New HGH Test May Change NFL: Do We Care?

[cowboyjoe]

New HGH Test May Change NFL: Do We Care?
By Derrick Finlay (Member) on July 11, 2010 548
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Bob Levey/Getty Images Do you care if a player from your team gets caught using PEDs?
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/418632-new-hgh-test-may-change-the-nfl-the-question-is-do-we-care
News broke today on NFLLabor.com regarding a new blood test that can detect the presence of human growth hormone, or HGH, much better than the current test.

According to the site, the new test, called a bio-markers test, detects chemicals an athlete's body produces after using HGH. The current test, called the isoform test, searches for synthetic HGH.

While the isoform test works, its limited in its ability to detect HGH to only 48 hours. In contrast, the bio-markers test would be able to detect the chemical byproducts for up to two weeks after the athlete uses.

I reacted to the news in a variety of ways. The first thing that came to my mind is, it's about time.

I know that the inner workings of science are extremely complicated. I also know that we possess the ability to put humans on the moon. To me, it should not have taken this long.

Secondly, I thought about what this test would do to the NFL. If this test can deliver what it promises to, it will send shock waves throughout the NFL, as well as many other leagues.

If the NFLPA accepts this test, it may do to the NFL what the Mitchell Report did to Major League Baseball.

And lastly, and to me the most important, was the question: Do we care?

With the number of athletes getting caught or admitting to using performance enhancing drugs or PEDs, it has become an afterthought to most sports fans. Did it shock anyone when Shawne Merriman was busted? Brian Cushing? Not at all.

Sure, the aftermath of testing will interest, and perhaps anger, the most passionate of sports fans. I would venture to guess that most, even if angry, will not remain so.

The only exception may be the fan of the athlete who tests positive. Fans of the team will either deny or simply not care, as long as the player puts up numbers.

A reason for this may be because fantasy sports and free agency have changed the way fans enjoy sports.

Both have transformed many sports fans from hardcore sports fans to fans of certain athletes, whether it be because your favorite athlete is LeBron James and "wants to win a championship" or because a player is on your fantasy football team.

Perhaps it is because sports fans love to see records broken? When Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were rising Major League Baseball from the ashes after the strike in 1994, even Bud Selig didn't care.

There are those that say they definitely don't care if their favorite athletes are using PEDs. They say it makes the game more exciting and it is hard to argue that point.

We hear all the time about how today's athletes are is bigger, stronger, and faster than the athletes of previous generations.

Who remembers Warren Sapp's 40 time at the 1995 combine? The 300 pound defensive tackle ran a 4.84!

I'm not accusing Sapp of using, but one has to agree that it is insane to think that a 300-pound man can run faster than most NFL starting quarterbacks and this serves as a perfect example of the above point.

The reality is that we as sports fans have become so jaded that we suspect most, if not all professional athletes, use some form of performance enhancing drug. It is now shocking when an athlete, especially a superstar athlete, never has a positive test.

So, do we care? Do we care, as sports fans, that our players, and to some, our heroes, cheat? I can only answer for myself, of course. The answer is yes. I do care.

However, the question remains...

[zrinkill]

The reality is that we as sports fans have become so jaded that we suspect most, if not all professional athletes, use some form of performance enhancing drug. It is now shocking when an athlete, especially a superstar athlete, never has a positive test.

I never assume someone is taking steroids unless there is evidence.

[Kangaroo]

I think it is great for the sport and the players.

Many players take it because guys are getting bigger and faster because of it and it destroys the body when they start hitting. This will help the players in the long haul IMO and level the playing field.

I think players now days feel like they are forced into taking it because it is so rampant and to keep up they take the enhancements. We are talking millions of Dollars and their way of earning money.

I think this takes pressure of the players long term and helps out their health on several levels.

[casmith07]

HGH != Steroids, people.

[Sam I Am]

Just hurry up and start using it in baseball so A-Roid and Mark Teixeira can be suspended for 50 games and they can both bat below 300 and hit 30ish homeruns only.

[GoCowboysGo]

Good thing it's not the '70's, Steelers would have no active players available ;-)

Raiders too!

[TheSport78]

Mat McBriar is in a heep of trouble...:D

[cowboyjoe]

Mat McBriar is in a heep of trouble...:D

why is mcbrair in trouble?

