Keep Texans Talk Google Ad Free!
Venmo Tip Jar | Paypal Tip Jar
Thanks for your support! 🍺😎👍
Cushing suspended 4 games for violating policy on performance-enhancing substances
- Thread starter nero THE zero
- Start date
Dude! You can't just start off a page like that!
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
HGH urine testing as attempted by sports entities has so far proven to be elusive and inaccurate. However, for several years now, endocrinologists have routinely utilized and relied on the results of serum (blood) IGF-1 and HGH tests. This has especially become important due to the strong relationship of these substances (increased levels) with numerous common CANCERS.
A recent (Feb 25, 2010) landmark case recognized by the World Anti-Doping Agencies has affirmed the validity of the test. Of course, attornies will try to "play" with the facts to put the test into question. But this will never happen, as the medical community has already asserted its utility and validity.
Dont care
Just want to see the Texans in the playoffs in 2010.
Smithiak drafted Cushing so I dont want to hear Cushing had been here excuse we would have made the playoffs.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
Very interesting. I haven't read anything on the subject for a couple years, but it looks like they have made big steps. Unfortunately.
Oh another thing, HGH is very easy to get a prescription for and, of course, isn't illegal with a scrip. So moving to test for it is just another lame attempt to pretend that the NFL is concerned with drugs.
Actually the more I think about this, the more I think it could very well be an accidental positive of some secondary banned substance. And by secondary I mean one of the hundreds of strange ancillary drugs on the banned list that aren't actually steroids.
Cushing being the workout and diet fanatic that he is has got to know all of the testing times for the different drugs. Surely he has been using the short ester compounds to avoid testing positive. If not, then he really is a dumb ****er. To know that much about diet and exercise and not even know which steroids to avoid.
So I'm thinking that he knew exactly what he was doing with steroids and somehow, from a doctor or some accessory drug, got one of the other strange banned substances that lasts a lot longer in your blood/fat cells. The other possibility is that he was taking a form of nandrolone in college, which is the steroid that lasts up to 2 years in your blood, and he tested positive for it way after the fact.
Ok so let me break this down for my own benefit.
Option 1: Cushing has been using long-ester steroids at some point in the last 6-12 months and tested positive for those. This would mean he is literally a ****ing retard, considering that there are equivalents that only stay in your system for 3 days.
Option 2: He tested positive for a super-long ester steroid that he was taking in college. This is the kind that Stephan Bonnar tested positive for a few years ago. Any athlete in a tested organization taking these compounds is a ****ing *****.
Option 3: He was using the short-ester steroids properly so he didn't test positive for those, but popped for an ancillary drug that he wasn't aware of or wasn't aware of the time they remain in your system (I don't think information on many ancillaries is as well known as the detection time for the actual steroids). This is the option I'm hoping for because it means he was smart about what he was using and most likely got burned either by his doctor or by some obscure drug mixed in with something he was taking that he thought was legit.
I have a couple more thoughts. To begin with, yeah, I don't think there is any way he is not taking steroids or at least has taken them at some point in the last couple years. One thing about steroids is you don't just stay on them. You take them for a couple months and then you come off after getting your results.
Another thing is that there are tons of over-the-counter supplements that have substances on the NFL banned list. It is entirely possible, I would say likely even, that Cushing was taking one of these types of things and got burned. Many of this type of supplement, the ones that are designed for muscle-building, contain chemical derivatives of male hormones. The thing is that when the NFL or whoever "tests" for a certain compound, they are not actually testing for that and only that compound. Derivative compounds that are not banned can trigger positives for other compounds that are banned. This kind of thing has been going on since the whole "Andro" affair in the 90s.
