Diner morning news: No excuses for Cushing

Yeah, the "HCG naturally forms in the body" line is particularly confusing. The test doesn't detect the presence of HCG, but the amount - correct? I mean there's tons of chemicals that naturally occur in the body, like the formation of formaldehyde, for example. But drug testing accounts for natural levels with a certain margin of error?

I agree with everything said here. I am especially tired of hearing Adam Schefter try to justify Cushing cheating.

What gets me is that supposedly "confidential" drug test results get leaked to the media and nothing happens.

The Players Union should take a stance against this. If the test is confidential and for the league to wink at letting confidential results leak out is in very poor taste.

HcG is only naturally found in the bodies of pregnant women and men with testicular cancer. Roid-head Cushing had his HcG levels drop upon further testing, showing that HcG was external to his body. Aside from that, just look at his chin. He looks like Arnold did in Conan, and that is a typical sign of long-term steroid use.
Anyone who doesn't have a problem with his roid use, or who thinks he should still get the ROY award, should call Vince McMahon up and see about forming a juicer and criminal league, where players like Cushing and Pac-Mung would be welcome with open arms (and free needle exchange).

I'd like to know what level of HcG counts as "slightly" elevated. Because I know in other drug tests the point of "failure" is usually already several standard deviations away from the human norm.

For example, the normal ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone is a man is about 1:1. But the level at which you fail a test is generally 4:1 (and it used to be even higher). That takes into account that elite athletes are by definition not your normal physical specimen.

But it means that if I failed a test with a 4.1:1 T/E ratio I could correctly claim I was just "slightly" over the limit - while still being 4x more than the human average. Which is a complicated way of saying there are a lot of ways to deceive people when the math is secret.

So I'm curious - what is the normal amount of HcG in a male body; what is the level at which you fail a test; and what is the level that Cushing (or, say, Manny Ramirez) had?

What chaps my hide about Cushing situation is this: The media crucifying him without knowing ALL the facts. IIRC, the same media crucified BJ Raji over failed drug test at last years combine, without knowing the facts, and when the facts came out the story was all false.

Let's not forget about the AP taking a crowbar and ripping open Pandora's box. Since the Award was already given, AP needs to go through every award they have given and have re-votes for any players that "cheated" the same year they received the award. If they do not there should be some legal precedent for Cushing to pursue.

I absolutely love reading Lomabardi's articles due to his unbias, but this one hits close to home and he is letting his emotions outweigh his ethical duty to report fair pieces.

Everyone who was caught "cheating" should get the same treatment from the media. Yet the Williams' Wall are treated like Martyr's, and they still cheated and broke the rules.

/rant off

Nice to know that Cushing's father, Chuck, posts on the NFP.

"you cannot debate the levels that caused him to test positive for having HCG in his system -- more than once -- and most of all, you cannot question the appeals process."

He had HCG in his system more than once?

Not a Texans fan and not a Cushing fan - I thought he was too rocked up and too stiff to be effective; he had that Mike Mamula look to him. More weight lifter than linebacker. I was wrong - he's instinctive and he plays hard. He was a real force on the Texans' front seven and played better than I thought he would.

I don't think it's fair for everyone to tar and feather him in effigy when the facts of the case aren't clear. What I have read is that he was busted for a slightly abnormal (high) amount of HCG in his blood (assuming they analyzed a blood sample?) and this is both a normal chemical in the body but also indicates someone coming off a "steroid" (I use the asterisk because there are a lot of different types of steroids).

Furthermore, Cushing tested positive before/at the start of September and was tested again during the season. It seemed like, given his knee injury (which was known, it was in preseason, it wasn't hidden) he may have used a banned substance to speed up rehab. But, Cushing did not test positive for the banned substance in question during the regular season. So it would seem that he achieved his results legitimately.

The details of this instance are different than the Williams Wall case - those guys took a diuretic and the question was whether the NFL-mandated suspension was legal according to Minnesota'a labor laws. An interesting legal question in my opinion. However the substantive essence of the case is more or less the same - violation of the League's substance abuse policy. It was a travishamockery that the Williamses were allowed to appeal their suspension - surprise - through the last quarter of the regular season and through the playoffs and are going to serve a suspension now at the beginning of the season.

If you really want to talk cheating and stripping of postseason media-based awards, then reopen Spygate and let's talk about the Patriots. That is the more egregious example of cheating.

