MLB: Most adanced testing in Pro Sports?!

[Spank226]

"PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. -- Commissioner Bud Selig announced significant modifications in Major League Baseball's drug testing program, already the strongest in professional sports, ...
..."I just can't emphasize to you enough, when I think of all that's gone on relative to the steroids and drugs and everything. There's been a lot of conversation again the last day or two. Think of where we were and how we arrived at this day, I meant what I said. This is a proud and a great day for baseball and we'll continue to be a leader in this field and do whatever we have to do. This is good. I don't know how else to say it. This is good. This is really good." "

Really? I mean, right on the heels of no inductees to the Hall of Fame?
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130110&content_id=40916028&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

 

[Pazuzu]

Baseball certainly turned a blind eye in the late 90's early 00's when dudes were hitting home runs like they were going out of style. But home rune production over the last half-dozen years or so is way down, such that hitting 40 homers is again considered a great season. This alone would indicate that there's significantly less doping occuring than during the 'roid era.

 

[lean mean &green]

Baseball certainly turned a blind eye in the late 90's early 00's when dudes were hitting home runs like they were going out of style. But home rune production over the last half-dozen years or so is way down, such that hitting 40 homers is again considered a great season. This alone would indicate that there's significantly less doping occuring than during the 'roid era.

Nope. Hitters are probably only using slightly less PEDS than the "steroid era". Pitchers are likely using AAS's with greater frequency following the model of success established by Clemens. But the truth is we just don't know for certain. Making huge assumptions based upon indirect evidence is a big no no in antidoping.

Also, testing in baseball was and still is a joke. They are patting themselves on the back for just now adding in season random controls for HGH. Selig is pretending its a breakthrough when they're actually years behind. the funniest thing in baseball is the term "steroid era". It's referred to as if the problem has all but been eliminated in a time long ago, it's such an eery PR distortion.

 

[BillytheKid]

Interesting this comes out this just ahead of some the Armstrong/Oprah spectacular?

 

[the delgados]

Strong player unions in North American sports combined with complicity of ownership allows the likes of Selig to make ridiculous claims.
Really, very few folks here care about doping in sports.
McQuaid must be jealous.

 

[Oldman]

Strong player unions in North American sports combined with complicity of ownership allows the likes of Selig to make ridiculous claims.
Really, very few folks here care about doping in sports.
McQuaid must be jealous.

I would agree that alot of this is window dressing. They've also scared A Rod and alot of others back into the mortal level of performance and busted several major stars. This in the face of some pennant chases so at least they think the public cares. That's much more than they ever did prior to this.
If there is a Lance effect it is that major sports actually do care about their image with the public. That's a far better situation than two years ago.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Strong player unions in North American sports combined with complicity of ownership allows the likes of Selig to make ridiculous claims.
Really, very few folks here care about doping in sports.
McQuaid must be jealous.

... and mad about the media. He must feel like Rasmussen or Ullrich: "Why o why is me (my sport) the scapegoat"?

MLB, NFL... big jokes. Player unions dictate what to test for and what not. Basically they can do whatever they want. They are not even obligated to USADA/WADA code, since they are no olympic sport.

I think "Mark W" or "Benotti" said pro cycling is like wrestling. But hey, US pro sports is wayyy worse...

So enjoy cycling while you can. The window of opportunity wasn´t greater than now (until gene doping gets it´s breakthrough).

 

[the delgados]

... and mad about the media. He must feel like Rasmussen or Ullrich: "Why o why is me (my sport) the scapegoat"?

MLB, NFL... big jokes. Player unions dictate what to test for and what not. Basically they can do whatever they want. They are not even obligated to USADA/WADA code, since they are no olympic sport.

I think "Mark W" or "Benotti" said pro cycling is like wrestling. But hey, US pro sports is wayyy worse...

So enjoy cycling while you can. The window of opportunity wasn´t greater than now (until gene doping gets it´s breakthrough).

Player unions do not dictate testing procedures. Testing rules and regulations are mutually agreed upon by both players and management (i.e. a collective agreement).

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Ok, i don´t wanna split hairs. But what´s the difference?
The Unions agree with the league that they don´t, for example, test for HGH (as happened in the NFL). It serves them both. No scandals, nothing to see here, we are all super trouper leagues with honest champs.

Now imagine UCI and riders make such agreements? Hell would break loose in the media.

After all McQuaid gets his flak here (rightfully), but there are worse ones out there (Blatter, Tagliabue, now Godell might be a tad better, Selig, Stern...)

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

MLB screwed itself when the steroid era was in full swing (pun intended). Ken Camenitti and Jose Canseco pointed it out, and while MLB had to know there were a lot of fact to their claims, they instead labeled them bitter drug users and tried to pretend the problem would go away, while they raked in the money. It took several years, a leaked grand jury investigation (Game of Shadows) and leaks from a lengthy report that has still protected nearly every positive test, to get things moving to be cleaner.