And since I'm rambling, I'll go on. These days there are actually a lot of different OTC supplements that are similar in potency to steroids. The difference is that they are getting much, MUCH more dangerous, because they have extra molecular components attached to them that get filtered out by the liver and kidneys. Long story short, many legal supplements actually give a lot of the same results as steroids but will destroy your body 5x faster, and many of these are not yet banned by the NFL because they keep producing new ones with cutting edge technology. If you think that NFL players avoid steroids because they are illegal, you can be damn sure that they are taking these cutting-edge legal supplements and ****ing up their body a lot faster with them. And on that topic, this is one of the many reasons I think steroids should be legalized in the normal world and in sports, because making them illegal causes that much more damage to the health of the players who have to take the dangerous OTC stuff to keep up.
So, it was my son's birthday on Thursday. I got him a Ryans' jersey. He saw the report on TV today and asked what "That Texan guy" did wrong. I told him he cheated. He asked how and I told him he used a drug that made him faster and stronger... then he asked if he meant to. I told him that he makes so much money he should know exactly what goes into his body and it doesn't really matter if he knew or not.
How in the world could you write a post like this? Personality conflict aside... really? It doesn't matter what substance he was using or how stupid he was in doing it, let me break it down for you like this:
He is young and stupid. Lets hope he learns from his mistake and does not partake in or continue this behavior any more. It is a useful tool for me to talk to my son about the importance of integrity... not about how to make sure you game the system correctly. I do NOT want to have the discussion about this guy again.
I just lost a lot of respect for him.
Mike
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
For those wanting to look at the most current HGH state of testing.
NEW YORK TIMES March 28, 2010
New Tool Could Help in Testing for H.G.H.
A test similar to one used in cancer treatments has antidoping officials encouraged that they have found a new, and important, way to catch athletes using human growth hormone.
The test uses the same science that detects bone and breast cancer. A laboratory technician takes several milliliters of blood and spins the sample in a centrifuge. The blood is then mixed with chemicals, a reaction occurs and an instrument is used to measure the illumination in the blood.
The intensity of the light, antidoping experts say, signals whether the person has used H.G.H. over the past 10 to 14 days. The procedure is known as the biomarkers test.
Antidoping officials are usually eager to trumpet new testing methods, and skeptics have at times accused them of overstating scientific developments. Nevertheless, the officials maintain that the biomarkers test is a significant advancement over the current test for human growth hormone. That test can only detect H.G.H. that has been used in the previous 24 to 48 hours.
Officials for the World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees the testing protocols of Olympic athletes and many professional athletes outside the United States, said that after more than a decade of research, the biomarkers test was only months from being put into use on athletes.
The introduction of the test by WADA will probably intensify the debate over H.G.H. blood testing that is taking place in Major League Baseball and the N.F.L. The debate intensified last month after a professional rugby player in England was suspended after testing positive for H.G.H. It was the first time that an athlete had been suspended for an H.G.H. positive in the six years that testing has been used, and it clearly made an impression on officials in baseball and the N.F.L.
Since the suspension, the N.F.L. has said that it has asked its players union to accept blood testing for H.G.H. Baseballs commissioner, Bud Selig, has asked his deputies to pursue the quick implementation of the existing H.G.H. test in the minor leagues, where the consent of baseballs players union is not required.
In turn, officials of the two unions have expressed reservations about the existing test, which they point out has caught only one athlete. Adding to their caution is that there has never been blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs in either league.
But even as the H.G.H. debate continues, the science of H.G.H. testing has progressed.
David Howman, the director general of WADA, said that he believed that the biomarkers test would make it harder for anyone in the N.F.L. and Major League Baseball to argue that there were not viable tests for H.G.H.
The other test is scientifically reliable, and so is the new one, Howman said. Anyone who tells you otherwise hasnt looked at the science.
According to antidoping officials, the creators of the test said that they set the threshold for a positive extremely high, similar to other levels used in tests conducted by WADA.
H.G.H. is a naturally occurring substance in the body. Injections of it are believed to decrease fat and increase muscle growth. In any number of instances, it has been used by athletes who are rehabilitating after injuries. In the United States, it is illegal to possess H.G.H. without a prescription, and its use as a performance-enhancer is banned by all major sports around the world.
H.G.H. has been used with great impunity since the 1970s, Howman said. Its very available to athletes. They use it freely, and they usually dont use things that cant help them.
