Cheaters!

by gramsey712 on Dec 2, 2008 4:52 PM CST

From SI.com:

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NFL has suspended six players for four games each for violating the league's anti-doping policy. The players used a diuretic, which can serve as a masking agent for steroids. The suspended players are running back Deuce McAllister and defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith of New Orleans; defensive linemen Kevin and Pat Williams of Minnesota; and long snapper Bryan Pittman of Houston. The punishment is an especially harsh blow to Minnesota, which leads the NFC North and relies heavily on the two Williamses to stop the run game.

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I think this was a bad move.

The NFL knew the diet pills these guys were taking contained a banned substance, but didn’t do a thing about it (like notify the union so players could be told, maybe?).

And the manufacturer of the diet pills didn’t list the dieuretic on their ingredient list.

This whole thing is just very, very shady.

by hartley on Dec 2, 2008 4:58 PM CST reply actions

Or I could be wrong.

Apparently the full NFL press release says the league DID notify team trainers and the union almost 2 years ago.

So if that’s true, then the shadiness level drops significantly.

by hartley on Dec 2, 2008 5:02 PM CST up reply actions

meh

by some accounts the notice had to do with not having players advertise for the company that made one of the weight-loss supplements, didn’t mention that it had banned substances in it.

I think the players involved got screwed a bit here, but as I often have to tell my oldest son: just eat and exercise. I don’t even like him taking the powdered protein stuff.

by numbertenox on Dec 3, 2008 5:51 PM CST up reply actions

A little bit of gray area there

But the trainers should completely understand this list, and pass it along to their players to protect them. It is either a breach of management through the trainers, or these players were actually trying to mask the drug. Likely, we’ll never know for sure.

by Cajuncub on Dec 2, 2008 9:35 PM CST reply actions

It's ultimately the players' own fault

They can get any “supplement” they want tested for free in a couple days by each team’s training staff……… Hard for me to feel sorry for spoiled brats who break the rules.

The PAIN TRAIN is comin baby!

by BigW on Dec 2, 2008 10:28 PM CST reply actions

Well now I feel bad

After reading more about this it appears that Starcaps were once considered A-OK but the company changed their formula without re-labeling the bottles. Granted the league sent out a memo regarding water pills it did not mention StarCaps specifically. I’m sure like many of you I’ve received memos from corporate and tossed them in File 13 without a second glance. It looks like these guys were just trying to make weight and ended up with the short end of the stick. 4 games seems a bit excessive for the crime…..

The PAIN TRAIN is comin baby!

by BigW on Dec 3, 2008 1:18 PM CST up reply actions