Yes, I wrote cleaner. Because baseball isn't clean. Guys aren't juiced the way they were a decade ago, there are now better tests for steroids and they're going to test for HGH (a test that barely works) but don't pretend for a minute it's a clean sport.

NFL as well. I love the NFL, but let's be honest here. While days of players like Lyle Alzado, Brian Bosworth, or Bill Romanowski are mostly over, don't pretend for a moment most players are clean. The NFL itself allows Toradol (a potent NSAID) injections to players in order to help with pain and recovery, tantamount to admitting they know players will likely turn to banned drugs without it.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

MLB screwed itself when the steroid era was in full swing (pun intended). Ken Camenitti and Jose Canseco pointed it out, and while MLB had to know there were a lot of fact to their claims, they instead labeled them bitter drug users and tried to pretend the problem would go away, while they raked in the money. It took several years, a leaked grand jury investigation (Game of Shadows) and leaks from a lengthy report that has still protected nearly every positive test, to get things moving to be cleaner.

Yes, I wrote cleaner. Because baseball isn't clean. Guys aren't juiced the way they were a decade ago, there are now better tests for steroids and they're going to test for HGH (a test that barely works) but don't pretend for a minute it's a clean sport.

NFL as well. I love the NFL, but let's be honest here. While days of players like Lyle Alzado, Brian Bosworth, or Bill Romanowski are mostly over, don't pretend for a moment most players are clean. The NFL itself allows Toradol (a potent NSAID) injections to players in order to help with pain and recovery, tantamount to admitting they know players will likely turn to banned drugs without it.

Ken & Jose... yeah, shoot the messenger. May they (major leagues) looked at cycling how it worked out there since forever (until 2006/12). Seems they learned a lot.
And it seems it´s still working. Now they come up with that "clean now..." rubbish. As long as Steroid-Rod is still in there, nothing changed. He´s the Lance (until 2010) of MLB. A known doper is allowed to perform & make millions. Ugly.

Grand jury (or congress investigations)... yep, those kind of stuff is the only thing that works against those greedy players & owners.

I don´t believe you Alpe, that NFL is somewhat ok now. Not in the age of 250-lbs-LB´s who run as fast as WR´s, bionic QB´s and 350 pound OL-Men.
Anyway, we can discuss it in the NFL thread. I don´t wanna highjack this thread.
OTOH, if the talk is MLB, the same can be applied to NFL, NHL, NBA.

About the drugs in football, i think the worst is the numbing shots to get players on the field injured. That really cripples the players.

 

[the delgados]

Ok, i don´t wanna split hairs. But what´s the difference?
The Unions agree with the league that they don´t, for example, test for HGH (as happened in the NFL). It serves them both. No scandals, nothing to see here, we are all super trouper leagues with honest champs.

Now imagine UCI and riders make such agreements? Hell would break loose in the media.

After all McQuaid gets his flak here (rightfully), but there are worse ones out there (Blatter, Tagliabue, now Godell might be a tad better, Selig, Stern...)

Sorry, I don't mean to sound combative. I organize labour unions for a living, and I get a bit edgy when folks blame unions for the world's ills.

Hell would not have broken loose in the media if there was an agreed standard between riders and the governing body in cycling. I could be totally wrong, but I can't help but think a collective agreement would have prevented renegades like Armstrong from writing his own rules.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Well, recall that the CPA during the last decade or so has mostly been about keeping the omerta going. (This might ruffle some feathers). It is a shame in a sense that they, the AIGCP and UCI can't create some sort of CBA. Then again, with the UCI being the UCI...

I don´t believe you Alpe, that NFL is somewhat ok now.

Re-read what I wrote. I said mostly over. During Alzedo's time there was virtually NO control, no oversight. He was allowed to essentially kill himself. A problem with the NFL allowing Toradol the way they do is that players are going to either get addicted to it as a pain killer, or it's going to mask the body's natural warning signs of pain, resulting in worse injuries, or longer term problems.

FWIW, if you want to rag on a sport for a lack of testing, why don't we start with Tennis. That sport is a total JOKE with it's testing. Even Golf, which finally admitted a few years ago some of it's guys may be on steroids (duh) started at least some meaningful testing.

 

[will10]

Nope. Hitters are probably only using slightly less PEDS than the "steroid era". Pitchers are likely using AAS's with greater frequency following the model of success established by Clemens. But the truth is we just don't know for certain. Making huge assumptions based upon indirect evidence is a big no no in antidoping.

Also, testing in baseball was and still is a joke. They are patting themselves on the back for just now adding in season random controls for HGH. Selig is pretending its a breakthrough when they're actually years behind. the funniest thing in baseball is the term "steroid era". It's referred to as if the problem has all but been eliminated in a time long ago, it's such an eery PR distortion.

Like the "EPO era" in cycling...I mean no-one gets popped for EPO anymore, right?