I'm not arguing for Cushing or against anything or anyone else - I'm getting real tired of Roger Goodel's arbitrary moral compass which tends to point north whenever the media reacts strongly to a story. If you read this Mr Commissioner - please decide on a set of policies and rules you will pursue to the nth degree and which policies and rules you will overlook consistently. It's frustrating and maddening as a fan trying to follow your ping-pong leadership style.

With regard to the Cushing story, I have a problem with the AP stripping the award since he did not test positive for an actual performance enhancer. Yes, the substance in question is typically used in association with PEDs and is banned by the NFL, but there is still no proof that he cheated, the whole reason for the re-vote. And while I DO suspect that he used/uses PEDs, I also suspect that just about every NFL player at a "strength" position does so to some degree or another. If a player were to test positive for an actual performance enhancer, then I would be a lot more comfortable seeing him stripped of honors. But when the results merely show masking agents or recovery substances, I'm just not ready to make that leap. For me it comes down to the difference between breaking a rule and actually cheating (as well as being able to prove it).

"Cushing knows the rules, knows what the testing process was and knew the outcome if he was caught."

Right on. Nice to see the AP - and Mr. Lombardi - on the correct side of this important issue.

A waiver is usually done for players coming off injury, with the understanding that steroids are often part of the surgery/injury recovery. A vote of confidence exists to not test players within a certain time frame of their being hurt.

Peppers tested positive and suspended 4 games during his rookie year??!

Pacman Jones covering Matt Jones while Jamarcus Russell is throwing the ball . Who dat ! Yeah that really is puke worthy .

Pacman Jones covering Matt Jones while Jamarcus Russell is throwing the ball . Who dat ! Yeah that really is puke worthy .

Will - nice try but you failed miserable with your post:

"If you really want to talk cheating and stripping of postseason media-based awards, then reopen Spygate and let's talk about the Patriots. That is the more egregious example of cheating."

Camera position is NOT a more "egregious" example of cheating. Performance enhancing drugs is way more cheating then filming other coaches WHO KNEW they were being filmed.

You must either be a Texans fan or someone that clearly does not understand football

Will - nice try but you failed miserable with your post:

"If you really want to talk cheating and stripping of postseason media-based awards, then reopen Spygate and let's talk about the Patriots. That is the more egregious example of cheating."

Camera position is NOT a more "egregious" example of cheating. Performance enhancing drugs is way more cheating then filming other coaches WHO KNEW they were being filmed.

You must either be a Texans fan or someone that clearly does not understand football

When did it come out that he tested positive more than once... all the reports i have seen was he was popped in september and then came up negative every other test... maybe michael lombardi knows different from the rest of the world... if there is a report please link otherwise.... Michael You FAIL!!!

Lombardi, either edit your stories before you post them or go back to school and get an education. The writing you've displayed in this piece is the reason why the American public has lost all respect for journalism as a profession- does the phrase "yellow journalism" ring a bell, or has it been too long since you've been in school? Or did they not teach you about that?

"The Brian Cushing saga continues with news from AP that he tested positive ONCE for the drug HCG last September then subsequently tested negative several times later. So even though Cushing has taken a lie-detector test and proclaimed his innocence, the facts don’t support him. You cannot debate the test, you cannot debate the levels that caused him to test positive for having HCG in his system -- more than once -- and most of all, you cannot question the appeals process."

If he failed the original test in September but passed every other test, that suggests that it WAS NOT in his system the rest of the year- so to say he had HCG in his system more than once is a false statement, something that is borderline libel. If he passed the rest of his tests, it obviously wasn't in his system. Regardless of speculation, the fact remains he passed every test from then on out. To say he "uses" is nothing but speculation- there is no proof, not one shred- for all you people shouting "homer", do your research. The kid has NEVER failed a test until September (remember that story before the draft last year? yeah, it was false.) All you have is speculation. And if he took a lie detector test and passed that, I'm pretty sure the kid is telling the truth. Most people can't dupe a lie detector test unless they are professionally trained to do so.

And a word for MikeinLA- to say he is a roid-head without a shred of evidence is ignorant. When professional doctors (something you and I obviously are not) can't even agree on what levels of HCG in the body is normal, don't go making accusations you can't back up. I bet you didn't know that HCG can show up in the body after rubbing one out, or that smoking a little pot can elevate the levels of HCG. Even though doctors can't agree on all of that, all it proves is that no one knows as much about HCG as previously thought. There are any number of reasons why he could have had elevated HCG levels. To jump to conclusions shows your level of ignorance... that and the fact that your from LA.