[TheSport78]

why is mcbrair in trouble?
:laugh2: I was being sarcastic. But how funny would it be if it were true?

[cowboyjoe]

:laugh2: I was being sarcastic. But how funny would it be if it were true?

why in the world would it be funny then, if we lost mcbrair to suspension, our best punter ever?

[TheSport78]

why in the world would it be funny then, if we lost mcbrair to suspension, our best punter ever?

Because he's probably the least athletic player we have lol...it wouldn't obviously be a good thing if we lost our punter to suspension, I was just making a joke of McBriar body frame, and how humorous it would be if he got busted for steroids or HGH.

[joseephuss]

I never assume someone is taking steroids unless there is evidence.

I assume there is a potentially large pool of NFL players taking something. I will be glad if I am wrong, but I take that somewhat pessimistic approach.

[cowboyjoe]

I assume there is a potentially large pool of NFL players taking something. I will be glad if I am wrong, but I take that somewhat pessimistic approach.

i think this, if you look at players that sometimes play heads over other players like merrimann that got caught using steroids etc.. and when he couldnt take them any more you saw merrimann not playing like he did

so watch those kind of players, or players that increase their body weight like steelers did in 70s, or even danny noonan who played for us

[dropshot001]

I assume there is a potentially large pool of NFL players taking something. I will be glad if I am wrong, but I take that somewhat pessimistic approach.

i think there is a large majority of athletes who use AAS in all professional sports, just the way it is. most testing would make the public feel better because everything would be "fair", but at the same time the public would feel slighted when the quality of play and the big hits diminish....kind of a pick your poison type of situation.

[Hoofbite]

Every team should care. There's likely a couple players on every squad who are using.

[Muhast]

The key targets will be Runningbacks,Linemen and especially linebackers.

Patrick Willis, DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen.

Guys like that who are so freakishly big and strong and fast.

I am not saying any of those 3 are on it, but those are the type of names that will probably get caught. We are kidding ourselves if we assume this era just has crazy athletic guys. I think every player in the league is on something, whether it's just harmless weight gainer or dietary pills or not. I don't believe there are many players that don't take some sort of substance. And eventually whatever they are taking will probably be banned as well.

The athletes almost always stay ahead of the curve in science though.

[fiveandcounting]

Just hurry up and start using it in baseball so A-Roid and Mark Teixeira can be suspended for 50 games and they can both bat below 300 and hit 30ish homeruns only.

true. I wonder about some players too, Scott Rolen for example and Paul Konerko

[joseephuss]

The athletes almost always stay ahead of the curve in science though.

Cynically I think this new HGH test has only come around because there are already newer products out there that are being used and can't be detected yet.

[Muhast]

true. I wonder about some players too, Scott Rolen for example and Paul Konerko

Josh Hamilton rings a bell. I don't know if anyone remembers Rick Ankiel or not, he was a pitcher for either the Cardinals or Phillies (can't remember) in the early 2000's and he threw really hard but had terrible control issues. He got demoted to the minors seemingly to never be heard from again.... Until he came back 3-4 years ago as a power hitting Outfielder for them.

There are several players in the Big leagues that stand out like sore thumbs.

[JBond]

Josh Hamilton rings a bell. I don't know if anyone remembers Rick Ankiel or not, he was a pitcher for either the Cardinals or Phillies (can't remember) in the early 2000's and he threw really hard but had terrible control issues. He got demoted to the minors seemingly to never be heard from again.... Until he came back 3-4 years ago as a power hitting Outfielder for them.

There are several players in the Big leagues that stand out like sore thumbs.

Ankiel plays for the Royals now and sucks. Bench player.

[Kangaroo]

i think there is a large majority of athletes who use AAS in all professional sports, just the way it is. most testing would make the public feel better because everything would be "fair", but at the same time the public would feel slighted when the quality of play and the big hits diminish....kind of a pick your poison type of situation.

Big Hits have been around forever in football what it does is decrease the size of the players doing the hitting. Plus with the rule changes how many real big hits do we see anymore. I mean they have to play tag with the QB. Of you hit wr over the middle it will draw a flag. The NFL is already taking out the big hit in favor of high scoring offense with their rules.

