectively. This could be measured by the continued issuance of suspensions to erring players. Although, the sanctions may not be a total deterrent for steroid use, it would at least give warnings to those people who are trying to increase performance with the help of steroids and other drugs. And of course, it will have a great effect on the career of players caught using banned substances.

Recently, the NFL handed down an 8-game suspension to nose tackle Jason Ferguson for violating the steroid policy of the league. Ferguson, who last played with the Miami Dolphins, will be missing the first 8 games of the next season. Greg Aiello, NFL spokesperson, confirmed it to the media last Sunday but he did not elaborate on the specifics of the penalty. There are no details on the particular banned substance that caused Ferguson’s suspension. The media called Ferguson’s agent, Jimmy Sexton but did not return any call to at least give more information on the issue.

The recent suspension of Jason Ferguson for violating the anti-doping policy of the league is not the first one. In 1999, the NFL suspended him for 4 games for failing a drug test. His urine sample showed that he took an anabolic steroid. Ferguson never admitted that he took anabolic steroids that time. He said that he was taking dietary supplements but it does not contain any steroid. “People are thinking I’m a drug addict or something like that, and that’s ridiculous. I read bottles and I know steroids. I didn’t take no damn steroids,” Ferguson said in defending himself during that time. In 1997, he was also tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine according to the report of AP.

The Miami Dolphins released him as a free agent last Friday. Ferguson’s status is now in limbo but it is expected that many teams will be interested in getting him into their rooster. His performance for the Dolphins is impressive before he met an injury late last year. He tore his quadriceps tendon last November and underwent a surgery a few days later. His doctor recommended eight-months rehabilitation for his injury. He allowed Dolphins to 93.7 rushing yards as compared with 135.6 rushing yards without him. He also made 23 tackles in nine games for the Dolphins last season.

The Miami Dolphins refused to comment on the suspension of Ferguson. “We won’t comment because he’s not officially on our roster,” said Harvey Greene, Dolphins spokesperson. He remains as a free agent and they did not confirm if they will still re-sign a new contract next season for Ferguson.

Meanwhile, Offensive lineman Ryan Tucker of the Cleveland Browns was also reported having a failed steroids test which could be the cause of his retirement. An 8 game suspension will be imposed next season if the veteran continues to play in the league. Although media reports can’t provide more details on his alleged positive steroid test. In an interview with WKNR radio, he said that he will be focusing more on his family after his retirement. “We notified the league and we are notifying the Cleveland Browns family that I’m shutting it down. It’s time for me to go ahead and hang up the cleats and starting being a daddy and a husband. I’m going that route,” Tucker said.

The NFL’s last resort failed when a federal judge ruled that the Starcaps case of Minnesota Vikings Pat and Kevin Williams should be heard at a state court. In a 3 page order issued by U.S. Judge Paul Magnuson, the case must be heard at the District Court of Hennepin. The NFL’s action seemed calculated only to avoid trial on the merits said in the decision. The trial is scheduled on Monday and will be presided by Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson.

The case, which is already more than a year, became a big issue in the league because of the strict liability policy of the NFL. However, the Williamses argued in court that the league failed to inform players about the tainted supplement Starcap. There were reports that the league already knows that the Starcaps contain a banned substance, bumetanide. It is a diuretic which can mask the use of steroids. As a weight loss supplement, it can be purchased over-the-counter. They also contend that under the Minnesota laws, employees should be given an opportunity to explain the innocent use of an otherwise banned product and that the NFL didn’t allow them to explain their use of StarCaps.

According to their lawyer, Peter Ginsberg, the league has erratically managed the policy and kept obviously important information from the players. Ginsberg criticized how the NFL implemented its policy but still believes that there will be some changes after the trial. “We believe strongly that the NFL’s steroid policy has the potential of being the best organized sports (anti-doping) program. Unfortunately, the NFL has manipulated and mismanaged that policy, so our hope is the policy, after this trial, will be stronger and better,” said Ginsberg.

In a statement given by NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, he referred to the lawsuit as a state law end-around that can undermine all anti-doping policies in sports. “Most of the claims in the state law case have already been dismissed. But for an anti-doping policy to be effective on (a) national basis for leagues that have teams in many states, there must be uniform standards that cannot be cherry-picked state-by-state based on different state laws,” said Aiello.

