Gene Upshaw and WAPA exchanging words (1 Viewer)

[crnerblitz]

ESPN.com reports NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw informed The Charlotte Observer that he will not endorse suspensions for players named from the online pharmacy steroid case unless the players test positive for a banned substance. "We are not going to get into a witch hunt," Upshaw wrote in an e-mail to the newspaper. Upshaw was responding to World Anti-Doping Agency chairman **** Pound's assertion that the league should "absolutely" discipline any players linked to the case if the evidence is reliable, regardless of test results. "We will not let WADA determine how we operate our program. We discipline only for a positive test. WADA can say whatever they like; the players in the NFL have both a union and a collective bargaining agreement," Upshaw wrote. Pound wrote "If he wanted his sport and the NFL to be drug-free, he would not say that. It's an either-or situation: Either he wants drug-free football or he does not." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the newspaper that the NFL "will consider evidence outside of" test results for suspensions, but the league and NFLPA would have to agree to changes to the drug policy before the NFL could discipline players without positive test results or convictions or admission of guilt.

 

[wannabee]

I am not so sure that Upshaw has the consensus of his membership on this one. Several of he higher profile players are in favor of increasing the conduct penalties. I would think this topic has a similar following. THe "clean" players want no part of defending this issue.

 

[Chase Stuart]

I don't think suspending players that don't test positively for illegal substances is for the betterment of the game.

 

[wannabee]

Ever since Rozelle, the NFL has been very cognizant of its image. I think that this is the type of issue the NFL wants no where near the game.

 

[crnerblitz]

I don't think suspending players that don't test positively for illegal substances is for the betterment of the game.

Ala baseball, there is no way to return a positive sample for a substance that you refuse to test for. Ala baseball, turning a blind eye to rampant use of a controlled substance is a very good way to get dragged before congress. I don't Congressmen are self serving or opportunistic, so the league probably doesn't have to worry about any bad publicity from that quarter.

Not rampant you say? Freaking punters were using the stuff.

 

[Velcro]

Pound is a d_ick. That said, I don't see why credible evidence should be ignored. If paperwork and shipping documents suggest and support the claim that a player has been using illicit performance enhancers (or drugs in general), I don't see why that information should be ignored.