Fact is, he got busted and will pay the price. Time to move on.

Lombardi, either edit your stories before you post them or go back to school and get an education. The writing you've displayed in this piece is the reason why the American public has lost all respect for journalism as a profession- does the phrase "yellow journalism" ring a bell, or has it been too long since you've been in school? Or did they not teach you about that?

"The Brian Cushing saga continues with news from AP that he tested positive ONCE for the drug HCG last September then subsequently tested negative several times later. So even though Cushing has taken a lie-detector test and proclaimed his innocence, the facts don’t support him. You cannot debate the test, you cannot debate the levels that caused him to test positive for having HCG in his system -- more than once -- and most of all, you cannot question the appeals process."

If he failed the original test in September but passed every other test, that suggests that it WAS NOT in his system the rest of the year- so to say he had HCG in his system more than once is a false statement, something that is borderline libel. If he passed the rest of his tests, it obviously wasn't in his system. Regardless of speculation, the fact remains he passed every test from then on out. To say he "uses" is nothing but speculation- there is no proof, not one shred- for all you people shouting "homer", do your research. The kid has NEVER failed a test until September (remember that story before the draft last year? yeah, it was false.) All you have is speculation. And if he took a lie detector test and passed that, I'm pretty sure the kid is telling the truth. Most people can't dupe a lie detector test unless they are professionally trained to do so.

And a word for MikeinLA- to say he is a roid-head without a shred of evidence is ignorant. When professional doctors (something you and I obviously are not) can't even agree on what levels of HCG in the body is normal, don't go making accusations you can't back up. I bet you didn't know that HCG can show up in the body after rubbing one out, or that smoking a little pot can elevate the levels of HCG. Even though doctors can't agree on all of that, all it proves is that no one knows as much about HCG as previously thought. There are any number of reasons why he could have had elevated HCG levels. To jump to conclusions shows your level of ignorance... that and the fact that your from LA.

Fact is, he got busted and will pay the price. Time to move on.

any correlation between the pacman signing (plus ghee) to the fact that JJ is a fa after this season and LH after the next? My thought is both JJ and LH will command top dollar in the market and the bengals cant afford both.

I still don’t understand why the Bengals keep taking on reclamation projects.
-LOMBARDI


Didn't you used to work for the Raiders?

When did it come out that he tested positive more than once... all the reports i have seen was he was popped in september and then came up negative every other test... maybe michael lombardi knows different from the rest of the world... if there is a report please link otherwise.... Michael You FAIL!!!

Couldn't agree more with Lombardi on Pacman. I can't understand why this guy keeps getting 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances because the bottom line he is just no good as a CB. Not great in coverage, no interest in playing the run, often beat by average NFL receivers. And that's before you even get to the off-field stuff. The guy is all hype and little talent, and its amazing that he continues to attract NFL suitors.

two words : Rodney Harrison

two words: Calvin Pace

He tested early september, failed his A sample, but his B sample passed under the limit, then a few weeks later failed both. A few questions I have...

1. If he produces it naturally, why did he stop producing it after his first failed test? Does he have some super power where he can turn on and off his body's hormones at will?

2. If we are to believe him, he played all year long thinking he had a life-threatening tumor. Why didn't he tell his close friends like ex-roomate for two years Mark Sanchez, who was surprised by the revelation this year? Why didn't he tell his teammates who were surprised (see Demeco Ryans interview)? His coaches? His family? If he truly thought there was a good chance he'd be out of football within a year, and possibly on his deathbed, why keep it a secret? I mean this is a guy who spent 30 minutes talking about his hyperbaric chamber for his knee, or his foot injury. Why keep quiet about another possible one. It isn't like he'd have to say why he thought he had a tumor...

3. How come every player who tests positive for hCG does so at the very begining of the season? Is it because PED testing is so light in the off-season (max of 6 tests in the 30 months of off-season vs. 24 in the 22 months of the season) and they use hCG to build their testosterone back to normal levels when the season starts so they don't loose all the muscle gained from their steroid cycles in the off-season, so they can work out naturally in the regular season under more stringent testing?