The trial on Monday will summon top league officials, labor representatives and representatives from the Vikings. Some of the personalities who will be testifying in court are NFLPA player development director Stacy Robinson, Commissioner Roger Goodell and Vikings coach Brad Childress.

Other labor law experts believe that the Starcaps case will affect several sports organization in implementing their anti-doping policy. According to Professor Angela Cornell of Cornell Law School, the lawsuit could make it more difficult for the NFL and other leagues to uniformly enforce their drug policies. However, the case could help clarify issues on privacy rights. “Certainly we all want to have uniform drug policies in major league sports, because that would be helpful. But that doesn’t mean that we want to deprive states of their ability to pass threshold protection for employees,” she said.

Aside from the dispute on the anti-doping policy of the league, the players are also asking for moral damages and lost economic opportunities. In a statement given to the AP, Ginsberg said, “As a result of the way the NFL has handled its testing and its responsibility to keep confidential certain matters, Kevin and Pat’s reputation has been tainted. They have been lumped with steroid users, people who have tried to mask steroid use.”

Many eyebrows were raised upon hearing of the news that Bill Romanowski was interviewed by the Washington Redskins for the position of strength and conditioning coach. Known for a notorious 16-year career, Romanowski is perhaps one of the biggest bad boys in the history of the league, often caught in the middle of scandals and controversies during his time. Nevertheless, despite all his delinquency and bad behavior whether rumored or true, Romanowski may just be perfect for the job as it is well-known that only a few professional athletes can match his extensive workout routines. The reason why Romanowski lasted so long and successfully in the NFL even when bombarded with scandal after scandal is his extreme commitment to keeping physically fit and maintaining his body. Romanowski did intense stretching routines and endured extreme levels of pain just to make sure he could play in the field at optimal strength every Sunday.

In addition to strict workout routines, Romanowski also took a lot of supplements and took diet and nutrition to the extreme. Romanowski even had a special pill box that he showed in a special television feature years ago. The case was divided into various squares, which held and separated the different supplements and pills he took every morning, which must have exceeded 20 kinds. Romanowski may be nasty and vicious but his commitment to sacrifice more than most players would be willing to just to stay on top of the game is a significantly positive point that can benefit the Redskins.

The biggest and hardest hurdle, however, is the fact that Romanowski used steroids in the past. This is harder to justify than any other scandal linked to him as the ethical and moral implications taint his credibility to be a fitting coach.

Romanowski admitted to using steroids and human growth hormones during his career when he appeared in 60 Minutes in 2005. He added that the drugs were supplied to him by Victor Conte, the infamous guy behind the BALCO scandal. If Romanowski does become the strength and conditioning coach of the Washington Redskins, he will no doubt face a lot of criticism from fans and the media but they may eventually get over it.

Compared to baseball fans, NFL fans are less wary or concerned about whether players use steroids or not. Football players are expected to be enormous in size and part of the entertainment is seeing them beat each other up in the field sixteen times a year, excluding the preseason and the playoffs.

Even with rumors of rampant steroid use within the league, the NFL is doing all that it can to discourage steroid use. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell strengthened the league’s drug policy in 2007 by including more frequent drug testing and harsher penalties; those who test positive for the first time will be suspended for one-fourth of the season (or four games).

Perhaps, what Bill Romanowski can do is to learn from his experience with steroids, both good and bad, and educate current players about the negative long term effects of the drug to discourage players from using it. Maybe then he would make an awesome strength and conditioning coach.

He is considered as “the best offensive lineman prospect ever.” Green Bay Packers made him the second overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. And now, Tony Mandarich is so different from what he used to be, standing beside a lectern inside the Natrona County High School Auditorium. Mandarich is said to have lived a life of Bacchanalian excess which ultimately led to addiction, disgrace, near-ruin, and deliverance. He however admitted that he lived a good life after experiencing the “extremely high highs and extreme low lows.”

