The storm over Brian Cushing's suspension continues to blow today as debate over whether or not he should be selected as the defensive rookie of the year in a re-vote by Associated Press pollsters rages.
Another aspect of the Cushing case that was bothersome is that it was unclear what he tested for to earn a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. Today, it was revealed Cushing reportedly tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, or as it’s more commonly known hCG, a female fertility drug that is used by steroid users to stimulate production of testosterone at the end of a cycle.
But players, including Cushing, can say they didn’t take steroids and blame a tainted supplement and angle to avoid being labeled a "cheater." From the sounds of things, the NFLPA would like to clean up drug testing in general for the game, an admission by the players that something needs to be done in order for them to be more transparent. The policy right now is that players are responsible for what is in their system. When they have something they're not, maybe what's in their system should be exposed.
“Sport is at its best when fans can witness great achievements under the rules of fair play,” executive director DeMaurice Smith said in a statement on the NFLPA Web site. “Players who break those rules cheat the game, cheat the fans and cheat themselves. The players want a clean game as well as a clean process for enforcing those rules. We intend to address both in the collective bargaining process to make the system better.”
With the players taking a pro-active approach and involving this in the CBA talks, it shows they want to take steps to keep the game as clean as possible. Ultimately, that is what matters. One would think that if the NFL and the NFLPA were more revealing with information on failed drug tests when the appeals process finished playing itself out, that it would be a good deterrent. It certainly would be a good start and go a long ways toward being forthcoming with fellow players and fans.
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