Testing for HGH will not effect the hits as much as the absurdity of stupid rules the NFL has added over the last ten years

[dropshot001]

Big Hits have been around forever in football what it does is decrease the size of the players doing the hitting. Plus with the rule changes how many real big hits do we see anymore. I mean they have to play tag with the QB. Of you hit wr over the middle it will draw a flag. The NFL is already taking out the big hit in favor of high scoring offense with their rules.

Testing for HGH will not effect the hits as much as the absurdity of stupid rules the NFL has added over the last ten years

slower players = less impact on the hits. if for nothing else, the drugs allow the players to recover better from their training/practices and they can get into the games feeling fresher and more energized than if they didn't have the drugs to begin with. this in and of itself has to give them an edge.

[jterrell]

If I could afford HGH I'd take it in low doses without question.

It is extremely beneficial with very few side effects. It has been prescribed for years and is a large part of why AIDS patients have stopped wasting away.

It basically causes you to burn fat at a rate like in high school and especially targets belly fat. Read the Harvard studies on it.

[jterrell]

The key targets will be Runningbacks,Linemen and especially linebackers.

Patrick Willis, DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen.

Guys like that who are so freakishly big and strong and fast.

I am not saying any of those 3 are on it, but those are the type of names that will probably get caught. We are kidding ourselves if we assume this era just has crazy athletic guys. I think every player in the league is on something, whether it's just harmless weight gainer or dietary pills or not. I don't believe there are many players that don't take some sort of substance. And eventually whatever they are taking will probably be banned as well.

The athletes almost always stay ahead of the curve in science though.
Any athlete not taking whey powder and using creatine is not really an athlete.

I am fairly certain HGH use is around 70% for NFL players. It is insanely high to be sure.

[bigE79]

Just hurry up and start using it in baseball so A-Roid and Mark Teixeira can be suspended for 50 games and they can both bat below 300 and hit 30ish homeruns only.
dont hate
:starspin

[arglebargle]

It's one thing to test a substance you excrete every day. Moving from that to a blood test is a major invasive step.

[Hoofbite]

If I could afford HGH I'd take it in low doses without question.

It is extremely beneficial with very few side effects. It has been prescribed for years and is a large part of why AIDS patients have stopped wasting away.

It basically causes you to burn fat at a rate like in high school and especially targets belly fat. Read the Harvard studies on it.

How much does it cost?

[AMERICAS_FAN]

http://www.carolinapoliticsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/mr_mackey.jpg

[bracey]

If they have a test and there is a very low false positive rate, then use it and suspend those caught. Do I really care though? No. As long as the NFL continues to attempt to keep things fair for those that choose not to take these substances. Players will just find some way to get around the test or find something else they believe will give them an advantage over their competitors.

[Muhast]

How much does it cost?

You could buy it at GNC just a few years back. I took it, and so did every player on my football team in high school, and all of my friends that played in college. (one is in the NFL now. So I know for a fact at least one player on it in the league haha)

You can buy it is Powder form or pill form. For the longest time it was just considered to be like any other supplement but it had much better results. Didn't make me catch or throw the football any better,but I do feel it helped me recover quicker between workouts.

[Chocolate Lab]

Er, no, you couldn't ever buy HGH at GNC or anywhere else over the counter...

And Josh Hamilton is tested something like five times a week due to his former (recreational) drug problems.

[Muhast]

Er, no, you couldn't ever buy HGH at GNC or anywhere else over the counter...

And Josh Hamilton is tested something like five times a week due to his former (recreational) drug problems.


Yes you could! It just wasn't called HGH.

[Chocolate Lab]

Yes you could! It just wasn't called HGH.

Then what was it? :confused:

I think you must be thinking of something else. We're talking about human growth hormone, right?

[Muhast]

Then what was it? :confused:

I think you must be thinking of something else. We're talking about human growth hormone, right?


Sytopin and Genf20.

There were several other things like HGH that they sold as well. One was a pill called T-Bomb or something like that.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF8&keywords=HGH%20booster&tag=tubeblog-20&index=blended&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

There a few on this page that they actually sell at Vitamin world and GNC.

[Chocolate Lab]

Those "HGH boosters" aren't even close to the same thing as real HGH.

Those supplements are 90% bunk. And I'm probably being generous.

[Bob Sacamano]

Those "HGH boosters" aren't even close to the same thing as real HGH.

Those supplements are 90% bunk. And I'm probably being generous.

Are you an HGH guinea pig or something?