The story of Mandarich as a former junkie, now clean is hoping to inspire especially the athletes who also suffered addiction. In the said event, with almost 100 people in attendance, Mandarich bravely told his tale with a blend of humility and endurance that common addict who has found recovery. In his story, he tackled about his boyhood dream of being a professional athlete, works hard in attaining that dream, his use of steroids to achieve the goal, and its demise. Mandarich’s story is actually a representation of the state’s annual Methamphetamine and Substance Abuse Conference which started last Wednesday and ended in Thursday evening.

Mandarich’s story is not just about his painful story of addiction as it also shows how he redeemed himself. “I knew that I had to share this message with others,” he said. Born in Canada, He admitted to have a really good childhood. With everything that he needs, it seems that he can’t ask for anything more. But tragedy is inevitable. At 11, he is already a big fan of football and spends his Sunday watching it and finally decided to want to play in the NFL. With that dream, his life revolved around lifting weights, running and training for the football field.

He later on moved to Ohio during his senior year of high school to attract college recruiters. It was also that same year hat Mandarich had experience his very first steroid. That time, he was pressing 315 pounds, and three weeks later, he had 330 pounds. “I just did a little bit and I got great gains. So my next thought was, ‘If I do a lot, I’ll get greater gains.’ ”

During college, he was a star offensive lineman at Michigan State University. And still, steroids was his companion as he injected his body with cocktails of steroids. With the 1989 NFL draft approaching, he dropped out of college and moved to California to work with his personal trainer, who is a chief steroid provider. In one of his days of weightlifting, he complained that his body was aching, and it was right then and there that he got his first painkiller injection. After that, he disclosed, that he injected painkillers six to seven times a day for the next six years.

He also had the chance to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated and finally made it into the NFL. “I was the second pick (in the draft), and I was a drug addict,” he said. “And I hid it very well.” But in 1992, the Packers cut him. “I embarrassed myself, I embarrassed my family and I embarrassed the Green Bay Packers,” he said. He added that at the time, “I felt they had wronged me, when in fact I was the one doing all the wronging.”

He spent the next three years living with his family in Michigan, drinking and popping 60 to 70 painkiller pills a day. He wanted to clean up, he said, but the addiction spoke louder than everything else in his life. With the help of a treatment program, Mandarich, overcame his addiction in 1995. And finally his chance at redemption is near when Indianapolis Colts offered him a two-year contract. After three sober years with the Colt, Tony Mandarich finally retired due to a shoulder injury.

If we will believe this allegation by Earnest Graham of Bucs, we can say that the NFL anti-doping policy is a failure. In an interview by the WQYK-radio in Tampa last month, Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham said that he believes 30% of NFL players are using performance enhancing drugs like HGH or human growth hormone. Major sports organizations like the NFL are continuously fighting against the use of any performance enhancing drugs of its players. League officials may just brush off this allegation but for some people they may already conclude that there is really a big problem in the league in curtailing the use of banned substances.

JoeBucsfan.com quoted Graham saying that it would not shock him if a lot of NFL players are using HGH. “I would say, I’ve heard a lot of people, even in Hollywood the average person is (using) HGH. It’s supposed to be this great thing. Especially in a sport like football. You know, I would assume that a lot of guys have access to it and are using it. I would assume so. I wouldn’t doubt it, man, with what’s at stake,” he said. Graham also believes that players are tempted to use HGH to achieve optimum performance as expected by their teams. “Especially in this game, not having guaranteed contracts you know with so much riding on your performance, a game that tears your body down like that, I would assume that a lot of people are making that decision to use HGH,” Graham said.

Another reason why most NFL players are doing it is the insufficient test being conducted by the league to detect its use. This remark from Graham was also in relation to the case of Dr. Anthony Galea, the Canadian doctor who is under investigation for supplying professional athletes with HGH. MLB players such as Mets Jose Reyes, Huston Street of Oakland Athletics and pitcher John Patterson of the Washington Nationals were some of the patients of the doctor. Although these players were treated with other methods to speed up their recovery from the injuries, the involvement of the doctor to human growth hormone and Actovegin raises the possibility that he also prescribed it to his patients.

