kmd24;1314388 said:
That's not a fair comparison. MLB didn't have a policy against the supplements that McGwire used at the time he used them. McGwire's records are tainted to be sure, but he wasn't cheating. Merriman was.
Yeah, but steroids have been illegal without a prescription in the U.S. for how long? Shouldn't that be a factor?
The bigger question is, should there even be a need for a policy for drugs classified as controlled substances under US law? I just think that sounds ridiculous. What's MLB's "policy" regarding heroin? If there isn't one on the books, should MLB just give the player a warning the first time he sticks a needle in his arm?
I may be wrong here, but didn't the NFL adjust its steroid policy a long time ago, like when the DEA cracked down on the stuff or soon thereafter?
The difference is, MLB
chose to look the other way for a long time, and even thier new "policies" in response to Bonds, McGwire, et al are a total joke compared to the policy the NFL had in place 10-15 years ago. Selig and MLB created thier own problem there.
I love how McGwire "wasn't cheating" because he was using (and obtaining) a controlled substance in an illegal manner that gave him a clear and indisputable advantage over a significant percentage of the competition, simply because MLB didn't get around to addressing it, or just didn't feel like it. What if McGwire just came out and admitted in 1998 that he was popping 250mg of Anadrol every day, or enough to kill a horse? Hey, its not cheating, because MLB policy is silent! I'm sure no one would've thought twice. Great argument
No testing system is foolproof, but the bottom line is that any NFL player getting caught red-handed with steroids in the past 15-20 years, like Merriman did, indicates that he's a either a total idiot or an out of control egomaniac, or both. Merriman seems to fit either or both of those descriptions given his character.