The biomarkers test detects chemicals in the body that are raised when H.G.H. levels spike; the existing blood test simply detects the presence of synthetic H.G.H. Because the tests take different measurements, antidoping officials say that both will be used in the future.
They are complementary, said Larry Bowers, the chief science officer for the United States Anti-Doping Agency. The biomarkers test cant detect use in the first 48 hours, so that is why you use both of them. Its another tool for us to use.
Travis Tygart, the head of Usada, said: Its obviously very significant and it is why over the past several years, we have invested money in not just the direct test but the new marker test. We knew that the two of them would provide a significant deterrent.
The N.F.L.s top drug testing official, Adolpho Birch, said in a statement that the league was aware of the biomarkers test and was following its development.
Our advisers keep us informed on the scientific progress and we are in regular contact with Usada and WADA officials, Birch said. The Partnership for Clean Competition, a research consortium that we founded along with other partners, recently held a conference at which the state of the research in this area was thoroughly discussed.
A spokesman for the N.F.L. Players Association did not return e-mail or telephone messages seeking comment. Nor did a spokesman for the baseball players union. Rob Manfred, baseballs top drug-testing official, said in a statement that the commissioners office was looking into the test and consulting with its medical adviser.
The antidoping officials, meanwhile, said they were in the final stages of reviewing the science behind the biomarkers test.
At the end of the day, its about clean athletes, Tygart said. They ought to demand it. You dont want to play in a sport where you dont have the capabilities of testing for potent substances like human growth hormone that are significant performance-enhancers.
NEW YORK TIMES March 28, 2010
New Tool Could Help in Testing for H.G.H.
A test similar to one used in cancer treatments has antidoping officials encouraged that they have found a new, and important, way to catch athletes using human growth hormone.
The test uses the same science that detects bone and breast cancer. A laboratory technician takes several milliliters of blood and spins the sample in a centrifuge. The blood is then mixed with chemicals, a reaction occurs and an instrument is used to measure the illumination in the blood.
The intensity of the light, antidoping experts say, signals whether the person has used H.G.H. over the past 10 to 14 days. The procedure is known as the biomarkers test.
Antidoping officials are usually eager to trumpet new testing methods, and skeptics have at times accused them of overstating scientific developments. Nevertheless, the officials maintain that the biomarkers test is a significant advancement over the current test for human growth hormone. That test can only detect H.G.H. that has been used in the previous 24 to 48 hours.
Officials for the World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees the testing protocols of Olympic athletes and many professional athletes outside the United States, said that after more than a decade of research, the biomarkers test was only months from being put into use on athletes.
The introduction of the test by WADA will probably intensify the debate over H.G.H. blood testing that is taking place in Major League Baseball and the N.F.L. The debate intensified last month after a professional rugby player in England was suspended after testing positive for H.G.H. It was the first time that an athlete had been suspended for an H.G.H. positive in the six years that testing has been used, and it clearly made an impression on officials in baseball and the N.F.L.
Since the suspension, the N.F.L. has said that it has asked its players union to accept blood testing for H.G.H. Baseballs commissioner, Bud Selig, has asked his deputies to pursue the quick implementation of the existing H.G.H. test in the minor leagues, where the consent of baseballs players union is not required.
In turn, officials of the two unions have expressed reservations about the existing test, which they point out has caught only one athlete. Adding to their caution is that there has never been blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs in either league.
But even as the H.G.H. debate continues, the science of H.G.H. testing has progressed.
David Howman, the director general of WADA, said that he believed that the biomarkers test would make it harder for anyone in the N.F.L. and Major League Baseball to argue that there were not viable tests for H.G.H.
The other test is scientifically reliable, and so is the new one, Howman said. Anyone who tells you otherwise hasnt looked at the science.
According to antidoping officials, the creators of the test said that they set the threshold for a positive extremely high, similar to other levels used in tests conducted by WADA.