As Graham said, if players see that the use of HGH can help them in the quick recovery from injuries, they will be influenced to experiment with it. “It gets done by, you know, just knowing a guy. Seeing how it benefits another guy. That’s how it ends up, you know. Most guys don’t have access to it, don’t know how to go about it, probably won’t take the time to check on it. So usually another guy refers it, you know, to someone and that’s how all that starts,” Graham added.

Meanwhile, Broncos quarterback Chris Simms, a former patient of Dr. Galea was also linked to HGH use. Simms admitted that Dr. Galea helped him in his elbow injury in 2007 but denied using the drug. “I’ve never taken HGH and (Actovegin), I’ve never heard of it,” he said. Simms underwent a 3-month plasma therapy with Dr. Galea. “I basically had muscles in my core that were not functioning at all so he got that working right,” Simms told the media. “And then because my core wasn’t working right, my elbow starting hurting because I was throwing all arm. And I did take two plasma shots in my elbow. There’s nothing to hide about it.”

The QB defended the doctor saying that he helped him recover from his elbow injury. “Honestly, he saved my career. He helped me in so many ways. The doctor is truly a great guy and I have no doubt he was not involved in anything shady at all,” he told the DenverPost. He was also disappointed when he was dragged into the controversy. “It’s screwed up. Here I am in the locker room today and everybody’s riding me on it. And now some people are going to have a perception because they see my name next to HGH. It’s a little disheartening,” the quarterback added.

In a related story, new information

Even after rigorous questioning by lawmakers, they still could not concoct any proof on the connection between football head injuries and brain disease. US Representatives in Congress repeatedly asked Dr. Ira Casson, former co-chairman of the NFL’s panel on head injuries and a neurologist in New York on the matter. The doctor’s only answer is that there is no valid, reliable or scientific evidence that causes long-term brain damage due to repeated head impacts.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif, even compared the NFL’s stance to tobacco companies who denied the connection of smoking and lung disease. She said that it is ridiculous for the doctor to say that concussions do not cause long-term cognitive problems. The congresswoman added that even ordinary people would know the effects of repeated blows. According to Sanchez, NFL’s concussion committee was formed in 1994 and said, “it seems to me that the NFL has literally been dragging its feet on this issue until the past few years.” “Why did it take 15 years?”

Casson claims that there have been flaws in the head-injury studies that were recently conducted including some funded by the NFL. He said that he strongly disagree with the position that the scientific evidence is already conclusive and further research is no longer needed. Casson also added that more research must be undertaken on the effects of performance-enhancing drugs on the brains of football players. Lawmakers also questioned other witnesses on the possible steroid links. Since performance enhancing drugs are commonly used by players in football, its effects to the brain are also being look into. This issue is also similar to the allegations that most hip injuries of professional athletes were primarily caused by performance enhancing drugs.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was not present during the hearing which was held on the campus of Wayne State University. Last October, he was already questioned regarding the concussion policies of the league. NFL has already formulated stricter return-to-play guidelines for players who show concussion symptoms. The league has required each team to enlist an independent neurologist as an adviser, entered into a partnership with Boston University brain researchers who have been critical of the league’s stance on concussions, and conducted tests on helmets. The validity of those tests was questioned by witnesses at the hearing.

Casson also questioned the merits of the new guidelines of the league regarding the independent neurologist mandate. He has doubts on the expertise of the neurologists and questioned if their opinions are going to be independent and reliable. Also present in the Monday’s hearing is Joseph Maroon, a team doctor for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a current member of the NFL concussion committee. Sanchez asked Maroon on what took the NFL a long time to bring about the rule changes. “I dispute your position that nothing has been done since 1994,” is Maroon’s only reply.

Meanwhile, West Virginia University brain researcher Bennet Oamalu, testified it “has been established since the early 20th century” that repeated blows to the head cause damage. Executive director DeMaurice Smith of the NFL Players Association , also told Congress that NFL has not shared the injury data it collected from every player from 2006-2008. Another witness, West Virginia University brain researcher Bennet Oamalu, testified that it “has been established since the early 20th century” that repeated blows to the head cause damage.

With this hearing, lawmakers and the league’s official should come up with new guidelines and policies to protect the welfare of the players. If indeed steroids and head injuries cause brain damage to football players, an immediate action is needed.