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Report: NFL hit by 'rash of positive' drug tests

Ole Miss Texan

Ole Miss Texan

Hall of Fame
There has been a "rash of positive tests under the steroid policy as a result of players taking water pills to lose weight," FOX 31 in Denver reported on its Web site, citing a highly-placed NFL source.

Saints running back Deuce McAllister and defensive end Will Smith were among the positive tests, according to FOX's Josina Anderson.

"There are about six to ten overall positive tests. Three to four of them are from the Saints organization alone including McAllister and Smith," the source told her.

Those two are in a group of players that have tested positive for Bumetanide, a diuretic frequently used for weight loss, but also for masking the use of steroids or other drugs.

"Most of them tested positive for Bumetanide. The last few tested positive for another substance that works similarly," said Anderson's source.

Dr. Norman Smith explained to FOX 31 Sports how it would work.

"Bumetanide makes you excrete a lot of salt and water. It dilutes the urine and makes it very difficult to test for illegal substances. There are some patients who use or abuse it where weight is critical," Dr. Smith said.

A highly-placed league source maintains weight loss was the goal. "It seems to be clear that most of these players were doing it to cut weight."

"I know that a few of these players have had weight issues."

The source suggested some players may not even know Bumetanide is a banned substance in the NFL.

All of the players who tested positive are subject to suspension, though they can appeal. Under the NFL's steroid policy, a first positive test results in a four-game suspension.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8705732?MSNHPHMA

I think players should be smart about what they're doing and talk to team trainers/doctors before taking any drugs (legal). I think it'd be really smart to go through a formality process to avoid this particulart thing. Team officials should know exactly what is and what isn't banned. A player should have to write down, I'm taking this for this reason, that for that reason, etc. I think owners/coaches/team doctors should be concerned about that too b/c you don't want players off taking all sorts of stuff that can be harmful or detrimental, epsecially if combined.
 
Ole Miss Texan said:
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8705732?MSNHPHMA

I think players should be smart about what they're doing and talk to team trainers/doctors before taking any drugs (legal). I think it'd be really smart to go through a formality process to avoid this particulart thing. Team officials should know exactly what is and what isn't banned. A player should have to write down, I'm taking this for this reason, that for that reason, etc. I think owners/coaches/team doctors should be concerned about that too b/c you don't want players off taking all sorts of stuff that can be harmful or detrimental, epsecially if combined.
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Just heard on ESPN that the number is 10, to perhaps as high as 15.

Wonder if any of our guys in in the mix? :phone:
 
Ok. Just a question...


Do these players REALLY have to take pills to lose weight during the season?


It seems all they would have to do to lose weight is to miss one meal based on their activity. Imagine how much weight is lost during just one game. It seems that I heard that many players have to eat more just to keep weight.

I saw this story earlier and thought immediately that they were taking the pills to cover up another drug they may be taking.
 
Watchman said:
Just heard on ESPN that the number is 10, to perhaps as high as 15.

Wonder if any of our guys in in the mix? :phone:
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apparently Smith and Deuce are not the only ones on the list from my Saints

I wanna cry the way this season has gone

These guys are responsible for what they put into their systems and I am not blaming the NFL or anything like that - they have to do what they have to do.

Apparently, the substance was water pills. At the beginning of training camp, Payton pressed getting weight down with the players. Brees and others commented on Deuce, specifically, saying his weight was down to what he was in high school and college and he looked faster.

Deuce is my favorite player on the Saints and perhaps I am being overly naive - I just don't want to believe he was knowingly taking steroids. It's just so unlike him.

This season is miserable... just end it now.

Please. Put me out of my misery.

Hurt or injured or suspended this year - from starters alone - Will Smith, Hollis Thomas, Sedrick Ellis, Scott Fujita, Tracy Porter, Roman Harper, Mike McKenzie, Randall Gay, Jamar Nesbit, Jammal Brown, Jonathan Goodwin, Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston, David Patten, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister.

Just a mess.

What's up with the training staff? This HAS to go beyond mere bad luck.
 
Tedc said:
Do these players REALLY have to take pills to lose weight during the season?
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It doesn't necessarily have to be during the season. These tests could have been conducted during camp, preseason, etc...

Word has been around since before the 49ers game - for Deuce, anyway.
 
RazorOye said:
Please. Put me out of my misery.

Hurt or injured or suspended this year - from starters alone - Will Smith, Hollis Thomas, Sedrick Ellis, Scott Fujita, Tracy Porter, Roman Harper, Mike McKenzie, Randall Gay, Jamar Nesbit, Jammal Brown, Jonathan Goodwin, Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston, David Patten, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister.
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We feel your pain. Led the league in injuries last year. go texans :texans:
 
CBS reported that Deuce sent the pills - Star Pills or starcaps I think they are called - to the NFL offices 4 years ago to make sure they were okay to take. The NFL said that they were fine. Perhaps something changed in those 4 years?