H.G.H. is a naturally occurring substance in the body. Injections of it are believed to decrease fat and increase muscle growth. In any number of instances, it has been used by athletes who are rehabilitating after injuries. In the United States, it is illegal to possess H.G.H. without a prescription, and its use as a performance-enhancer is banned by all major sports around the world.
H.G.H. has been used with great impunity since the 1970s, Howman said. Its very available to athletes. They use it freely, and they usually dont use things that cant help them.
The biomarkers test detects chemicals in the body that are raised when H.G.H. levels spike; the existing blood test simply detects the presence of synthetic H.G.H. Because the tests take different measurements, antidoping officials say that both will be used in the future.
They are complementary, said Larry Bowers, the chief science officer for the United States Anti-Doping Agency. The biomarkers test cant detect use in the first 48 hours, so that is why you use both of them. Its another tool for us to use.
Travis Tygart, the head of Usada, said: Its obviously very significant and it is why over the past several years, we have invested money in not just the direct test but the new marker test. We knew that the two of them would provide a significant deterrent.
The N.F.L.s top drug testing official, Adolpho Birch, said in a statement that the league was aware of the biomarkers test and was following its development.
Our advisers keep us informed on the scientific progress and we are in regular contact with Usada and WADA officials, Birch said. The Partnership for Clean Competition, a research consortium that we founded along with other partners, recently held a conference at which the state of the research in this area was thoroughly discussed.
A spokesman for the N.F.L. Players Association did not return e-mail or telephone messages seeking comment. Nor did a spokesman for the baseball players union. Rob Manfred, baseballs top drug-testing official, said in a statement that the commissioners office was looking into the test and consulting with its medical adviser.
The antidoping officials, meanwhile, said they were in the final stages of reviewing the science behind the biomarkers test.
At the end of the day, its about clean athletes, Tygart said. They ought to demand it. You dont want to play in a sport where you dont have the capabilities of testing for potent substances like human growth hormone that are significant performance-enhancers.
Agreed
The NFL is like the boy that cried wolf.
When it comes to drug testing.
A little too late.
Lawrece Taylor played his whole career all coked up. Ask Hollywood Henderson, That was back in the 70's when just about all of the Steelers OL played. They all have died from something related to steroids.
About 20-25% of the NFL payers are using some kind of PED's in 2010. IMHO and this is with improved testing. Unfortunately Cushing got popped.
The NFL is like the boy that cried wolf.
When it comes to drug testing.
A little too late.
Lawrece Taylor played his whole career all coked up. Ask Hollywood Henderson, That was back in the 70's when just about all of the Steelers OL played. They all have died from something related to steroids.
About 20-25% of the NFL payers are using some kind of PED's in 2010. IMHO and this is with improved testing. Unfortunately Cushing got popped.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
The doping war is a war they can't win. Soon enough people will be getting genetic modifications. Like I said in the other thread, nothing short of a Big Brother type of doping system will prevent it. It's all just part of a pointless moral crusade by the government, driven by the moral majority, and sports industry trying to tow the line.
While I could care less if all of the NFL players are using steroids.
The Big Brother concepts are BS.
The NFL has the power to make the federal government give them the latest updates on drug testing.
They hire the best scientists to work for them. Look at NASA, This is something that the people that got laid off can make a career out of.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
I'm not sure you understood what I meant. I'm not saying they won't find a way to test for whatever new thing comes out. I'm saying that the only way they are ever going to eliminate performance enhancement from sports is a Big Brother type system, where every single player is tested every single week, blood and urine, etc. Until they implement a policy super-invasive like that, PEDs are going to remain prominent in the NFL.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
Ok well, I wasn't trying to get into a talk about politics, but thanks anyway for "correcting" me.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
Wait a second. You are going to "break it down for me" and then go on to make the profound insight that Cushing "is young and stupid" and you "hope he learns from his mistake". Wow, you really showed me what was up. lol.
I barely even know what you're talking about let alone why you responded to my post just to say that and start talking about your son.