4. As for not failing a test, I was talking to some bodybuilding friends and all agreed it is out of your system in 72 hours give or take (which is why the average body builder coming off an anabolic cycle shoots up with hCG twice a week. Like the Texans linemen said, they get tested on Monday, then tues or Wed. Leaves him plenty of time for a half cycle. Of course that would leave the chance that he could test positive for a low dosage of hCG come monday if it was his random pick to piss. I could care less how many times a guy passes a breathalyzer over a 3 year period, if he is out driving and gets pulled over and fails one one day, he is a drunk driver.

5. To say there isn't "a shred of evidence" is idiotic. That's like saying that there's no evidence Onterrio Smith did anything when he was just caught with a whizzinator. There's three reasons to have hCG of that level in your system. A. you are a pregnant woman. B. you have a tumor. C you injected it into your system to keep up testosterone after an anabolic steroid cycle. That's it.

How does the saying go, if you eliminate the impossible (A and B) and whatever is left is your answer (option C.).

What I love is every single positive test is never the players fault. There is always an excuse no matter how crazy it sounds, and the NFL has to be 100% drug free now... haha. Sure. Talk to anyone that knows about PED's and they'd laugh their butts off at someone who believes this kind of BS these players and their spin doctors try to weave. I mean turn your BS detectors on here. His story just doesn't hold water. Not when everything else you see points to the simple fact that he juiced. I never thought there were so many gullible people believing these conspiracy theories.

He tested early september, failed his A sample, but his B sample passed under the limit, then a few weeks later failed both. A few questions I have...

1. If he produces it naturally, why did he stop producing it after his first failed test? Does he have some super power where he can turn on and off his body's hormones at will?

2. If we are to believe him, he played all year long thinking he had a life-threatening tumor. Why didn't he tell his close friends like ex-roomate for two years Mark Sanchez, who was surprised by the revelation this year? Why didn't he tell his teammates who were surprised (see Demeco Ryans interview)? His coaches? His family? If he truly thought there was a good chance he'd be out of football within a year, and possibly on his deathbed, why keep it a secret? I mean this is a guy who spent 30 minutes talking about his hyperbaric chamber for his knee, or his foot injury. Why keep quiet about another possible one. It isn't like he'd have to say why he thought he had a tumor...

3. How come every player who tests positive for hCG does so at the very begining of the season? Is it because PED testing is so light in the off-season (max of 6 tests in the 30 months of off-season vs. 24 in the 22 months of the season) and they use hCG to build their testosterone back to normal levels when the season starts so they don't loose all the muscle gained from their steroid cycles in the off-season, so they can work out naturally in the regular season under more stringent testing?

4. As for not failing a test, I was talking to some bodybuilding friends and all agreed it is out of your system in 72 hours give or take (which is why the average body builder coming off an anabolic cycle shoots up with hCG twice a week. Like the Texans linemen said, they get tested on Monday, then tues or Wed. Leaves him plenty of time for a half cycle. Of course that would leave the chance that he could test positive for a low dosage of hCG come monday if it was his random pick to piss. I could care less how many times a guy passes a breathalyzer over a 3 year period, if he is out driving and gets pulled over and fails one one day, he is a drunk driver.

5. To say there isn't "a shred of evidence" is idiotic. That's like saying that there's no evidence Onterrio Smith did anything when he was just caught with a whizzinator. There's three reasons to have hCG of that level in your system. A. you are a pregnant woman. B. you have a tumor. C you injected it into your system to keep up testosterone after an anabolic steroid cycle. That's it.

How does the saying go, if you eliminate the impossible (A and B) and whatever is left is your answer (option C.).

What I love is every single positive test is never the players fault. There is always an excuse no matter how crazy it sounds, and the NFL has to be 100% drug free now... haha. Sure. Talk to anyone that knows about PED's and they'd laugh their butts off at someone who believes this kind of BS these players and their spin doctors try to weave. I mean turn your BS detectors on here. His story just doesn't hold water. Not when everything else you see points to the simple fact that he juiced. I never thought there were so many gullible people believing these conspiracy theories.

The pot smoking or rubbing one out ones are hilarous too. So let me get this straight. He comes in to practice, goes through meetings, finds out he has a test, rubs one out, smokes a J, then takes the test???


And what kind of an increase are you talking about here? is this like saying drinking a capful of beer can cause coma and eventual death? Or eating a single poppy seed can give a false positive for marijuana?