I am hopeful that this gets straightened out. Somehow.

Deuce looks good today.
 
RazorOye said:
CBS reported that Deuce sent the pills - Star Pills or starcaps I think they are called - to the NFL offices 4 years ago to make sure they were okay to take. The NFL said that they were fine. Perhaps something changed in those 4 years?

I am hopeful that this gets straightened out. Somehow.

Deuce looks good today.
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That's good news. I like Deuce a lot. But more importantly, I hope all these players and their teams knew about the pills and took the appropriate actions like Deuce did.
 
[PAT, KEVIN WILLIAMS HAD POSITIVE DIURETICS RESULTS, TOO
Posted by Mike Florio on October 26, 2008, 12:22 p.m.
Jay Glazer of FOX reports that the list of players who tested positive for a banned diuretic include both of the Vikings’ starting defensive tackles, Pat and Kevin Williams.

If the suspensions ultimately are upheld, the Vikings would be without the services of both players for four games. And that would decimate the Vikings’ run defense.

Glazer also reports that Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson is one of the names on the list.

The release of these names further highlights concerns that league sources are leaking confidential information regarding appeals that have not been finalized. Attorney David Cornwell, who reportedly will be representing some of the affected players, has recently made an aggressive call for measures aimed at ensuring that reporters don’t disclose this confidential information without also disclosing the source.E][/QUOTE]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/
 
Ole Miss Texan said:
That's good news. I like Deuce a lot. But more importantly, I hope all these players and their teams knew about the pills and took the appropriate actions like Deuce did.
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couple of other facts I have come across that seem to be true:

1. the substance in question did *NOT* list the banned chemical in its list of ingredients. Deuce did his due diligence in checking the labels - apparently there is already talk of legal ramifications against the company which said nothing of Bumetanide on the bottle

2. the NFL has introduced no items in this category (water pills) since Deuce submitted these pills to the NFL before he started taking them. Bumetanide was apparently on the list when Deuce sent the pills to the NFL offices and they cleared the substance. I am guessing they just did what Deuce did - read the label of ingredients.

At the end of the day, I think Deuce will be suspended. Gooddell has shown no tolerance for any ambiguity. It's on the list and in your system - you're going to sit.

It sucks.

But it does vindicate a bit more in my eyes as a diehard fan of his and that's worth something, too.
 
sorry...but these guys are on roids. Don't take it so hard.....i would bet a vast majority of NFL players are juiced. They only caught a few of them. No big deal...I would probably juice too if i had to take hits like that every sunday.:glasshalffull:
 
You know what you call a pro football player who doesn’t take steroids? An Arena Football player. :thisbig:

Deuce Loves Him Some Steroids!!!:splits:
 
mexican_texan said:
I sure hope so. Myers has no chance whatsoever.
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Yep. With the way our offense is shaping up, I don't see us losing to any team who can't generate a pass rush. The way we are controlling the clock, our defense is staying fresh. Success definitely does trickle down through each phase of the game.
 
kcdoubleeagle said:
You know what you call a pro football player who doesn’t take steroids? An Arena Football player. :thisbig:

Deuce Loves Him Some Steroids!!!:splits:
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hilarious.... :headhurts:

Anyway back to more productive discussion.

The players are considering a lawsuit against the manufacturers since they did not properly disclose the ingredients:

From a PFT link on the Saints boards:

On Sunday, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that several of the players who have tested positive are considering a suit against the manufacturer of “StarCaps,” a weight-loss supplement that allegedly does not disclose on its label the presence of Bumetanide. A November 2007 entry on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s web site disclosed that Bumetanide was found in the StarCaps product.

Other names mentioned in connection with the rash of positive results for Bumetanide, which as we understand it only recently landed on the list of prohibited substances, include Saints defensive end Will Smith, Saints defensive end Charles Grants, Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams, and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson.
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The interesting thing here was that a report showed that Bumetanide was in the product in a report in late 2007 but apparently no change to the product information was changed. Not sure why. I think part of the appeal of Star Caps is the "All Natural" branding. Puzzling to say the least.

Deuce also released a statement - he's been working with the NFL on this for a month and a half now.

The good news is the league appears to be listening. McAllister said he has been dealing with the issue for five weeks and is optimistic it will be resolved in his favor.

Regardless, the news was a stunner considering the names involved. McAllister, Smith and Grant are three of the most popular and productive players on the roster. Smith is a team captain. Grant is tied for the team lead in sacks. And McAllister is arguably the most popular player on the roster.

"You really hate to put yourself in a situation like this because ... you always want to play by the rules and that's what we've tried to do, myself as well as the other individuals," McAllister said. "My counsel will put his case together, but there's more to the story than just a couple of lines."
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we shall see....

Not sure if this will or won't affect the Vikes massive Pro-Bowl DTs or not
 
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