BrandonLwowski
Waterboy
On espn it says a non-steroidal substance abuse...who knows maybe he smokes the pipe.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
this is totaly stupid & needs to be squashed. Texans fans will not be able to see Brain Cushing play @ Relient until week 9 this is BS 
if Ben Roethlisberger serves his entire 6 game suspension (alleged rape) his first home game will be in week 10 against the Patriots, but if he gets this reduced to four games as expected his first home game could be week 5 against Cleveland. Not only that the schedule the NFL gave the Texans is much harder the first four weeks than the Steelers 
I'm just a draft guy & don't really understand how NFL policies/rules are enforced but this is just wrong. this is the equivalent of Chris Brown/Ryan Moats muffing games away on the goaline along with Kris Brown missing kicks, far as game breakers Is there anything as fans we can do to write the NFL expressing our displeasure with this decision?
if Ben Roethlisberger serves his entire 6 game suspension (alleged rape) his first home game will be in week 10 against the Patriots, but if he gets this reduced to four games as expected his first home game could be week 5 against Cleveland. Not only that the schedule the NFL gave the Texans is much harder the first four weeks than the Steelers I'm just a draft guy & don't really understand how NFL policies/rules are enforced but this is just wrong. this is the equivalent of Chris Brown/Ryan Moats muffing games away on the goaline along with Kris Brown missing kicks, far as game breakers Is there anything as fans we can do to write the NFL expressing our displeasure with this decision?
Apparently its ok to belittle and insult our players, but not the posters on this forum.
I had made a reply to Lucky that was relevant and, in my opinion, further explained why I feel that you people who are jumping to conclusions are both incorrect and shameful.
But, you are only allowed to insult the players here.. not the fans. So Lucky removed my post and warned me that ill be banned if I dont stop attacking those of you who are attacking cushing.
Incidentally..Awtysst.. I did reply to your comment as well.
The part of my post that you bolded was very obviously a joke. I do not think that people ACTUALLY eat crow when they are proven wrong, so it would be hard for them to choke to death on imaginary crow. Cant say that im all that worried about my reputation here either.
I had made a reply to Lucky that was relevant and, in my opinion, further explained why I feel that you people who are jumping to conclusions are both incorrect and shameful.
But, you are only allowed to insult the players here.. not the fans. So Lucky removed my post and warned me that ill be banned if I dont stop attacking those of you who are attacking cushing.
Incidentally..Awtysst.. I did reply to your comment as well.
The part of my post that you bolded was very obviously a joke. I do not think that people ACTUALLY eat crow when they are proven wrong, so it would be hard for them to choke to death on imaginary crow. Cant say that im all that worried about my reputation here either.
Texan fans will be able to see Brian Cushing play @ Reliant on week 5, versus the NY Giants.
A lot of fans here feel there is a rush to judgment, and that any comments or opinions should be held until the "facts" come out. The problem with that is, "facts" coming from the NFL will not be released, per the CBA agreement with the NFLPA. The only "facts" we will get will be from Cushing. At this point, Cushing has been less than totally candid regarding his suspension.
Which is fine. As fans, we do not need the explicit details of what test he failed, nor why. The only thing that should be important is if Cushing is on the field. He won't be for the first quarter of the regular season schedule, and that's disappointing.
But, to assume the NFL arbiterily tests for drugs that can easily give a false positive seems naive, at best. The list of banned substances were agreed to in contract by the NFL and the NFLPA. My guess is that a lot of thought and debate went into what is on that list. The overwhelming majority of NFL players do not test positive for these substances. Was Brian Cushing the only NFL player to get sick last season? Could he not have gone to a team physician, who is aware of the banned substances, for treatment? For some of us, it's a real stretch to assume this was an innocent mistake. And the "facts" from all sides will never be known. At best, Brian Cushing used poor judgment. I think one thing everyone can agree on is the hope that he will exercise better judgment in the future.
TexanExile
A New Hope
Exactly. This is a for-profit league, driven by the putting the best product on the field. No freaking way they're just out randomly picking off the league's stars with unreliable tests--if I had to guess about this secrecy-shrouded process, I'd actually guess they give the player whatever advantage they can in the testing process without compromising the process' integrity altogether. (Especially if that little edge helps their "product" run a little faster, or hit a little harder.) Admittedly, that's just a guess.
The NFL needs its best players on the field to drive ticket sales and (far more importantly) TV dollars. A capricious testing program drives nothing but a weaker product and bad press. This league didn't get to be the biggest game in town by accident.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
In the NFL, just like in Medicine, it is sad when common sense does not allow one to follow sound advice........then results in undesirable consequences which should have been of no surprise to anyone.
Dan B.
Hall of Fame
Well we did have the swine flu outbreak from OD. Be interesting if players from teams that dealt with the flu last year test positive at a higher rate.
I disagree with you on most of the political stuff.
But you are SPOT ON when it comes to the steroid stuff.
People dont realize that steroids are prescribed daily to help the elderly maintain a better quality of life. It makes sense if this is the case it should help with the quality of life for younger people too.
I do know that the government has said steroids are bad and there are some people who just parrott what material the government puts out.
BTW: What % of people in the military do you think are using?
I have no problems with a angry roided up (in great shape) soldier going into batte and helpig protect this country.
Whatever Cushing is putting into his body is none of my or anybody elses business.
You're missing the central point. It doesn't matter what you, I, or Brian Cushing think about steroid use/abuse. What matters is what the NFL and the NFLPA think about it, and how they govern it. If you are caught using steroids, or making agents, you will be suspended. If you continue their use, and continue to get caught, you will no longer be able to play in the league.
This reminds of the many marijuana in the NFL threads. Many here do not see the harmful effects of marijuana, if they even exist. But, those opinions don't count. What counts is what the league and the players' union agrees to.
As you said, what Cushing does or doesn't do to his body is not our business. What is our business, when we pay good money for the Texans product, is to see their best players on the field. And when Cushing is suspended for violating terms he agreed to when he signed a legal contract, he is denying fans from seeing the best product possible. Brian Cushing is not a grandma or a soldier. He's an NFL player who should abide by his contract.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
Steroids have a lot of potential health benefits. I would never recommend using them before 21 or so but I've known a lot of people who did anyway and it didn't hurt them. One of the biggest problems with steroids, like other drugs made illegal, is there is no regulation or anything and people can't go to their doctor for advice. That's when they become dangerous. If they were legal people could have free information about how to take them and not mess up their body and health incidents from using would probably go WAY down.
As to the military, I knew of about a dozen people in my company that were using in Afghanistan. Back at Camp Lejeuene, I can only estimate... but I had direct contact with probably 15 or so people that were using and I wouldn't have been surprised if there were another dozen more. Just in my company of 150?ish people. And I knew about half that many people that were using coke.
The1ApplePie
Hall of Fame
As a USC, I have watched Cush since he started at DE as a true freshman.
He has been dogged by steroid accusations since he was back in high school in NJ
He has always been a freak athlete, and the roids probably only gave him a slight edge.
Clay Matthews on the other hand is built entirely on roids. He came in a 185 DB prospect and look at him now.
Most people are calling Cush "Latimer" now (badass from The Program). Not a bad nickname I guess
Cush will get through this I'm sure.
He has been dogged by steroid accusations since he was back in high school in NJ
He has always been a freak athlete, and the roids probably only gave him a slight edge.
Clay Matthews on the other hand is built entirely on roids. He came in a 185 DB prospect and look at him now.
Most people are calling Cush "Latimer" now (badass from The Program). Not a bad nickname I guess
Cush will get through this I'm sure.
wagonhed
Team Gruden
I think you're actually missing the point of posts like his as well.
What you said only holds if they are arguing that the suspension he received was unfair and it should be removed. I haven't heard anyone argue that they should remove the suspension. Nor have I heard anyone argue that they aren't upset that he got caught and earned the suspension.
Your central point may be that he got suspended according to the rules and that's that. But noone is disagreeing with you. MY central point is that the rules and the NFL policy in general is bogus, but that doesn't mean I don't think the rules should be followed or that we can just ignore them when it comes to Cushing or something.
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
My off the wall conspirocy theory of the day .
This is why Cushing is training with Glazer . When he comes back smaller he was going to say he was doing the MMA training and not pumping iron . Glazer is part of the act and gets pub out of it .
I think Cushing will always be a good player because he's driven ( to a fault ) and has great instincts . Hopefully we will not have to deal with this again .
This is why Cushing is training with Glazer . When he comes back smaller he was going to say he was doing the MMA training and not pumping iron . Glazer is part of the act and gets pub out of it .
I think Cushing will always be a good player because he's driven ( to a fault ) and has great instincts . Hopefully we will not have to deal with this again .
Imatexanfan
Hall of Fame
I am not happy with the fact that Cushing was using any performance enhancing drugs, but the bottom line is there are performance enhancing drugs that are in the over the counter section at any pharmacy. They are fine and dandy for people like me to take, but the NFL has banned them. The thing is we don't know exactly what he tested dirty for.
The1ApplePie
Hall of Fame
I still can't grasp how Mario has never been popped
Like Cush, he is a freakish athlete first... but the eye test says there is something more there
Like Cush, he is a freakish athlete first... but the eye test says there is something more there
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
It's funny because in baseball , theolder players got busted trying to hang on . In football it seems rookies get busted trying to get paid .
wagonhed
Team Gruden
I wonder if people would choose for the Texans to be a completely clean organization, if they had that choice. If most of you are so offended by the fact that one of our players was using, I must draw the conclusion that you all want all of our players to stop using.
That's fine and dandy and morally righteous and all of that. However, we would never win another game.
So if you're going to denounce Brian for using PEDs, you better denounce a lot of the rest of the team too, and say that you want them all to stop using.
That's fine and dandy and morally righteous and all of that. However, we would never win another game.
So if you're going to denounce Brian for using PEDs, you better denounce a lot of the rest of the team too, and say that you want them all to stop using.
Didn't you suggest (in one of your 39 posts in this thread) that Cushing should continue to take steroids? It would be easier to follow your central point if you could maintain a little consistency.
OK, steroids are like vitamins, and everyone should take them on a daily basis. Unfortunately (I guess), the NFL doesn't view them as such. You think that's bogus. Maybe it is. Do you actually see the league altering their position on steroid use? And what about Brian Cushing's integrity, violating terms of a contract he signed? What kind of teammate is he, when his actions keep him off the field? Those are the questions that seem much more relevant (in this forum) than whatever the actual effects of steroids to the human body are.
We have a ton of "experts" here (apparently) on steroid use. This "knowledge" seems superfluous to discussing Cushing's suspension. If Brian Cushing continues to get caught taking illegal substances, he will be tossed out of the league and made worthless to this organization. And Brian Cushing's value to this organization is why we're having this discussion, in the first place. Anything else is basically off "point".
wagonhed
Team Gruden
I suggested that Cush should keep taking steroids if that's what he wants to do. And I think it seems likely that he will.
I've been perfectly consistent in everything I've said. I've had 39 posts in the thread because there has been a ton of stuff to respond to, most of which was false information about steroids. If there is any part of my stance which you are confused about, I have no problem clarifying.
I didn't say that about steroids, but thanks for mocking my position. No, I don't see the NFL altering their position on them, but I don't see how it isn't within my rights on this message board and within the context of this thread to voice my objections.
As far as Cushing's contract, I don't really care. I don't think the contract is what ultimately binds a football player - it's loyalty to his teammates that binds him. He definitely let them down in that respect which is why I'm pissed off at him. But I could care less about his contract.
And as to what's relevant to this thread, I don't control the flow of the conversation. Most of my posts have, like I said, been in response to blatantly false misinformation about steroids. It wasn't my choice to make them the topic of discussion, but it was my choice to bring my own information in to correct what I believed to be false.
Hey, you're the mod. If you think the discussion is off topic there are about 10 pages worth of posts about steroids you could probably delete. I don't need to defend myself for responding to false rhetoric concerning steroids or anything else that I've responded to in the thread. From what I can see, this thread has been on topic the whole time. This is a place where we are supposed to discuss things, isn't it?
TheRealJoker
Hall of Fame
Cushing says he wasn't suspended for steroids:
"I was substance-tested randomly by the NFL during the 2009 season. The results of those tests indicated the presence of a non-steroidal banned substance. The League acted to suspend me based on those results, which I challenged in my appeal of the suspension. I believe we presented compelling evidence during the appeal process to challenge the test results, and I disagree with and am disappointed by the suspension. Bound by the decision of the League, I regret the situation it presents to the Texans' organization, my teammates, and our fans. My dedication to a championship season in 2010 continues undeterred."
http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=6152
Masking agent? Or is there any painkillers on the banned substances list?
"I was substance-tested randomly by the NFL during the 2009 season. The results of those tests indicated the presence of a non-steroidal banned substance. The League acted to suspend me based on those results, which I challenged in my appeal of the suspension. I believe we presented compelling evidence during the appeal process to challenge the test results, and I disagree with and am disappointed by the suspension. Bound by the decision of the League, I regret the situation it presents to the Texans' organization, my teammates, and our fans. My dedication to a championship season in 2010 continues undeterred."
http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=6152
Masking agent? Or is there any painkillers on the banned substances list?
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
There are a ton of things on the list. Including ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine.
GP
Go Texans!
IMO, it had to be a masking agent. If you're going to play with fire...you gotta' keep a bucket of water nearby. And that bucket of water is the masking agent that hides the illegal substance(s).
This way, you get busted and can claim "Hey, it was a non-steroidal banned substance," which defuses (somewhat) the claims of STEROIDS! STEROIDS! yet cannot fully deflect the questions as to exactly what he tested positive for.
I've had my piss-and-moan session over this already, and have moved on through the stages of grief. Speaking for myself, I am not going to sit here and drink the Kool Aid that he used some marginal supplement and that he's being falsely accused.
He probably used a masking agent, and now he gets to claim that he didn't test positive for steroids. (Sigh) OK, Brian. Thanks.
Dishman
Miss Ya Blue
It only seems that way in baseball because of the magnitude of the names, but there have plenty of more obscure baseball players (major and minor leagues) that have tested positive for steroids. The Astros minor league prospect Lou Santangelo was busted a few years back, which led to the JR Towles catching his break.
hot pickle
Canada Eh
this just in..... I LOVE BRIAN CUSHING.... he is a texan and the texans are my team so i support him no matter what till the end!!!! go get em cush...... fv<k the haters!!!!
sorry for the language if it offended anyone!
i love you all lol
sorry for the language if it offended anyone!
i love you all lol
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
The Dallas Morning New just now released a very short piece. Cowboys to face Cushing-less Texans
Don't expect any tears from Cowboys fans.
Don't expect any tears from Cowboys fans.
GP
Go Texans!
Yeah, we waited on the Steve McNair thing.
And the Woods thing.
And the Ben thing.
Etc.
Etc.
I expect Lawrence Taylor to be innocent, as well as Brian Cushing. LOL.
barrett
All Pro
The1ApplePie
Hall of Fame
The real question
Why didn't he share any with Okoye?
Why didn't he share any with Okoye?
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
He's back .
The1ApplePie
Hall of Fame
All will be forgiven if he runs out into Reliant Stadium's parking lot and screams:
"Seat at the table!" while head butting windshields and car windows
"Seat at the table!" while head butting windshields and car windows
silvrhand
All Pro
Ah great movie..
More information from whom? The NFL is not allowed to elaborate or give out any more detail than they've already given. Cushing has said that it is not steroids (per se). What other revelation are you waiting for? It is what it is. A 4 game suspension.
Honoring Earl 34
Something Witty !
Probably ... I'm not mad at the guy . I've seen guys do the same thing when there wasn't much money to be made playing league sports . I know two that are dead , that were big users in the 80's .
I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst . The show must go on and I hope we're 4-0 when he returns .